Halloween originated from the Pagan holiday Samhain. It was celebrated at the end of summer when the harvest was near. Bonfires would be lit and people would wear costumes as a way to ward off ghosts.
Since then, Halloween has changed, but it is still the holiday for spooky things, such as horror and Halloween movies.
Here’s a list of the top 10 movies for Halloween according to an online survey filled out by 225 students at Parkway North:
- Beetlejuice, Bird Box, and Smile (32 votes each)
“Beetlejuice”, released in 1988, is rated PG. It is about a couple who die and, as ghosts, are unable to leave the house. A couple and their daughter move in and the dead couple attempts to scare them away with the the help from a poltergeist named Beetlejuice. It it not for young kids, despite it’s rating, because it has adult humor and situations and is bloody. “Beetlejuice” is rated 7.5/10 on IMDb and 86% on Rotten Tomatoes
“Birdbox”, released in 2018, is rated R. It is about odd creatures that can alter the human brain, making the person killed themselves, if the person looks at it. One mother and her two children go on a journey to find a safe place but must do it blindfolded as to avoid the creature’s power. “Birdbox” has a 6.6 on IMDb and a 64% on Rotten Tomatoes
“Smile”, released in 2022, is rated R. It is about a psychiatrist who experiences strange, unexplainable experiences. She is convinced it is some sort of curse that she needs to break. It is violent, dark, and fast-paced. “Smile” has a 6.5 on IMDb and 80% on Rotten Tomatoes.
“There was this time where I was hanging out with my friends and we watched ‘Smile’. It was funny because I kept on getting freaked out due to my friend smiling creepily at me throughout the movie,” said freshman Miles Hines.
- American Psycho (33 votes)
“American Psycho” is a 2000 rated R movie directed by Mary Harron. It’s based on the 1991 novel by Bret Easton Elis. In the movie, Patrick Bateman is a serial killer who keeps his violent side separate from his wealthy life and fiance. “American Psycho” is considered a psychological horror and/or a thriller and is very violent. “American Psycho” gets a 68% on Rotten Tomatoes and a 7.6 on IMDb.
“‘American Psycho’ is kind of about this guy who has like- duel personalities and he’s just a psycho, he’s crazy,” said senior Megan Williams. “He goes on a killing rampage, and it’s just about his mental breakdown and realization at the end that ‘oh no this isn’t normal.”
- A Quiet Place (37 votes)
“A Quiet Place”, rated PG-13, came out in 2018 and is a post-apocalyptic horror movie directed by John Kraskinski. It is about blind creatures who have taken over earth, and while they can’t see, they can hear extremely well. The movie revolves around a family who is still alive, but struggling. Throughout the film, the characters have to protect each other, fighting and distracting the creatures to make sure others stay alive. There is a sequel that in 2021 and a third movie set to come out in 2024 or 25. “A Quiet Place” gets a 96% on Rotten Tomatoes and a 7.5/10 on IMDb.
- The Addams Family (40 vote)
“The Addams Family”, rated PG-13, is a 1991 film directed by Barry Sonnefeld, and is based off of the 1964 TV series. From there, the series has gotten multiple movies and another TV series called “Wednesday.”
In the movie, Gomez (the father in the family) has a missing brother. His lawyer owes money to a con artist named Abigail Craven who realized that her adopted son, Gordon, looks exactly like Fester. Tully (the lawyer) and Abigail have Gordon pretend to be Fester and find the Addams family’s vault. It is a horror/comedy. “The Adam’s Family” gets a 67% on Rotten Tomatoes, along with a 6.9 on IMDb.
“Growing up I always heard people singing the theme song, and I was really confused,” said freshman Miles Hines. “I finally watched it when I was 12, and it made so much more sense.”
- Halloween (43 votes)
This rated-R slasher movie made in 1978 was directed by John Carpenter. After the original release, “Halloween” ended up with 12 more movies, the most recent one being from 2022. Along with this, Jamie Lee Curtis stars in Halloween (many people consider her a scream queen).
“Halloween”‘s killer is Michael Myers, a boy who kills his sister, and throughout the movie, many more. Samuel Loomis is Michael Myers’ psychiatrist and is trying to find Michael after he escapes, while Laurie Strode is a teenage babysitter who Michael stalks. The movie is rather bloody. “Halloween” gets a 7.7/10 on IMDb and 96% on Rotten Tomatoes.
- IT (49 votes)
The movie “IT”, rated R, is based on the novel by Stephen King and came out in 2017t. They made a sequel for this movie called “IT Chapter 2” in 2019, which finishes the second part of the novel.
In “IT”, seven kids from Derry, Maine need to work together when kids start dying to defeat Pennywise, a supernatural clown who they call IT. There’s Bill, whose brother was taken by IT, Richie, Eddie, Stan, Mike, Bev, and Ben. The movie contains disturbing violence. They must help each other and overcome their fears to survive and defeat IT. “IT” has a 7.3 on IMDb and a 86% on Rotten Tomatoes.
- The Nightmare Before Christmas (51 votes)
Both for Halloween and Christmas, “The Nightmare Before Christmas”, released in 1993, is a family friendly stop motion movie directed by Henry Selick even though it is rated PG for dark humor and scary images.
The film is about Jack Skellington, the Pumpkin King, who is tired of Halloween being the same every year. He finds trees with doors that lead to other holidays and wants to try out celebrating Christmas for a change. “The Nightmare Before Christmas” gets a 95% on Rotten Tomatoes and a 7.9 on IMDb.
“I’ve always liked the art. The art style is very interesting and unique,” said senior Arianna Haynes.
- The Conjuring (54 votes)
“The Conjuring”, rated R, is a 2013 supernatural horror movie directed by James Wan and is based on a true story.
In “The Conjuring”, the Perrons move into a farmhouse and strange, supernatural things start happening. They contact the Warrens, who are demonologists, to help them figure out what’s happening. There is non-graphic violence and scares in the movie. “The Conjuring” received a 7.5/10 on IMDb and a 86% on Rotten Tomatoes. Along with this.
- Coraline (60 votes)
This is another great movie if people are looking for something less gory and more kid friendly even though it is PG due to scary images and topics. It’s based off of Neil Gaiman’s novella Coraline and is directed by Henry Selick, just like “The Nightmare Before Christmas”. The movie came out in 2009 and was done in stop motion.
Coraline and her family had just moved into an apartment building called the Pink Palace. She finds a door to an alternate world where her “Other Mother” and family live, and while the place looks happy and wonderful, something darker is going on. For many, Coraline can be considered nostalgic, and as it isn’t directed only towards children, it is popular with teens and adults too. “Coraline” has a 90% on Rotten Tomatoes and a 7.7 on IMDb.
“Growing up, ‘Coraline’ was my favorite movie,” said senior Megan Williams. “I watch ‘Coraline’ every August. They come out and release it for a day in theatres, and so I go and I watch that all the time.”
- Scream (72 votes)
“Scream”, directed by Wes Craven, is a rated-R slasher film. Since the original in 1996, “Scream” has gotten five more movies, a tv series, merchandise, and even games. It was announced on Aug. 3r, 2023 that a seventh movie is in the making.
The slasher film is about a high school girl named Sidney Prescott who lives in Woodsboro, California. It had been nearly a year since her mother died when two of her classmates are murdered by a masked person called Ghostface. This sets off a series of more killings and an investigation into who is doing the murders. “Scream” gets a 7.4/10 on IMDb and a 81% on Rotten Tomatoes.
