Halloween movie recommendations: Spooky edition

Spooky season is upon us: the time to go pumpkin picking, draw out your Halloween decorations and binge-watch the best, classic Halloween movies — and pray for a peaceful night of sleep. It’s the best opportunity to take a break from everything and immerse yourself in fictional worlds of terror.

Continuing with our weekly Halloween movie recommendations, here's a list of some of the best spooky Halloween movies to watch this season.

"Halloweentown" (1998)

“Halloweentown” is a Disney classic about a young girl named Marnie who discovers at the age of 13 that she is a witch. Her estranged grandmother brings her to Halloweentown, a mystical place that inhabits witches, ghouls and monsters, whom Marnie and her siblings are presented with the challenge to defeat.

"Hocus Pocus" (1993)

“Hocus Pocus,” another Halloween staple, centers on three witches who are resurrected by a group of teenagers in an abandoned house in Salem, Massachusetts. Max, Dani and Allison, along with the help of a magical cat, must do everything they can to keep the witches from being immortal. The film is directed by an industry favorite, Kenny Ortega, and stars Bette Midler and Sarah Jessica Parker.

"Get Out" (2017)

Moving on from family-friendly movies, “Get Out” is a thriller/comedy that follows a young Black man, Chris, who meets his white girlfriend’s parents for the first time and joins them on a getaway.

The family’s excessive accommodation drives Chris over the edge and plummets him through a series of dark twists and turns. You’re going to want a cuddle buddy for this.

"A Quiet Place" (2018)

“A Quiet Place,” starring the endearing Hollywood couple John Krasinski and Emily Blunt, follows a family that must live in complete silence to avoid being hunted by mysterious creatures with ultra-sensitive hearing. The movie was directed by Krasinski himself and received overwhelmingly positive reviews by audiences and critics alike.

"Scream" (1996)

“Scream,” for those who don’t know, is an innovation within the horror genre in which a teenage girl in a fictional suburban town is targeted by a psychopath killer who uses the plots of horror films to terrorize her and her friends. It is a slasher movie that satirizes horror and elicits a myriad of its titular reference, screams.

"Harry Potter and the Sorcerer’s Stone" (2001)

The first movie in this beloved franchise offers the perfect blend of ghosts, goblins, three-headed dogs, budding friendship and young innocence. It follows Harry on his journey during his first year at Hogwarts battling enemies, making clumsy decisions and coming face-to-face with the evil wizard who started it all. Any Harry Potter movie will do, but this one remains classic in its warmth and nostalgia.

"The Conjuring" (2013)

“The Conjuring” is a widely known horror movie in which the Perron family move into an eerie-looking house in Rhode Island and experience increasingly strange events. In efforts to eradicate their tormentor, they call on the Warren’s to investigate, unraveling the house’s morbid history.

"It" (2017)

This series is one of the first to come up when you think of scary movies. “It” centers on a group of outcast children in Maine who must overcome their fears to take down the shape-shifting monster known as Pennywise, disguised as a bloodthirsty clown.

The second installment, “It Chapter Two,” fast forwards 27 years in the future when the characters are adults and must conquer Pennywise once again. It’s bait as well, but not as frightening as the first.

Some of these picks are ideal for a rainy day spent inside, while others are watched preferably with human company and under hoards of blankets. Grab some popcorn and enjoy!