A deranged killer lurking in the dark. A supernatural clown stalking its victims. Is the suspense getting to you? Have no fear. The Lancer Ledger has a list to guide you through the best Halloween flicks to binge this spooky season. There has always been a debate among movie-goers and Halloween fanatics about the best Halloween movies of all time. Whether you seek jump scares and suspense, guts and gore, or supernatural villains who make it hard to fall asleep at night, here are some movies that will satisfy your craving for a spooktacular Halloween.
Friday the 13th: If you’re a beginner to the horror genre, then start off with the classic horror movies such as The Friday The 13th series. This movie is about a mother who sets out to get revenge on Friday The 13th for her little boy who drowned at Camp Crystal Lake after being neglected by the camp counselors. But the question is will she succeed?
Sophomore Zara Perez said of this horror classic, “The Friday The 13th movie is a classic and a must watch if you want to get into horror.”
Halloween: Other cult classics like the Halloween franchise are among the favorites of many horror watchers. The 1776 classic follows a psychopath who killed his family when he was younger and after years of silence he escapes the psych ward and is set to find his little sister on Halloween night.
Even though many are die-hard fans of the Halloween series, there are still many who aren’t convinced that this franchise deserves all the hype it gets. Sophomore Mia Shelton claims, “I never understood why the Halloween franchise got the hype it was given. Sure, I watched it and it kind of unnerved me in places, but it really didn’t scare me like I thought it would…The only reason why this movie was marketed as “horror” was because it always took place on Halloween with some sort of un-dead killer.”
IT: Another classic you can watch this Halloween is the original 1990’s “IT” series starring Tim Curry, or the newer adaptions, but I must admit, Bill Skarsgard was the most terrifying rendering of Pennywise the clown. If you watched all the movies in the franchise already, you can indulge in the new show on HBO Max, It- Welcome To Derry which takes place in 1962 and reveals Pennywise’s backstory.
Terrifier: If you crave something more extreme and more well… scary, you can watch the Terrifier movie series which follows a character named Art the Clown. Freaky right? This movie is not just scary, it’s also a comedy with many gruesome but hilarious jokes to break the tension.
“The Terrifier series is my favorite,” said Grosser. “I like it because the plot is very good and complex. It is scary but funny at the same time. It is the best thing to watch on a foggy October 31st night.”
Some have said the Terrifier is the scariest horror movie of the 21st century.
Silence of the Lambs: If you want to get into psychological horror more than a gory film, you can sit back and watch Silence Of The Lambs which is about a top student at an FBI’s training academy who wants to interview a crazy psychopath serving life behind bars for the crime of cannibalism. This is truly a scary movie since our antagonist is manipulative and lacks empathy.
“Silence Of The Lambs is the perfect movie if you just want to think after the movie is over,” said Perez.
The Babadook: Another movie you can watch this Halloween following a similar theme is The Babadook. This movie is about a single mother living with her son who has to deal with grief in the form of a children’s book character. This movie does a perfect job showing the grief and tension between our two characters who are mother and son.
Coraline: I know torment and terror isn’t for everyone, so this Halloween, if you want to join the “scary” movie fun, you can watch these less-intense scary movies with your whole family! A Universal films classic made by the same director as The Nightmare Before Christmas, Coraline, follows a young girl who discovers a small door that leads to a new world of endless possibilities while exploring her new house. Well, maybe a world full of endless lies, but that’s for you to discover for yourself while enjoying this kids’ classic. Some said Coraline was the childhood scary movie they were freaked out by as kids.
“Coraline was a great animated movie that genuinely scared 7-year-old me!” said Shelton.
The Nightmare Before Christmas: Another movie you can watch this Halloween with your family is The Nightmare Before Christmas, which can classify as both a Halloween movie and a Christmas movie depending on when you watch it. Regardless, it’s the perfect nostalgic movie indulgence.
“This movie is a perfect watch for the whole family on Halloween,” said Shelton.
Hocus Pocus: Speaking of nostalgic Halloween viewing, LRHS teacher Ms. Amanda Higgins shares her personal recommendation for the perfect family movie during spooky season.
“Hocus Pocus got younger me hiding behind my hands during the more ‘scary’ parts,” said Ms. Higgins. “My sister and I always watched it.” As a horror fan myself, I do have to say Hocus Pocus is a great movie to watch with the whole family, and if you enjoyed the first one, you can also watch the sequel Hocus Pocus 2, which explains the sisters’ backstory in greater and scarier detail while bringing the witches to the present era.
One of the best parts of Halloween is the tradition of watching scary movies with friends and family, so have some fun indulging in your next movie binge this frightful time of year. If you watch any of these movies above, I assure you that your Halloween will definitely be spooktacular!
