Halloween Movies Past and Present
With just over a week until Halloween, it’s time to celebrate why October might just be the most wonderful time of the year (Sorry, December!) and it’s not just because of the pumpkin spice invasion that hits stores and coffee shops across the globe.
When you’re not bobbing for apples, making costume adjustments and devouring all the candy corn in sight, the chances are you’ll probably be sitting down to watch some spooky movies.
So, grab some popcorn and get ready to cower behind the couch with a list of some of the best Halloween movies new and old that are guaranteed to scare your socks off.
1. The Omen
Kicking off this list is the golden oldie that is The Omen. Nothing says “Happy Halloween” more than a movie with demonic kids.
Five-year-old Damien is believed to be the Antichrist after horrid things seem to happen wherever he goes.
2. Scream
Wes Craven’s ’90s slasher movie redefined the genre.
There’s a killer in the quaint little town of Woodsboro who’s seen one too many scary movies. Nobody is safe, as the psychopath stalks victims, taunts them with trivia questions, then rips them to bloody shreds.
3. The Babadook
While it may not be as old as the other movies on this list, The Babadook is one psychological scarefest. It has been hailed as one of the best horror movies in recent years.
A troubled widow and her son are stalked by an evil entity that has entered their home from the pages of a children’s book.
With an impressive Rotten Tomatoes score of 98%, The Babadook is a must-watch even if you have to have sacrifice a good night’s sleep in fear of the pop-up storybook villain finding his way into your room.
4. Hocus Pocus
Not a fan of scary movies that send shivers down your spine? Don’t fret, there’s plenty of films out there that’ll get you into the festive Halloween spirit without having to sleep with the light on.
Hocus Pocus is a classic that perfectly blends humour and Halloween.
It stars Bette Midler, Sarah Jessica Parker and Kathy Najimy as the Sanderson Sisters, a trio of witches who are inadvertently resurrected by a cynical teenager, his younger sister and girlfriend in the small town of Salem, Massachusetts.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2UUMsInka2s
5. Halloweentown
With three sequels to the original, October just isn’t complete without a viewing of the Halloweentown franchise which is bound to delight all generations.
Every year in St. Helens, Oregon where the first movie was filmed, the town holds a month-long ‘Spirit of Halloweentown’ ceremony in homage to the Disney Channel ’90s flick where anyone can attend – no flying broom required!
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Izd-svOH0QY
1. Crimson Peak
Guillermo del Toro’s brand new gothic horror romance movie starring Jessica Chastain and Tom Hiddleston is something I’ve been looking forward to watching for months!
After marrying our favourite Norse God (Sorry, Thor!) Sir Thomas Sharpe, Edith finds herself swept away to his remote gothic mansion in the English hills where he lives with his alluring sister, Lady Lucille Sharpe. The Sharpe’s are protective of their dark secrets and Edith tries to decipher the mystery behind the ghostly figures that haunt the home.
2. Victor Frankenstein
With a release date of November, Victor Frankenstein misses out on the Halloween box office but it’s sure to be a terrifying and fun take on the classic tale it’s based upon.
Uniting Professor X and Harry Potter, Victor Frankenstein shows the troubled origins of Igor and his med student friend, Victor, as they embark on dark experiments that get them into trouble with the law.
3. Pay the Ghost
Taken meets Halloween in this new supernatural horror.
Nicholas Cage stars as a professor who is frantically searching for his son who mysteriously vanishes at a Halloween parade.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aLn0DpzCYZ8
4. Krampus
So, Krampus is not technically a Halloween release, but it’s one that’s got us all hyped up for the Christmas movie season and from the look of the trailer, it won’t be a silent night when it hits theaters.
A boy who has had a bad Christmas accidentally summons a Christmas demon to his family home. Bet they’re wishing they got him that PS4 now.
5. Paranormal Activity: The Ghost Dimension
It’s not been an easy road for the Paranormal Activity franchise. There have been more misses than there have been hits, but it’ll be interesting to see how the sixth and final installment closes such a well-known franchise.
After a bunch of supernatural occurrences in their Palo Alto home, two brothers find tapes of two young girls being taught supernatural abilities by the grandmother. Despite the tapes being twenty years old, one of the girls breaks the fourth wall by noticing the brother’s presence.
In the words of the Scream caller, “What’s your favorite scary movie?”
From Saw to The Conjuring, there are countless other horrors fit for a Halloween marathon. Get yourself on over to Netflix and scare yourself silly!
Leave your Halloween movie recommendations for our readers below.