We're down to the final stretch as Halloween is almost upon us. In the classical celebration traditions of this spooky festivity, people dress in costumes, tell tales of witches and ghosts, carve pumpkins to prepare glowering jack-o'-lanterns and children parade from house to house, hoping to fill their bags with candy after calling out "Trick or treat!"
With the curbing of the COVID-19 pandemic, garish parties where guests don their best fancy, spooky costumes and paint their faces will be back in many places. But some are not really into these kinds of celebrations and going out is not their Halloween vibe. No judgment! Scary movies are one of the best things to make a Halloween at home memorable. Therefore, we've rounded up 10 scary movies for a truly frightening night.
"The Babadook": Like so many great horror films, Australian director Jennifer Kent's masterfully creepy debut calls to mind Henry James' "The Turn of the Screw" (and the excellent 1961 horror film made from it, "The Innocents"). The psychological horror film, which premiered at the Sundance Film Festival in 2014, brings a dark house, a haunted child and a young woman who may or may not be succumbing to madness. After watching the single mother's discovery of a sinister presence while battling with her son's fear of a monster, you will call someone to turn the lights on.
"The Conjuring": It's just a haunted-house movie – but oh, what a house. James Wan, known for the "Saw" franchise, here shows he can craft an impeccable old-school "Amityville Horror" in which a family moves into a remote farmhouse and terrible things promptly happen. When paranormal investigators and demonologists Lorraine and Ed Warren discover the macabre history, events of the supernatural presence escalate.
"Crimson Peak": If you like your thrillers with a touch of Gothic, feast your eyes on this red-underlined dream from Guillermo del Toro, where the ghosts seem to be made of equal parts smoke and black lace. Set in a crumbling mansion more than a century ago, "Crimson Peak" is a movie both delicate and wildly over-the-top – as if a classic Gothic horror film exploded, leaving blood on the floor.
"Get Out": You probably saw Jordan Peele's wickedly smart debut when it came out a few years ago, but "Get Out" is the sort of movie that rewards re-watching – the better to ponder its layers. This story of a young black man visiting his white girlfriend's very strange family will scare you, make you laugh and, in its examination of race, make you uncomfortable – but you won't want to get out, not until the final frame.
"The Invitation": Karyn Kusama's film is a haunted-house movie where the house is a smart modern pile in the Hollywood Hills and the ghosts aren't exactly bump-in-the-night sorts. Watch as a dinner party goes horribly wrong, and as Kusama ratchets up the tension so expertly that suddenly everything seems like an evil omen. You might wish you could leave before dessert.
"The Orphanage": This gorgeously creeped-out thriller from Spanish director Juan Antonio Bayona is another haunted-house tale, but this time the house is a former orphanage, and the child at its center is a frail little boy with imaginary friends. It's a movie that understands the terror behind the idea of a child who never grows up – and, in Belen Rueda's remarkable performance, the enormity of a mother's grief.
"Shaun of the Dead": This rom-zom-com never fails to hit its mark – a wonderfully deadpan blend of dark comedy and zombie horror. Shaun (Simon Pegg) is a regular London bloke, and what makes Edgar Wright's film work so well is how it treats a zombie invasion as just one more thing Shaun needs to deal with in a life full of obstacles. Watch for a scene-stealing performance by Penelope Wilton (better known now as Cousin Isobel on "Downton Abbey") as Shaun's sandwich-making mum.
"Them": No one paid much attention when it came out, possibly because of the very generic title. But this short, snappy thriller from French filmmakers David Moreau and Xavier Palud, in which a couple moves to a remote country house where it soon becomes clear that someone – or something – is stalking them will scare the living daylights out of you. How do you say "brrrrr" in French?
"Under the Skin": Horror or science fiction? Jonathan Grazer's film expertly straddles both genres, leaving its viewer both intrigued and chilled. Scarlett Johansson plays a bloodthirsty alien who looks like, well, Scarlett Johansson, luring unsuspecting men to violent ends. It's an eerie, disorienting film, complete with screechy violins on the soundtrack and an overwhelming sense of utter darkness.
"What We Do in the Shadows": Let's wind this list up with some laughs, shall we? Taika Waititi and Jemaine Clement directed and star in this mockumentary that's basically a reality show in which vampires complain about their flatmates – an inspired idea that's now an FX series. "Just leave me alone to do my dark bidding on the internet!" Clement's character pouts.
