10 Movies to Watch Before Midnight on Hallows' Eve

Sights | Leo Viscomi

It’s officially spooky season! In honour of yet another month of October, I’ve decided to compile a list of ten films I think are guaranteed to send a shiver down your spine as the weather starts to cool. For your convenience, I’ve ordered them in order from least scary to most terrifying (please don’t get mad at me if you disagree, it's all subjective!)

1. Beetlejuice

Tim Burton’s classic is simultaneously hilarious and creepy. The ensemble cast, including Michael Keaton, Alec Baldwin, Winona Ryder, and Catherine O’Hara all induce laughs throughout, and it also features lots of hilarious dancing. A dinner scene devolving into insanity will always get a chuckle out of me.

2. Coraline

A stop-motion masterpiece that terrifies children and parents simultaneously. Cinematically beautiful and incredibly creative, this film is adapted from the Neil Gaiman novel. Is this the first movie where the black cat isn’t a bad sign?

3. What We Do in the Shadows

Taika Waititi and Jemaine Clement transform vampires into relatable guys in this New Zealand mockumentary. What We Do in the Shadows takes the common tropes around vampires and molds them into laugh after laugh. It is such a successful film that it spawned two spinoff TV shows, one of which films in Toronto!

4. Ready or Not

What if the family from Knives Out were all even crazier? You don’t have to imagine anymore! Ready or Not follows a woman marrying into a wealthy family, and is forced to follow a bizarre ritual: she must play hide and seek with them to be an official member of their bloodline. Chaos ensues.

5. The Witch

Robert Eggers’ Puritan slow-burn follows a religious family in hard times that is confronted by the possibility of the Devil among them. The Witch stars Anya Taylor-Joy in her screen debut, and some of the most authentic language and set design of early colonial America. Never has a farm animal been more ominous.

6. Train to Busan

The best Korean films deliver a captivating story while exploring the class warfare that is pervasive throughout the nation; Train to Busan is no exception. Brilliantly staged action in a creative location leads to an incredibly entertaining zombie flick that will also affect you emotionally.

7. Hereditary

Ari Aster’s feature-length directorial debut turns a simple clicking noise into a soundbite that will never leave your brain. His exploration of a family grieving after the death of a grandmother includes a performance from Toni Collette that can only be described as mesmerizing. A bonkers final few minutes is the cherry on top!

8. The Exorcist

This film is one of the highest-grossing horror films of all time for a reason. A mostly wordless opening in Iraq sets a terrifying tone that never lets up. Incredible performances led by a young Linda Blair and great practical effects combine for a spine-chilling commentary on familial corruption and guilt.

9. The Shining

This adaptation of Stephen King’s horror novel is just as scary onscreen as it was offscreen. Putting aside the behind-the-scenes drama, Kubrick created a masterpiece that remains one of the greatest horror films of all time. Jack Nicholson’s turn as an author suffering from writer’s block is incredible.

10. 28 Days Later

Never have zombies been more terrifying…they can RUN NOW! Danny Boyle’s low-budget thriller written by Alex Garland sees Cillian Murphy waking up in an empty London. Seeing a barren Westminster Bridge sends a shiver down one’s spine. The crazy editing and camerawork match the unrelenting rage of the infected, and a creative third act presents an even more formidable villain, than the undead that roam England.