November 5, 2024
Top 10 Halloween Movies and Series to Watch

If October is here, Halloween won’t be far behind. It’s time to binge-watch your favorite horror movies. Aside from the costumes and pumpkins, the movies play a major role. In this list, we ranked horror films from most to least scary, and we are talking about classics. Let’s be real all of us are not as strong-hearted to sit through an entire Stephen King-adapted film. Here is a list of the top 10 movies and series to watch this Halloween.

Rosemary’s Baby (1968)

American psychological horror movie Rosemary’s Baby is based on Ira Levin’s 1967 novel of the same name. Written and directed by Roman Polanski, the film stars Mia Farrow, John Cassavetes, Ruth Gordon, Sidney Blackmer, Maurice Evans, and more. The film follows a young pregnant woman living in Manhattan. She suspects that her elderly neighbors are Satanic cult members and they are grooming her to use her baby for their rituals. Ruth Gordon won the Academy for Best Supporting Actress at the 41st Academy Awards.

The Shining (1980)

Directed by Stanley Kubrick, The Shining is based on Stephen King’s 199 novel of the same name. The film stars Jack Nicholson, Danny Lloyd, Shelley Duvall, and Scatman Crothers. The film follows Jack Torrance, a writer and recovering alcoholic who gets a job at Overlook Hotel. His young son Danny has psychic abilities. Danny’s imaginary friend Tony warns him that this hotel is haunted before a storm leaves the family snowbound in the Colorado Rockies. Jack’s sanitary deteriorates, and Danny and his mother Wendy face danger.

It (2017)

Directed by Andy Muschietti It or It Chapter One (2017) is an American supernatural horror film. The film is based on Stephen King’s 1986 novel of the same name. It stars Jaeden Lieberher and Bill Skarsgård as the lead roles, with Jeremy Ray Taylor, Sophia Lillis, Finn Wolfhard, Wyatt Oleff, Nicholas Hamilton, Chosen Jacobs, Jack Dylan Grazer, and Jackson Robert Scott featured in supporting roles. The film is set in the town of Derry, Maine. A group of children must battle with an interdimensional that is the embodiment of their town’s hatred.

Hannibal Series

All movies and TV series of the Hannibal franchise are based on Thomas Harris’s novels – Red Dragon (1981), The Silence of the Lambs(1981), Hannibal, and Hannibal Rising.  The first adaptation was Manhunter (1986) which was based on Red Dragon. Directed by Michael Mann, the film stars Brian Cox as Hannibal Lecter. casper 1995 The next adaptation The Silence of the Lambs (1991) was directed by Jonathan Demme. It was the first film to feature Anthony Hopkins as the titular character. The next two films Hannibal (2001) and Red Dragon (2002) also stars Hopkins. The films are directed by Ridley Scott and Brett Ratner, respectively. Hannibal Rising (2007) is a prequel and stars Gaspard Ulliel as Hannibal Lecter. Thomas Harris is the screenwriter of the film and Peter Webber directs it.

Jack Crawford recruits FBI profiler Will Graham to help investigate a killer in Minnesota. Looking at Will’s mental state, Crawford asks forensic psychiatrist Dr. Hannibal Lecter to supervise Will. Lecter is secretly a cannibal and serial killer. He manipulates the FBI’s investigation. Being fascinated by Will’s ability to empathize with psychopaths and killers, Lecter uses Will’s fragility to turn him into a killer. The series is based on characters and elements of Thomas’s Harris novels. Hannibal TV Series stars Hugh Dancy (Will Graham), Dr. Hannibal Lecter (Mads Mikkelsen), and Laurence Fishburne (Jack Crawford). Aside from them, the cast includes Caroline Dhavernas, Gillian Anderson, Hettienne Park, and more.

Psycho (1960)

Starring Anthony Perkins, Janet Leigh, John Gavin, and Vera Miles, the classic American horror film Psycho is directed by Alfred Hitchcock. The film centers on an encounter between Norman Bates (Anthony Perkins) and Marion Crane (Janet Leigh). Crane, on the run with some stolen money, decides to rest at a motel owned by Norman Bates. Marion’s lover Sam Loomis (John Gavin) and her sister (Vera Miles) investigate Marion’s disappearance and find out a horrifying and grim aspect of Bates.

Donnie Darko (2001)

Directed by Tim Burton and starring Johnny Depp and Christina Ricci, Sleepy Hollow is loosely based on Washington Irving’s 1820 story “The Legend of Sleepy Hollow.” The plot follows Ichabod Crane (Depp), a police constable sent from New York City to investigate murders in Sleepy Hollow village by an enigmatic Headless Horseman. Aside from the two main characters, the cast includes Miranda Richardson, Michael Gambon, Casper Van Dien, Christopher Lee, and Jeffrey Jones.

E.T. the Extra-Terrestrial (1982)

Directed by Steven Spielberg E.T. the Extra-Terrestrial is a science-fiction film. The film follows the story of Elliott who befriends an extraterrestrial who is left behind on this planet. Along with his family and friends, he must find a way to help E.T. find his way home. E.T.’s concept was based on imaginary friends that the director created after his parent’s divorce. The film stars Dee Wallace, Peter Coyote, Robert MacNaughton, Henry Thomas, and Drew Barrymore.

Harry Potter is a film series based on the eponymous novels by J. K. Rowling. Four directors worked on the series: Chris Columbus, Alfonso Cuarón, Mike Newell, and David Yates. The series consists of eight fantasy films:

  • Harry Potter and the Philosopher’s Stone (2001)
  • Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets (2002)
  • Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban (2004)
  • Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire (2005)
  • Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix (2007)
  • Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince (2009)
  • Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows Part 1 (2010)
  • Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows Part 2 (2011)

Harry Potter film series follows the titular character’s journey from childhood, to Hogwarts School, and ultimately battling with Lord Voldemort (Ralph Fiennes). The three main actors in the film are Daniel Radcliffe (Harry Potter), Emma Stone (Hermione Granger), and Rupert Grint (Ron Weasley). Aside from them, popular cast members include Tom Felton as Draco Malfoy, Alan Rickman as Severus Snape, Robbie Coltrane as Rubeus Hagrid, and Dame Maggie Smith as Minerva McGonagall.

Directed by Brad Silberling, Casper is a 1995 American live-action comedy-drama film. It is based on the Harvey Comics cartoon character Casper the Friendly Ghost.  The film stars Christina Ricci, Bill Pullman, Cathy Moriarty, and Eric Idle. It is the first feature film to have a fully CGI character. Casper is a young and kind ghost who haunts a mansion in Maine. James Harvey arrives to communicate with Casper and brings Kat, his teen daughter. Casper and Kat’s budding relationship is complicated due to Casper’s transparent state and also because of his troublemaking apparition uncles and antics.

If you have any questions regarding Halloween movies, feel free to ask in the comments below. For more content, stay tuned. As usual, like, subscribe, and share our articles as we are trying to build a community of people High On Cinema!