Seven horror(ish?) movie recommendations to spook-up your Halloweek

“Friday the 13th.” “Scream.” “A Nightmare on Elm Street.” “Halloween.” We’ve seen them all. Each one is a good movie in its own right, but they’ve been done to death. Here are some less popular (but still aptly spooky!) movies to watch this Halloweek.

“The Batman” (2022)

Okay, look, I know it’s not a horror movie, or scary, or even really a Halloween movie, but it is really good! It might be the best Batman movie there is (personally, I’m a Christopher Nolan hater) and — this is the whole reason it’s on this list — the plot kicks off on Halloween! Even better, specifically a Halloween that falls on a Thursday. You know when else Halloween falls on a Thursday? This year! Watch “The Batman!” For bonus points, a lot of the story is adapted from “Batman: The Long Halloween” comic book storyline, which I would also recommend if this article was about comics instead of movies.

“Let the Right One in” (2008)

No, not the Showtime TV show version, the original, far superior Swedish film version! Yeah, yeah, it’s a movie from Sweden. It’s in Swedish. Put on subtitles, you can read. Anyway, “Let the Right One in” has an awesome cast, an awesome script, an awesome plot about young forbidden love (spoiler — one of them’s a vampire) and awesome vibes. Seriously, it’s a great movie to really sink your teeth into (Eh? Eh?) and, since it’s set in Sweden and snowy all the time, it would make a great holiday movie even if you miss watching it by Halloween! It’s a phenomenal vampire movie and my second-favorite vampire romance, eclipsed only by…

“Only Lovers Left Alive” (2013)

Now this is a vampire movie! It’s got it all — drama, two all-time greats (Tom Hiddleston and Tilda Swinton), blood, obscure historical references, more blood, and Jeffrey Wright. It’s a really slow movie (Hey! Hey! Stay with me, TikTok brain! It has lots of pretty colors!), but in a weird, hypnotic way that makes it even more engaging than some of the more fast-paced entries on this list. If you watch one thing I recommend here, make it this one. 

“Suspiria” (1977)

I’ll admit that I have yet to see the 2018 remake of “Suspiria.” However, I watched the original a few weeks ago and it blew me away. I’m a film studies major and I watch hundreds of movies every year, and nothing has shot into my top ten on a first viewing quite like “Suspiria” did. No film looks as good as “Suspiria” does — it’s so crazy. I’m not even going to tell you anything about the plot, just that you should watch it today. When I watched it for the first time, I finished the movie, logged it on Letterboxd and immediately went and bought a “Suspiria” t-shirt within minutes of the credits rolling.

“Eraserhead” (1977)

Man, 1977 was a big year for weird horror fans. I wish I could recommend all of “Twin Peaks,” but I can’t tell y’all to watch three seasons and a movie in the next week or so. Instead, I’ll sub in David Lynch’s second-most horrifying work — “Eraserhead!” "Eraserhead" is so cool. It looks so cool. It hardly even has a plot. I like the baby a lot. You’ve all seen the Eraserhead Baby, right? He’s (“it’s?”) iconic! It’s worth watching “Eraserhead” just for the baby who’s totally a cool guy (I’d be best friends with him if he were real), but also because it’s one of the best indie psychological horror films I’ve ever seen. And it’s a great introduction to the mind and madness of my man David Lynch! 

“Young Frankenstein” (1974)

Finally, something fun! I figured I couldn’t in good conscience only recommend weirdo arthouse films and foreign horror movies (and “The Batman”), so here’s a fun one to round out the list! “Young Frankenstein” is definitely my favorite Gene Wilder performance (sorry “Willy Wonka”) and definitely my favorite Mel Brooks film. “Young Frankenstein” is a parody continuation of the classic Frankenstein story that follows Victor Frankenstein’s son’s return to Transylvania. It’s a ton of fun, and absolutely perfect for Halloween. It’s also got probably five out of the ten most quotable horror comedy lines of all time. If you like madcap comedies, spoofs, and/or classic monster movies, this one’s for you.

“Labyrinth” (1986)

Oh, you thought I was done? Wrong, sucker! “Labyrinth” is the best movie ever: it has David Bowie, puppets, David Bowie singing songs, a puppet that pisses on screen and it’s a classic dark-fantasy coming-of-age adventure in which a young girl delves into the titular Labyrinth. It’s like an evil “The Wizard of Oz.” If you haven’t seen it, what are you doing with your life?

Letterboxd: @Banana_Peels

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