Diego Danato // Unsplash
A carved pumpkin sitting in a field.
As we venture further into October, spooky season is in full swing, and that means that it’s time to dust off old DVDs or, for most people, navigate to your favorite streaming service in search of an appropriately unsettling movie to watch.
Of course, everyone’s tolerance for scares varies, but there’s something for everyone if you know where to look. My personal favorite Halloween watch is Wes Craven’s 1996 classic “Scream.” This title combines grotesque slasher kills with genuinely clever and funny jokes. It’s available to stream on Hulu.
If you’re in the mood for silly more than scary, “The Nightmare Before Christmas” streams on Disney+. The Henry Selick-directed, Tim Burton-produced stop motion fantasia is suitable for both Halloween and Christmas. I love the animation and the cartoonishly dramatic songs.
For those who want a more authentically scary experience, I can’t think of a better one than “Alien.” The sci-fi/horror classic hasn’t aged a day since its 1979 release, featuring peerless special effects and shrewdly restrained filmmaking. The suspense is almost unbearable. “Alien” is currently streaming on Hulu.
If you’re in the mood for the claustrophobic, DIY scares of found footage, I recommend the 2007 Spanish movie “REC.” If you can get used to reading the subtitles, it’s one of the best horror movies released this century. The handheld camera gives the zombie movie a sheen of authenticity that makes the scares hit harder. It’s currently streaming on the Criterion Channel and Shudder.
Another claustrophobic recent horror classic is Neil Marshall’s 2005 film “The Descent.” This film follows a group of women who get lost while spelunking and run into a horde of ravenous, zombie-like creatures. It deserves its reputation as one of the most intense horror movies in recent memory. “The Descent” is streaming on Prime Video and the Criterion Channel.
If you’re put off by intense scares but don’t mind a bit of cartoonish blood and gore, then you can’t go wrong with Sam Raimi’s “Evil Dead 2.” It’s a ridiculous horror/comedy that’s less about plot than it is about cultivating a series of bits and excuses to splatter Bruce Campbell with bright red blood. “Evil Dead 2” is available to watch on HBO Max and Kanopy.
If you prefer TV to movies, you can’t go wrong with “Twin Peaks.” The cult 90s drama is one of the strangest and most intriguing series to ever air on network television. Created by the great filmmaker David Lynch, “Twin Peaks” is perfect for anyone looking for a dose of surrealism this Halloween. It streams on PlutoTV and Paramount+
If you don’t have access to those services, worry not — Clemson’s library has DVD copies of most, if not all, of the films I’ve listed, and you can check out a DVD player to spin the discs if you don’t have one of your own.