With Halloween coming up on Friday, it is time to get the spooky-themed films out. But perhaps the typical slasher films or the suspenseful thrillers are not to your taste? I’ve come up with three alternative scary films to watch that give off a bit of a different vibe. Think absurd arthouse with a pinch of period drama as a theme. Here are three recommendations for your Halloween viewing – I know I’ll be tuning in.
Ahead of the release of Emerald Fennell’s Wuthering Heights adaptation, it might be a good idea to look back to 2011 and watch the adaptation of the Gothic romantic drama film directed by Andrea Arnold. The screenplay was written by Arnold and Olivia Hetreed and is, of course, based on Emily Brontë’s 1847 novel of the same name. The film has an October feel in that it is moody, atmospheric and has a bleak yet poignant storyline. This version starring Kaya Scodelario as Catherine Earnshaw and James Howson as Heathcliff was powerful, and I believe it to be quite underrated. It is a great choice for a Halloween film if you prefer reality with a twist to complete pretend.
Edward Scissorhands is a classic Halloween costume, but have you ever watched the film? It follows Edward, a synthetic man with scissor hands, who is taken in by Peg, a kindly Avon lady, after the passing of his inventor. But when things take a turn for the worse, he is blamed for a crime he did not commit, and so the story ensues. Released in 1990, Edward Scissorhands is a gothic romantic fantasy film directed by Tim Burton, a Halloween icon. The film stars Johnny Depp as the title character, along with Winona Ryder, Dianne Wiest, Anthony Michael Hall, Kathy Baker, Vincent Price, and Alan Arkin.
Finally, a film that’s perfect for an October watch. The film marked somewhat of a comeback for Demi Moore, and what a way to burst back onto our screens, literally. The Substance is a 2024 body horror film written and directed by Coralie Fargeat. Starring Demi Moore, Margaret Qualley, and Dennis Quaid, the film follows Elisabeth Sparkle (Moore), a fading celebrity who, after being fired by her producer (Quaid) due to her age, uses a black market drug that creates a younger version of herself (Qualley) with unexpected side effects. The Substance is full of satirical elements and grotesque, hyperrealistic imagery – it was so absurd and not like anything I’d ever seen. If you want a witty Halloween movie, this should be it.