13 screams for Halloween: 13 movies to get you into the Halloween mood - The Collegiate Live (2025)

Halloween is the time of year when horror fans and soccer moms alike appear to be filled with a strange kind of festive spirit. Yes, it is a time of candy corn and cider, ghosts and ghouls, and of course, movies, but not just any movies – scary movies, bloody and the not-so-bloody alike.

Now as the unofficial official expert on horror movies here at The Collegiate, who better to come up with this list than me? So just sit back, grab a glass of apple cider and enjoy.

1.“Saw” – Starting the list off with every edgy kid from the 2000’s favorite horror movie “Saw.” “Saw” tells the story of Adam, a photographer, and Lawrence Gordon, a doctor, with the two being chained up in a dilapidated bathroom with little more than a hacksaw, a revolver and the mystery of why they are there. Perfect for anyone looking for a movie with a mystery and, despite the later movie’s reputation, the first movie while bloody wasn’t any more gory than say “Scream,” with much of the gore implied.

2.“Scream” – Speaking of, next on our list is the movie that reinvigorated the slasher in the 90’s, “Scream” is a movie I couldn’t not put on this list. The film focuses on high schooler Sydney Prescott, a citizen of the small town of Woodsboro, as it becomes besieged by a murderer dressed like a ghost, attempting to turn Prescott’s life into his own personal horror movie with him as the killer and her as yet another helpless victim. Not only did this film help to inject some new blood into a genre which was growing stale, but “Scream” actually created a new kind of slasher era in the process, the self aware slasher which poked fun at the cliches of the genre and this makes it perfect if you want a scary movie with a healthy amount of snark to it.

3.“Halloween (2018)” Now if you want a slasher that’s a little more…Modern may I recommend “Halloween” from 2018. Not to be confused with the original or the Rob Zombie-made remake, this movie is a direct sequel to the original and, ignoring all the other movies in the franchise, the film deals with Michael Myers escaping from a bus as he is being transported to a new mental hospital returning to the town of Haddonfield to begin his killing spree anew. Laurie Strode, still haunted by her first tangle with the so-called Shape, prepares for battle with him as the Jack-o’-lantern-covered streets of Haddonfield look to be their arena. This film redeemed Myers after numerous sequels deluded him and Zombie did whatever the heck he did with him. This film made him terrifying and brutal while still feeling accurate to the character.

4.“Halloween– Keeping with the so-called Boogeyman, I also just have to recommend the original film in the franchise, also simply called “Halloween” because that’s not confusing at all. The film tells the story of a babysitter that being the aforementioned Strode who just so happens to be babysitting the night that a crazed maniac escaped from the sanitarium he was being held in. Strode is forced to dig deep to protect herself and the children she is caring for as the body count rises. The film, despite telling a somewhat simplistic story and having a shoestring budget, barely had any actual blood on screen and had to spray a William Shatner mask white to make their murderers scary look, managed to succeed big time and spawn one of the biggest slasher movie franchises of all time. If you’re going to watch horror movies this Halloween you can’t forget the classics.

5.“A Nightmare on Elm Street” – Speaking of the classics of course I can’t forget about the so-called man of your nightmares Freddy Krueger. From the Krueger pantheon of movies, I would most recommend the original “A Nightmare on Elm Street” telling the now classic story of Nancy Thompson, who keeps having the same recurring nightmare of a burned man with a bladed glove trying to kill her, which at first just seems to be little more than a dream. Until her friends start having the same dream… And then start dying. Now it’s a race both for Nancy to stay awake and to uncover the sins of her town’s past in order to stop Krueger once and for all.

6.“Friday the 13th” (any movie from the franchise) – And you can’t talk about Krueger without mentioning his mortal enemy, the world’s angriest momma’s boy Jason Voorhees As for what “Friday the 13th” movie I recommend, that’s a hard one, as they vary widely from film to film. If you like traditional slashers then the first five films might be what you’re looking for, just an illusive killer going after disposable teens. If you are more into self-aware and snarky slasher films then “Friday the 13th Part VI: Jason Lives” might be just your speed. But if you’re looking for some of the most insane ridiculous stuff you’ve ever seen in a horror movie then I recommend “Jason X” which somehow sees Voorhees cryogenically frozen for centuries only to begin his killing spree anew on a spaceship. All of that happened in a “Friday the 13th” film and it was great.

7.“Aliens” Keeping on the sci-fi train for a second, I would also recommend the film “Aliens” being a sequel to the classic horror film “Alien.” The movie is a direct sequel to the original and continues the saga of Ellen Ripley, in this entry to the franchise Ripley returns to the sight of the horrors of the first film now flanked by a squad of Colonial Marines to wipe out the Xenomorph threat. Unlike its predecessor, which was built almost entirely on atmosphere and tension broken up by frantic bursts of horror, “Aliens” leans much more heavily into the action genre with the horror still very much there. The Xenomorphs are here and they are not here to play. If you’re a fan of creature features or someone who loves playing the likes of “Doom” or “Halo” then you will enjoy the over-the-top action of this film.

8.“M3GAN” – To stay on the topic of sci-fi horror films a little bit longer, let us turn to something a little more topical with “M3GAN” telling the story of Gemma, a talented roboticist at a successful toy company. Gemma’s life is upended after the death of her sister and brother-in-law she becomes the guardian of her young niece Cady. Unable to fully concentrate on her work and in her eyes not being good at raising Cady, Gemma creates M3GAN, a android both to raise Cady for her, as well as be the next big toy for the company. However, she slowly learns that she made M3GAN a little too well and she’s taking her operating guideline to protect Cady to deadly extremes. This film is incredibly topical considering that we are currently improving Artificial Intelligence by leaps and bounds so this movie seems very – for lack of a better term – real. The movie also manages to be scary without overly graphic having a PG-13 rating.

9.“Happy Death Day” – If you’re looking for PG-13 horror, may I recommend “Happy Death Day.” The movie tells the story of Tree Gelbman, a young free-wheeling college student, who is murdered by a killer in a strange mask the night of her birthday… Only for her to wake up in bed at the start of the day once again. Now in a scenario that can be described as a “Groundhog Day” version of “Scream”, Gelbman closes in on who her killer is resetting the day every time she is murdered, getting closer to the truth with every respawn. This film is perfect for fans of the likes of “Scream” or those who just don’t want a lot of gore in their horror movie.

10.“Killer Klowns from Outer Space” – Now if you’re looking for something a little more zany then “Killer Klowns from Outer Space” which is exactly what it sounds like, alien clowns land in a small American town and start killing people in cartoonish ways, from cotton candy cocoons too shadow puppets which can eat you. The movie is goofy, over-the-top 80’s horror schlock and it’s great. Sure it’s not anything cerebral, but if you want a horror movie that you can have fun with then this fits the bill.

11.“Carrie” – Now if you want a more serious horror film then I recommend the original “Carrie.” This classic horror movie is so significant that it’s preserved in the Library of Congress. Based on the Stephen King novel of the same name, this film tells the now well-known story of Carrie White, a young high school girl who has been bullied and kicked around her whole life. From her fellow students to her Christian zealot mother she’s never gotten a fair shake. Unfortunately for her abusers, White has developed telekinetic powers and is about to turn their lives into the most intense anti-bullying PSA of all time. This movie is perfect for those looking for a cerebral exploration of the effects of parental abuse, social ostracization, or the dangers of religion taken to its very extreme end. It is also perfect for those who just want to see a bullied girl wipe her bullies out in spectacular fashion.

12.“Case 39” – Now another movie I would recommend is one that I feel never got a fair shake and has been mostly forgotten to time. That being “Case 39” focusing on Emily Jenkins, a social worker assigned to the case of Lillith Sullivan, a young girl whose parents appear to be abusing her and after they attempt to murder her in an oven the girl is put into Jenkins’ care. However, as strange murderous events begin to happen around the girl Jenkins starts to suspect her parents may have been right. That there is something hellish within the girl. This film is perfect for those who just want something different, something outside of the normal remakes, sequels and so on. The movie is also genuinely unsettling.

13.“American Psycho” – Finally, to close off this list, I recommend “American Psycho” telling the story of Patrick Bateman. Bateman is a wealthy and successful Wall Street banker in 80’s America. He also happens to be a murderous lunatic with a pension for dropping chainsaws on women and murdering co-workers with an ax for having a better business card than him. As the bodies pile up, what is real and what is a murderous fantasy of Bateman becomes blurred. This movie is perfect for those looking for a cerebral slasher film. The movie, as well as the book, serve as a condemnation of Reaganism and many of the things Ronald Reagan championed. Bateman by his own admission is empty inside, he does everything he was told to do, work hard, get a cushy office job, be well-read and spoken. Yet, for all of his money, beautiful fiance and huge apartment, he feels like he has nothing. He wants more, needs more. He’s empty inside by his own admission and one of the film’s most memorable quotes “I have all the characteristics of a human being. Blood, flesh, skin, hair but not a clear identifiable emotion except for greed and disgust.” He is literally a man who was driven mad by the emptiness of Reaganism and the fact that at the end of the day, he is a simple cog in the machine. A drone easily replaced at the drop of a hat when he is no longer useful. This movie definitely has something to say and says it well.

So there you go, those are my 13 horror movie picks to get you in the mood for Halloween. Please note, The Collegiate is not responsible for any terror, nightmares or distress caused by these movies.

13 screams for Halloween: 13 movies to get you into the Halloween mood - The Collegiate Live (2025)

References

Top Articles
Latest Posts
Recommended Articles
Article information

Author: Aracelis Kilback

Last Updated:

Views: 5273

Rating: 4.3 / 5 (64 voted)

Reviews: 87% of readers found this page helpful

Author information

Name: Aracelis Kilback

Birthday: 1994-11-22

Address: Apt. 895 30151 Green Plain, Lake Mariela, RI 98141

Phone: +5992291857476

Job: Legal Officer

Hobby: LARPing, role-playing games, Slacklining, Reading, Inline skating, Brazilian jiu-jitsu, Dance

Introduction: My name is Aracelis Kilback, I am a nice, gentle, agreeable, joyous, attractive, combative, gifted person who loves writing and wants to share my knowledge and understanding with you.