Seven Spooky Movies to Binge This Season
Our second fall during a pandemic is approaching and some students can’t help but to start ordering Pumpkin Spice flavored everything. After spending your time doing that, you can welcome the season of fall by inviting your friends over and gathering around the TV like middle schoolers again while watching some great Halloween movies! And while COVID is scary, some of these movies might even be scarier.
Scream (1996)
Look no further than Scream if you’re searching for a witty, self-aware horror flick.
Scream could be considered a contemporary classic film in the horror genre. Not only was it a blockbuster hit at the box office in 1996, but it also did a lot for the horror film industry because so many franchises in the late 1980s and early 1990s were on the decline for multiple reasons. The movie was a breath of fresh air giving a unique, inventive cinematic experience and is one of the most famous horror films of all time. The lighting throughout the movie creates a layer of fear over the audience, leaving them just as nervous as the actors within the film.
By the beginning of the plot, viewers are alongside the cast trying to figure out who the killer is. Throughout the movie, it delivers excellent pacing, superb energy, and levels of fun, gore, and creepy. The ending is completely unexpected.
For Halloween fans and horror film fans, this movie is a must see!
Scream (1996) Rated R
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Halloween (1978)
With a score of 96% on Rotten Tomatoes, Halloween is a timeless horror film.
The camerawork in this movie is both brilliant and brutal. Viewers get frequent but momentary gazes of Michael Myers, the director’s iconic boogeyman, as he lurks behind hedges, vehicles, and trees at the frame’s edge. This enhances the film’s renowned sense of foreboding dread, as you never know where or when the killer will show next, and it intensifies the horrors whenever he does.
A few autumn leaves floating through the air, silhouettes of tree limbs swaying in the wind, and the constant play of light and shadow all create the perfect formula for fear and suspense. At its core, this film depicts evil and how evil can affect someone.
Halloween is a very well-directed movie and should be a Halloween tradition for everyone to watch every October 31st.
Halloween (1978) Rated R
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The Exorcist (1973)
The Exorcist is a horrific and disturbing horror film that may be the scariest of its genre.
The Exorcist isn’t your average “girl gets possessed” movie. It’s a more complicated and in-depth than that. For most of the movie, you’re not sure if Regan is insane or possessed. The priests aren’t confident she’s possessed even during a scene.
The film’s frightening atmosphere, as well as the pacing, is brilliantly produced, and the film gradually becomes more horrifying and diabolical as it progresses. The film’s plot is intricate and engaging, drawing you into the turmoil that the characters endure while also providing some surprisingly hopeful symbolism about the loss of faith and how it may be restored. This movie shows the portrayal of good versus evil, supernatural versus psychiatry, and some of the greatest psychologically moving dialogue.
A priest begins to lose faith in his religion when he entered medical school and learned the realm of Catholicism, where there is little evidence for God and angels’ existence, and the world of medicine, which is very evidence-based and logical.
Though this is all diabolical, it brings us to the core of the film: faith. During the climax of the film, viewers will see actors throw all their preconceived concepts, beliefs, and logic aside and take a leap of faith despite questioning faith during the entire film.
P.S. It’s based on a true story.
The Exorcist (1973) Rated R
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Coraline (2009)
Possibly the best stop-motion movie of all time. Rotten Tomatoes gives it a 90%.
Coraline is yet another great movie that is perfect for any time of year, especially Halloween, thanks to its gripping story, amazing details, cool looking artwork, and fantastic concept of appreciating what you have, the people you live with, and the world you live in.
Coraline is a spooky film that both adults and children can appreciate. It focuses on a child protagonist and makes her a more significant character than the adult characters. This movie creates compassion, empathy, and sometimes a sensation of familiarity, a childhood memory.
This film is clearly more than it appears.
Coraline (2009) Rated PG
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It (2017)
Who knew a clown movie could be heartfelt and funny?
It is originally a remake of the 1990 film that seems to be a little too dragged out. It (1990) was directed by Tommy Lee Wallace and was based on Steven King’s best-seller It. The 2017 version delivers a fresh recreation of horror.
Though frightening, It can also be viewed as a coming-of-age film because the young characters confront their concerns, whether they are fictitious or evident in their daily lives. I was not expecting this film to express as much emotion as it did.
It’s mind boggling how much emotion, horror, and humor they can squeeze into one film, but they did an excellent job doing just that. It’s a very amazing film that demonstrates the power of a Stephen King story.
It (2017) Rated R
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Monster House
Growing up in the 2000’s, you have probably seen this movie at least once, and don’t be ashamed to admit if it scared you!
A neighborhood tormented by a house that comes to life and begins assaulting residents. The sound effects engulf the viewer in a fearful and suspenseful atmosphere.
The Monster House is directed toward children, but the experience is suitable for all ages.
Though the movie gives you a fright, DJ is experiencing puberty and beginning to despise his youth. He is partnered with his best friend, Chowder, and embarks on a journey that eventually teaches him that he does not need to rush to grow up.
Monster House (2006) Rated PG
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The Conjuring (2013)
The Conjuring is based on the disturbing true story of Ed and Lorraine Warren, paranormal investigators who were recruited to assist a family haunted by an evil presence in a remote farmhouse.
This is a well-made and thrilling film. In terms of the intensity of some situations, I thought it had a lot of shock value. Some horror films rely far too heavily on jump scares, either to offer a shock for the audience or to compensate for poor directing or acting. That was successfully avoided in this film.
The great acting and writing of Wan’s characters are a large part of why the movie is so sweat inducing. You start feeling and rooting for every character in this film as they navigate the horrible circumstances that are unfolding around them.
The Conjuring (2013) Rated R
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Not only can COVID be stressful, but so can getting back into the normal routine of going to school every day again. If you ever feel the need to unwind or even if you just want to check out some Halloween inspired movies, then hopefully this list is helpful to you!
Gabrielle Cranston is a junior Secondary Education student with a concentration in English.
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