Halloween Movies to Watch for Spooky Season

By Ilwad Salex

AHHH! The month of October is finally here! This is the season of autumn arriving, the color orange and red making comebacks, Christian girls taking their autumn photos and my personal favorite: scary movies! In honor of Halloween, here are my top four movies to watch (and avoid) this month.

1.

Title: “Us” (2019)

Genre: Psychological horror/thriller

Rating: 10/10

My thoughts: The movie “Us,” directed by Jordan Peel, is a great movie to watch if you don’t want to be too scared and sort of relaxed while watching a scary movie. When I first watched this movie, I was expecting something a little darker and eviler and satanist, but this was surprisingly a good medium when it comes to horror in the Halloween movie world. While I don’t want to give too much of the plot away, I will say that the movie surrounds a family who encounter strangers who look a little too much like them. Havoc erupts, and we learn more about a world of people who are a little bit too similar to us. The acting is great, and the twists and turns aren’t something you expect as a watcher. However, if you’re looking for something insidious, this isn't the movie for you.

Still photo from the movie “Get Out” (2017). Image courtesy of Birmingham Times and Universal Pictures

2.

Title: “Get Out” (2017)

Genre: Psychological horror

Rating: 10/10

My thoughts: This is another film directed by Jordan Peele. When I saw the hype around this movie when it first came out, I wasn’t sure what to expect, but this is my favorite movie to watch every Halloween season because of how crazy this was for some people but not too far from reality to others. It was my first time watching a film and understanding the underlying message of it. I would totally recommend watching this if you’re looking for something not too dark but still thought-provoking.

Poster from the movie “Old” (2021). Image courtesy of Universal Pictures

3.

Title: “Old” (2021)

Genre: Psychological thriller

Rating: 8/10

My thoughts: I watched “Old” on my first flight out-of-state, so this movie holds a special place in my heart. However, that does not excuse the fact that the movie is not the best. While the premise, a beach that drastically ages its visitors, is very interesting, the plot line is just not as strong as it could be. A lot of questions are asked throughout the movie that don’t get answered. This is the type of okay-but-bad movie you want to watch with a friend on a Thursday afternoon. Don’t expect too much excitement.

“Unfriended” (2014) movie poster. Image courtesy of Universal Pictures

4.

Title: “Unfriended” (2014)

Genre: Thriller/horror

Rating: 7/10

My thoughts: To me this movie sucked. I thought that the idea of the movie was cool when I first saw the trailer; however, when I watched the movie itself, I really could not get past the acting. It also just didn’t have that scare factor that leaves you afraid to sleep at night. It was kind of a boring watch, and there was no wow factor that made this movie stand out. Would I recommend watching this? Ehhh no. There are better executed movies to watch. I would give this one a hard pass.