Top 10 Endlessly Rewatchable Halloween Season Movies

Monday is movies. Today it's Halloween. Here's a list of the horror films I watch and rewatch the most.

It’s Halloween. Happy Halloween for those that believe, for those that celebrate.

I love horror films and so Halloween becomes part of it, the season for the reason as much as being the reason for the season.

What scary film will you watch for Halloween?

This is my list of Top 10 Rewatchable Horror Films – not necessarily the best, just the best to watch many times, the best to put on and be pulled into, to have happy memories, to watch as main feature or in the background:

1. Friday The 13th

(Pretty much could pick any of the first three but going to go with the original since it’s the one I’ve seen the most, including watching it again just a couple of weeks ago. Such a fun film, great Betsy Palmer performance, lots of kills and I get a bit sick of all the chat about it being a Halloween rip-off with a Carrie rip-off ending. I mean, yep, sure, correct or whatever, but who cares. It’s a low budget film with ropey acting and it’s so much fun. And it created a bonkers-but-enduring horror legacy.

2. Poltergeist

The scariest PG film ever? Last year we went to a screening of it on Halloween. It was wonderful. I’ve seen rewatched it a couple of times and I hadn’t much thought about it since my very first viewing. It’s one of those “perfect” films. Everything is so well done. It all works.

3. The Shining

I can watch this movie and get a slightly different feeling each time. All of the Kubrick things to look out for, missing furniture in certain scenes, two different typewriters switched out with no real explanation, and those incredible performances. The existential terror of The Shining makes it a total all-timer.

4. Halloween III: Season of the Witch

Purpose built for the titular holiday/occasion – with its annoying “three more days to Halloween” jingle/chant. I swear if this film was just called Season of the Witch it would be a classic. But because it’s the one film in the famous franchise to go down a different path and leave out Michael it gets a bad rap. I’m not happy with that. I reckon this film is superb.

5. The Black Phone

I’m talking about all-timers, and forever-favourites, but I have to include something new on the list. I loved The Black Phone and I have since rewatched it. My feelings have grown stronger for it to – it’s a film that really gets under the skin, but in a positive way. It has such a lovely coming of age story entwined with the terror, panic and suspense. There’s something ultimately uplifting about this film.

6. Army of Darkness

This is just so funny – watched it recently for the first time in a while and for the first time ever on a big screen. Laughed and laughed like a hyena. Bruce Campbell is near virtuoso in his way with a line. Sometimes you just need silly. (As with Elm Street, Friday, and Halloween, shout to the whole franchise basically…)

7. A Nightmare on Elm Street

My favourite in the series is number 3 – Dream Warriors. I have a special place in my heart for number 2 – Freddy’s Revenge – I really love Wes Craven’s New Night Nightmare. Hell, all up, this is the reason I love horror – this franchise is what sealed the deal. But if you want a trim, taut, scary, wonderful film to watch you dig out the original. It’s inventive and sharp and has this Vaseline-lens world of its own that I just love.

8. Scream

This is the modern classic. And because I have a young son getting into horror, I’ve revisited Scream a few times in recent years – and it really has held up masterfully. And if you want to go do the meta road of having commentary about horror while within horror this is obviously the one. It also inspired a lot of really shitty horror. But don’t think about that. Just watch.

9. Halloween

I’ve watched the original Halloween film so often – maybe more than any other film on this list (with the possible exception of The Shining) and it is never a disappointment. It’s also carried, I believe, forever, by Carpenter’s incredible score. His direction, Jamie Lee Curtis, the script, all of the elements are wonderful. But that music.

10. The Texas Chainsaw Massacre

The first time I saw this I didn’t know what I was watching. Another time I watched, brutally hungover, and I swear I could smell the film. It’s weird and messed up and it’s wonderful. A perfect horror film.

Well, that’s the list for today, for this year.

It might all seem pretty safe and obvious, but this is my Halloween Season comfort food – so it's meant to be that way.

What would be on your list?

And what scary movie are you planning to watch this year?