Halloween is only two weeks away and that means everything spooky, campy, and scary is in season right now. We’ve curated a list of films and TV shows to help us get into the Halloween spirit. This list has a little something for everybody, and each of these pieces of media is witty, sharp, wonderfully dark, and has been pivotal in refreshing the horror genre and proving that horror movies are more than the family-moves-into-a-new-house-only-to-find-that-it-is-haunted-by-its-previous-owners trope.
- American Horror Story (2011-2021)
This is the quintessential Halloween anthology, with each season dealing with different themes related to everything ranging from dystopian political horror to haunted mansions and hotels to ancient witch covens. AHS boasts of a star-studded cast with the likes of Evan Peters, Sarah Paulson, Lady Gaga, Emma Roberts and Jessica Lange.
2. Midnight Mass (2021)
Directed by Mike Flanagan, a veteran of the horror genre, this show is possibly the newest addition to the list. It follows events in a small town after the arrival of a mysterious new priest at the local church, lying at the perfect intersection of horror, family dynamics, and religious themes.
3, Get Out (2017)
Get Out is absolutely a film you must have on your watchlist if you haven’t seen it already. With its multiple Oscar wins and nominations, Get Out subverts the horror genre and uses it to create this brilliant commentary on racial relations and politics in the world today.
4. Midsommar (2019)
One of the most talked-about horror films in the last decade, this very unsettling film starring Florence Pugh follows the goings-on of an innocent vacation that progresses into the twisted dynamics of a dark Swedish Cult. Directed by Hereditary director Ari Aster, Midsommar is will leave you with more questions than answers in the best way possible.
5. Sweeney Todd: The Demon Barber of Fleet Street (2007)
Tim Burton’s Sweeney Todd is an adaptation of the original musical that tells the story of Sweeney Todd, the barber/serial killer played by Johnny Depp. He is assisted by an equally sinister Helena Bonham Carter who helps him kill his victims using the razors that he uses to cut hair. This is the perfect film for you if you love Tim Burton’s film aesthetic and also love the camp and glamour of musicals.
6. Carrie (1976)
Carrie is a Classic Horror Film from the 70s directed by Brian de Palma follows Carrie, a young girl in high school who discovers she has supernatural powers, and its last climactic scene at prom is one of the most well-known and popularly referenced scenes in horror movie history. If you are looking for something set in high school, explores complicated parent-child relationships and the high school hierarchy with a whole new supernatural element, then this is the film for you.
7. The Scream Series (1996)
Directed by Wes Craven and Kevin Williamson, this movie series is clever in the way it parodies the horror genre and brings something fresh and new to the table by subverting a lot of the typical horror movie cliches that we usually see. With an extremely talented ensemble cast of Courtney Cox, Matthew Lillard, Drew Barrymore and David Arquette, this self-aware horror film isn’t afraid to make fun of itself, and it makes for a very entertaining watch.
8. Coraline (2008)
Arguably the darkest and most terrifying film on this list, Coraline is also the only film on this list intended for an audience of children. Coraline revolves around the story of a young girl who moves into a new house with her family and discovers a parallel universe altogether, where she meets people that are seemingly very similar to her own family, but there are several secrets waiting to be revealed. Coraline is the culmination of the dark fantasy aspects of Neil Gaiman’s original story, brilliant voice acting and relatable, nuanced and complicated character writing.