As a cinephile who has spent countless nights huddled under a blanket, engrossed in the silver screen, I must say that these film recommendations for a spooktacular Halloween movie night are nothing short of delightful!
During autumn, lots of us get excited about creating our ideal Halloween movie lineups, packed with chills, thrills, and seasonal fun. These custom-made lists often feature movies like “Halloween” by John Carpenter, “A Nightmare on Elm Street,” and “Scream.” Movies that are set on Halloween, such as “Trick ‘r Treat,” “House of 1000 Corpses,” or the “Terrifier” series, are usually included. Classics like “Psycho” or “Frankenstein” may also be part of these lists. However, not all Halloween enthusiasts appreciate horror and may feel they’re missing out on a lot of the cinematic celebrations. But don’t worry, there’s something for everyone during this spooky season!
Some people who love Halloween prefer their holiday movies to be amusing and cheerful rather than scary. Although they might enjoy action-packed or suspenseful films, they don’t want them to be so frightening that they feel compelled to keep the lights on at night. While Halloween is often linked with horror films, there are many non-horror movies that still manage to convey the eerie atmosphere of the season.
For folks who prefer Halloween-themed films without the traditional horror elements, here’s a list of ten non-horror movies set on All Hallow’s Eve:
10 A Haunting in Venice (2023)
In a simple and fluid rephrasing, Kenneth Branagh’s third film about Agatha Christie’s character Hercule Poirot transports the Belgian detective to Italy for a Halloween seance. Though he has chosen self-exile and retirement, he finds himself unwillingly attending this seance at a crumbling Venetian palace. When one of the attendees is found dead, Poirot is drawn back into another mystery filled with dark secrets.
A Murder Mystery With a Twist
Anything derived from an Agatha Christie novel is certain to include unexpected plot developments. Her mysteries are like a jar of cookies that keep falling out, revealing secrets and hints one by one. A Haunting in Venice follows this pattern for a Christie mystery, and although it centers around a haunted Italian villa, there’s no actual horror involved. Instead, it’s a classic “whodunit” murder mystery that challenges you to guess and reconsider who the killer is and who among the characters is part of the scheme. The main objective is to lead the audience in search of clues, but it also includes some eerie aspects.
Stream A Haunting in Venice on Hulu
9 Hocus Pocus (1993)
Discussing Halloween movies, it’s hard not to bring up “Hocus Pocus”. Regardless if you discovered it in your childhood or recently on streaming platforms, for many people, “Hocus Pocus” is a traditional October movie. The story revolves around the three Sanderson sisters, ancient witches, who are resurrected when teenager Max (Omri Katz) accidentally lights a black flame candle. As the Sandersons aim to rob the youth of Salem’s children, Max and his companions must find a means to send the witches back to their graves.
Witchy Halloween Fun
Apart from its setting on Halloween night, Hocus Pocus offers everything you’d hope for in a Halloween film. There are costume parties, trick-or-treating, mischievous pranks like toilet papering houses, falling leaves, and witches armed with an ancient spellbook. The movie captures the essence of autumn perfectly, while sprinkling in all the delightful aspects of the holiday, along with a catchy musical performance by Bette Midler at a Halloween bash.
Stream Hocus Pocus on Disney+
8 E.T. (1983)
Originating from the creative mind of Steven Spielberg, “E.T.: The Alien Among Us” tells the heartwarming tale of a gentle extraterrestrial who lands on Earth and forms an unlikely bond with a 10-year-old boy named Elliot (Henry Thomas). Together with his siblings, they secretly harbor their newfound friend in their home, unbeknownst to others. However, when E.T. falls sick, it triggers a chain of events involving the government, causing distress for both E.T. and his young companion.
A Friendly Alien Invasion
Apart from its extraterrestrial character and costume influence, E.T. is closely associated with Halloween due to its storyline being centered around this holiday. In the film, Halloween significantly impacts E.T.’s struggle against the U.S. government as it serves as a cover for the children’s plan to help him contact his home planet. On the night of Halloween, the neighborhood kids dress up E.T. as a ghost, allowing them to smuggle him into the woods where they have prepared a communication device. Many Gen X and Millennial families consider this movie essential viewing during Halloween festivities.
7 Halloweentown (1998)
If you’re on the hunt for a delightful Halloween movie experience, I highly recommend checking out Disney Channel Original Movie classic, “Halloweentown” starring Kimberely J. Brown as 13-year-old Marnie Cromwell. This heartwarming fantasy tale takes us through her journey of discovering she’s from a long line of witches and uncovering the magical world of Halloweentown, where various mystical creatures coexist in peace. As Marnie, her siblings, and their grandmother Agie (played by Debbie Reynolds) venture into this enchanting land, they learn that an evil warlock aims to seize the Cromwell magic.
There’s No Place Like Halloweentown
For numerous Millennials and older Gen Z individuals, watching Halloweentown annually in October has become something of a tradition. This beloved Disney Channel series, complete with its sequels, features not just ghouls, goblins, and spirits, but also champions the distinctive qualities that make each individual special. It instilled in kids the idea that monsters don’t always have to be frightening and encouraged them to accept their peculiarities. Moreover, the diverse costumes and enchanting attire serve as an endless source of inspiration for Halloween outfits.
Stream Halloweentown on Disney+
6 Twitches (2005)
A popular DCOM (Disney Channel Original Movie) that resonates with Millennials and early Gen Z is Twitches. This film revolves around two girls on the verge of turning 21, who uncover a shocking truth – they are long-separated twin sisters and hail from another realm called Coventry, where they possess witchy powers. As they grapple with this revelation, they also realize that their homeland is in peril due to a malevolent force intent on annihilating Coventry.
Twin Witches
The movie, featuring Tia and Tamara Mowry who were famously known for their roles in “Sister, Sister”, is set over the entire Halloween weekend as both of them share birthdays on October 31st. Similar to other Disney Channel Original Movies (DCOMs) with parties and spooky decorations, this film distinguishes itself by highlighting the strong bond between sisters and showcasing the characters in a more mature light, setting it apart from other family-friendly Halloween movies.
Stream Twitches on Disney+
5 The Nightmare Before Christmas (1993)
Henry Selick’s “The Nightmare Before Christmas” is commonly regarded as a must-watch during Halloween and Christmas seasons because of its detailed connections to both festivities. The story centers around Jack Skellington, also known as the Pumpkin King, who rules over Halloweentown, but experiences something akin to a midlife crisis.
Though Jack is widely beloved in Halloweentown, he yearns for a change. Unintentionally wandering into Christmastown, he finds himself drawn to becoming its new monarch. Being from a realm known for its eerie and frightening aspects, Jack’s grasp of the Christmas magic is limited.
A Halloween Spin on Christmas
This timeless stop-motion masterpiece blends aspects of both festivities to create something fresh and innovative. The juxtaposition of bright, festive Christmas imagery against the eerie, spooky scenes typical of Halloween results in an exceptional tale that beautifully showcases the essence of both celebrations. For those who cherish Halloween with equal enthusiasm as they do Christmas, this is a must-see during the Halloween season.
Stream The Nightmare Before Christmas on Disney+
4 Arsenic and Old Lace (1944)
Featuring the ever-charming and side-splittingly funny Cary Grant, Arsenic and Old Lace offers up a laugh-out-loud screwball comedy that just so happens to be set during Halloween. As Mortimer Brewister, a Brooklyn author, prepares to announce his upcoming nuptials, he returns home only to discover that his beloved aunts are actually serial killers who store their victims in the basement cellar!
A Halloween Screwball Comedy
The decision to portray two seemingly harmless and sugary elderly women as secretive serial killers offers an absurdly enjoyable experience. Mortimer’s aunts think they are performing a charitable act by eliminating solitary old men, thereby ending their loneliness. To top it off, there’s Mortimer’s brother, who fancies himself as Teddy Roosevelt, and his cousin Jonathan, whose appearance resembles Boris Karloff due to decades of cosmetic alterations to dodge the police – all making for a laugh-out-loud Halloween movie marathon.
3 Casper (1995)
Although practically all movies depict ghosts as vengeful spirits, Casper argues that isn’t the case. The feel-good movie centers around a friendly ghost named Casper who has no interest in haunting houses or scaring people. When paranormal investigator James Harvey (Bill Pullman) and his daughter Kat (Christina Richie) move into the house he occupies, his affection for Kat grows. Things are complicated by his ghostly form and his mischievous uncles.
A Ghostly Halloween Viewing
Casper is another film that delivers all you might expect from a Halloween-themed movie. With its New England autumn backdrop and supernatural antics, it’s an ideal pick for the season. Interestingly, despite not being set strictly on Halloween, the storyline does revolve around this spooky holiday. Casper yearns to be human once more, and he temporarily transforms into a human to join Kat at a Halloween party.
Stream Casper on Prime or Peacock
2 Donnie Darko (2001)
Highlighting one of Jake Gyllenhaal’s initial acting roles, “Donnie Darko” narrates the story of its namesake, a troubled adolescent boy who experiences strange visions of a man in a peculiar rabbit suit, who shares secrets unknown to others. Following an incident of sleepwalking that leaves him on a golf course, Donnie discovers that a jet engine crashed into his room during the night. Upon encountering the rabbit figure, called Frank the Bunny, he predicts that the world will end in 28 days, leading him to lose touch with reality.
A Freaky (But Not Horrifying) Halloween Tale
Though ‘Donnie Darko’ may appear to have horror elements, it primarily revolves around psychological drama and thriller themes. The film subtly penetrates your thoughts, mirroring how Frank delves into Donnie’s mind, causing you to ponder the boundaries between reality and illusion. Richard Kelly, the screenwriter and director, chose Halloween as the backdrop for his movie due to a coincidental connection; he wrote the script in October, which he believed enhanced the film’s enigmatic elements.
Stream Donnie Darko on Prime, Hulu, or Shudder
1 The Guest (2014)
In Adam Wingard’s movie “The Guest,” Dan Stevens delivers an endearingly captivating portrayal. The narrative revolves around David (Stevens), a soldier who meets the Peterson family after allegedly being their deceased son’s comrade-in-arms. They graciously invite him into their home, unaware that a string of inexplicable accidents might be linked to his arrival.
A Stylish Thriller Set at Halloween
The Film portrays an action-packed, stylish thriller reminiscent of what might have transpired if John Carpenter had directed a film similar to Rambo. Unlike traditional Halloween movies, this production explores the disorienting effects war has on soldiers and features scenes more aligned with John Wick in terms of intensity.
Despite featuring some commonplace Halloween elements, certain standout scenes in the film occur during Halloween, notably in a high school gym adorned with masks from “Halloween III” and the fox mask from “You’re Next”. Director Wingard, who also helmed “You’re Next”, cleverly includes the fox mask as an Easter egg. If you’re seeking a unique Halloween movie deviating from the usual haunted, witchy, or possessed themes, this film fits the bill perfectly.
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2024-10-27 23:02