The EastCoaster

By: Erin Dugan 

Despite Hallmark already playing Christmas movies, Halloween is right around the corner! As we enjoy the last weeks of the Halloween season, let’s reminisce on the great movies that can put us in a spooky mood. Whether you want to stay in for a cozy/nostalgic night or want to be too afraid to sleep for days, we’ve got you covered!

Nostalgic Halloween Movies: 

Let’s start off with movies everyone should enjoy. Hocus Pocus, Halloweentown, and It’s the Great Pumpkin, Charlie Brown provides a perfect watch for all ages during Halloween time. Witches, magic, trick-or-treating, costumes, monsters, and more give a true sense of what the excitement of Halloween feels like as a child. You will be transported back in time and want to live vicariously through the children now. What’s even greater about Hocus Pocus and Halloweentown is that there are sequels! Hocus Pocus 2 was released last year and is a great follow-up to Hocus Pocus if you want a movie marathon. Halloweentown has 3 other movies in the series, so if you’re up for pulling an all-nighter, this is the series for you!

Spooky Halloween Movies: 

Next are some movies that are aimed at a slightly older crowd. Coraline, Ghostbusters, and Happy Death Day give the eerie Halloween vibe that will definitely leave you spooked but not enough to give you unending nightmares. Although Coraline and the original Ghostbusters are rated PG, there are quite a few on-the-edge-of-your-seat scenes. Ghosts and other dimensions are a prominent theme in these movies, but if you’re looking for more of a comedy, Ghostbusters is perfect. Happy Death Day is a frightening murder movie but the laughs make it more than bearable.

Horror Movies: 

Lastly, here are some movies that will certainly have you questioning if you should have even watched them afterward. One that has stellar ratings and an amazing director (Jordan Peele) is Get Out. This movie will not only leave you horrified but will also reveal a hidden message about marginalization and racism in the eyes of a Black man. 

Another very well-rated movie amongst critics is Hereditary. You must be warned that many who have watched this movie have claimed watching it made them the most frightened they have ever been while watching a horror film. It provides viewers with ghosts, jump scares, death, bodies in atrocious forms, and much more. 

A movie that will likely appeal to those in Connecticut or surrounding areas is The Conjuring. If you are not yet aware, The Conjuring as well as the other movies in the series are based on real paranormal events in Connecticut. The characters, Ed and Lorraine Warren, are also real people who helped put a stop to the paranormal activity. If you wish to see the terrifying Annabelle doll, you can visit it (or her?) at The Warren’s Occult Museum in Monroe, Connecticut. Just make sure to be on her good side.

 Last but not least is the very popular (and for good reason), It. There are two versions of It: One from 1990 and one from 2017. A great number of people actually argue that the 2017 version is better because Pennywise the Clown, played by Bill Skarsgård, is more fearsome. This movie will also provide you with laughs for comedic relief which is needed as children are being murdered by a killer clown in a sewer.

Our Top 10 Halloween Movie List: 

1. Hocus Pocus
2.  Halloweentown
3.  It’s the Great Pumpkin, Charlie Brown
4. Coraline 
5. Ghostbusters 
6. Happy Death Day 
7. Get Out
8. Hereditary
9. The Conjuring 
10. It 

Now you have no excuse to not get into the spooky season! Whether you like cozy vibes or horror, you have a perfect Halloween movie for whatever you’re in the mood for.

Cover Photo: Paige Grant (Pinterest)