By Liam
With Halloween around the corner, it’s time to have fun and subject ourselves to 90 minutes of psychological torture! Or, for those who prefer, a fun but not-too-scary film to get yourself in the spirit. After sending out a form to people in the school, we at Halcyonite have compiled a list of our school’s favorite movies to watch around this time. With the choices, we also provided a guide for where to watch them, the age ratings, and more. Enjoy!
Most Popular Pick – Coraline:
UK Age Rating: PG
Common Sense Rating: 9+
Where to Watch: Rent or buy on Apple TV
Synopsis: “An adventurous 11-year-old girl finds another world that is a strangely idealized version of her frustrating home, but it has sinister secrets.” – IMDb
Based on Neil Gaiman’s novel of the same name, Coraline is surprisingly a “must-see” for an animated film or similar. While it creates a creepy atmosphere, the film rarely becomes traumatizing, and rather focuses on creating an intriguing world for children and adults alike. With beautiful stop-motion scenes and interesting characters, Coraline is a movie that certainly stands out from the massive range of kids’ movies out there. But it doesn’t only have to be watched by children. No adult would regret watching this, either.
The Blair Witch Project:
UK Age Rating: 15
Common Sense Rating: 16+
Where to Watch: Stream on Amazon Prime Video, rent or buy on Apple TV
Synopsis: “Three film students vanish after traveling into a Maryland forest to film a documentary on the local Blair Witch legend, leaving only their footage behind.” – IMDb
The fact that this movie–released in 1999–had a budget of 60,000 US dollars and still manages to effectively create one of the most tense and terrifying films of all time, is proof that independent cinema can have a profound impact on our popular culture. The Blair Witch Project uses no blood, no gore, nor any of your typical horror camp, but instead uses a handheld-camera to show a story–and does so successfully. That is quite the feat.
According to our viewers, the Blair Witch Project is “scary [but not in] the traditional jump scare way.” This creates something intriguing to watch, as there is truly an art in creating tension without instant pay-off. The Blair Witch Project masters this perfectly.
Gremlins:
UK Age Rating: 15
Common Sense Rating: 12+
Where to Watch: Stream on NOW TV, rent or buy on Amazon Prime and Apple TV
Synopsis: “A young man inadvertently breaks three important rules concerning his new pet and unleashes a horde of malevolently mischievous monsters on a small town.” – IMDb
Gremlins… possibly one of the most scarring films any child has watched, falling under that category of “I-was-way-too-young-when-I-watched-this.” The viewer is misled into believing they are watching a kid’s film thanks to the cute fluffy pets, until these adorable animatronics become fanged reptilians. I was way too young when I watched this.
This is one of those films that is about Christmas but definitely does not fulfill that “Christmas Spirit” criterion, leading it to be considered more of a Halloween film. Our readers expressed love for this movie, calling it a “perfect mix of horror and comedy” and a “classic,” and that it is. Gremlins has surprisingly convincing effects for 1984, and still remains a family classic.
But I feel inclined to mention this should only be the “older” part of the family.
Popular Director Mentioned – Tim Burton:
Mentioned movies:
Beetlejuice (pictured):
UK Age Rating: 15
Common Sense Rating: 13+
Where to Watch: Stream on Amazon Prime Video
Synopsis: “The spirits of a deceased couple are harassed by an unbearable family that has moved into their home, and hire a malicious spirit to drive them out.” – IMDb
The Nightmare Before Christmas (not technically Tim Burton, but whatever):
UK Age Rating: PG
Common Sense Rating: 7+
Where to Watch: Stream on Disney+
Synopsis: “Jack Skellington, king of Halloween Town, discovers Christmas Town, but his attempts to bring Christmas to his home causes confusion.” – IMDb
The Corpse Bride:
UK Age Rating: PG
Common Sense Rating: 10+
Where to Watch: Rent or buy on Apple TV and Amazon Prime
Synopsis: “When a shy groom practices his wedding vows in the inadvertent presence of a deceased young woman, she rises from the grave assuming he has married her.” – IMDb
Ah, how can one discuss Halloween movies without bringing up Tim Burton? Even though he didn’t really do much surrounding his most popular film–The Nightmare Before Christmas–one cannot deny his contributions to the month of October. Whether you want a stop-motion adventure like in the Corpse Bride, or a fun live-action romp such as Beetlejuice, he has something for everyone.
Another Popular Choice (unwatched by the writer) – Hocus Pocus:
UK Age Rating: PG
Common Sense Rating: 10+
Where to Watch: Stream on Disney+
Synopsis: “A curious youngster moves to Salem, where he struggles to fit in before awakening a trio of diabolical witches that were executed in the 17th century.” – IMDb
This is a movie that came up on our form a few times, but I have never watched it. This does not mean that you should not watch the movie (I am most definitely not the authority on this stuff); it rather just means that I am unable to suggest the movie.
The Halcyonite 
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