It's finally that time of year again: when the leaves are falling and changing colors, the weather is getting cooler, and Halloween is upon us. Watching scary movies, in my opinion, is one of the absolute best things to do during autumn, especially in October. If you are anything like me, you want to take advantage of this time and see as many scary movies as you can leading up to Halloween. So, I’m here to help you out and present to you my Halloween Movie Guide to get you psyched for Halloween!
"The Sixth Sense"
OK, so I probably shouldn’t have been watching this when I was 10 or 11 years old, but it is one of the most memorable scary movies I remember seeing as a kid. Not only is it a classic, but it offers just the right amount of horror, mystery, and twists to keep you hooked until the very end reveal. Being one of the best movies from director M. Night Shyamalan, it wouldn’t be Halloween without hearing “I see dead people” come out of young Haley Joel Osment’s mouth.
"The Babadook"
This is one of the newer horror movies that was released this year, and is certainly one that everyone should check out. It's not your typical horror movie because it isn’t necessarily as “scary” as you may think, but its extremely dark tone makes up for that. Who doesn’t love creepy children and killer storybook characters who come to life, anyway? This horror film offers a deep message that differentiates itself from a number of movies in the genre and is a great reason to check it out this Halloween.
"It Follows"
For all of you '90s kids, get ready to dive back into the past because "It Follows" is not just one of my favorite horror movies to date, but is set in a very obviously early '90s setting that we can all connect with. The film is about the main character Jay, who must escape this “thing” that is following her, by “passing it on” to someone else. Although it does not feature all of the jump scares that people tend to react to when they see horror films, the premise of the film is absolutely terrifying and you will never look at people the same way after seeing this film. With the creepiest music I have ever heard in a horror movie, Halloween wouldn’t be complete without this movie.
"Donnie Darko"
The fact that this film stars a young Jake Gyllenhaal is a good enough reason to see it, but there is so much more to this film than that simple fact. If you like crazy, complex, confusing, absurd, or just plain mind blowing films, " Donnie Darko" is the one for you. The fact that the story centers on Donnie as he comes face to face with a six to seven foot bunny rabbit (although not cute) who tells him the world is going to end in 28 days, 6 hours, 42 minutes, and 12 seconds is already crazy enough. Add time travel, a creepy old lady, and a whole lot of suspense and you have the cult classic that remains one of my favorite movies of all time.
"Insidious"
“Oh, tiptoe from the garden, by the garden of the willow tree.” If you have seen this movie, you know how absolutely and utterly creepy those lyrics really are. "Insidious" is the best PG-13 horror film you are likely to see. The fact that it was made with only $1.5 million dollars is beyond me because it blows other horror films out of the water. Instead of the house the family lives in being haunted, the film is about a little boy named Dalton who is haunted. A demon follows him and tries to slowly gain control of him in order to send Dalton to a place called “The Further” where the demon lives but wants to escape from, and he needs Dalton’s body to do that. Sound interesting enough?
"The Strangers"
We all love those horror movies with paranormal and gory aspects, but what is even scarier is watching a movie that is inspired by true events. The most frightening thing about "The Strangers" is that it could actually happen. The story is about a couple named James and Kristen who decide to stay at a remote house owned by James’s parents after a wedding reception. However, they are quickly terrorized by three masked strangers who are out to kill them before sunup. Certainly one of the creepiest scary movies, this one remains a tradition in my family to watch on Halloween night.
"The Cabin in the Woods"
"The Cabin in the Woods," at first glance, may look like your average story of a couple of college kids who decide to spend a weekend in a remote cabin, but that would be a complete understatement. This movie packs horror, action, creativity, twists, and gore to make for one of the most interesting movie experiences any horror fan could have. By the end of the movie, you will be shocked by how inventive this film really is. If you have not seen it yet, this is one of the best films you can see this Halloween season.
"Orphan"
This film can be categorized more as a thriller than a straight horror film, but if you are looking to be disturbed and freaked out by this unusual little girl, you will not be disappointed. Ester is a little girl who gets adopted by the Coleman family. However, right after Ester arrives, unexplained tragedies start to occur and the mystery of Ester starts to become shockingly clear. Again, if you are a fan of twist endings and extremely dark atmospheric films, you should definitely check out "Orphan!"