With Halloween coming up, I thought it would be a good idea as a film connoisseur to give you a little idea of what to watch whilst panned out on the couch, gorging yourself on the leftover sweets from tricker-treaters.
10. Terrifier
This only applies to those who love a bit of gore in their horror films. This film is known for its unsettling atmosphere. The movie follows a deranged clown called Art who wreaks havoc on Halloween night, getting into gruesome and severe encounters during the night. If you’re a fan of horrors for their class and cinematography this may not be the film for you, but the movie’s practical effects make it a standout film in the slasher sub-genre.
9. It (2017)
Staying on the theme of killer clowns, Andrés Muschietti’s adaptation of Stephen King’s 1986 horror novel is one for the ages. This film takes place in Derry, Maine; a town that is haunted by a malevolent entity that often takes the form of ‘Pennywise, The Clown. The story revolves around the “Losers’ Club,” a group of eccentric friends who band together to face their nightmares and the frightening presence that preys on the town’s children. They all encounter their own demons and pain. 135 minutes of jump scares and chilling scenes – perfect to introduce to your jumpy friend! The CGI, make up, setting and cinematography makes it a stand-out.
8. Scary Movie
This is the first of five comedy/horror films in the ‘Scary Movie’ series, which parodies popular horror films like Scream, The Haunting and The Ring. If you’re a fan of dim-witted, leave-your-brain-outside-the-door humour this movie suits you down to a T. Cindy Campbell and her friends accidentally end up killing a man. A year after the disastrous incident, someone stalks them, leaves menacing messages and tries to murder them one by one. A light-hearted, easy-to-follow film for you and your friends.
7. Spookly the Square Pumpkin
This is on here solely for its wholesomeness. I remember watching this after having nightmares from seeing ‘Scooby Doo and The Witches’ Ghost’ and I fell straight to sleep. And this was only three weeks ago! ‘Spookly the Square Pumpkin’ is a charming children’s story about a square pumpkin named Spookly who feels different from the other round pumpkins in the patch. While the round pumpkins are picked for Halloween decorations, Spookly is often overlooked. Though when a storm comes and threatens the round pumpkins, Spookly’s shape plays huge advantage and allows him to save the day. Spookly learns that being different can be a strength!
6. Smile 2
Coming to cinemas near you on October 17. ‘Smile’ was, in my opinion, one of the most effective psychological horrors ever made. This film seems to have upped the anti. The real stellar performance is from the marketing team; hiring actors to go to major sporting events and mass televised events and place themselves in camera hotspots and just stare and smile. The media obviously went crazy about this and it created mass attention for the film. About to start out on her world tour, global pop star Skye Riley starts to experience progressively terrifying and bizarre events. Overwhelmed by the rising horrors and strains of fame, she must face her dark past to regain control of her life before it spirals out of control. Perfect for a night out to the movies.
5. Frankenweenie
Tim Burton has taken three out of the top five spots, and deservedly so. ‘Frankenweenie’ is one of those movies you find yourself watching after falling into a deep rabbit hole on Youtube shorts. But nevertheless, this movie will always have a special place in my heart. It is its own take on Frankenstein but instead of reviving a human, Victor tries to and succeeds in reviving his dog Sparky. Unfortunately, Sparky now looks like a monster and terrifies Victor’s neighbours. This pulls on heart strings every chance it gets (or maybe I’m just a big softie when it comes to dogs). Visually, Frankenweenie is striking with it’s black-and-white aesthetic and Tim Burton’s signature character designs. The film beautifully balances humour and emotion, making it appealing to both children and adults.
4. Coraline
Henry Selick’s stop motion animation masterpiece ‘Coraline’ took the world by storm back in 2009, just missing out on an Oscar to Pixar’s ‘UP’. Coraline’s family move towns to help kickstart their gardening business. They spend all their time working and not paying any attention to Coraline. One day Coraline goes exploring around the house and discovers a secret door, leading to an alternate reality. Here there are alternate versions of everyone in the real world, the only difference is there are buttons sewn into their eyes. Her ‘Other Mother’ and ‘Other Father’ come across as perfect, giving her anything that she wishes. However, as Coraline explores this unfamiliar world, she realises that the ‘Other Mother’ has more ominous desires. Coraline is back in cinemas in 3D – so go on, grab your popcorn, large drink and re-live the possibly scariest movie of your childhood.
3. Nightmare Before Christmas
Another top-class film by Henry Selick AND a story from Tim Burton?? Can you imagine a more iconic duo? This deserves to be in everybody’s top three Halloween films. Not only does it have Halloween, it has Christmas too! The score is composed by Danny Elfman and will have you singing the songs until next Halloween. Jack Skellington, a large figure with a pumpkin head got tired of living in the same dark and boring town, so he sets off to go exploring and finds Christmas Town. His situation deteriorates when he becomes obsessed with all things Christmas and kidnaps Santa Clause. Despite its dark aesthetic, the themes of this film are togetherness and warmth. And yes, I suppose you can argue that ultimately this is a Christmas film, but you can write about that in your own Christmas movie list!
2. Corpse Bride
The corpse bride gets a lot of hate from critics and I’m not here for it. Corpse Bride is Burton’s second go at stop-motion animation. With the dark and brooding aesthetics and a stacked cast of Johnny Depp, Helena Bonham Carter and Emily Watson – this film is a feast for the senses. You can practically feel the textures coming off the screen. The film follows a nervous young man who accidentally revives a dead woman while reciting his wedding vows near her grave. This is an every genre kind of film; love, dark comedy and it’s a musical!
1. Monster House
Now, if you made it this far and haven’t disagreed with nearly everything, I have said… can we please be friends? Monster House is my all-time favourite Halloween film. It’s one of those films that you can watch over and over, again and again without getting bored of it. I can’t count the number of times I have watched this film. It’s a timeless classic that doesn’t get the praise it deserves. When pre-teens DJ and Chowder feel something is wrong in ‘Old Man Nebbercracker’s’ house they look to investigate. After getting caught, Nebbercracker suffers a heart attack and is driven off to hospital. This is where the two and their new friend Jenny find there is an evil spirit controlling the house. A coming-of-age film that deals with friendship, love, and on a deeper scale relationships and toxic ones at that.10/10 would recommend.