Looking for a spooky movie to watch on the night of October 31st but tired of re-watching the same Halloween movies every year? Here’s a twist - this is a list of (in my opinion) underrated films that are not about Halloween to watch while munching on some Twix, Reese’s, Snickers, or whatever candy suits your fancy. Watch at your own risk!
Crimson peak (2015) - Guillermo del Toro
Calling all Tom Hiddleston fans - this spooky gothic romance film is set in Victorian-Era England and tells the story of a woman who moves to a gothic house with her new husband and his sister and has to pile the pieces together to solve the haunting of Crimson Peak. Expecting the unexpected is the way to go about watching this film because everything you know is about to be turned upside down...
bram stoker’s dracula (1992) - Francis Ford Coppola
Starring Winona Ryder, Keanu Reeves, and Gary Oldman, the 1992 Bram Stoker’s Dracula is a great retelling of the classic tale not known to many. It follows Vlad Dracula as he becomes a vampire and attempts to avenge his wife Elisabeta, who had committed suicide and was “damned to Hell” after falsely believing Dracula to be dead. After discovering a woman he believes to be Elisabeta’s reincarnated, the film shows Dracula as he makes another attempt to be with her.
Strangers on a train (1951) - alfred Hitchcock
Two bros sitting in a train car, five feet apart because one is a murderer! This queer-coded Hitchcock classic is an underrated pick of his controversial films that could not be overtly portrayed as LGBTQ+ because of the Hays Code, laws established in the 1950s to prohibit overtly LGBTQ+ characters on-screen. The film portrays two men, one of whom suggests to another that they “swap murders” so as to not get caught because neither would have a supposed motive to kill the person. The other man pretends to go along with it, but in reality does not want to so he leaves abruptly, but accidentally leaves on the train his engraved cigar lighter. What happens next?
Unfriended (2015) - Levan Gabriadze
A hidden gem of a horror film with the element of the supernatural mixed into it, Unfriended shows the blood-curdling Skype call of five friends who, one year prior, had bullied high school student Laura Barns into suicide. Filmed completely on a MacBook in what is called the “Screenlife format,” it shows the spirit of Laura coming back to haunt them on their call, forcing them to admit their deepest-held secrets about each other.
Rope (1948) - alfred Hitchcock
Another queer-coded Hitchcock classic is his 1948 film simply titled Rope. A slow burn of a crime thriller, this psychologically stimulating movie shows the murder of a classmate by two men who wish to prove their intellectual superiority by carrying out the “perfect murder.” Following this event, the two throw a dinner party while the body of the deceased stays in a wooden chest in perfect sight of the guests and completely accessible, making the viewer wonder when the men’s crimes will be brought to light, if ever. Fun fact: Hitchcock filmed the entire movie in one shot, allegedly to avoid having scenes cut in violation of the Hays Code laws, which criminalized the portrayal of blatantly LGBTQ+ characters in media.
ENJOY! If you dare...
Celebrating this spooky time of year can be overwhelming, but relaxing with a non-Halloween movie can be the perfect way to unwind. If you're a horror fan, you should check out these movies. If you're not a horror fan, you should still check out these movies (if you're brave enough... MUAHAHAHA.) All these movies involve some of the best scary visual effects out there. They are underrated, so grab your friends and have a movie night together. Whether they are old classics or recent films from the theater, you will enjoy your time with these films! Also, feel free to explore outside this list. There are hundreds, if not thousands, of absolutely fantastic scary movies out there to watch during the spooky season. It's the perfect way to spend your free time and unwind after a long day at the pumpkin patch. Grab your Starbucks Pumpkin Spice Latte and settle in for a thrilling, petrifying, and suspenseful night of movie-watching!