Watching scary movies is the best way to get in the Halloween spirit and whether you’re planning a movie night in or just want to watch something alone, these ten movies will leave you feeling spooky.
This seems like an obvious place to start. What better way to get in the Halloween spirit than watching a horror movie named after the holiday? Plus, with eleven movies in the franchise, you can turn it into a movie marathon. Just make sure to start with the original 1978 movie (the first in the series). The movie begins on Halloween night with six-year-old Michael Myers fatally stabbing his sister. Years later, and now grown up, Michael is to be transported from a sanatorium to court, though he manages to escape. From there, he returns to his home town and begins a murderous spree, killing high school-aged babysitters on Halloween night.
If you’re looking for horror classics, then look no further than this iconic movie. Based on the novel by Stephen King, The Shining is a dark and twisting story, guaranteed to leave you on edge. With creepy twins, a mad man and ghostly hotel guests, it perfectly blends insanity with the supernatural in a way that will haunt you. Plus, there’s some pretty good inspiration here for a costume if you have a party to attend.
Struggling with unemployment, writer Jack Torrance takes a job as a caretaker of the Overlook Hotel, moving his family out over the winter months when the hotel is empty and cut off from the world due to heavy snow. While Jack uses the long days to work on a novel, Danny, his son, explores the hotel, having terrifying visions of death and murder. Over time, it isn’t just Danny who sees things. Both his parents witness mysterious guests who shouldn’t be there and over the long winter months, they start to get into his father’s head.
The Silence of the Lambs may not be a typical Halloween-y movie, but it is definitely frightening enough to get you in the spirit. It’s also another classic that everyone should have seen at least once in their lifetime, so if you haven’t, what are you waiting for? The movie follows FBI rookie, Clarise Starling, as she is drafted in to help with a case involving a serial killer who kidnaps, kills and skins woman. With little to go on, Clarice is sent to seek advice from another murderer, Dr. Hannibal Lecter, an imprisoned psychiatrist. Developing a special bond with her, he gives her cryptic hints that she must use to prevent any more deaths from occurring.
Watching something supernatural is the best way to get in the spooky spirit, and if you want to watch a film that will keep you up all night then Insidious is the movie for you. This is a typical jump-scare horror that will keep you on the edge of your seat. So invite your friends over, settle down with some popcorn and get ready to feel scared. Insidious begins as the Lambert family move into their new home. One night, son Dalton sees something in the attic, lurking in the shadows. The next day, with no warning, he falls into a coma. Over the next few months, his parents notice more and more paranormal activity happening in the house with mysterious voices over the baby monitor and demonic figures roaming the rooms.
It Follows is a supernatural horror movie where victims are pursued and hunted down by an entity invisible to everyone but themselves. There is only one way to deter the creature. Sleeping with someone passes the curse onto them but, if they are killed, it will return to you. The movie opens with student Jay, going on a date with a new boyfriend Hugh. During the date, Hugh becomes worried when he sees a girl that Jay cannot see. On their next date, Jay and Hugh sleep together and, afterward, he explains to her that he has passed on a curse and she will now be followed by the same mysterious entity that had previously tracked him down. Now she must find a way to escape its clutches.
A unique take on the horror genre, A Quiet Place doesn’t feature loud screams and sinister music. Instead, the creatures that threaten the family in the movie are so sensitive to sound that everyone must speak in sign language and remain silent at all times. The Abbott family are silently looking for supplies in a deserted, post-apocalyptic town as the movie opens. As they walk about, their youngest son picks up a battery-powered, space shuttle toy. When he begins to play around with it, and it starts to play noises, the creatures start to descend.
You don’t just have to watch serious horror movies to get in the Halloween spirit and The Cabin In The Woods is the perfect example of this. Though it features many of the typical horror movie tropes, the film is all about picking them apart and making fun of them. Beginning with two engineers in an underground laboratory, it’s clear from the start that they are controlling the horror elements of the plot. They spend the movie manipulating a group of teenagers, staying in a deserted cabin, to engage with their carefully laid plans.
Sticking to the idea that Halloween movies can be light-hearted too, Shaun of the Dead and its zombie apocalypse setting is perfect for getting in the spooky spirit. It’s also the ideal movie to watch with a group of friends if you’re spending the night in and want a laugh.
Shaun is just a regular guy going about his regular day but everything around him is not quite normal. Almost overnight, the country is dropped into a zombie crisis and he must come up with a plan to keep himself and his loved ones safe. What is this plan? Well, he heads to the safest place he knows… the pub.
This movie may not scare you so much now, but it was definitely terrifying as a child. So, why not make your Halloween a little bit more nostalgic and put on Coraline. When her family moves into a new and mysterious house, Coraline feels bored. That is until she meets Wybie, the landlady’s grandson who gifts her a ragdoll. The doll is strange, bearing a striking resemblance to her with dark black button eyes. Later, it draws her towards a strange small door in her living room which Coraline becomes determined to open.
Is it a Christmas movie? Is it a Halloween movie? We can’t be totally sure. All we know is that it is a fun, spooky film that everyone loves. As Halloween town prepares for its annual celebration once again, Jack, the pumpkin king, grows weary of the same routine. He wanders off to think, stumbling across a door into Christmas town and decides that he and the rest of Halloween town will take over the winter festivities.
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