People celebrate Halloween in many different ways. But, one of my all-time favorite traditions is watching scary movies. It is a fun way to spend time and bond with friends because everyone likes to be scared once in a while.
Here are 7 of my favorite movies to watch during this spooky season:
- Halloweentown (1998) – Duwayne Dunham
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This movie is a Halloween favorite among practically everyone in this generation. We all grew up watching Marnie and her family reconnect with their supernatural roots in order to protect their beloved Halloweentown from the forces of evil. With its elaborate and spooky costumes, childhood mischief/curiosity and heartwarming family bonding, you can’t help but revisit this wonderful film every year.
- Corpse Bride (2005) – Tim Burton, Mike Johnson
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A Tim Burton classic, Corpse Bride incorporates an eerie yet beautiful musical score (coupled with the voices of many talented actors) with a strange twist on the classic “true love” trope. You can’t help but feel drawn to Victor Van Dort’s plight of reuniting with his lover, Victoria Everglot. This masterpiece is the perfect romantic Halloween movie that showcases the artistry behind stop-motion animation.
- Coraline (2009) – Henry Selick
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I can say with 99.9% conviction that anyone reading this article has seen Coraline (and if for whatever reason you haven’t, stop what you are doing and GO WATCH IT). This film embodies the struggle of growing up and dealing with family issues through its use of creepy button-eyed dolls and alternate universes where things are not always as they seem. It has truly become a Halloween staple, and you can’t survive this spooky season without it.
- The Conjuring (2013) – James Wan
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This was the first horror movie I ever saw, and let me tell you — I was scared out of my mind! It includes a real life couple, Ed and Lorraine Warren, who were paranormal investigators, demonologists and authors. They are called upon by the Perron family, who experienced some crazy paranormal action in their new house. The film is somewhat based on the book, The Amityville Horror by Jay Anson, which only makes it more horrifying. I definitely recommend watching this if you want to be scared senseless.
- The Ritual (2017) – David Bruckner
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This movie starts out pretty scary, but loses some of its fear factor towards the end, in my opinion. The plot is an iteration of an overused scary-movie trope: While hiking, four friends get lost in a dark forest with no form of escape in sight and, on top of that, they are being hunted down by some ancient evil deity. It is filled with countless jump scares (that get to me every time), some terrifying imagery and an enticing storyline, which makes it perfect for Halloween.
- The Killing of a Sacred Deer (2017) – Yorgos Lanthimos
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If there is one adjective I would use to describe this movie, it is chilling. This psychological thriller is sadistic on every level and is definitely a hard pill to swallow. It focuses on a “normal” family whose members seem somewhat detached from one another. Their lives change dramatically (for the worst) when Martin enters the picture and begins his reign of terror. There are numerous scenes that I just couldn’t bare to watch because of how disturbing and sad they were. However, for all you people out there who enjoy this dark film genre, I would recommend seeing it.
- Hereditary (2018) – Ari Aster
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This film is terrifying in the best way possible. It delves deep into family struggles while mixing things up with some gruesome death, demonic possession and cult rituals. Hereditary is extremely dark and definitely not for everyone. I recommend watching this film with a couple of friends and a pillow to squeeze onto. It is really messed up, so be prepared to feel unsettled and uncomfortable after. Despite that, it has become one of my favorite films to watch around Halloween.
These are some of my favorite Halloween movies, but there are countless others. Just get some friends together, grab some of your favorite snacks and have a scary-good time.