5 Horror Movies You Should Watch This Halloween

Halloween is quickly approaching and if you’re a horror fanatic like myself you have been spending your free time binge-watching all of your favorite spooky flicks. One thing I’ve noticed while scouring the many movie streaming services is the lack of horror films that are based around the holiday. Maybe I just suck at finding them. Regardless, my struggles to find good Halloween themed scares lead me to write this last-minute article and creating a list of five movies I think horror fans both old and new should be checking out before the month is over.

Terrifier

The first movie I would like to recommend is Terrifier. Not only is it creepy, but it may also be the most entertaining and fun watch on this list. The movie follows Art the Clown as he spends his Halloween going on a murderous adventure. It’s easy to write this movie off as just another scary clown movie with another wanna be Pennywise seeing as clowns have been a horror trope for decades but Art the Clown manages to add something new and incredibly chilling to the cliche concept. You will either love this movie for how effectively it is presented or hate this movie for the lack of budget. Some may think of Terrifier as the typical crappy B-Movie but it’s become one of my favorite horror films of all time over the years. Plus if you need more Art the Clown u can watch him in the movie All Hallows’ Eve, both of which are currently streaming for free on Tubi.

Haunt

My next movie is a little gem that I actually stumbled upon by accident. While far from the best movie you’ll ever watch, it has a certain charm and intelligence to it that most modern horror movies lack. I guess that’s part of my way of saying, you don’t hate the characters in this movie. You can relate to them and believe most of the decisions they make whereas other movies use horrible decisions as nothing more than a means to move the story along. The plot itself isn’t anything groundbreaking. Just your usual haunted house attraction gone wrong, nothing new but the way it was delivered had me hooked to my screen. The moments of gore were also shot spectacularly with practical effects, possibly thanks to horror legend Eli Roth who is a producer on the film. Haunt is currently available for stream on Shudder under their Halloween selections.

Sinister

Most horror fans are familiar with the next movie. It’s been a while since I’ve watched Sinister and I don’t recall many blatant Halloween themes but I had to include it on the list simply for the scare factor. According to “science”, Sinister is literally the scariest movie ever. While I strongly disagree with that statement, Broadband Choices conducted an intensive study on 50 people of all ages who watched several horror movies and their results concluded that Sinister was the scariest of them all. Extremely creepy with shocking imagery, I don’t recommend this movie to anyone who may be sensitive to the disturbing topics the horror genre approaches, such as violence against children. If you do happen to watch this movie this holiday season make sure the kids are tucked far away! You can watch Sinister now on Netflix while it’s available.

The Houses October Built

Call me crazy but I think The Houses October Built might be one of the best horror films ever made. I’m actually going to watch it again after I write this. Intelligent, engaging & just plain scary, this found-footage style horror flick follows a group of friends as they search for the most extreme haunt. Saying anymore then that may spoil the movie. If you’re a moviegoer who’s thrown off by the shaky camera movements in found-footage style movies try to bare through this underrated gem because it is one of the best. Perfect for the holidays with a level of suspense and terror that most horror lacks nowadays, without using buckets of blood and unnecessary gore. You will be glued to the edge of your seat and praying for the survival of every character throughout this eerie journey. You’ll also think twice before you go to a haunted house with your friends this season. Be sure to check out The Houses October Built for free on Tubi as well as the sequel if you’re so brave.

Halloween

This should go without saying. It’s obvious you should be watching Halloween on Halloween. It’s a classic slasher and arguably the best. No matter how many times you’ve seen it, it never seems to get old and Michael Myers will always find a way to get under your skin without uttering a single line of dialogue. Not to mention there are already 12 films in the franchise with two more slated for release in 2021 and 2022. If you’re tired of seeing one of the movies in the franchise watch another one. Need a laugh? Watch the one with Busta Rhymes because... it’s Busta Rhymes in a Halloween movie. Not to mention, Michael is one of the most iconic movie villains ever. Even Rob Zombie’s divisive take on the series leaves horror fans both ecstatic and petrified to see Michael do what he does best. Real horror fans have at least seen some of the Halloween movies but if you’re new to horror or unfamiliar with John Carpenter’s masterpiece be sure to watch Halloween this season. There’s even Halloween III: Season of the Witch that has absolutely nothing to do with Michael Myers. Just watch them all. You probably won’t be able to find all of these movies on one streaming service but I recommend searching for them and watching them by any means necessary.

Those are my five horror recommendations this holiday season. I hope I was able to help make your Halloween movie viewing more enjoyable in quarantine this season. If you like this list then I’ve done my job. If you don’t like this list that probably just means I have a cooler taste in movies than you. Either way, you made it to the end and I’m extremely grateful that you spent your time reading my article. Happy Halloween.