A look at 10 of the very best Halloween movies to watch this coming Halloween. Do you wish to be spooked, or would you rather watch something that is fun and uplifting? Either way we’ve got something for you to feast your eyes on here so read on to find out the terrific ten movies that we’ve selected as some of the very best Halloween movies of all time…
1. John Carpenter’s Halloween
An obvious choice? Definitely! It’s still a great Halloween horror movie however and one that is well worth watching on All Hallows Eve. Perhaps not the scariest movie out there, it’s still a very good one to watch, and turning out the lights and watching it with a group of friends whilst wearing suitably scary costumes will surely add to the whole experience (especially if there’s someone in a Michael Myers costume in the room).
Halloween is a movie about young Michael Myers; a six year old boy who brutally stabs and kills his sister one Halloween whilst wearing a clown mask. During the opening scene we get to see things from Michael’s point of view as he picks up a knife from the kitchen and walks upstairs with it, finding a mask on the stairs that his sister’s boyfriend has dropped in the process, picking it up and wearing it as he continues to her bedroom. Michael never speaks again.
What perhaps makes the movie so scary is that we know not why he has committed this act; we’re completely in the dark as to why he’s done this and this makes him seem all the more evil. Rob Zombie remade the movie in 2007, provided us with an explanation as to why Michael is the way he is and did a good job of it too; this is most definitely one of the factors that makes the original stand out however and a matter which makes Michael Myers all the scarier. He’s unpredictable, incredibly evil, and we know nothing more about him other than that he’s stabbed his sister to death and never spoken ever again. After this he remains in Smith’s Grove Warren County Sanitarium for fifteen years under the supervision of Dr. Sam Loomis where it is decided one day that he is to be moved elsewhere. It is then that Myers escapes and all hell breaks loose as he is now free roaming around the streets of America and heading back towards the town he originally came from; Haddonfield.
It’s an R-Rated movie and therefore not really one for the eyes of children of a young age; times have certainly changed and it’s not as brutally gory as some, still not one to be watched by those of a young age however and therefore more one to be watched in the company of other adults (or even on your own if you’re feeling brave enough).
Halloween has always been one of my very favourite horror movies and is most definitely a movie that I’d thoroughly recommend renting out for Halloween if you do not already own it. John Carpenter’s Halloween is my first choice movie for the season each and every time; check the local TV guide if you can as it’s often shown on one channel or another on October 31st of each year.
2. The Evil Dead
On the night of Halloween there’s nothing better than sitting down and ‘relaxing’ with a good horror. San Raimi’s The Evil Dead is an absolutely brilliant tale of possession; it’s your typical teen cabin in the woods setup, but it’s certainly not one to be scoffed at, and definitely not a film to be missed.
Made with a budget of $375, 000; The Evil Dead grossed $2.4 million upon its original release in the US thus making it the 121st biggest box office hit of 1983; not a massive success but still not a bad profit nonetheless. Sam Raimi would later in his career go on to direct the super successful Spider-Man movies, it’s this early cult success I’ll always remember the man for however and this most definitely is one to watch at Halloween.
The basic plot is that five teenage friends here travel out to a cabin out in the woods of Tennessee. It is here that they find the Book of the Dead, they also find a tape located in the cabin and decide to play it. What they do not realise is that playing this tape will release evil flesh eating zombies. They must now tackle the evil dead in an attempt to escape from the cabin and live to tell the tale of tackling the evil dead.
Sam Raimi’s The Evil Dead is now somewhat of a cult classic; it’s a great film and one which has over the years been watched and enjoyed by many fans of the fantastic genre of horror. What makes this such a perfect Halloween movie though? Well, it’s one of the very best of its kind, and if you’re looking to be spooked then you won’t find much better than this. Sam Raimi’s Evil Dead is a great American classic, a true horror great and one to watch this coming Halloween. Not to be watched in the presence of young children, I do however remember watching it for the first time at the age of 14/15 and loving every single minute of it.
3. Night of the Living Dead
Fresh at number three; Night of the Living Dead is another classic zombie horror and the first in a long line of supremely strong ‘Dead’ zombie movies from George A. Romero. Dawn of the Dead followed on from this one a decade later, and then came Day of the Dead a further seven years after that. Several more Romero Dead zombie movies have followed; these are the only three of note however and the only ones I’d considered watching at Halloween.
What makes Night of the Living Dead such a perfect Halloween movie then? Well, like The Evil Dead; it’s another classic zombie movie and one which is bound to provide you with many a Halloween scare. It’s just a very good zombie movie, filmed in black and white and perhaps all the more scary for it too. The film was made on a small budget of $114, 000; the $30 million it grossed internationally wasn’t so small however and just about sums up the fantastic quality of this supreme zombie horror that is Night of the Living Dead.
A Venus space probe has exploded in the earth’s atmosphere; the radiation caused by this has resulted in the dead waking up. The dead are coming back to life and they’ve got a real thirst for human flesh too. Several survivors lock themselves away in an old farmhouse; they barricade the doors and the hope is now that the dead will not be able to get to them. There’s a truck outside but it needs fuel; someone’s going to have to go out there and brave the dead in order to get to the pump and get the van fuelled up. It’s not going to be an easy task, but if they want to get away from the farmhouse then someone’s therefore got to do it. A blow to the head will stop the zombies in their tracks and once more knock them dead; this is the thing to be remembered as the zombies are braved and quest for fuel now takes place.
It’s a fantastic low budget zombie flick; none of your modern day special effect rubbish, just a good honest black and white horror which is always thoroughly entertaining to watch. What’s so scary about this one is that as you watch it you can actually imagine this happening in a strange sort of way. It’s quite farfetched and unlikely to ever actually happen; the scary thing is that you start to wonder ‘what if’ however and become all the more creeped out for it. This is not just a movie to be dragged out of its box once a year for the event of Halloween; this is one to be watched time and time again and thoroughly enjoyed with each and every viewing.
4. Scream
Wes Craven has directed some absolute classics over the years; it’s my belief that Scream is one of his very best however and this is most definitely a movie that is well worth watching at Halloween. Scream is a satire, it draws upon popular horror movie conventions and pokes fun at them; it’s still a pretty scary movie in itself however, and whilst having a tongue-in-cheek stab at horror conventions; Wes Craven has also here created a great scary horror movie at the same time. It uses the conventions we all know and love, the characters speak of ‘what would happen right now if we were in a horror movie’ and it’s all incredibly self-aware; a very funny horror movie, but still one that is spooky enough to provide perfect Halloween movie material. You want a bit of light relief at Halloween, it’s a fun time of year to celebrate and Scream is a movie which brings out both sides of Halloween; the fun factor and also its spooky side.
Scream tells the story of a masked murderer, the murderer is recognisable by a white ‘ghostface’ mask and the weapon of choice here is that of the hunting knife. It’s the anniversary of Sidney Prescott’s mother’s horrible rape and murder. Understandably she’s incredibly cut up about it all and once again thinking of her mother more than ever. The night after the anniversary the ghostface killer breaks into her home and tries to murder Sidney. Sidney manages to escape, it’s a traumatic experience for her however and added to the fact that she is currently grieving heavily for her mother; it’s a very tough time for her. As the film unfolds the ghostface killer continues his killing spree and carries on coming after Sidney. The movie revolves around Sidney and the actions that she takes here. She’s the horror movies virginal character; a general convention of horror is that the ‘virgin’ is always the survivor whilst the more outwardly sexual individuals are killed off early on. Is this the case here though? You’ll just have to watch the film and find out!
Scream is most certainly a super film for Halloween; it features a number of excellent actors and always the script is compelling and the movie truly scary. The film has you hooked at all times and this is most definitely one film I’d personally highly recommend to watch at Halloween. You won’t find many greater Halloween movies than Wes Craven’s Scream! It’s the perfect movie to watch as part of a proper Halloween all night movie session.
Scream features (amongst others): David Arquette, Courteney Cox, Drew Barrymore, and Neve Campbell. Neve Campbell is the lady that is cast in the main role of Sidney and a very good job she does here too. Scream has a super spooky feel, a great Halloween presence, and there’s nothing I like more than dimming the lights and settling down to watch Scream on that dark day in October that is the 31st of the month.
5. Shaun of the Dead
Moving on from the Halloween fun I mentioned before when talking about Scream; another great Halloween movie to watch is that of Shaun of the Dead. It won’t provide you with any scares, it’ll certainly make you laugh though and sometimes that’s what Halloween is all about; relaxing into the occasion and making the most of the one day of year that is Halloween. October 31st only comes around once a year and it’s always good to laugh. Shaun of the Dead is a very funny comedy movie and if you like your comedy horrors then you’ll definitely enjoy Shaun of the Dead.
Writers Simon Pegg and Edgar Wright are huge Romero zombie fans; it shines through strongly in their work here in this wonderfully fun rom-zom-com that is Shaun of the Dead. Rom-zom-com – now there’s a movie genre you don’t see every day! There are a lot of comedy zombie movies out there, Shaun of the Dead is one of the best though and if you’re tired of watching scary movies at Halloween and fancy a bit of a change then what better way to celebrate the occasion than with a fantastically funny film as this?
Like any good zombie film – the basic plot line here is that the whole town has become overrun with zombies. At the same time as is this though, main character Shaun (Simon Pegg) is having problems with his partner Liz (Kate Ashfield) as all they ever do is go down to the local pub The Winchester. Liz is getting a bit bored of it all now and the couple’s relationship is running a little flat. The film unfolds as a gang of friends run away from zombies, all the while Shaun and Liz are bickering and their relationship is teetering on the edge of breaking point.
If you’ve ever seen Spaced and enjoyed it then I’d definitely say that you’ll love Shaun of the Dead. Even if you’ve already seen the movie then it’s still well worth getting it out again and watching it at Halloween. It’s not exactly spooky, it’s still a very good film though and therefore one that all should have on their ‘Films to Watch at Halloween’ list.
6. Zombieland
Continuing down the Shaun of the Dead zomedy path, my next pick is Zombieland. Zombieland stars Jesse Eisenberg and Emma Stone, and whilst I’m British and should probably be favouring Shaun of the Dead, I have to say that I think that Zombieland is actually as good as, if not better than, Edgar Wright’s Shaun of the Dead.
Any film that has a cameo appearance from Bill Murray is always going to be onto a winner in my book, and I also actually really like Jesse Eisenberg as the film’s main male lead and feel that Woody Harrelson and Emma Stone work well alongside him. The film is just a great zombie comedy really, it certainly makes me laugh anyway and have happily watched it a number of times since its release in 2009.
Zombieland is most definitely a film that is well worth owning, not just for bringing out on Halloween, but also for watching all year round in fact. Even if you’re not usually a fan of zombie films I think that there’s a certain attraction with zombie comedies, and Zombieland is most certainly a film that ticks all the right boxes for me.
Jesse Eisenberg’s 2 main films of 2009 both feature a theme park (Zombieland and Adventureland), and they’re both actually really good films as well, Zombieland is the one that you want to be watching at Halloween though and that’s why Zombieland is taking it’s rightful place in my list of the top 10 films to watch at Halloween.
7. Se7en
What film could possibly make a more fitting seventh inclusion on my list than Se7en? A film about a serial killer that concentrates his killings based on the seven deadly sins, Se7en has to be one of the most brilliant crime thrillers from the 90s and is a film that you just keep on going back to once you’ve seen it the once.
Se7en is one of those films that just begs to be watched on a cinema screen, watching at home on your big screen TV is the next best thing though and certainly something that I’d recommend doing this Halloween. It may not be a film that you’d specifically associate with Halloween, regardless of that though, there’s never a bad time to watch Se7en, and if this is a film that you’re yet to see then now would definitely be the time to do so.
The film stars Morgan Freeman, Brad Pitt, and Gwyneth Paltrow amongst others, and is just one of many great films that these 3 stars appeared in throughout the 90s. With such a brilliant cast and from such an awesome director as David Fincher, Se7en is most definitely a film to watch, and if you do so this Halloween then I’m sure that the film won’t leave you in the least bit disappointed.
8. Saw
In terms of horror franchises from the 2000s, the Saw franchise would have to be my very favourite. I loved the early films in the series, and whilst the series did rather trail off in quality towards the end, the first 3 films in the Saw franchise at least are most definitely films that are well worth watching.
The whole torture porn genre is something that has been done to death now and with new films of this ilk that are released you don’t really get the same sense of excitement that you did at the start, when films such as Saw and Hostel were released there was something really new and fresh about it all however and for me it was Saw that really stole the show.
When Saw 1 was released, the whole concept of it all was just so gripping, and the film still remains a classic in my eyes. I very happily own this film on DVD and must have watched it very many times throughout the years. Right from the start the film has your full undivided attention, and there’s never a dull moment with this film as you wonder what torturous tricks and games the film will have up its sleeve next.
The great thing about Saw is that you can watch it every so often and the film still remains exciting; there are certain bits and pieces that you forget about the film and don’t accurately remember until they’ve occurred again. Saw is not just a one time watch to forget about, Saw is a horror film that you can keep on coming back to and still keep on enjoying.
Saw may not be specifically Halloween themed, I certainly feel that Halloween is as good a time as any to watch it though, and if you’ve not dusted off your copy of Saw for a while then the Halloween period is definitely a good time to do so. If however you’re someone that hasn’t yet seen/doesn’t currently own Saw then it’s definitely another film to consider picking up to provide you with a few Halloween frights this October 31st.
9. The Mist
Watching this film after AMC’s The Walking Dead had come out, I think that the first thing that struck me about this film was just how many of the cast also appear in The Walking Dead. What also struck me was that there are certain scenes and elements of the film that made me think of The Walking Dead, and given that Frank Daranont wrote and directed the pilot episode as well as being executive producer of the first season of The Walking Dead, I guess that shouldn’t really come as any real surprise. I watched the film on the basis of a friend’s recommendation though and hadn’t even looked at who the director was, so to me at least it came as quite a (pleasant) surprise.
I absolutely love The Walking Dead, and The Mist is a film that really did appeal to me. I’m not always the biggest fan of sci-fi type films, The Mist blends sci-fi with horror brilliantly though, providing for a film that is not only full of suspense and excitement, but also packed full of all kinds of crazy creatures that are sure to put a smile on your face for Halloween. Halloween is all about things that go bump in the night, and The Mist is most definitely a film that delivers in this department.
Whilst not all Stephen King novels tend to convert to film particularly well, The Mist is most definitely one of the better efforts, and Frank Darabont really did do a brilliant job with this one.
I both loved and hated Marcia Gay Harden’s character in the film, and there are a number of other actors that also put in some cracking performances within the film. The cast is extremely well chosen, it’s a brilliant novel by Stephen King, and Frank Darabont’s screenplay is also hugely successful. Everything about this film just works, and in my opinion this would be another great film to watch at Halloween.
The Mist has all the suspense, spooks, and creepy crawlies that you could possibly want for in a Halloween film, and including it in this list was another very easy decision for me to make.
10. Dracula
Having started my list with the obvious Halloween movie pick of Halloween, I will end with another fairly obvious pick also in the form of Dracula (or Horror of Dracula as it’s known in the US).
This campy Hammer Horror production from Terence Fisher is an absolutely brilliant film to watch at Halloween; when was the last time you went to a Halloween party and there wasn’t at least one person dressed up as Dracula?! The film stars Peter Cushing and Christopher Lee, and I for one absolutely love this fine classic British horror film.
Dracula is one of those films that is fun for the whole family to watch. It’s not like the majority of the other films that I’ve included in the list that wouldn’t be safe for younger children to watch at Halloween, this one would provide good entertainment for the entire family and I feel that this would be a great one to watch at Halloween if you’re spending it with slightly younger kids. Frankenstein (1931) starring Boris Karloff is another film that’d fit this family oriented bill, Dracula is the one that I have chosen to include here however and is a film that I’d happily spend a Halloween afternoon/evening watching.
Dracula is a classic vampire tale from Irish author Bram Stoker, a story that predates the likes of Twilight and True Blood by a very long way, and most definitely transfers to a film that is well worth watching. There are of course many different versions of the Dracula story that have been released throughout the years, Terence Fisher’s is my favourite filmic version of Dracula however, a fun and family friendly film that is sure to raise more than a slight smile on All Hallows’ Eve.
UK based film graduate with a huge passion for music, sports and video games.
