Katelyn’s List:

1. The Nightmare Before Christmas

The season that The Nightmare Before Christmas movie belongs to has long been debated. Personally, I strongly believe The Nightmare Before Christmas is a Halloween movie. However, I will watch this movie every day of every week of every month of every year. It follows the character, Jack Skeleton, who is nicknamed the “Pumpkin King”, as he becomes bored of his designated holiday, Halloween. He discovers “Christmas Town” and tries to take over this newfound holiday. The story is very wholesome and I will continue to watch this movie every Halloween (and every time I get the chance), just like I have since Kindergarten. 

2. Saw Franchise

The Saw franchise is a well-known horror series. Those with weak stomachs, I do not recommend. Those of you looking for a suspenseful, action-packed, gory horror movie to watch late at night, this is the one for you. It follows the story of “Jigsaw”, a murderous mastermind whose only goal with his so-called “games” is to teach his victims a life lesson - to make them value the lives that they have. I’ve seen every Saw movie and loved every one of them. Each movie adds an unexpected twist, time after time. 

3. It

It is a movie about a small-town friend group whose life is rocked by a killer clown, Pennywise. This seemingly other-world creature is a psychological genius and without giving any spoilers, very, very, powerful. This was the first horror movie I watched with my family and I’m pretty sure my mom is still scared of clowns after that. While still a good movie, it’s perfect for beginner horror enthusiasts. 

4. Lights Out

Lights Out is a movie that, like It, is a good beginner movie for new horror enjoyers. It follows the story of a rebellious daughter and innocent son whose mother is being haunted by the spirit of an old friend from her past. This movie was a good watch, though it is truly important to me because of who I watched it with. Like Dylan, I watched this movie with our friend group, and like he says, those inside jokes are hilarious. It isn’t the most suspenseful or thrilling or gory, but a good mix of all the genres of horror. Definitely recommended for a mixed group of horror enthusiasts and those scared of horror movies!

5. Coraline

Ever heard the saying “not a band kid, but a kid in band”? Similarly, Coraline isn't a Halloween movie, but a movie to watch during Halloween. It is a claymation stop-motion film about a young girl whose family just moved to a small town. As she transitions into this new, unwanted stage in her life, she discovers that things aren’t exactly as they seem in this new house of hers. Who is the… other mother? Sorry! Can’t tell ya, you’ll just have to watch to find out! If you enjoy slightly scary, but comedic films, this one's for you!

Dylan’s List:

1. Scream Franchise

Everyone knows the Scream franchise. From the iconic references to the infamous mask, the Scream franchise is one of the highest grossing Halloween movie franchises in history. While I don’t always act the bravest when it comes to scary movies, a classic Scream movie is just thrilling enough for me. I personally love the cult following behind the movies and I enjoy watching video essays online about the movies and the tropes that come with each new movie. I highly recommend this franchise to anyone and everyone! 

2. Lights Out

Lights Out is a very spooky film featuring a dark spirit-like entity named Diana. This movie means a lot to me and is now one of my favorites because I watched it with a group of my closest friends, and events in the movie have become inside jokes within this friend group. The movie itself is not very scary, it has more of a mysterious and dark feel rather than a thrilling and scary one. I haven’t seen a movie like it in the genre, and that level of uniqueness is one of my favorite aspects of the movie. 

3. Hocus Pocus

I cannot express how much I love Hocus Pocus. My mom has forced me to watch it so many times, to be honest, I ended up loving it. It brings back memories of my mom and I watching it and whenever I see it on TV, I am reminded of my childhood. If you are looking for a classic Halloween movie, Hocus Pocus should definitely be on your radar. 

4. It’s the Great Pumpkin, Charlie Brown

I don’t know about you, but my elementary school classes ALWAYS watched It’s the Great Pumpkin, Charlie Brown during the month of October. It was something fun and lighthearted to watch, and we loved it. I remember sitting at my seat, during all the fun Halloween festivities, and watching this short movie, thinking it was the best thing since sliced bread. While I might not sit down and watch this nowadays, I would still recommend everyone to watch it at least once. 

5. Halloween Franchise

The Halloween franchise is another great franchise of movies to watch to get into the spooky spirit. The franchise takes everything that makes horror movies amazing - jump scares, a great soundtrack, an all-star cast -  and combines them in a classic way. I will admit, these can be scary to me, and I probably wouldn’t watch them alone, but they’re definitely a must watch if you want to claim to know anything about horror movies. Highly recommended.