Its that time of year again folks, the monsters are out, and the spooks are plenty, so what better time to pop on a scary movie to get in the Halloween spirit. There are ample amounts of horror and Halloween movies that audiences of any age can enjoy from the down right terrifying, to more family friendly affairs. So, with that, here are our picks for some of the best Halloween movies to add to your yearly watchlist.
Scream (1996)
Redefining the slasher genre back in 1996, Wes Craven’s classic is one of the best slasher movies that deserves a yearly watch. Scream delivers a perfect slasher with incredibly-intricate and layered meta commentary subverting all expectations of the slasher to provide a fresh take which was way ahead of its time. Any fan of horror or slasher movies should definitely have Scream as one of their favorite movies.
Halloween (2018)
This may be a blasphemous and unpopular opinion, but the 2018 incarnation of Halloween is the best in the franchise. As a movie it does so much more than the original ever could, delivering more memorable kills and telling an engaging and surprisingly poignant story about PTSD, with some gorgeous cinematography and an iconic score to accompany it.
Trick R’ Treat
This anthology horror movie, delivers five engaging and interwoven spooky stories that spews with Halloween spirit, making it a perfect Halloween flick to watch on the spookiest night of the year. Trick ‘R Treat is a whole lot of fun whilst being an incredibly-layered and scary. The film will subvert expectations with twist after twist, catching audiences off guard. The stories cleverly intertwine with characters popping up in each other’s stories. There isn’t a much more perfect Halloween movie.
The Conjuring
If there’s any supernatural horror films to watch on Halloween, it should James Wan’s The Conjuring. The film feels undeniably timeless and delivers on some truly terrifying scares. Although a horror first and foremost, it also has a lot of heart led by the adorable relationship of Ed and Lorraine Warren who are also two of the best and most lovable characters in horror history.
E.T. The Extra Terrestrial
Certainly not the scariest film on the list by any stretch, E.T. instead excels in delivering so much heart that audiences will be attempting to fight back the tears. E.T. is one of the most emotional, heartwarming and brilliant movies of all time and on top of that the film is set around the spookiest time of the year, giving audiences a nice break from the horrors that come with the holiday and instead delivers a lovely story about friendship that will warm and break your heart.
The Thing (1982)
John Carpenters classic, is a horror film everyone has to experience at least once and what better time to do so than Halloween? The Thing is a brilliantly-terrifying experience. The film’s tension, mystery and ghastly practical effects make for a near-perfect horror. While the cast are exceptional, its ambiguous ending is just the cherry on top.
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Journalist, Writer, Film Critic and Professional Nerd. You will probably find Olly at the cinema chomping down on some popcorn and taking in the glorious visuals of the latest theatrical release.