Written by Noemi Ladak
I’ve never been a huge fan of Halloween. I never subscribed to the ritual of trick-or-treating, and I’ve maybe taken part (experimentally) twice. Now, as a university student, Halloween means dressing up and partying, something Mean Girls puts best (if you know you know). And as much as I love the club, I hate picking a costume, because how do I find the perfect character that’s niche, affordable, and reflects my personality? Maybe I put too much pressure on myself there. Nevertheless, I’ve spent my favourite Halloweens in my room, recovering from my birthday weekend, with a note on my door saying there’s no candy in here. This makes me grateful for one part of the holiday: the films. Fall is my favourite season, and few things capture its cosy, transitional energy like a good Halloween film. NOT horror films; don’t get them confused. I mean HALLOWEEN films. (Okay, a few of these are cheating.) Whether you’re out with friends or stuck indoors with the flu, here are some of my picks that might actually get you excited for this all-consuming holiday.
Practical Magic (1998)
What’s better than a 90s film with Sandra Bullock and Nicole Kidman? A film where they’re witches! Add in the hues of falling leaves, sisterhood, and midnight margaritas, and you get the perfect autumn cult classic. With its sequel out last month, the film is back in the spotlight, and for good reason. It’s a cosy favourite about two witch sisters, Sally and Gillian Owens, who grow up under a family curse that dooms any man they love. When Gillian’s dangerous boyfriend turns up dead and refuses to stay that way, the sisters have to face the consequences of their magic, and with a little help from their eccentric aunts and an entire town of women, they try to break the curse for good. While it has its dark moments, it’s more warm than scary, making it perfect for when the weather starts to dip toward 10ºC again.
Casper (1995)
This might be the only ghost film my father ever convinced me to watch as a kid. In my defence, I’m not scared of ghosts; I just find them boring. Casper, on the other hand, subverts the trope by being a lonely, kind-hearted ghost who haunts a mansion with his three rowdy uncles: Stretch, Stinky, and Fatso. You can’t help but root for the sweetheart and the mansion’s newest resident, Kat, as they foil a scheming heiress hunting for hidden treasure, while Kat’s dad, a ghost therapist, tries to rid the house of spirits. It’s a family-friendly comedy rather than a horror film, so when your classes are burying you under formative deadlines, it won’t add to your nightmares about the essay due at noon on the 1st of November.
The Addams Family (1991)
I’m sorry, but what’s spookier than a disembodied hand scurrying around a macabre mansion inhabited by the most disturbing yet perfectly functional gothic family you can imagine? While the Addams family seem deadpan and their pale features might fool you into thinking they’re cold, nothing’s more heartwarming than eccentric people coming together to stop a plot against one of their own. Their family bonds blend loyalty and devotion, and it’s hard not to root for these mad people, even if you know you shouldn’t. On the plus side, they introduce a range of classic characters you can take inspiration from for your next Halloween party, whether it’s the smitten dad Gomez and his mesmerising wife Morticia, or their horrifying kids, the almost cruel Wednesday and morbid Pugsley.
Jennifer’s Body (2009)
Taking a break from 90s family-friendly films, let me remind you of Jennifer’s Body. An utterly underrated flop at release, it grew into a cult classic. How could you not love a man-eating Megan Fox? It’s your average film about a failed satanic sacrifice, a possessed teenage girl, and her best friend (Amanda Seyfried’s Needy) who has to stop her. Embodying the tagline “Hell is a Teenage Girl”, this one is genuinely scary and bloody, blending body horror with sharp, quotable dialogue by Diablo Cody, and it plays satire as much as horror. After all, what’s scarier than female rage? Karyn Kusama’s direction gives it a slick, stylish edge. The film’s biggest flaw was its original marketing, which pitched it to men who didn’t come for its themes of friendship and women being wronged by opportunistic men. Seventeen years later, it finally gets the respect it deserves.
Sleepy Hollow (1999)
Nobody does gothic horror like Tim Burton. Sleepy Hollow is set in 1799 in a village terrorised by a headless horseman. Ichabod Crane (Johnny Depp), a squeamish New York constable who believes in science over superstition, is sent to investigate a string of beheadings and finds himself up against a supernatural killer, a web of family secrets, and his own childhood fears. Emmanuel Lubezki’s fog-drenched, candlelit cinematography gives it a gloomy, deeply autumnal atmosphere, while Burton blends folklore and dark humour into real spooks that are more stylish than stomach-churning. It’s the perfect Halloween whodunnit.
The Final Destination Series (2000–2025)
This is the most straightforward horror pick of the bunch, but I couldn’t help including it. I’ve watched all the films out of order at different points in my life, and the core idea contradicts itself: one tiny decision can change your life, yet you can never outrun your fate. That’s what makes it the horror pick that sticks with me most. Mind you, it is gory, and the further the series goes, the worse it gets. What makes it stand out is that the villain is never a mythological monster or a greedy mad scientist; the opponent is Death itself. And how do you cheat Death?
Corpse Bride (2005)
The only stop-motion pick on my list (sorry, Coraline), Corpse Bride is a haunting gothic musical set in a Victorian village, and beneath the intricate, hand-crafted visuals it’s a sweet, melancholic love story. Burton paints the living world as drab and grey and the afterlife as bright and lively, so death, it turns out, is less scary than being alive. Danny Elfman’s score is a highlight, but it’s Burton’s character style that keeps pulling me back, starting with a bride who is not blushing but blue, and recognisable in any Halloween costume. The love triangle, where no one is the villain and everyone gets hurt, might be more horrific than a mummy rising from the dead.
The Book of Life (2014)
Unlike traditional Halloween movies, The Book of Life isn’t gloomy or dark, because it isn’t a Halloween movie at all. It centres on the Mexican festival Día de los Muertos, which falls on the first two days of November, making it the perfect movie to get your spirits back up after an exhausting week of partying (poor you!). Just because October is over doesn’t mean spooky season is! This movie was my first exposure to Radiohead, which might not have been ideal developmentally, but when it’s produced by Guillermo del Toro, there’s very little that can go wrong. It celebrates the dead with colour and joy, gives Romeo and Juliet a twist (and a third suitor), and reminds you that you can break out of family expectations and build your own identity. I don’t care that it’s a children’s film; I have never been able to forget La Muerte and Xibalba since I first saw them over 10 years ago.
