Spoiler Warning: Minor spoilers may be present for some of the titles on this list.
Happy Spooktober!
It’s officially the spookiest, scariest, most horrifying month of the year, and that can only mean one thing: it’s time to watch some horror films! Horror is not my favourite genre most of the time, but when October rolls around I’m happy to dip my toes in the dark waters of the scary side of cinema.
There have been some exceptional horror films made over the years, and the genre is currently in vogue. Some of the biggest films of the last decade have been in the horror genre; titles like Stephen King’s It, A Quiet Place, and The Conjuring all come to mind. These blockbusters broke out of the horror niche to attract huge audiences – and that’s great!
When I was a kid, I moved in nerdy friendship groups where watching horror films was almost a rite of passage. Being able to brag that you’d watched a particularly scary film at the cinema (or rented it on VHS from the shop) was a big deal – though I’m sure most of us were just putting on a brave face in those days! As mentioned, though, I’m not the world’s biggest horror fan these days, and when I do choose something spooky for Halloween, it tends to be a lighter, more kid-friendly title! I guess I’m just a big old scaredy-cat.
So to mark the arrival of Spooky Season, let’s pick five horror films that I think are worth watching. I’ve had fun with all of these films over the years, and I recommend each of them.
As always, my usual caveats apply: this is by no means an exhaustive list! There are literally thousands of horror films out there, and I’m only picking a few on this occasion. And all of this is simply the subjective opinion of one person – a person who isn’t a big horror fan! So if I pick a film you loathe or skip a film you think should be included… that’s okay! There’s plenty of room for differences of opinion when talking about cinema.
With all of that out of the way, let’s jump into the spookiest list I’ve ever put together!
Film #1:
Nosferatu: A Symphony of Horror
1922
Let’s step back in time to the earliest days of cinema and watch a bona fide classic! I watched Nosferatu for the very first time this year, and while silent films are usually not my thing at all… I have to say that I found a surprisingly coherent film. The story behind Nosferatu is almost as compelling as the film itself: it was produced in Germany just after the end of the First World War, and ended up being sued by the estate of author Bram Stoker as a shameless rip-off of his Dracula novel. The film’s producers lost the case and were ordered to destroy all copies and prints of Nosferatu – but thankfully some survived!
You know the classic vampire story by now: Count Orlok (no, his name isn’t Nosferatu!) lives in a castle in Transylvania, feeding on the blood of innocent humans. He moves to Germany to continue his reign of terror, after enlisting a man to buy a house for him there. But can he be stopped in time? One of the all-time classics of cinema, and a film that did more than most to establish the foundations of the horror genre, Nosferatu is worth a watch for any horror fan. With the film being out of copyright, you can find high-quality copies online with ease.
Film #2:
The Hole
2001
This film really creeped me out when I first watched it! The Hole recounts the story of a group of teenagers who become trapped in an underground bunker having sneaked inside to throw a party. As the situation becomes increasingly desperate, some of them are killed in pretty gruesome ways. The film documents the descent into madness of its main characters, and touches on some pretty dark themes along the way.
The Hole was an early project for Keira Knightley, who later went on to star in films like Pirates of the Caribbean and 2005’s Pride & Prejudice. Thora Birch takes the lead role, and The Hole tells a really disturbing tale of teenage love gone horribly wrong. There are twists and turns along the way, and I was on the edge of my seat most of the time.
Film #3:
Annihilation
2018
Annihilation seems to be overlooked, but it’s a surprisingly strong sci-fi/horror title that’s well worth your time. There are some genuinely shocking “mutated” animals, and moments of body horror as the mysterious Shimmer begins to affect the humans sent to find out what’s happening inside it. There are relatively few out-and-out jump-scares, which is something I appreciated, but there are plenty of moments in the film that linger long after the credits have rolled.
There’s some technobabble about how the alien Shimmer is distorting the DNA of the plants and creatures within its boundary, and the scientific focus of the expedition is something relatively uncommon in the horror field. Alex Garland, who directed Annihilation, also directed 2024’s Civil War – a review of which you can find by clicking or tapping here, if you’re interested.
Film #4:
Pan’s Labyrinth (El Laberinto del Fauno)
2006
I think there are enough disturbing and scary moments in Guillermo del Toro’s Pan’s Labyrinth to earn it a place on a list like this one! It’s actually been a while since I watched it, but some scenes and moments are still etched in my mind eighteen years later. Young Ofelia is tasked with completing three trials to prove her worth as the reincarnation of a princess from a fairy-tale realm.
Some of the puppets and prosthetics created for Pan’s Labyrinth are truly outstanding – and grotesque. And the film’s twin storylines set in the dark underworld and Francoist Spain are both deeply engaging. The young performer who took on the incredibly challenging role of Ofelia really excelled, and del Toro’s direction is fantastic as well. A disturbing film in many ways… and well worth a watch.
Film #5:
Hotel Transylvania
2012
Despite its themes of death and horror, Halloween is still a holiday for the little ones! So I’ve chosen to include a kid-friendly entry on the list, and this year it’s the turn of Hotel Transylvania. The original film was a blast, as an unexpected human guest shows up at Dracula’s hotel – which is supposed to be a refuge for monsters, vampires, ghouls, and other horror movie staples.
What ensues is a classic comedy with a romantic sub-plot, one set against the backdrop of a haunted hotel/castle populated by Dracula and his clan. There’s a ton of fun to be had here, especially at Halloween, and Adam Sandler puts in what might just be my favourite performance of his as this version of Count Dracula. Hotel Transylvania has since been spun into a franchise – because of course it has – but for me, the first film is still the best of the bunch.
Bonus TV Series:
The Terror Season 1
(2018)
In addition to the films listed above, I thought it could be fun to highlight one of my favourite horror TV shows of the last few years. The Terror takes Franklin’s lost expedition to the Arctic as its starting point, and weaves a tale of explorers trapped on the ice while being hunted by a soul-eating monster. The crew of the expedition grow increasingly desperate as they’re snowbound and trapped in ice, leading to a desperate bid to reach civilisation.
The monster in The Terror is largely unseen (in the style of films like Jaws), and I think it works incredibly well. There are excellent performances from Jared Harris, Tobias Menzies, and Adam Nagaitis, among others, and the world of The Terror’s first season really grabbed me and pulled me into the world of the mid-19th Century. At time of writing, a third season of this anthology series has just been greenlit, so maybe we’ll watch that together next Halloween. Is that the first time you’ve seen someone mention Halloween 2025?
So that’s it!
We’ve picked five spooky films – and one bonus spooky TV programme – to watch this October.
I hope this has been a bit of fun. I like to branch out and explore some horror films at this time of year – even though I wouldn’t usually devote much time to the genre. There are a couple of films and series on the horizon that I’d like to take a look at this month, too, and I have a couple of other Halloweeny ideas that may (or may not) make their way onto the website before the 31st. So I hope you’ll stay tuned here on Trekking with Dead-nnis… if you dare!
All that’s left is for me to wish you a happy and spooky October. This really is my favourite time of year!
All films and TV shows discussed above are the copyright of their respective studio, broadcaster, distributor, or company. Some stock images courtesy of Unsplash and Pixabay. This article contains the thoughts and opinions of one person only and is not intended to cause any offence.
Trekking with Dennis 