What to Watch to Get In the Spooky Mood
Looking for something great to watch to help you get into the mood for spooky season? We’ve got something for everyone!
Like something creepy but humorous that doesn’t take itself too seriously? Check out the hilarious Hell Baby. Want something more old school? Try Scary Movie instead. Both have great pop culture references and a stellar cast.
Is found footage your thing? Dig into the dark As Above, So Below in the catacombs of Paris. Prefer something less supernatural? The bizarro-stalker-centric Creep is for you.
Or if you choose something supernatural every time, you need to see the dark and unexpected Antlers, produced by Guillermo Del Toro. Need more psychological dread with more separate but interwoven stories? Watch The Blackcoat’s Daughter.
Are zombies your thing? Both the original and remake of George A. Romero’s Dawn of the Dead are sure to satisfy. But if you want something a little more comical, check out Little Monsters.
Do you look forward to all the haunted houses each year? Check out the teen-scream under-the-radar hit Haunt and found-footage style The Houses October Built. For something slightly more unique, The Funhouse Massacre is where it’s at.
Do you get a kick out of slashers? The newest installment of Scream stays true to the original characters and meta-narrative of its franchise while also bringing some fresh faces and stories, but if you like the oldies, re-visit the reliable Friday the 13th.
Do you like home invasion films? Terror will be knocking on your door with The Strangers. If you also want a truly shocking twist ending that’s a little hard to stomach? Don’t Breathe will do it.
Are you more of a creatures and monsters type? The claustrophobic, trapped-on-a-train Howl is good choice. For even more unexpected chaos and multiple monsters, see Cabin in the Woods.
Are tried-and-true classics your preference? Watch Hitchcock’s The Birds or the original House on Haunted Hill with the always creepy Vincent Price.
Do you imagine what the world will be like when the grid fails and everything goes dark? You need to see what two sisters will do to survive in the thriller-drama Into the Forest. If you want a monster plus a family fighting to survive, A Quiet Place is what you’re looking for.
Are foreign films your fave? Give the South Korean found-footage and GoPro-based Gonjiam: Haunted Asylum a go. For a creepier slow burn, check out the original Austrian/German Goodnight Mommy. (You can skip the 2022 remake).
Do you enjoy pure psychological perplexity? The hallucinogenic Gerald’s Game is packed with it. Need something more grounded but just as unstable? Check out Gothika.
If you need something family-friendly, check out Goosebumps (based on the popular 90’s book series by R.L. Stine), Muppets Haunted Mansion, or the Nickelodeon classic Are You Afraid of the Dark (which is free on YouTube!)
Lastly, if you prefer to see how stories stretch and build over time, check out one (or all!) of these series: the classic sarcastic Chucky is revving up for season 2 of his new SyFy show, the biting and satirical Scream Queens from Ryan Murphy (creator of Glee and American Horror Story), or the creepy and hysterical mockumentary comedy What We Do in the Shadows (which is based off a film, so it’s a double-dose of spooky fun!)
Emily Cunningham is a freelance magazine writer with a passion for wildlife conservation, civil and societal issues, and artistic pursuits including dance, creative writing, film studies, and handmade art.
