Movies to Watch This Halloween

Given how many zombie stories I’ve written, it’s probably no surprise that Halloween is one of my favorite holidays. As I’ve gotten older, the candy has gotten less and less appealing, but the costumes and the decorations never fail to put a smile on my face. While many of us will spend Halloween evening either taking our kids trick-or-treating or handing out candy to others’ kids that knock on the door, that tradition usually ends somewhere around 9 PM. So what to do once the sugar-infused rug-rats finally go to sleep? Watch a scary movie of course! There’s no better weekend for it. Here are my top 10 film recommendations for this Halloween.

Crimson Peak (2015) – This one was just released two weeks ago, but it’s an instant horror classic. If you can manage to schedule a date night this weekend, this is the movie to see. Director Guillermo del Toro, maker of Pan’s Labyrinth, delivers another fantastic film. It’s almost like a new story by Edgar Allen Poe. It’s steeped in gothic horror, has great special effects, and features some wonderful performances, especially by Jessica Chastain.

The Descent (2006) – Writer/director Neil Marshall knows what scares us. One of the most frightening movies ever made, this one takes us on an all-female caving expedition that goes terribly wrong. Not only are our protagonists lost underground in the dark, they’re not alone. The horrific beasts below the earth are hungry and not very picky about what they eat.

1408 (2007) – Based on a short story by author Stephen King, 1408 shows us what happens when a professional debunker of the paranormal runs into the real thing while staying in a haunted hotel. This underrated film stars John Cusack who puts on a fantastic performance as a cynical man forced to face his deepest fears.

28 Days Later (2003) – I have a soft spot for zombies and this is my favorite movie of the genre. Director Danny Boyle delivers a modern take on the sort of film originated by George Romero, but gives it new twists and several well-rounded characters. As chilling as it is exciting, anyone that thinks they know what to expect of the zombie apocalypse should see this one.

The Conjuring (2013) – Blood and gore don’t tend to frighten me so you won’t find serial killers such as Freddy or Jason on my list, but real dread… that’s the stuff of nightmares. This recent offering about a pair of paranormal investigators sent to a haunted farmhouse doesn’t star any big names, but it was a surprise hit at the box office for good reason. It’s scary as hell. 

30 Days of Night (2007) – You can forget pretty vampires feeling sorry for their plight or falling in love with mere mortals. This film based on the graphic novel of the same name shows us what happens when a tribe of truly monstrous bloodsuckers arrives in a remote Alaskan town where the sun won’t rise for a month and every living soul looks like a meal.

Dog Soldiers (2002) – Another film by Neil Marshall, this movie narrowly edges out An American Werewolf in London as my favorite cinematic werewolf tale. A group of soldiers go on a routine training mission in Scotland but wind up being trapped by a pack of lycanthropic enemies that are anything but routine.

Alien (1979) – Every movie-goer knows the name Ridley Scott by now, but Alien was just the director’s second feature length film back in 1979. The terrifying story of Ripley and her crew trying to escape the alien lifeform they find while on a deep-space mission spawned decades of sequels, but the original remains the best of the bunch.

The Thing (1982) – Somehow I missed this one until just a few years ago. If you made the same mistake, this weekend is a great time to remedy the situation. Kurt Russell and a crew of scientists dig up an alien creature in Antarctica that can take the form of anything it absorbs. As you might imagine, trouble (and horror) ensue.

The Shining (1980) – And finally, another tale of haunted hotels by Stephen King to close out my list. The Shining may be older than most of my other choices, but there’s nothing dated about it. Watching the mental deterioration of Jack Nicholson’s character as he goes from loving father to demented murderer while acting as an off-season caretaker is still just as chilling as it was the day the film was released.