Halloween Movies

Halloween Movies

by Amanda Gonzalez

It’s that time of year again, which means that Halloween is right around the corner. Do you feel too old to dress up for free candy? Instead of just sitting at home with the lights off and hiding from trick or treaters, here are some nightmare inducing movies to watch this year.

Personal Tip: Want to make a scary movie more horrifying? Watch it with your doors unlocked, to see how long you’ll last!

The Shining (1980)

8.4/10

Known as a cult classic, The Shining is about a writer discovering the hotel that he’s taking care of has dark secrets. The writer, Johnny, begins to unravel into a homicidal maniac, who wants nothing more but to terrorize his own family. This movie does not use cheap jump scare tactics to give a quick fright, but instead pulls you further into its twisted and horrifying story with each scene.

Scream (1996)

7/10

A masked knife wielding maniac, Scream, stalks high school students in suburbia, but their victims aren’t who you’d expect. This mystery thriller leaves you on the edge of your seat wondering who this babysitter killer could be!

Trick R Treat (2007)

7.3/10

The consequences of extinguishing a Jack-o-lantern before midnight, Trick

R Treat is no treat.

The Babadook (2014)

8.2/10

In “The Babadook, a single mother, along with her son, discovers the sinister monster caught lurking in their home.

Don’t Breathe (2016)

7.1/10

Three young thieves, who get their kicks from robbing the rich, hear about an old blind veteran who won a major cash settlement. The trio invade his home because they’re under the impression that he’d be an easy target. Trapped inside, they must fight for their lives against their once seemingly helpless victim.

Train to Busan (2016)

7.6/10

Taken place in South Korea, a man and his estranged daughter find themselves trapped on a speeding train in the midst of a zombie outbreak.

It (2017)

7.2/10

Seven young misfits band together to fight for their lives against an ancient evil (or creature?). This demon emerges out from the sewer every 27 years to prey on the town’s unsuspecting children. I would consider It to be one of the less scary movies on this list. If you want to watch something funny with the spooky atmosphere but less frightening jumpscares this is a great movie!

Get Out (2017)

8.3/10

In “Get Out”, a black man discovers a disturbing secret about his white girlfriend’s family while visiting for the weekend. This film was not afraid to play with what is considered controversial. It specifically points out white privilege on not only a societal level but also on a much smaller scale; such as day to day conversations and social gatherings.

A Quiet Place (2018)

8.1/10

In a post apostolistic world, a family lives in silence, hiding from monsters with ultra-sensitive hearing. A Quiet Place really blends together lots of different genres, such as horror, slasher, survival, and paranormal. So if you can’t decided on a certain genre, this movie is perfect. In the film, one of the actresses, Millicent Simmonds who plays Regan, is actually deaf and communicates with her on screen family through sign language. This is actually a central part of the movie, there is virtually almost no verbal dialogue so the actors learned signs instead of lines. A lot of blood, sweat and tears went into the making of the film, so it’s worth a watch!

Halloween (In theaters October 19th, 2018)

7.3/10

Michael Myers returns to Haddonfield after escaping his mental institution, but this time Laurie Strode is ready for him. I can’t promise how good this movie is just yet, (although reviews on Rotten Tomatoes are usually pretty reliable) but if you’d rather watch something on the big screen, here is what will be playing!

Finally, however you decide to spend your Halloween, make sure it’s surrounded by those who are willing to share some candy and some frights! Stay safe, have fun, and most of all have a Happy Halloween!

Works Cited

Alvarez, Fede, director. Don't Breathe. Ghost House Pictures, 2016.

Craven, Wes, director. Scream. Dimensions Films, 1996.

Dougherty, Michael, director. Trick 'R Treat. Warner Brothers, 2009.

Green, David Gordan, director. Halloween. Universal Pictures, 2018.

Kent, Jennifer, director. Babadook. Entertainment One, 2014.

Krasinski, John, director. A Quite Place. Paramount Picutres, 2018.

Kubrick, Stanley, director. The Shining. Warner Brothers, 1980.

Muschietti, Andy, director. It. Warner Brothers, 2017.

Peele, Jordan, director. Get Out. Universal Pictures Home Entertainment, 2017.

Yeon, Sang-Ho, director. Train to Busan. Seoul Station, 2016.