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Culture

The Most Over (And Under) Rated Movies This Halloween Season

Claire Early
Mary Moody McLean
This article is written by a student writer from the Her Campus at VCU chapter.

If you’re having trouble choosing a Halloween movie to watch this month and feel like you’ve seen specific Halloween movies too repetitively, you’re not alone. There are some movies that are the topic of conversation to the point where it’s annoying, and some you’ve forgotten about because they are glossed over or rarely mentioned since they came out. If you’re stuck and need some ideas of movies to watch, or maybe some movie suggestions to steer clear of, this list of movies, both charming and scary, is sure to get your attention and help you decide what to watch this Halloween.  

Overrated: “The Nightmare Before Christmas”

As much as I want to support Tim Burton produced movies, I just can’t anymore. “The Nightmare Before Christmas” was an enjoyable watch when I was younger, but this movie is one of the movies that is played over and over and featured every year on cable networks. You can hardly turn on the TV without seeing an advertisement or schedule listing of when it will be showing.

Not to mention recent allegations against Tim Burton claiming the way he chooses actors for his movies is racist because he believes he shouldn’t hire people of color just to make his cast diverse. A producer that feels people of color don’t fit his aesthetic doesn’t deserve your attention when it comes to watching his movies, so I’ll have to give “The Nightmare Before Christmas” a no.  

Underrated: “Harry Potter”

Yes, the “Harry Potter” franchise is huge—dominating pop culture from its books to movies, to TikTok references, to its roller coaster and park at Universal Studios in Orlando, Fl. However, what better time than to make an excuse to rewatch the movies than during Halloween? The series is based on witches and wizards, magic and dragons and casting spells and riding on brooms for sport.

This is the basis of Halloween culture, and I think many people forget that “Harry Potter” can easily fit the Halloween aesthetic, not to mention you can choose from any of the eight movies! My personal favorites are “Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban” and “Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire.”

Overrated: “Poltergeist”

As much as I love Drew Barrymore, I just can’t seem to like the scary movie “Poltergeist,” and yes, it’s probably because the movie is a little outdated.  The first and only time I saw the movie was my very first time watching a scary movie in sixth grade. I’ll give the movie credit—it was a good first scary movie to watch; however, after that one time, I was over it. 

I think it’s just too outdated for the scenes to feel real, and the technology wasn’t advanced enough at the time to makes all the props have the same look and feel as they would today. If this is your first time watching a scary movie, “Poltergeist” is definitely the way to go. Otherwise, I’d pass on it. 

Underrated: “Carrie” (2013)

This “Carrie” remake definitely did not get the hype it deserved. I was pleasantly surprised when I watched it for the first time because as much as I don’t like Chloe Grace Moretz, who plays Carrie, her acting was incredible.

This movie has the advantage of modern technology, which personally gives it a leg up on the original “Carrie” movie, and maybe because this remake is the third film adaptation, people were quick to overlook it. It makes sense considering typically, the more a concept gets overdone, it progressively gets worse. This remake, however, is one you don’t want to miss.  

Hopefully, these suggestions will help you in choosing spooky movies to watch this Halloween season.

Claire Early is currently a senior at VCU. She is studying mass communications with a concentration in public relations.
Mary McLean (née Moody) is an avid writer and is the former Editor in Chief of Her Campus at VCU. She wrote diligently for Her Campus at VCU for two years and was the Editor in Chief for three years. You can find her work here! She double majored in Political Science and History at Virginia Commonwealth University and graduated in 2022. She loves her son, Peter, and her cat Sully. You can find her looking at memes all night and chugging Monster in the morning with her husband!