Happy Halloween 2026
While I have been ahead of the game for the past few years when it comes to the website, I have fallen behind once again in maintaining regular article releases and will likely slow down for the remainder of the year. So, for the last post of October, I figured I’d just list some horror recommendations to watch tonight if you’re staying in and handing out candy.
Something Gothic
While I prefer Robert Eggers’ Nosferatu, I think both movies nail the gothic atmosphere while injecting their own style into the classic stories. Frankenstein may have strayed away from the source material more than I would have liked, but it’s still worth watching for the acting, direction, sets, costumes, and style that Guillermo Del Toro brings to his movies.
Something With Sharks
I love both Deep Blue Sea and Jaws for different reasons. Jaws is an all-time classic that holds up 50 years after it came out. It’s a movie that got me into horror and sharks as a kid and is an easy recommendation to anyone. Deep Blue Sea is a silly popcorn movie that gets ridiculous at times, but is still plenty entertaining.
Something Found Footage
While Late Night with the Devil is not strictly found footage, it still presents itself as an FF film, and it’s still a damn fun watch at just around an hour and a half. Grave Encounters is also a fun found-footage ghost-hunter movie that is clearly being very tongue-in-cheek about what it’s doing while still having some good spooky moments.
Something Bloody
I have not seen the Evil Dead Burn yet, but that franchise has been pretty reliable from beginning to end, even the ones without Ash—I’m sure that’s blasphemous to hear for some die-hard fans. Evil Dead 2 is still the best, but you can’t go too far wrong with the rest. For something a little different that’s still a gory, fun time, The Ugly Stepsister tells the Cinderella story from a dark, different perspective.
Something Funny
While Beetlejuice Beetlejuice was not a sequel that I wanted or that quite measured up to the original film, it is still a funny movie if you haven’t seen it. I doubt you’ll go back to it nearly as much, and it’s a bit of a bloated experience, but it’s better than you would expect of a sequel to a movie that came out thirty years before. The Cabin in the Woods is just a timeless, self-aware classic I keep going back to when I don’t know what to watch because of how endlessly entertaining it is with its self-aware snark and fun climax.
Something with Ghosts
Doctor Sleep was a surprisingly entertaining sequel to the horror classic, The Shining. It’s a long movie directed by Mike Flannigan that manages to stay interesting and ominous with a looming villain and dreadful atmosphere. It’s not a movie I go back to nearly as much as The Shining, but it’s still worth a watch. The Conjuring may have blown up into a bloated and mockable franchise with how many spinoffs and sequels have come out, but the original is still worth watching if you haven’t seen it.
Something Small, But Special
All of these are smaller, low-budget horror movies that provide something special to their experiences. Obsession and Pearl are movies that have exceptional performances from their lead actresses who draw you in and make you root for them, even while the horrific things are happening. Presence is a unique ghost story told from the perspective of the haunting spirit over the course of time through various scenes and snippets of moments. Give them a watch if you haven’t seen them.
Something Timely
If Halloween falls on a Saturday, that means November gets a Friday the 13th to extend the horror season. I did a blitz through them all more than a decade ago, but my opinions of each of them have not changed by much. I think the fourth entry is still the best all around, with Jason X being one of the most entertaining.
Something Massive
Godzilla Minus Zero is almost upon us, and for the first time in over a decade, I am excited to see a new movie in the theaters. It’s all thanks to Godzilla Minus One being an absolutely incredible film that managed to tell a captivating and compelling story about believable and empathetic characters you can’t help but root for as they face off against the infamous Godzilla. If you haven’t seen the best Godzilla movie yet (because it is), I highly recommend you see it.