My Totally Legit Super Cool List of the BEST Halloween Movies.

Grab your pumpkin spice latte, light a nice fireside candle, and put on your favorite cozy sweater because it is officially Spooky Season, people! And in celebration of the second best holiday season (sorry, but Christmas is everything to me), I have decided to make a super cool film guide to the best Halloween movies, and WHY they’re the best (Totally objective. Also in no specific order. Also not limited to any one genre of film.)

Let’s begin, witches!

1. The Nightmare Before Christmas (1993, dir. by Henry Selick, produced and conceived by Tim Burton. No he did not direct this. Don’t worry, I thought so too.)

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This one is sort of obvious. A visual masterpiece regarded also as Tim Burton’s The Nightmare Before Christmas, this film has it all. A killer soundtrack with a variety of addictive numbers, stunning and layered characters, and an overall insanely out-there unique premise. It’s beautiful to watch, and is guaranteed to get you in the mood for Halloween. It was nominated for Academy Award for Best Visual Effects for a REASON! Additionally, while I do appreciate the lighthearted controversy, the debate over whether this is a Halloween film or Christmas film is NOT up for further discussion. I understand it takes place after Halloween itself, but COME ON! It’s all about Jack Skellington, KING OF THE PUMPKIN PATCH, ~~finding himself~~ after feeling so blue. He thinks Christmas is the answer, but realizes ultimately that Halloween is his true home. Santa is NOT the protagonist of the film, people! If anything, this could better classified as a gothic-chic rom com. (Can’t forget our queen Sally!)

2. Disney Channel Original Movies: Halloweentown (1998, TV movie dir. by Duwayne Dunham) and Twitches (2005, TV movie dir. by Stuart Gillard.)

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You knew this one was (also) coming. To quote the wise words of thirteen-year-old bad witch Marnie Piper, “Halloween, is cool.” Watching this movie now, I can see it is very obviously cringe in its dialogue and acting. BUT! Its plot is captivating and fulfills all of our deepest desires when we were teens, answering the question: what would it be like to find out you were really a magical witch all your life? (And you’re absolutely LYING if you didn’t even wonder what it would be like; dreaming of the day your secret witch grandma came with stories of a magical, faraway land with creatures and supernatural beings.) It remains a classic for its nostalgia because it reminds us of a simpler Halloween. One where we would come home from school, throw our backpack to the floor not to be picked up again until the next morning, and swing onto the couch, effortlessly turning the TV on to Disney Channel. And there she is: The Disney Channel Original Movie. I mean, do they even make those anymore? Anyways, this actually brings me into my next one…

Twitches also tapped into our inner childhood dreams like Halloweentown but kicks it up a notch. What if you were a witch, but also had a LONG LOST TWIN WITCH SISTER, and also A PROPHECISED DESTINY TO FULFILL?! I mean, it’s brilliant. This film is slightly less cringe than the Halloween TV movies preceding it, and deals with real world issues like being brought up without biological parents. It’s just a classic, and there’s no arguing against it. We all wanted what these witches had, and the best way to get it was to live vicariously through them.

3. Coraline (2009, dir. by Henry Selick, based on the Neil Gaiman novel of the same name.)

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Following along the trope of girls who are ~~different~~, Coraline may not exactly have been marketed as a Halloween film when it was released, but I haven’t seen or heard anyone argue against the idea. Though a children’s movie, it is dark in theme, both bone-chilling and spine-shivering. We follow the young girl, moving into a new house, as she discovers an idealistic world that parallels her actual home. This ‘Other World’ may seem more welcoming and colorful than the mundane real world, but it turns out to be the polar opposite. It’s a dark metaphor, depending on if you want to look at it that way, for pain, courage, appreciation, trauma, and so much more. The film’s cinematic intentions for the parallel worlds are striking, and the characters are complex and dimensional. Plus, we love a good talking cat.

4. Literally anything (almost) ever directed by Tim Burton.

While I was thinking of movies to highlight, I started getting anxious about all the Tim Burton directorial classics that I literally could never omit. And then I thought, why not just put them all together, and spotlight a few?

The Best: Beetlejuice, Corpse Bride, Frankenweenie.

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The first two are timeless classics that really don’t need to be explained. Beetlejuice is a horror-comedy truly like no other, both spooky but not spooky enough to actually scare you. Maybe just mildly gross you out, if anything. Corpse Bride is just as visually breathtaking with a beautiful score like the one from Nightmare Before Christmas. As for Frankenweenie, this is just a personal favorite. It combines my favorite gothic creature, Frankenstein’s monster, with stunning stop-motion animation, all while being shot in black and white. Additionally, I find the storyline absolutely heartwarming and easily appreciated by all audiences. I mean, it’s about the bond between a boy and his beloved dog, for crying out loud. It also has all of our favorite Burton voices, like Winona Ryder, Martin Short, Catherine O’Hara, and Martin Landau.

Honorable Mentions: Edward Scissorhands, Sweeney Todd.

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I’m not one for slasher films, but Sweeney Todd is insane. Adapted from Stephen Sondheim and Hugh Wheeler’s Tony award-winning musical, the movie follows British barber Sweeny Todd who doubles as a serial killer, and the tumultuous life he leads. Edward Scissorhands, like many of Burton’s films, features original music from composer Danny Elfman. It tells of a sad boy who just wants some love, in all honesty. I appreciate these two for their outrageousness in concept, iconic characters, and brilliant dialogue.

I’m Sorry But It Was Just Not Good: Alice in Wonderland, Dark Shadows, Dumbo.

Actually, I’m not even sorry. Moving on.

5. Halloween (1978, dir. by John Carpenter. Aka the god of all slasher films.)

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Young Jamie Lee Curtis is stalked by Michael Myers, an escaped convict who brutally murdered his older sister when he was six years old. Nothing much really happens in this movie, but the cultural precedent it set forth is unmatched. The distinguishable music could honestly be trademarked, as well as Myers’ signature white mask and knife. This movie will make you jump, but it won’t leave you feeling hollow, since that’s not really the point (I think?) of slasher films.

If excessive blood and gore along with terror that doesn’t last longer than the film itself is your thing, then you should also watch the Nightmare on Elm Street and Scream franchises, as well as Child’s Play and Psycho.

6. M. Night Shyamalan’s horror resume.

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The Sixth Sense, The Village, Devil, Split. All amazing. All terrifying. All made me want to die. The most chilling, I’d argue, is The Village. This film is truly horrifying; it is tense, quiet, eerie, and left me feeling empty. As do most of his movies do, though. Many of the films he serves as writer/director for feature some sort of shocking twist ending, making any of them a guaranteed solid choice for horror movie night.

7. Stephen King adaptations. More specifically, It (2017, dir. by Andrés Muschietti.)

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I. am. obsessed. with. this. movie. It checks everything off the essential Halloween movie master list, despite not actually being set in the fall. Misfit kids, a killer clown, high school bullies, personal demons. What’s not to love? Calling themselves the Losers Club, the group of kids form a unique bond in order to fight the menacing Pennywise that haunts them. Each Loser brings with them a different backstory, a different personal fear. This makes for an interesting way for Pennywise to subsequently terrorize them. There's jump scares, periods of eerie silence, and a LOT of frightening CGI. But sprinkled in is hilariously adorable middle-school banter, making the group lovable and long-lasting.

Other favorite King adaptations: The Shining (obviously), the new Pet Sematary, the first Carrie (sorry Chloe Grace Moretz fans), and The Mist.

Last but not least: classic films I didn't mention but will now because I don't want to get #canceled: Hocus Pocus (1993), The Addams Family (1991), and of course, Monster House (2006). The latter is a visual marvel that was one of the first truly scary movies I saw as a kid. Life forever changed, forever scarred.

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