Updated on October 30, 2021.
Halloween is my favorite holiday. Not because I enjoy dressing up in costumes (I don’t), trick or treating (my parents never cared for it so we never participated in such activity) or putting up “scary” decorations around the house (such a hassle!). No. I like Halloween because I get to purchase then eat huge bags of mini candy bars and horror movies play non stop on TV. I love, love, love horror movies! There is nothing better than the thrill of getting scared. So, every October, we binge watch a whole lot of scary movies ranging from the all-time classics to the B-level types, to the laughably ridiculous. That’s the great thing about these films, even the poorly made ones are good!
If you’re planning a Halloween movie night, you could, of course, go for a marathon of the Halloween, Friday the 13th or Nightmare on Elm Street franchises. That’s always a winner. Personally, I feel like I’ve seen them too often now and grew a bit tired of them. I’m giving myself a break from them for a couple of years. If you feel the same way and are looking for something else to watch on Halloween night, here’s a small list of recommendations.
Horror comedies
Let’s start light. Horror movies can scare you as well as make you laugh! Who ever said it should one or the other? There’s a whole bunch of great horror comedies out there. Click on the link to see a clip:
Bettlejuice : a classic!
What we do in the shadows : a film crew follows four vampire roommates who share a house in New Zealand and documents their daily life and struggles.
The cabin in the woods : a group of friends spend their weekend at a seemingly deserted cabin in the forest, but the cabin actually turns out to be an underground laboratory.
Zombieland : 4 strangers travel across the US, trying to survive the zombie apocalypse.
The final girls : a group of friends attend the screening of a cult B-horror movie and somehow become trapped in it.
Happy death day : a college student relives her birthday (and her murder) again and again until she figures out who’s trying to kill her.
Extra ordinary : a shy driving instructor reluctantly uses her supernatural talents to help a widow save his daughter’s soul from a has-been rock star who practices black magic to regain fame.
The babysitter : a young boy spies on his babysitter one night to see what she does in his house once he’s fallen asleep, only to realize that she’s part of a satanic sect.
Save yourselves! : a couple decides to go on a technology-free retreat only to be stuck in the middle of nowhere, with no survival skills, in the midst of an invasion by a strange pouf-like alien species.
But my personal favorite will always be Shaun of the Dead! I’ve written a post about the Cornetto trilogy (Shaun of the dead being the first installment) some time last year, so you can read about the film here.
Found footage
This is probably the category I like the least (along with slashers), because the moving camera makes me dizzy and nauseous all the time! That being said, I included it anyways because some films are worthwhile:
Rec (the original Spanish version) : The military decided to seal off an apartment building after an elderly woman, afflicted with a strange disease, attacked and bit the neck of a policemen. Residents, firemen and a camera crew following the firemen, are all stuck inside.
Unfriended : this is not technically a found footage horror but it’s more like an adaptation of one. Live screen shots are used as a group of friends skype while being taunted online by what appears the ghost of a friend who committed suicide after a humiliating video goes viral.
The Visit : a brother and sister spend a week with their maternal grandparents, whom they’ve never met before, while their mother is on vacation with her boyfriend. This is another adaptation of the found footage genre, where the sister films everything as part of a documentary she wants to make. The grandparents are beyond creepy.
These films are fine and have their moments, but none of them are as effective and memorable as Paranormal Activity (the first film). I am not easily scared by horror movies but this one stuck with me. This film understands that you do not have to show the monster for an effective scare, quite the contrary! Leave everything to the viewer’s imagination! The Blair Witch Project is not in my list. Despite the fact that it started the whole found footage movement, I never liked that film.
B-Horror movies
Now these movies are the most fun to watch because most of them (but not all of them!) are so bad they’re good. Bad acting, illogical plot, pointless nudity, cheap special effects… what’s not to like?
Chopping mall : a group of friends spend the night partying in the shopping mall where they work. Unfortunately for them, the mall’s new high-tech security system is turning on them. Shopping, chopping… get it?
They live : the ruling class is actually made of aliens concealing their appearance and manipulating people to spend money, breed, and live in subservience with subliminal messages in mass media. The only way to see things as they really are is by looking through special sunglasses.
Patrick (1978 Australian version) : Patrick, a murderer in a comatose state, terrorizes a hospital staff with his telekinesis abilities. The guy’s pretty creepy.
The Stuff : a former FBI agent is hired to investigate a highly popular but mysterious yogurt-like and addictive product called The Stuff. He soon discovers that the substance is actually a living, parasitic, and possibly sentient organism that gradually takes over the brain. The film started out great but kind off fell through at the end. Nonetheless, a very entertaining film!
Zero boys : this film makes no sense what so ever! But at the same time, it’s one of the most entertaining movie I’ve seen in a while! It’s basically about a group of paintball champions who make a trip into the forest with their girlfriends. They heard a woman scream and followed the noise to an empty cabin where a killer (or killers) is waiting for them.
All the above mentioned films are extremely entertaining and guarantee a great night. But my personal favorite is The Re-Animator. Cannot get more B-Horror than this! It has everything: a brilliant mad scientist, fluorescent green liquids, zombie killers, over acting, gore, and of course, nudity!
The classics
These are the timeless masterpieces that are, for the most of them, considered among the best movies ever, all genres considered, not just horror. You can see the movie’s trailer by clicking on the link but I didn’t feel that summaries are needed here, as they are quintessential works of art that are probably already known by everyone.
Suspiria (original version)
The one classic that has a special place for me is The exorcist. It’s by far one of my favorite movies of all time and it triggered my lifelong fascination with possessions and the paranormal.
More scary movies
So I tried to bundle my movie recommendations by genres but some movies don’t exactly fit just one category and then I got tired of trying to figure out how to organize them. So here are a few more horror films that are worth a watch. Though they all do have flaws, they also provide some very efficient scares.
Insidious : a couple originally thought their house was haunted until they realize that it’s their son. The movie has some seriously scary scenes but it kind of fell flat towards the end. The sequels are really not worth a watch.
The Ring : a journalist investigates a cursed videotape that seemingly kills the viewer seven days after watching it. The movie did not exactly age well but I still remember the first time I saw it at the movies. It seriously creeped me out!
The Exorcism of Emily Rose : a young woman died in her parents’ home after a failed exorcism. The priest who performed the exorcism was arrested and the film is about his trial. We see two very different interpretations of the same event : was Emily Rose really possessed by demons or was she an epileptic who was the victim of an extreme case of negligent homicide?
Jacob’s ladder : I only saw Jacob’s ladder once, several years ago, when I was still little, but the film has a long lasting effect on me. For a long time, it gave me nightmares. The film is about a Vietnam veteran who’s afflicted with strange and nightmarish visions and hallucinations.
The 6th Sense : a child psychologist tries to help a young boy who sees dead people. The film was great but the down side is that once we know the twist at the end, it’s hard to watch it again.
The lodge : after their mother’s suicide, two children have to spend the holidays with their soon-to-be step-mother, in the family’s remote cabin.
The Invisible Man : a remake of the classic where a woman is convinced that the abusive tech tycoon boyfriend she ran away from is stalking her, even though everybody thinks he died of suicide.
Fear street : This trilogy is not perfect but it was still a thrill to watch. The story goes back and forth in time to tell the story of a witch’s curse on a small town and its inhabitants.
Finally, my favorite recent horror film has to be It Follows. It is a slow paced, creepy and original movie about a young woman who is pursued by a mysterious supernatural entity that was passed on to her after a sexual encounter. This is the sort of psychological thrillers we don’t get much of nowadays.
TV shows
While we’re at it, why not add a few TV shows worth your while?
The Haunting of Hill House : The story takes place in two timelines, depicting the characters’ childhood in Hill House and then the effects their experiences in that house had on their adult selves. The ending was pretty terrible but the first episodes had some terrific moments and awesome effects that make the series watch-worthy.
Castle Rock : The story takes place in Castle Rock, Maine, and borrows multiple characters, storylines, and concepts from the vast works of Stephen King.
Stranger Things : With the much anticipated 4th season coming up in 2022, Stranger Things was an instant classic. They almost lost me with a very weak second season, but the follow-up was very strong and exiting to watch. Can’t wait to see what’s going to happen next.
What we do in the shadows : there’s nothing scary here but this sitcom about a bunch of vampires living together is probably one of the best comedies I’ve seen in the past few years. This is the TV adaptation of the movie by the same title, mentioned above, in the comedy horror section.
Evil : this show is not very good but it’s a guilty pleasure of mine!
And of course, let’s not forget some of the classics : The X-Files, The Twilight Zone, Unsolved Mysteries.
Well, I think that’s it! You must have noticed that a whole lot of films were left out. I purposely did not mention slashers and gore movies because they really are not my cup of tea. Torture porn is not what I consider good horror.
Having said that, hope you'll have a terrifying yet entertaining Halloween night!