Autumn is here, and we’re ready to start getting into the Halloween spirit. We’re thinking pumpkin spiced lattes, cosy blankets, a candle, and some horror movies. Whether you’re hosting it alone or heading into our Cinema room with pals to go all out, these are some of our top picks for Halloween Movie Night.

Contents

Two Spooky Classics

Classics are called classics for a reason – even if you haven’t seen them, you’ll have heard of these two. We think a classic pick is the best way to start off any movie night, so see which of these appeal to you.

Carrie

Image Source: thenewyorker.com

Starting off pretty old with Carrie, from 1976 – a Stephen King classic, of course, as the King of Horror writing. Carrie is a teenage girl being bullied at school, living with her heavily religious mother. As the film progresses, we see Carrie go to prom, and be humiliated by a group of popular girls – this is the most iconic scene of the film, and the one you’ve probably seen replicated many a time elsewhere – and this is how a bucket of pig blood triggered Carrie to lose control and reveal her telekinetic powers in a less-than-friendly way. Now, we’re not saying that they deserved it, but there’s a message in there – it isn’t hard to be nice.

The Silence of the Lambs

Image Source: sharpmagazine.com

Another incredible classic is Silence of the Lambs, from 1991. This is the first part of the Hannibal Lecter series, where we meet Clarise, a young FBI cadet focused on stopping a serial killer. She works with Hannibal, who’s imprisoned, to try and understand the mind of a killer and stop them before more lives are lost – but things take a turn when Hannibal, a murderous mastermind, gets in the head of everyone involved. Anthony Hopkins does a stellar job of portraying Hannibal, improvising scenes that left the rest of the cast shaken during filming and made cinematic history upon release of the film.

Two Gruesome Gore Choices

Gore horrors can be a bit much for the faint-of-heart, but if there’s ever a time to lean into it, it has to be Halloween. There’s several options, but here are our top two for this Halloween.

Friday the 13^th Franchise

Image Source: pcgamesn.com

One of the most classic slasher franchises, Friday the 13^th started in 1980, and has had 11 more films created in this franchise since then. The original story is of a masked man terrorising a campsite, but over time there have been multiple storylines that all revolves around Jason, the mass-murderer wearing a hockey mask that has become a staple in the horror industry. Expect a lot of murder, a lot of blood, and a lot of terror. A perfect combo for Halloween, we think.

The Hostel Franchise

Image Source: ign.com

Hostel is a shorter film franchise, with only 3 films, and the original being released in 2005 – but don’t worry, they packed in just as much gore as the 12-film franchises, possibly more. These films follow a group of friends who are abducted and taken to an underground cult, where the richest of the rich can bid to carry out any means of torture or murder they choose. They get incredibly creative in this franchise, and really ham up the blood and the gore. Buckle up, this one is not for the light-hearted.

Halloween Comedies

Those last ones were pretty intense, and we think it’s always nice to wrap things up on a fun note. There’s plenty of horror-comedies out there, but these are some of our go-to options after a spooky film night.

Scary Movie Franchise

Image Source: netflix.com

The Scary Movie franchise has mocked almost every single horror film there is, with a mix of other genres in there to keep you on your toes. These are a great option for a laugh with your mates and to see just how many references you recognise – with 5 to choose from, you’ve got plenty of options, but we warn you that they are incredibly tongue-in-cheek.

Cabin in the Woods

Image Source: npr.com

Cabin in the Woods came out in 2011, and is a parody of multiple horror films, including The Evil Dead, Friday the 13^th, and the Saw franchise. We follow a group of friends who go and stay in a cabin as a getaway, and are plagued by a variety of scary monsters. It’s a simple but effective one, again filled with references to other horrors that you’ll be able to identify, with lots of silly gags and plenty of gore. Think zombies, werewolves, fighting for your life – that’s Halloween for you.

We’d love to see what your spooky line-up for Halloween Movie Night is – tag us on our socials to let us know.