While Halloween will certainly look different this year due to COVID-19, drinking a cup of hot apple cider and watching a scary movie is a safe and cozy way to enjoy the season. I polled a sample of DU students about their favorite scary movies and compiled the top five, summaries included. Keep in mind, this is a spoiler-free zone.
In fifth place is Tim Burton’s “Corpse Bride,” a 2000s favorite characterized by Burton’s signature creepy and unique animation style. It follows Victor and Victoria, who are arranged to be married. Victor is nervous about the marriage and practices his vows in a ghostly forest. This is where he accidentally proposes to Emily, a decomposing bride who was murdered during her elopement. Victor must return to the land of the living before Victoria marries another man. The “Corpse Bride” is lighthearted, nostalgic and a Halloween favorite for many DU students.
On a scarier note is the 2012 horror/thriller “Sinister.” This movie follows a true-crime writer desperate for a new bestseller. When he discovers the existence of home videos that show the death of a family, he becomes determined to solve the mystery for his new book. He moves his family into the victim’s old house, only to learn through strange occurrences inside the house and in the videos that something supernatural is lurking in the shadows.
In third place is “Friday the 13th,” a cheesy and classic slasher. Made in 1980, it follows a group of exuberant young adults at a summer camp (despite the area’s dark history of murder). Sure enough, they find themselves stalked by a murderer whose iconic white mask prevails in pop culture to this day. Needless to say, the murderer does more than stalking.
Following up next is one of my personal favorites, “The Shining.” If you prefer more psychologically disturbing movies, this iconic Stanley Kubrick film adapted from a Stephen King novel is ideal. The movie follows Jack Torrance, a writer plagued with writer’s block, who decides to become a winter caretaker for the Overlook Hotel. He moves in with his wife and son, Danny, who suffers from strange premonitions. As winter engulfs the hotel, Jack’s writing goes nowhere. Dark secrets about the hotel begin to become clear to the family, and Jack slowly spirals into homicidal mania.
And finally, when it comes to DU students’ favorite Halloween movie, “Coraline” takes the cake. This eerie animated film from 2009 traumatized many children, myself included. It is similar to the atmospheric animation style of “Corpse Bride.” It follows a girl who moves into an old house with her family. Dissatisfied with her family and new life, she discovers a secret door in the house that leads to a world that closely mirrors her own, but it is significantly better. When the ideal version of her mother tries to keep her there forever, Coraline must fight to make it back to her real life.
These were some of DU students’ favorite movies to watch this season. Honorable mentions include “Halloween,” “Get Out,” “Psycho,” “Hocus Pocus,” “The Nightmare Before Christmas,” and “Scream.” If you have time during the weekend, relax and watch a scary movie—as bone-chilling or cheesy as you desire.
