By Teresa Ugarte
We’ve all been there. It’s October, you’re in the spooky spirit and you want to celebrate, but you or one of your friends absolutely cannot handle watching horror movies. Thankfully, there’s plenty of things to watch that’ll get you in the Halloween mood without scaring the crap out of you. Here are 13 things to watch this season that’ll put you in the Halloween spirit without giving you nightmares through Christmas.
- “The Twilight Zone”
“The Twilight Zone” still holds up to this day as one of the most terrifying not-terrifying shows out there. It won’t hit you with a jumpscare, but it’ll definitely mess with your head. The spooky music and psychological horror elements make it perfect for Halloween.
2. “Rocky Horror Picture Show”
A cult classic that’s most fun to watch live. This movie is kind of insane and has a bizarre plot, but the music is awesome enough to make up for everything.
3. “The Chilling Adventures Of Sabrina”
“The Chilling Adventures of Sabrina” is sort of like if every episode of “Riverdale” was a Halloween special. It takes the classic “Sabrina the Teenage Witch” we all know and love and makes everything slightly demonic. It’s definitely creepy at times, but it’s still at its core a teen drama.
4. “iZombie”
“iZombie” is a hilariously clever show about a woman who gets turned into a zombie, and then has to hide the fact that she eats brains from her friends and family. It follows a mystery-of-the-week format where zombie Liv Moore and her medical examiner friend solve murder mysteries with the help of an oblivious police detective. This show is great year-round, but especially fun during October.
5. “The Addams Family” (1991)
An absolute classic Halloween film without any nightmare-inducing elements. Follow the eccentric Addams family on their adventures, and live in a world where the gothic and maccabe are the default.
6. “Buzzfeed Unsolved: Supernatural”
A believer in the supernatural and a denier discuss so-called supernatural events that have not been proven one way or the other. There’s ghost hunting, demon taunting and even a sasquatch hunt. The hilarious dynamic between the two hosts keep things light and fun even if the subject matter gets spooky.
7. “The Nightmare Before Christmas”
There may be a debate as to whether “The Nightmare Before Christmas” belongs in the realm of Christmas or Halloween movies, but the creepy aesthetic and “This is Halloween” song place it firmly in the Halloween category in my book. The style of the characters and setting may freak out little kids, but this movie isn’t really scary to anyone over the age of 13.
8. “Hocus Pocus”
Three salem witches are accidentally resurrected by some teenagers. Hilarity ensues.
9. “Coraline”
“Coraline” is made for kids, but that doesn’t mean it isn’t kind of freaky. Based on the novel of the same name by Neil Gaiman, “Coraline” follows the story of a girl who finds an alternate dimension in her closet and has to fight her way back home.
10. “The Curious Creations of Christine McConnell”
This absurdist take on a lifestyle show is perfect for fall. McConnell bakes poisoned candied apples, gingerbread haunted houses and much more, aided by her monsterous puppet friends. It’s equal parts delightful and disturbing.
11. “A Series Of Unfortunate Events”
This show, based off the children’s books by Lemony Snicket, follows the lives of three orphans as they are pursued by an evil count trying to steal their fortune. The campiness and mild horror elements make it a fun Halloween watch.
12. “Ghostbusters”
This movie is a classic year-round, but the supernatural elements make it the perfect movie to bust out in October.
13. “The Haunting of Hill House”
“The Haunting of Hill House” is undoubtedly the scariest piece of media on this list, but it still doesn’t hold a candle to most horror movies. It follows the story of five siblings who are desperately trying to escape the (literal) ghosts of their childhood from the summer they lived in a haunted house. This show is a great compromise between horror movie aficionados and their less thrill-seeking friends. There are tons of supernatural and horror elements, but it doesn’t become too gory or reliant on jump scares.
Featured Photo Credit: Courtesy of Pixabay.
Teresa Ugarte is a sophomore English major and can be reached at teugarte@terpmail.umd.edu.
