With the scramble to find costumes and big bags of candy popping up in grocery stores, Halloween is fast approaching! For most people, an undoubtedly important part of the season is a cozy night spent watching a scary movie while making your way through a bag of fun-sized Twix. Regardless of what candy you go for, the movie you choose is equally important in making or breaking your night.
Few holidays can rival Halloween for the sheer amount of classic films produced and enjoyed by fans year after year, with each one garnering its own unique fanbase. Whether you’re looking for something wholesome and nostalgic or want to feel your heart racing after a successful jumpscare, your favorite Halloween movie says a lot about your personality this spooky season.
‘Hocus Pocus’
This was your favorite Halloween movie growing up. A timeless Disney take on Halloween cinema, you’ve seen this movie at least a dozen times and now catch yourself quoting iconic lines under your breath. You’ve definitely tried to do a Winnie Sanderson voice impression with words like “sisters” and “Thackery Binx” (often without much success). You don’t just like this movie more than others, you are obsessed with it and feel personally hurt when someone says they’ve never seen it.
‘Corpse Bride’
Tim Burton is one of, if not your favorite director. You’re always bringing up how impressive the claymation is when watching with friends, especially because you “can’t imagine all the time it must’ve taken to set up every frame.” You like the creepy, nostalgic vibe, and you probably love The Nightmare Before Christmas too, although you swear it’s a Christmas film. You listen to the soundtrack from time to time and have tried to convince your friend group to dress up as the characters for countless Halloween parties in the past.
‘Scary Movie’
You don’t like taking things too seriously, and you have a good sense of humor. You laugh during jump scares and don’t hesitate to critique the less-than-brilliant choices characters make in actual horror movies. Your past Halloween costumes have probably been a mix of pun-based outfits or satiric takes on classic costumes. You like going to haunted houses with friends not because you like getting scared but because you want to laugh at their reactions. You don’t buy into all the spooky lore that comes with the Halloween season, but you can appreciate free candy and partying.
‘Ghostbusters’
Instead of gore and goosebumps, you vibe with a more wholesome Halloween. You love the classics and have dreamt of driving the iconic Ectomobile. You love the theme song and add it to the Spotify queue at every Hallo-weekend party. You probably want to live in NYC at some point in your life, and will not take any criticism of the dated CGI. You grew up watching this movie and are, to some extent, still a kid at heart. You don’t like the remake and believe no sequel will live up to the original.
‘Scream’
You like the classics but can’t take anything seriously. There’s nothing wrong with this choice, but it’s not blowing anyone’s mind. You claim you predicted the ending the first time you saw it, and you like playing detective in scary movies. You don’t mind gore and are always cracking jokes no matter how dark the film is. You flood your friends’ DMs with memes and appreciate the ’90s Halloween aesthetic and vintage vibe of the movie.
‘The Shining’
You are a film critic at your core and want something more thought-provoking than silly ghosts and candy. You have strong opinions on every Halloween movie and will not shy away from the opportunity to talk about the symbolism in this classic. You’ve read the book by Stephen King and can go on for hours talking about the choices Stanley Kubrick, the director of the film, made. You seek something unsettling when spooky season rolls around and probably study either psychology or political science.
‘Little Shop of Horrors’
You’re either a former or present theater kid who likes a campy Halloween season. A musical about a man-eating plant isn’t everyone’s cup of tea, but it definitely is yours, and you let it be known. Your dorm’s windowsill is probably cluttered with plants, and you are always looking for your next plant baby to add to the collection. Your ideal night out in October is going to a nice dinner in the city followed by a live performance of Little Shop of Horrors, but watching the movie in your dorm isn’t a bad alternative.
