It’s finally coming, the night of horror. If you want to get in the mood for Halloween, you should definitely watch one of these films.
Last year it had to be canceled, the big scary break. In the meantime, ghosts, witches, horror clowns, vampires and zombies are allowed to roam around the houses on the hunt for sweets. If you want to get in the right mood for Halloween in advance, you can fall back on a gigantic fund of horror films of all stripes. In fact, the selection is so large that it is easy to lose track of things. This overview, from old splatter classics to brand new horror pearls in the cinema, provides a remedy and ensures a guaranteed Halloween feeling.
Horror prodigy Ari Aster
The American director Ari Aster (35) has turned out to be a real prodigy of the genre in recent years. If you don’t have blood in your veins in his film “Hereditary – Das Vermächtnis” (2018), you are probably not afraid of anything in the world. Horror click your tongue – literally!
And also his unusual, because glistening bright horror flick “Midsommar” caused eerily beautiful enthusiasm in 2019. This was mainly due to the great playing Florence Pugh (25), whose character suffered a terrible stroke of fate as a child. But she can expect even worse at a supposedly happy summer solstice festival in Sweden …
The perfect films for the festival of horror
There are horror films. There are films that take place on Halloween – and there is “Halloween – Die Nacht des Horens” by John Carpenter (73). Of course, the cult shocker from 1978 should not be missing. The film is practically the “Dinner For One” of all Halloween fans. Those who are particularly brave can also watch one of the countless sequels or reboots of the original. Less because they’re so scary, but more because they’ve gotten a little more catastrophic with each additional piece. An exception was the sequel from 2018, which is currently being continued in the cinema. More on that later.
But there are also other films worth seeing that have chosen Halloween as a setting. The humorous horror film “Trick ‘r Treat” (2007), for example, which knows how to shock in several episodic stories about the pumpkin festival. The fantasy film “Hocus Pocus” (1993) also takes place on Halloween night and lets Bette Midler (75) and Sarah Jessica Parker (56) rush around on their brooms as evil witches. The best: “Hocus Pocus” can also be watched with brave young monsters without any problems, FSK 12 makes it possible.
An outsider suggestion: “Donnie Darko” (2001) with Jake Gyllenhaal (40) is set for Halloween and has produced what is perhaps the scariest rabbit costume of all time.
Brand new horror
Michael Myers is back (again)! The killer with the Captain Kirk mask is currently murdering his way through German cinemas in “Halloween Kills”. The body count in the sequel to “Halloween” from 2018 is higher than ever. It has nothing in common with the subtle horror of 1978, splatter fans get their money’s worth. In the coming year the reboot trilogy will find its bloody finale with “Halloween Ends”.
Anyone who is in the mood for horror on the big screen, but prefers to do without Messer-Myers, can watch the film “Antlers” by Scott Cooper (51) in the cinema from October 28th. It is also about a gruesome series of murders in a sleepy town in the USA. What role does the problem student Lucas play in all of this?
The horror classics
There are a handful of horror films that are so notorious that even genre despisers know them at least by name. So if you want to prove your courage in front of the screen for Halloween, you could close a few educational gaps in one wash. How about, for example, “The Exorcist”, a film that caused quite a stir at the time it was made (1973) – and won two Oscars for it. Even today, the film by William Friedkin (86) has lost none of its disgusting fascination.
Speaking of disgust: If you don’t mind not having an appetite for the rest of the day – also a way to resist the sweets – you should eat David Cronenberg’s (78) body horror festival “Die Fliege” (1986). The 1986 film with Jeff Goldblum (69) and Geena Davis (65) combines sheer horror with a repulsive mutation and – believe it or not – a tragic love story that makes you feel sorry for the “monster”. And also Oscar-winning (“Best Make-up”).
A treat for all body horror fans is also John Carpenter’s “The Thing” with Kurt Russell (70). In addition, the two killers Freddy Krueger from the “Nightmare on Elm Street” or Jason Voorhees from the “Friday the 13th” series should not be missing from any Halloween list. Here too, however, the numerous sequels require the courage to be trashy.
Those who prefer to watch a modern classic should treat themselves to the “Scream” series again. In the best slasher manner, one teen after the other is assassinated – as creative as possible and, of course, as bloody as possible. Four parts are possible in a “Scream” marathon, a fifth is currently in the making with all the stars of the original films and will find its way into the cinema on January 13, 2022.
Those who still can’t get enough of zombies in the times of “The Walking Dead” are spoiled for choice. It is better to watch the original films by George A. Romero (1940-2017), such as “Zombie” (“Dawn of the Dead”) from 1978, or instead the also very successful remake from 2004 with the same name, but much more nimble monster cannibals.
A little bit of fun is always good
Halloween doesn’t always have to be deadly serious. If you don’t want to forego horror, but still want to strain your laughing muscles, there are scary comedies in all levels of slapstick. The more serious undertone of our proposals would have to offer “The Cabin in the Woods” (2011), in which the most common horror film clichés are made fun of and turned upside down in a charming way.
The same applies to the film “Shaun of the Dead”, with which Simon Pegg (50) celebrated his breakthrough on the big screen and has even made it into the “Star Wars” and “Star Trek” universes. The “Scary Movie” series, which mixes the most famous horror films into a silly joke, offers a significantly different level (almost none). Perhaps just the right thing, especially in a sociable and sometimes beer-loving company.
An absolute classic that is also always available outside of Halloween is “Ghostbusters – Die Geisterjäger” from 1984. From November 18th, you can go straight to the cinema: With “Ghostbusters: Legacy” there will be a sequel to Germany, in which the old stars from part one are also part of the party.