With Halloween just around the corner, many are looking for ways to celebrate the spooky season. While not everyone is a fan of the scary aspect of the holiday, there is a Halloween-inspired film for people of all fear tolerances.
From “It’s The Great Pumpkin, Charlie Brown” to “Evil Dead Rise,” here are some spooky films for all audiences, sorted from tame to terrifying.
‘It’s the Great Pumpkin, Charlie Brown’ (1966) - Scare scale: 1/10
A movie doesn’t have to be scary to be a great watch for Halloween. For those who don’t do well with horror, “It’s the Great Pumpkin, Charlie Brown” is the perfect feel-good family film to celebrate the fall season. The movie follows Charlie Brown and his friends on their journey to find the Great Pumpkin and get lots of Halloween candy — not rocks.
‘Halloweentown’ (1998) - Scare scale: 2/10
The Disney Channel Original Movie “Halloweentown” amps up the spooky vibes a bit, but it still remains family-friendly and fun. When Marnie Piper (Kimberly J. Brown) discovers she’s a witch, she has to help save Halloweentown, a place filled with magical and supernatural beings, from evil forces.
‘Hocus Pocus’ (1993) - Scare scale: 3/10
The Sanderson Sisters like to stir up trouble, and they do just that in “Hocus Pocus.” From director Kenny Ortega, the film stars Bette Midler, Sarah Jessica Parker and Kathy Najimy as witches on a journey, causing chaos throughout Salem after being brought back to life by a local teenager. Filled with many musical hits, this film is fun, chaotic and perfect for the entire family.
‘The Addams Family’ (1991) - Scare scale: 4/10
A popular classic, “The Addams Family” is about an unusual family, known for being creepy, kooky, mysterious and most of all, spooky. Starring Anjelica Huston, Christina Ricci, Raul Julia and Christopher Lloyd, the comedy follows the Addams as their Uncle Fester seemingly comes back home and disturbs the lives of the family. Though it definitely has some creepy vibes, the film isn’t really scary, so it’s a good watch for almost all ages.
‘Scream’ (1996) - Scare scale: 6/10
Released in 1996, Wes Craven’s “Scream” is a wonderful introduction to horror films.
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Taking place in the town of Woodsboro, the movie occurs during a spree of murders conducted by a mysterious killer, referred to as Ghostface. These murders take place on the anniversary of the death of Sidney Prescott’s (Neve Campbell) mother, leading to her being caught in the middle of everything. In a town filled with fear, Prescott and her friends have to try and survive these killings and put an end to Ghostface. Like many horror classics, the original has inspired a number of follow-ups of varying quality to watch if you enjoy the first one.
‘Halloween’ (1978) - Scare scale: 7/10
A horror classic, “Halloween” follows teenage babysitter Laurie Strode (Jamie Lee Curtis) as she’s being stalked by the murderous Michael Myers. This thrilling film from John Carpenter focuses on Strode as she tries to survive, while also protecting the children she is babysitting from “the boogeyman.” A perfect introduction to the horror genre, “Halloween” is definitely geared more toward an audience that can handle a bit of scariness.
‘It’ (2017) - Scare scale: 8/10
A terrifying movie about Pennywise the dancing clown (Bill Skarsgard) terrorizing the small town of Derry in 1989, “It” is a great scary movie for the Halloween season. The film is based on the book of the same name by author Stephen King.
When Bill Denbrough (Jaeden Martell) loses his little brother at the hands of the evil clown, a group of kids known as the “losers club” joins together in an attempt to take down Pennywise once and for all. This film is definitely pretty scary, so it’s best for those with high fear tolerances.
‘Evil Dead Rise’ (2023) - Scare scale: 9/10
The scariest film on the list, “Evil Dead Rise” is the new, terrifying installment to the “Evil Dead” franchise. It’s a complete standalone from the other films in the series, so while you may miss some cool details without seeing the other films, it can be seen without any prior knowledge.
Starring Lily Sullivan and Alyssa Sutherland, the film follows two sisters reuniting, only to be possessed and terrorized by the deadites brought back by the book of the dead. This gory, horrifying movie is sure to frighten viewers, and it is the perfect October watch for anyone looking for a good scare.
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