17 Terrifying (And Uplifting) Films To Watch This Halloween ?? 2018

The work of film pioneer and magician George Méliès, the three-minute The Manor of the Devil features Mephistopheles, who conjures a cast of scary characters inside an ancient castle. All right, so there's no CGI, no gore and no Ultra HD 4K.

But it shows a vivid imagination using the groundbreaking moviemaking FX of the day. You can then complete a Méliès Halloween short-binge with another three-minute film, The Devil in a Convent (1898), in which Satan disguises himself as a priest inside a convent; and the six-minute epic, The Merry Frolics of Satan (1906), in which the devil takes two passengers on an eternal ride.

Contributor: Larry Greenberg from The Savvy Screener

It's an epic zombie splatterfest that harkens back to classic films from the 80s. Filmed throughout exotic jungle locations, DEAD SQUAD follows a friends’ paradise getaway, which goes awry, becoming a deadly fight for survival inside an ancient temple of death. 

Contributor: Dominik Hauser from Six17 Films & DarkCoast

Featuring a compelling performance by Jamie Lee Curtis as Laurie Strode, the original Halloween still holds up to this day. But if you’re already a fan of the original, consider a trip to the theaters to see latest in the Michael Myers saga, Halloween (2018). The latest film is smashing box office and franchise records, and even features Jamie Lee Curtis once again in her original role. 

Contributor: Doug Brennan from Digital Addicts

This sinister-funny gem brings together classic creatures like Dracula, the Wolfman, Frankenstein and more as they scheme, battle and back-stab to become king of the creeps. Its quirky stop motion animation will appeal to audiences both modern (Fantastic Mr. Fox) and nostalgic (Rudolph), while its weird settings and monster cast are sure to delight goths and fans of Addams Family/Tim Burton dark humor. 

Contributor: D.G. Chichester from Capitalist Fiction

The music in the opening scenes gets me every time. Jack Nicolson, the tricycle shots, and the twins in the hallway, it's iconic. Trick or treaters love it! 

Contributor: Karina Michel Feld from Tallulah Films

Coco portrays the Mexican holiday Día de Muertos or Day of the Dead, a holiday that begins October 31 and goes through November 2. It is a heartwarming story about the connection between a young boy named Miguel and his ancestors. It also has just the right amount of spook for families with kids, as many of the main characters are skeletons. 

Contributor: Rebecca Graham from Best Company 

When thinking about science fiction horror movies, most people think of Alien or its sequel Aliens. But Event Horizon is the most suitable science fiction movie to scare you on Halloween, combining psychological horror with heart-attack inducing jumps. 

A rescue mission is dispatched to look for survivors on the Event Horizon. A spaceship that has reappeared in a decaying orbit of Jupiter after mysteriously disappearing over seven years ago. The rescuers find the ship without a soul on board, but that doesn't mean they are alone. 

Event Horizon bombed on release, but has picked up a cult following since due to its strong cast and the fact that it haunts your nightmares for weeks after watching. 

Contributor: John Ridley from Stranger Views

This is a stomach-churning horror film. The classic story of a group of friends that go on a weekend getaway to a remote cabin. They end up fighting off way worse things than hangovers. 

Contributor: Caleb Backe from Maple Holistics

There are no special effects in this movie and it’s still epic. It’s a tale of a family and a house that wants them out. It’s sure to make you scream. 

Contributor: Caleb Backe from Maple Holistics

This movie takes what seems like a harmless prank and turns it on its head. You’ll never know what’s coming next. The ending provides great closure. You’ll have to watch it to find out why. 

Contributor: Caleb Backe from Maple Holistics

An 80's horror classic that's equal parts campy fun and creepy scares. Punk rock teens, small business owners, and Nazi undertakers battle the brain-hungry dead after an industrial accident. One of the first meta-horror movies. 

Contributor: Adam Dunlop-Farkas from Bundler.tv 

A forgotten Spielbergian ghost story from the 80's, Lady in White combines gothic mystery and childlike nostalgia. But it's also really scary, which is why the kids who saw it in theaters never showed it to their kids. 

Contributor: Adam Dunlop-Farkas from Bundler.tv 

Don Coscarelli's cult classic spawned an unlikely franchise for indie horror fans, a lo-fi suit wearing villain in the Tall Man, and the name of a recent Star Wars character. If that last piece of trivia doesn't make you watch this on Halloween, nothing will. 

Contributor: Adam Dunlop-Farkas from Bundler.tv 

Ti West's mumblegore masterpiece is largely responsible for the 80's horror revival. A popular urban myth about Satanic cults and baby sacrifice is the basis for an otherwise down to earth story about a girl who needs money for college in her bleak New England town. Features a supporting turn by critical darling Greta Gerwig.

Contributor: Adam Dunlop-Farkas from Bundler.tv 

In between Spider-Man movies and Wizard of Oz prequels, Sam Raimi made one of the best horror films of the decade. Drag Me to Hell sets a tale about a fortune teller's demonic curse against the back drop of the mortgage crisis. Not many horror movies can combine gut busting laughs with gust busting scares with actual gut busting effects. This one does. 

Contributor: Adam Dunlop-Farkas from Bundler.tv 

MTV's recent short-lived series may have been a guilty pleasure, but nothing beats Wes Craven's original. Try to keep up with all the iconic horror movie references. Or else. 

Contributor: Adam Dunlop-Farkas from Bundler.tv 

Why settle for one Halloween horror movie when you can have five? Or six, if you count the framing narrative. The indie shorts compilation includes pieces from Adam Wingard, Ti West, and Joe Swanberg, but it's the Halloween set final story 10/31/98 that steals the show.

Contributor: Adam Dunlop-Farkas from Bundler.tv