Halloween is, I fear, going to be a rather different affair this year due to the situation brought on by the current pandemic. I know many people will most likely be stuck at home during this spooky season instead of being out trick or treating.
This Halloween will be a good time to catch up on some of your favourite creepy and spooky movies or perhaps check out some that you haven’t braved before. I have put together a list of films to watch for Halloween; some that adults will enjoy and also some kid-friendly movies that the whole family can view together.
Casper (1995)
Not all films at Halloween should be creepy or scary. If you’re not one for a fright there’s always Casper. Following the friendliest ghost you could ever meet, whose only wish is to be a boy again.
Director: Brad Silberling
Rating: PG
Cast: Malachi Pearson, Christina Ricci, Bill Pullman
Genre: Family, Fantasy
Coraline (2009)
You can’t get creepier than Coraline. There’s a parallel world where everyone has buttons for eyes. This film gives me the creeps. A family-friendly film perfect for children who don’t want to miss out on all the fun.
Director: Henry Selick
Rating: PG
Cast: Dakota Fanning, Dawn French, Teri Hatcher
Genre: Action, Animation, Family
Harry Potter Saga (2001-2011)
Who doesn’t love watching the series about the boy who lived? What’s better than binge-watching your wizard defeat his enemies while also attending school? What’s not to love? There are witches, wizards, death eaters, goblins and elves
Director: Chris Columbus, Alfonso Cuaron, Mike Newell, David Yates
Rating: PG 12A
Cast: Tom Felton, Alan Rickman, Warwick Davis
Genre: Family, Mystery, Action, Drama
Dark Shadows (2012)
A revival of the American soap opera which explored the lives, loves, trials and hard falls of the Collins family, who regularly experienced supernatural occurrences. The film follows the character of Barnabas who gets turned into a vampire and buried alive by the witch he broke the heart of. However, nearly two centuries later he escapes and returns home, where he finds his descendants who need his protection.
Director: Tim Burton
Rating: 12A
Cast: Chloe Grace Moretz, Eva Green, Johnny Depp
Genre: Comedy, Fantasy
The Mummy Franchise (1999-2008)
I love watching The Mummy. I’m a huge lover of mythology and history so this film is perfect. If you love Egypt, history and horror this series of films will be right up your street. Horror with a bit of romance is perfect for couples to curl up in front of the telly with.
Director: Stephen Sommers, Rob Cohen
Rating: 12
Cast: Brendan Fraser, Oded Fehr, John Hannah
Genre: Action. Adventure, Horror
Hansel & Gretel: Witch Hunters (2013)
We all know the tale of the boy and girl who killed the witch. This is the story of a grown-up Hansel and Gretel who hunt witches for a living. This adaptation sees them coming to terms with their past and finding out the truth about their parents.
Director: Tommy Wirkola
Rating: 15
Cast: Famke Janssen, Gemma Arterton, Jeremey Renner
Genre: Horror, Action
Buy Hansel & Gretal: Witch Hunters
Crimson Peak (2015)
Follow Edith, an aspiring writer who is torn between love for a childhood sweetheart, Dr Alan McMichael, and the temptation of Thomas Sharpe, a mysterious and strange visitor. While trying to escape the ghosts of her past, she is swept away from everything she has ever known and confined to a house with a terrible secret.
Director: Guillermo del Toro
Rating: 15
Cast: Mia Wasikowska, Tom Hiddleston, Jessica Chastain
Genre: Horror, Romance
Happy Death Day (2017). Happy Death Day 2U (2019)
Not the best way to spend your birthday I admit, but something about being killed again and again is just a bit mysterious as you never you know how or why. A film where you relive your death until you unmask your killer or killers.
Director: Christopher Landon
Rating: 15
Cast: Tree Gelbman, Steve Zissis, Jessica Rothe
Genre: Horror, Thriller, Slasher
Buy Happy Death Day and Happy Death 2U
Limehouse Golem (2016)
Based on the novel Dan Leno and the Limehouse Golem, by Peter Ackroyd, this is a gothic film about an inspector hunting a serial killer that is on the loose. The murders have a striking resemblance to those committed by Jack the Ripper. A great film of intrigue and mystery and a dark past.
Director: Juan Carlos Medina
Rating: 15
Cast: Bill Nighy, Douglas Booth, Olivia Cooke
Genre. Thriller, Horror, Crime
It (2017) and It Chapter 2 (2019)
What’s better to watch on Halloween than a creepy killer clown. If this isn’t enough for you, you could also find out what happens next and watch IT Chapter 2.
Director: Andy Muschietti
Rating: 15
Cast: Bill Skarsgard, Sophia Lillis, James McAvoy,
Genre: Horror, Thriller
This article was written by guest contributor Zahra Arshad.
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