The leaves turning orange and the air getting colder can only mean one thing, Halloween is just around the corner! October is the perfect month to rewatch autumn rom-coms and comfort shows, but I’m usually in the mood for something a little scarier. I’m a big classic horror fan, but I definitely haven’t always been. It took a long time to build up a tolerance for being afraid. The loud noises, the dark corners, the really intense chase scene music; it’s all so anxiety-inducing that horror movies can seem hard to watch. If you don’t have the stomach for scares but want to, here is my recommended Halloween movie sequence (starting with the least scary and ending with the scariest) to get ready to handle just about anything the holiday can throw at you!
- Scary movie
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Too scared for traditional horror? This Halloween classic has you covered. Scary Movie is a parody film of several more typical Halloween slashers like Scream and I Know What You Did Last Summer. This movie is perfect for horror newbies, allowing the viewer to get a feel for the plot of some more renowned Halloween classics without the fear factor. It’s an easy and fun watch, and makes for a great movie night with friends! There are five Scary Movie films, but in all honesty, the first three get the job done just fine. The franchise has cemented itself as an iconic Halloween comedy series, with the first film clocking in at a fair 3.1 stars on Letterboxd.
- The Nightmare Before Christmas
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Now before you ask, yes this is technically also a Christmas movie. The Nightmare Before Christmas is a beautifully made stop-motion film, created by the well-renowned Tim Burton. It was released in 1993 and still holds up visually even now. The film is aesthetically pleasing and features several musical numbers that have become staples of the holiday, like the song “This is Halloween” (an October classic). Do I know what happens in this movie? Not really. Have I seen it in full over three times? Yes. I remember enjoying it, and it’s definitely considered one of Burton’s best works for a reason. With an impressive four stars on Letterboxd, user Karsten seems to agree with me.
Regardless of how memorable the plot is, The Nightmare Before Christmas has cemented its place as a Tim Burton classic, full of both Halloween charm and the Christmas holiday spirit.
- hocus pocus
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There’s just something very autumnal about the movie Hocus Pocus. Poor Max accidentally wakes up a trio of witches who were executed in Salem, Massachusetts during the 17th century. With the help of his sister, their friend, and a talking cat, they have to put a stop to the trio’s reign of terror. Hocus Pocus is a fun family classic and a household favorite, and while it is set on Halloween it definitely isn’t a horror movie. It truly does capture the essence of October, though, and remains a cultural staple of the ’90s and ‘2000s. With a ranking of 3.5 on Letterboxd this is an absolute must-watch every time Halloween rolls around, and it’s guaranteed to bring the spirit of the holiday to life. There’s really nothing in this film to be afraid of, after all, it’s just a bunch of hocus pocus.
- Monster House
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Whenever I bring this movie up nobody ever knows what I’m talking about. Monster House is one of those movies you see once when you’re eight years old, and never again, but it immediately becomes a household favorite. The overall plot of Monster House involves, you guessed it, a monster house. The house itself is eating kids, and on Halloween night 13-year-old DJ decides to put a stop to it but discovers a shocking secret of the house. The plot twist comes as a surprise and the plot is unexpectedly engaging for a movie targeted towards kids. Despite being an animated film, it was surprisingly scary, but maybe that’s just because I was 8. Monster House has a 3.4 on Letterboxd, which shocked me because it’s considered an Oscar-worthy film by critics (and by critics, I mean me of course).
- Paranorman
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I absolutely loved this movie as a kid, but I also remember it scaring me a little. ParaNorman is another stop-motion classic filled with excellent visuals and musical scores. The movie revolves around poor Norman who can see and speak to the dead, but nobody believes him. He is informed by one of the ghosts, who embarrasses him in front of his entire school, that he has to perform a ritual by the end of the day or a terrible witch’s curse will be released in the town. Ultimately, Norman fails, and the rest of the movie is spent trying to appease the now very angry witch who is out for vengeance. The story is incredible, earning ParaNorman a 3.6 on Letterboxd. The lessons in this movie are unexpected and valuable both in childhood and in 20-year-old teenage girlhood!
- Piranha
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Jaws felt too summery to include on this list, so I immediately knew I had to include its much gorier copycat. This is one of those movies that’s so bad, it’s good. Piranha is a low-budget sea-based slasher from 1978, that scared my mom so bad as a kid she wouldn’t swim for months after watching it. The title really sums it up, imagine Jaws but instead of a giant shark, there’s a horde of bloodthirsty piranhas. It was less scary than I wanted but much scarier than I expected. The movie racks up 10 total deaths, making the water of Jaws look like a relaxing summer swim. With a solid three-star rating on Letterboxd, Piranha is sure to build up your tolerance for some of the bloodier Halloween thrillers.
- Halloween 4: The Return of Michael Myers
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For a movie to be named after the holiday it takes place on, it has to be good. Halloween and its slasher villain, Michael Myers, are an integral part of horror movie culture and have been since the late ’70s. Every year on the holiday, I run into at least one person in his signature mask and blue jumpsuit. This list would be incomplete without at least one film from the franchise, and I chose Halloween 4. To some people this is the worst one, to me it’s the best. Halloween 4 kept me on the edge of my seat the entire time. The first 20 minutes and the last 20 minutes are both crucial to the future of the franchise, with the ending being one of my favorites in Halloween history. However, high praise from me aside, this movie has the worst Michael Myers on-screen costume I’ve ever seen. The mask in this movie is notoriously terrible, so much so that when Michael shows up it’s more confusing at first than scary. Like I said, people either love it or hate it, so the 2.8 on Letterboxd was expected.
- Coraline
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I’m going to be vulnerable and admit something here; I haven’t actually seen Coraline. I’m familiar with the vague plot and I have seen a couple of clips, but I haven’t sat down to watch it yet. Truth is, I’m a little scared. Coraline follows a young girl who discovers an alternate reality of sorts where her life is ideal. The only catch is her “other mother” wants to sew buttons into her eyes. That’s terrifying, which is why it’s #8 on this list. Coraline is another stop-motion film directed by Henry Selick, also known for The Nightmare Before Christmas. Like its counterpart, Coraline has beautiful visuals and portrays the universe in a way that is both mesmerizing and unsettling. It’s the highest-rated film on this list at a stellar 4.2 on Letterboxd, a testament to just how influential and loved this movie is. It’s definitely on my watchlist this October.
- The conjuring 2
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I’m not the biggest fan of paranormal horror, I have a pretty low fear tolerance when it comes to ghosts and zombies. However, the second film in The Conjuring series has wormed its way into my list of favorite horror movies ever released. The Conjuring 2 is set in England unlike its American prequel and features an unlucky family and their very haunted house. Paranormal additions to this film like a nun and what is only referred to as ‘the crooked man’ got a major thumbs up from me. I don’t think a single scare in this film was unsuccessful. The film is well deserving of the respectable 3.4 rating on Letterboxd, as it’s notorious for excelling in both acting and creative direction. The cast has excellent chemistry and the use of sound and weather throughout the movie provides a realistic and immersive horror experience.
- it (2017)
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The final (and without a doubt most terrifying) movie on this list is It, based on the equally unsettling novel by Stephen King. It revolves around a group of kids trying to solve the secret of the frequent disappearances in their small Maine town. Navigating their complex personal lives and relationships, these kids will have to face their fears in order to survive It. Pennywise the clown is, I think, one of the scariest horror entities ever created. It is essentially unstoppable and feeds off the fear of its victims, ultimately killing them. This movie is an edge-of-your-seat, absolutely mortifying thriller. Both It and It 2 have incredible acting performances, notably by Bill Skarsgard who plays Pennywise in both films.
I absolutely could not handle It. I watched it on the couch in my home sitting very far from the screen. Every jump-scare and tense moment earned the film a well-deserved 3.4 on Letterboxd. If you’re looking for a more anxiety-inducing scare than your run-of-the-mill paranormal horror film, I absolutely recommend this movie.
there’s only one October
The movies on this list aren’t the only ones worth watching this October. Halloween comes once a year and it’s best to take advantage of the vibes while they’re here. Whether it be childhood classics like Goosebumps or more recent psychological horror like Midsommer, there’s no better time than now to kick back and get scared!