I love bingeing on “Halloweentown” and “Twitches” just like the next girl, but sometimes change can be a good thing! (Even if nothing will ever be as cool as Marnie’s skull phones in “Halloweentown.”) Check out these five movies you can add to the mix to keep things a little interesting this Halloween season.
MINDHUNTER
This crime drama series follows two FBI agents in the 1970’s as they cross the nation teaching police about and studying a newly-emerging type of criminal, the “sequence killer.” This show isn’t Halloween themed, but the grey-wash tone of each shot and the scenes where Holden and his partner go one-on-one with some of America’s most gruesome serial killers will give you chills. Bonus: if you’re a self-proclaimed “80’s baby” or if your parents ever forced you to listen to hours of music from their glory days, this soundtrack will be one you can vibe to.
Gerald’s Game
This Netflix original is based off a novella by the master of horror himself, Stephen King. Gerald’s Game is horrifying in more than one way. The movie opens on the Burlingames, a seemingly innocuous couple looking to spice up their sex life with a getaway trip to their cabin in the woods. He wants to role play—she doesn’t—she ends up in handcuffs as he has a Viagra-induced coma and dies. As you follow Jessie Burlingame (Calra Gugino) through this psychological thriller, you learn that her trauma goes back further than her marriage to her sexist husband. If you’re looking for something to cover all the horror bases: jump scares, psychological thriller, gore, etc. Gerald’s Game has you covered.
Donnie Darko
This cult classic is back on Netflix again, and I couldn’t be happier. 90’s vibes, young Jake Gyllenhaal, and a complicated storyline I can’t ever seem to unravel. What could be better? Pretty much nothing. Follow Donnie (Jake) as he’s guided by a (probably) real man in a rabbit suit and tries to figure out the mystery his life suddenly becomes after an airplane engine crashes into his house. The best part? This movie is insanely quotable and Jake Gyllenhaal wears one of the most iconic skeleton costumes of our time.
Jonathan Strange & Mr. Norrell
The most lighthearted series on the list, this BBC show explores a world based on the novel by Susanna Clarke where magic is real and two magicians compete to publicize their different ways of thinking. Though this whimsical show has all the draw of an English period piece (The clothing! The accents!) a dark prophecy about the Raven King and an evil fairy who steals people away while they sleep lends this one-season show a spooky touch.
Coraline
Don’t let the Claymation part of this movie fool you. Though “Coraline” is marketed for children, this movie is downright disturbing (and I love it!). Tim Burton, the genius who gave us spooky holiday classics like “The Nightmare Before Christmas” and “Edward Scissorhands,” doesn’t disappoint. There’s a reason my own mom refuses to watch this with me. Watch Coraline explore an alternate universe where her creepy alternate mom turns into a spider creature and tries to sew up her eyes with buttons. You won’t be too spooked after, but you and whoever you watch this movie with will agree that it isn’t just for children. “Coraline” will give you the chills, but it’ll also leave you delighted, humming the soundtrack for the rest of the week.
-HCXO!