I know what you are thinking. “Who has time to watch movies during midterms?” Well, the answer is probably no one, however, it is important to make sure that you are taking care of yourself–with whatever form of self-care you prefer! Just please make sure that you do not forget to practice it! That being said, if watching movies is your favorite form of winding down, here are ten movies that NEED to be included in your list (bonus list for those wanting something a bit more scary)!
FAMILY-FRIENDLY
10. THE NIGHTMARE BEFORE CHRISTMAS
Starting with a much-debated movie. Is it a Christmas movie or is it a Halloween movie? Why not both? This move is a crossover of celebrations and follows Jack Skellington, pumpkin king of Halloween Town, as he tries to take Christmas Town’s ideas and implement them in his town. Nevertheless, some things are not going to go over smoothly with the ghouls and monsters of Halloween Town.
9. SCARY GODMOTHER: HALLOWEEN SPOOKTACULAR
Underrated short film. A film that can also be found on YouTube for free! Scary Godmother: Halloween Spooktacular is part of a cartoon series starring a girl named Hannah and her Scary Godmother (play of a fairy godmother). Hannah is introduced to the “fright side” by her Scary Godmother and meets a wide range of Halloween-based characters.
8. PARANORMAN
ParaNorman is an animated coming-of-age story about a young boy named Norman who tries to save his town from a witch’s curse. He must fight off zombies and social norms to beat the curse, however, most importantly must accept his gift of communing with the dead to save everyone.
7. CASPER
Casper tells a story about a lonely ghost (Casper) and his befriending of a human girl named Kat. Casper longs for companionship while Kat just wants to fit in, yet Casper’s troublesome uncles make it hard for them to get along. Not to mention they begin to mess with Kat’s dad, paranormal expert Dr. Harvey, and try to drive them away from their place of residency.
6. THE ADDAMS FAMILY
This iconic dark comedy is centered around a unique family– The Addams Family. They each have their macabre personas and embrace everything society considers “strange.” That being said, the film follows a con artist claiming to be Gomez’s long-lost brother. Soon, everyone starts growing suspicious of the con artist, and the family must take back their home after being evicted.
5. THE WITCHES
This movie might have caused some nightmares but it was very nostalgic. The Witches depicts a young boy named Luke trying to save kids all over the world from being turned into mice. He finds himself in a bit of a predicament after being caught in a witch convention and trying to warn others, so the Grand Witch turns him into a mouse. However, he does not give up and fights back with the help of the hotel manager and his grandma.
4. MONSTER HOUSE
Another animated film that gave chills to children is Monster House. This film focuses on a curious trio of friends–DJ, Chowder, and Jenny. They witness strange occurrences within a house on their block. They soon learn that the house is controlled by the spirit of its former owner and must confront the spirit before more harm is done to the neighborhood.
3. CORALINE
Some would argue Coraline is the best Halloween movie ever and depending on your liking, you might find yourself in agreement. The animation illustrates Coraline and her family moving into a new home. They share living spaces with strange neighbors, however, mostly keep to themselves. Coraline, finding herself alone most of the time, finds a secret door leading to another dimension. This dimension is a “perfect” version of her life. Her parents spend time with her and all her desires come true. However, the other mother wants to eat her soul and keep her in that dimension forever. Coraline figures it out, but not fast enough as the other mother has already trapped her parents. Thus, she must outsmart the other mother to save her loved ones and herself.
2. CORPSE BRIDE
Talk about cold feet! This movie tells a story about a man who accidentally proposes to a deceased bride named Emily while accidentally practicing his vows in the woods. He is transported to the Land of the Dead and discovers that Emily is very kind and just wants love. Meanwhile, in the Land of the Living, his fiancee, Victoria, waits for him. In the end, he must decide to stay with either Emily or return to the human world.
1. HOCUS POCUS
Another witch movie, but trust me you will not regret it! This classic fantasy film is about three witch sisters–Winfred, Sarah, and Mary Sanderson. They are resurrected from the dead by a modern-day teen boy named Max. The sisters must reclaim their youth by capturing children before dawn to stay alive. After hearing of their plans, Max, his sister, and a friend set out to stop them from taking the lives of the innocent.
These were just a few watch-worthy Halloween movies! IF WANTING MORE! HERE ARE TEN MORE FILM TITLES WHERE DISNEY MIGHT BE NEEDED!
10. THE BLACK PHONE
9. CARRIE (1976)
8. THE EXORCISM OF EMILY ROSE
7. THE CONJURING
6. THE AUTOPSY OF JANE DOE
5. THE STRANGERS (2008)
4. THE TEXAS CHAINSAW MASSACRE (1974)
3. CHILDREN OF THE CORN
2. JEEPERS CREEPERS
1. THE EXORCIST (1973)