It’s October once again and although most may be gearing up for Christmas, let's switch Mariah Carey off for one moment and acknowledge the spookiest season of them all, Halloween.
As pumpkins are carved and pumpkin spiced lattes return to Starbucks, many will be digging out their horror movie collections to fully get into the sinister spirit, but which ones should I watch? I hear you cry and which would best get me into the Halloween spirit?
Well, don’t you worry dear listener, because I got you covered as here are 10 of the best horror movies set at Halloween.
10) Poltergeist (1982)
I’m cheating a bit with this entry as Halloween doesn’t exactly effect the plot of Tobe Hooper’s Poltergeist, however the film does take place around Halloween so I’m counting it, and considering Poltergeist is one of the all time greatest ghost horror movies ever made, you’d be a fool to exclude it from your Halloween viewing.
For those unaware, Poltergeist tells the story of the Freeling family, a typical suburban American family living in California who begin to be haunted by demonic spirits in their home. A simple premise, but one made iconic with Steven Spielberg in the writing room, as well as, the Texas Chainsaw Massacre's Tobe Hooper in the director's chair.
Poltergeist is a devilishly good time, I’m sure we can all agree, plus Heather O’Rouke’s iconic line “They’re Here” may be the creepiest two words ever put to film. So give it a watch, if you dare…
9) House of 1000 Corpses (2003)
Before he was remaking another more infamous Halloween set horror movie, Heavy metal icon Rob Zombie made his directorial debut in 2003 with the grotesquely named House of 1000 Corpses.
Set, you guessed it, on Halloween night, House of 1000 Corpses tells the story of two couples traveling through Texas when a burst tire leads them unknowingly into the clutches of the deranged Firefly family.
Released at the beginning of the torture porn horror craze, House of 1000 Corpses, if you didn’t already assume from the name, is a rather gnarly movie and it’s Halloween setting perfectly assists in creating the horrific atmosphere and tone of the film, whilst also contributing to the scares.
Is it a masterpiece, far from it, however with it’s seasonal production design, a pre-Dwight Schrute Rainn Wilson and creepy ensemble of characters, led by a criminally underrated performance from Sid Haig, House of 1000 Corpses is gory gold for horror fans this time of year.
8) The Guest (2014)
From one funhouse horror movie to the next, 2014’s The Guest may only really utilize its Halloween setting in its final act, however, the film uses a haunted house attraction to great effect that I had to include it on this list.
Directed by future Godzilla Vs Kong helmer Adam Wingard, The Guest Stars Dan Stevens as David, a veteran who arrives at the Peterson’s home after his their son, Caleb died. David tells them he served with Caleb and said he’d look after his family should he perish. However in horror films, things are never so wholesome, as the daughter of the family, Anna, played by Maika Monroe, soon to discover when she starts to question David and his ambiguous past.
The Guest may work best as a thrilling action thriller with an intriguing mystery at its centre for much of its runtime, however it does share some slasher horror DNA from Wingard’s previous feature, You’re Next. This DNA is best exemplified in the film's final act, which I won’t spoil for you, just know that a haunted house Halloween attraction is utilized to gloriously creepy effect.
7) Donnie Darko (2001)
When it burst onto the scene in 2001, Richard Kelly’s Donnie Darko was destined to be a cult classic within alternative communities. With a complex narrative, unsettling atmosphere and a brooding Jake Gyllenhaal in the central role, Donnie Darko is quintessentially emo and its Halloween setting only further confirms this.
Telling the story of a teenage boy called, that’s right, Donnie Darko, who befriends Frank, a man in a sinister bunny costume who only Donnie can see. Frank informs Donnie that the world will end in 28 days, the question is, can the end of the world be prevented?
Donnie Darko’s Halloween setting may not be a core focus for much of the plot, aside from the character literally dressed in a Halloween costume throughout the film, however similar to The Guest, the Halloween setting comes into full effect in the film's third act as Donnie hosts a Halloween costume party and the end of the world is only a day away. No better time for the end of the world to come, am I right?
Inspiring many a Halloween costume and adding onto the already creepy atmosphere of the film, Halloween is aptly used to make Donnie Darko the cult classic that it is to those who appreciate all things spooky, no matter the time of year.
6) Hell House LLC (2015)
Haunted House attractions are the bread and butter of many of the Halloween Horror films on this list, but perhaps none more so than 2015’s found footage movie Hell House LLC, well perhaps the next film also, but more on that later.
Hell House LLC tells the story of a documentary crew who begin investigating a haunted house attraction after it slaughtered 15 people in a terrible accident five years prior. But as most found footage movies go, the truth isn’t so cut and dry, as the documentary crew seek to uncover what really happened that fateful night.
Centred around a Halloween attraction, there is no denying Hell House LLC is a Halloween horror movie, but what gets it a spot on this list is how it effectively marries together Halloween iconography and found footage cinematography to create a dizzyingly chilling watch.
Found footage movies like The Blair Witch Project and Paranormal Activity get criticized for not a lot happening and only really having one scare at the end, but that certainly isn’t the case with Hell House LLC. With creepy animatronic clowns, Supernatural entities and satanic cults, Hell House LLC is pure nightmare fuel, and if that’s what you’re looking for, you know what to do.
5) Haunt (2019)
Halloween Horror and Haunted House attractions go hand in hand it seems as they’ve featured in House of 1000 Corpses, The Guest, Hell House LLC and now in Scott Beck and Bryan Wood’s 2019 slasher movie Haunt. Written and directed by A Quiet Place Scribes Scott Beck and Bryan Woods, Haunt tells the story of a group of friends who discover a haunted house on Halloween and decide to check it out, however unfortunately for them the horrors on display are all too real.
Same as Hell House LLC, Haunt spends much of its run time within a haunted house attraction, thus much of the film is bursting with Halloween iconography that helps create the sinister atmosphere and setting for the film. As well as this, Haunt is simply an efficient slasher film with strong plotting and adrenaline inducing thrills which one could expect from the guys who wrote A Quiet Place.
4) Trick ‘R Treat (2007)
Anthology films are always a gamble. With merging several short stories into one you run the risk of creating an uneven movie with varying degrees of quality throughout. However, never has this been less true than with Michael Dougherty’s hugely underrated Trick ‘r Treat. Telling five interwoven stories all centred around Halloween traditions, Trick r’ Treat predominantly features Sam, a small trick-or-treater who looks to teach people that some traditions should never be forgotten.
There is simply no horror movie more about the holiday of Halloween than Trick ‘r Treat as the film gives the spooky season the same thematic treatment as a Christmas film. With a strong focus on holiday traditions, Trick ‘r Treat is a unique horror film in that it is essentially a holiday movie at its core, one that not only pays tribute to the Halloween season, but does so by scaring you throughout in five genre spanning ways.
3) The Crow (1994)
Fear not my alternative friends for Donnie Darko isn’t your only acknowledgement on this list, because, of course another infamous emo movie takes place at Halloween, and that is the Alex Proyas directed and Brandon Lee starring The Crow.
The Crow tells the story of Eric Draven, played by Brandon Lee, a man who is killed on devil's night, along with his soon to be wife. A year later, Eric is resurrected from the dead and begins to seek vengeance on those who killed him and his fiancé.
More dark fantasy revenge drama than horror movie, The Crow is still a hugely influential and infamous movie for lovers of all things macabre. Richly dark and stylistic, the Halloween setting is perfect for a movie that simply oozes alternative flair.
Despite being best known for the accidental death of its star midway through production, The Crow is a brooding revenge narrative for the ages, and one that unintentionally becomes an apt swan song to its deceased star.
2) The Nightmare Before Christmas (1993)
Is it a Halloween movie or a Christmas movie? I answer your question with another question; why not both? Long have we debated the genre of Tim Burton’s The Nightmare Before Christmas, but because much of the action takes place within Halloween town as opposed to Christmas Town, plus all the central characters originate from Halloween Town, I’m including it as a Halloween film. If you’re still unconvinced then go to any stop geared up for Halloween and I bet you’ll find merchandise of this film in some form somewhere.
The Nightmare Before Christmas tells the story of the king of Halloween town, Jack Skellington, who has become tired of Halloween. When Jack stumbles upon a portal to Christmas Town, he becomes infatuated with the new traditions and attempts to create a Christmas back home.
A pioneer of animation, The Nightmare Before Christmas is so quintessentially Tim Burton it’s unbelievable that he didn’t direct, write or produce the movie. With an iconic set/ character design, incredible voice work and an outstanding soundtrack from Danny Elfman, The Nightmare Before Christmas is a classic timeless tale for the ages and one that should certainly be in your Halloween viewing, no matter what other people say.
1) Halloween (1978)
Call me predictable, but a list about Halloween set horror movies has to be topped by the undeniable classic that is John Carpenter’s Halloween. The title is literally Halloween, and although David Gordan Green’s Halloween is a satisfying continuation of the Strode and Myers rivalry, no sequel has ever come close to matching the iconic status and cinematic mastery of Carpenter’s seminal work.
For the few that don’t know, Halloween follows the killing spree of Michael Myers, then known simply as the shape. When being transferred for a court hearing, Michael brakes free and sets his murderous gaze on the unsuspecting inhabitants of Haddonfield Illinois, especially one Laurie Strode, played by Jamie Lee Curtis. The police, assisted by Michael’s psychiatrist, Dr Samuel Loomis, played by Donald Pleasence, are on Michael’s tail, but can they save Laurie before it's too late.
One of the very first slasher movies, Halloween creates nail biting suspense through pioneering steadicam shots and an unconventional point of view perspective of Michael stalking his prey. Aside from using a William Shatner Halloween mask to create the iconic Michael Myers mask, Halloween doesn’t hinge on its holiday setting for scares. Instead Halloween uses Halloween to create the creepy tone and sinister atmosphere that has permeated into the real world.
Halloween is responsible for making Halloween night scary and the other films on this list would not exist without it. So if you’re looking for a horror movie to watch this Halloween season, look no further than the classic we’ve all come to love… and fear…
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