Hand-Picked Halloween Watchlist
Five movies and shows to watch during Spooky Season, selected by yours truly!
We’re officially in the midst of Spooky Season! As we welcome the cold weather, consume pumpkin-based everything, and prepare to don Halloween costumes (or perhaps celebrate the Protestant Reformation instead), I’d like to share my personal picks for what you should watch leading up to Halloween!
I know many of my Christian friends may have aversions to Halloween for obvious—and understandable—reasons, and I support your freedom to stay away from it all. But I do highly suggest you read this article, as it was helpful for me.
“Jesus has defanged the vampires, dehorned the dragons, tamed the werewolves, and displaced all principalities and powers. When we send our kids to a neighbor’s door to say, ‘Trick or treat,’ we can smile knowing that the joke is on the devil.”
Without further ado, here are my picks!
A Ghost Story (2017)
David Lowery is no stranger to fantastical tales; he may now be best-known for his film adaptation of Sir Gawain and the Green Knight, one of the oldest and most prolific (though ambiguous) medieval stories. But before then, he directed a minimalistic masterpiece in A Ghost Story.
Starring Rooney Mara and Casey Affleck, the film is shot in 1.33:1 (or popularly known as 4:3) aspect ratio. The premise is sad: a recently deceased husband visits his grieving wife in their home as a ghost—Lowery designed the ghost as Affleck literally just wearing a bedsheet, speechless—and lives on in the spiritual realm through generations of change in the same location.
It’s a poignant story. Impressive in its minimalistic script and screenplay, it is the perfect contemplative film for Spooky Season.
P.S. watch out for my forthcoming analysis this month!
Genre & Themes: Drama, Fantasy, Surreal, Thought-Provoking
Streaming: Paramount+, Kanopy, Amazon Prime Video (rent)
Over the Garden Wall (2014)
Over the Garden Wall is Cartoon Network’s Emmy Award-winning mini-series. The show is a fantasy tale of two brothers and their travels through the Unknown. It has deep Americana and folklore themes paired with genuinely hilarious characters and musical moments.
The animation and storytelling are highly original; they hold up after nearly 10 years. The mini-series balances meaningful goals with lightheartedness, making some slightly spooky characters even more surprising.
Genres & Themes: Fantasy, Comedy, Fairy-Tale, Heartwarming
Streaming: Hulu
Werewolf by Night (2022)
I haven’t enjoyed nearly anything the Marvel Cinematic Universe has released in the past three years. The movies aren’t great or original and I feel like I have to do my homework leading up to them by watching even worse shows. But in the midst of an overloaded MCU schedule, Werewolf by Night was somehow simultaneously refreshing and nostalgic.
The Marvel Special avoids the myriad pitfalls of previous Disney-adjacent specials (lookin’ at you, Star Wars Holiday Special) to offer a fun, spooky, and high-stakes watch. This is a typical werewolf story in many ways—the writers knew not to abandon the story’s legacy—but one that blends great acting, plot twists, and cinematography to make it well worth your time. It’s also not gory or truly terrifying, making it perfect for “friendly” watching, if you will.
Genres & Themes: Action, Horror, Monsters, Sci-Fi
Streaming: Disney+, Hulu (for a limited time)
Midnight Mass (2021)
Mike Flanagan is untouchable. His contributions to horror are incredible, and one of the most poignant series he’s made is Midnight Mass, which follows members of a small town, with special attention to the Catholic Church and its questionable new priest, Father Paul.
This isn’t a typical horror show, as it relies heavily on drawn-out dialogue and gives much attention to the tradition and practices of Catholics. (This is something that of course I just couldn’t get enough of.) The ending is truly mind-blowing, deep, and prolific. It is the perfect blend of suspense, horror, and religious speculation. (Please let me know if you watch this; I need someone to talk to about it!)
Genres & Themes: Horror, Religion and Faith, Mystery, Gothic
Streaming: Netflix
Psycho (1960)
You can’t go through spooky season without watching a Hitchcock film. If anything, you should watch this in defiance of the Oscar snubbing it received in 1961. (It lost to a rom-com. Are you kidding me?) Psycho is one of the most iconic and enduring psychological thrillers in all of cinema, and for good reason.
The script and screenplay are impeccable, supported by stellar performances from Anthony Perkins and Janet Leigh. I can imagine this would’ve been far more scary in the ‘60s than now, but it is still a thrilling watch. The master of horror truly delivered his best work here.
Genres & Themes: Psychological Thriller, Horror, Drama, Gothic
Streaming: Amazon Prime Video (rent)
Honorable Mentions
I can’t list everything with analysis, so here are a few more worth watching this season!
Halloween (1978)
A Haunting in Venice (2023)
The Rat Catcher (2023)
Casper (1995)
No One Will Save You (2023)
The Sixth Sense (1999)
Thanks for reading along. May your Halloween watches be spooky and thrilling and comfortable and cozy!
Great pull on A Ghost Story. More people need to see that!