Top 5 Halloween Movies

Halloween is just around the corner and with it comes more of a desire to be scared. It is often associated with elaborate costumes, drinking alcohol, making bad decisions and haunted houses. All things that Hollywood has certainly capitalized on. Not only is Halloween about being scared, but also about having fun with friends and having a good laugh. Thus, with that all being said, the idea of writing a top five Halloween films spawned and thanks to those over at the Vocal Social Society for really giving me the idea. The films below are measured on their merit in terms of scares as well as their fun factor as most Halloween movies are shared with those we care most about.

5. The Invitation

This is a film that largely fell under the radar upon release, which helped cement it as a favorite as so little was actually known about it. I remember I first saw it randomly appear on Netflix, watched and was equally blown away and freaked out. Directed by Karyn Kusama (Jennifer's Body) and starred a cast filled with actors that are not widely known. The plot, while the less known the better it is for viewers, involves a dinner party among friends that haven't seen one another in a long time ever since Will (Logan Marshall-Green) and Eden's (Tammy Blanchard) divorce and loss of their child. Eden disappeared after such tragic events, only to reappear with a new husband and dinner invitations. The film taps into a nightmare vein of real-life dread and loss that is incredibly profound and works so well due to how much of a slow burn the film is. The main character, Will, is more or less the lens for the audience as he skulks around hallways trying to find out what kind of game his ex-wife is playing. What unfolds is both equal parts terrifying and heart wrenching.

4. Scream

Scream is a special film that not only has some frights, but is completely aware of itself as it pokes fun of the usual horror tropes present in film. Before the satirical horror films like Scary Movie came out, director Wes Craven was crafting some of the best horror satires around with this series. While the film and many sequels that spawned after had plenty of sly and fair jabs at the horror genre, that didn't keep Craven from conjuring up some of the more brutal murders on screen. This film also gave birth to the still popular Halloween costume known as, "The Ghost Face Killer". It also manages to capture the fun of what Halloween can be as it showcases the Halloween shenanigans that teenagers frequently get up to on the holiday. Beyond the fun of the film, it features an intriguing story that'll keep you on your feet and worried of the well-being of the main characters. It's directed by Craven, of Nightmare on Elm Street fame, and stars Neve Campbell, Skeet Ulrich and Courtney Cox.

3. Halloween

The two go hand in hand. The timeless original that starred Jaime Lee Curtis and the endlessly iconic and creepy score that was featured have been mainstays in any Halloween watch party. The atmosphere created throughout this American slasher film by John Carpenter is one that has still held up even forty years later. It spawned the legendary boogeyman, Michael Myers, an unstoppable phantom who returns to his hometown on Halloween night to kill it's unfortunate inhabitants. Carpenter does a masterful job of employing tools that had long since become synonymous with slashers such as the killer's POV perspective who lurks silently in the shadows with inhuman patience as he waits for the right opportunity to strike down his prey. It is a bit campy, as most horror films have the tendency of divulging into with overly absurd characterizations but morphs suddenly into a claustrophobic tense horror. This film also helped catapult Jamie Lee Curtis into a legend of sorts with her turn as Laurie Strode, the never ending focus of Michael Myers undeniable rage.

2. The Conjuring

The strength of The Conjuring largely rests on the very capable shoulders of it's director, James Wan. His abilities behind the camera and his ability to make a modern horror feel like a throwback from the 1970-80s era help make The Conjuring stand on tall. Wan also delivered many other stand out horror films such as Insidious and Saw but The Conjuring stands out as his scariest feature film.Personal experience is definitely taking into consideration here as seeing this film on opening night in theaters was an experience in itself. The penultimate scene in the basement where the paranormal hunter Ed and Lorraine Warren face off with a demonic being was something that stuck with me for sometime as Wan employed some tricks to really bring the scares to his audience. The film, and series for that matter, also benefited greatly from the talents of Vera Farmiga and Patrick Wilson in the roles of Warrens.

1. Paranormal Activity

This will certainly probably draw some groans or an eye-roll here and there, but for me personally, nothing will ever top the dread I felt leaving the movie theater when I saw this film. At the time horror films were in a rut and in came Oren Peli and Paranormal Activity using the found footage trope. Largely, found footage films can be rather stale and uninteresting but Paranormal Activity worked so well in how it didn't show the audience everything that was happening allowing their imagination to fill in the gaps in such a way that hasn't been replicated since. This film shook me to my core after the first initial viewing on opening night and still even talking about certain scenes from it give me the chills. The plot follows a couple living in California who begin to feel as if there is an entity among them inside their house and the boyfriend decides to record the entire house in an attempt to both document what happens but also to help quell some of his girlfriend's worries that something more sinister is going on.