Written by Carrie Bergan

It’s officially fall, and that means the best time of year is here! The season for the holidays begins and the best weather is here. Sweater weather, autumn, whatever you want to call it, has kicked off, and boy has it started off a little on the cooler side, at least for me. I’m in the Midwest, in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, and I was just recently in Chicago for Riot Fest. We went from sticky, soupy, humid 80s to wet, cold 60s. Brrr! My ideal temperature right now is like seventy. Anyways, I’m getting distracted. Fall means holidays are fast approaching, and we kick it off with Halloween!! I love Halloween and the fun adventure of dressing up in costume. Besides that, the best part is all of the movies you can watch, and I’m here to share with you some of my favorite fall picks. I am going to make sure to emphasize the Halloween films, but I know not everyone is super into the holiday or horror movies, so there will be recommendations for everyone! I’ve got three different categories for you, and I’ll be sharing my top three for each one.

I am going to start off with the scary thriller ones. I admit, I am a complete chicken when it comes to these movies, so my husband is the one that introduced me to many.

SCARY HORROR MOVIES

  1. Scream: It’s a classic slasher horror movie, but what gives it a fun comedic twist is that the whole plot is to make fun of scary movies. It is absolutely one of my favorite ones to rewatch and the best of the franchise. Scream 6 comes in a close second, but the original is hands-down the best one.
  2. Us: This is definitely a bone chiller, especially when you get to the very end for a massive plot twist. This movie is directed by Jordan Peele, who is also known for the movies Get Out and Nope, which are also both very intense films. All of which have this sense of uneasiness and discomfort the more you watch the film.
  3. Ready or Not: Not the scariest of the three, but definitely one of the bloodier options. Essentially a deadly game of ready or not where the object is to not die. Pretty straightforward enough, but there is enough of a lore backstory that lends itself to its sequel, which, if you watch this one, you should make it a double feature. If you remember correctly, I actually wrote a movie review of the second one that you can read on here. It is one of the best sequel movies I’ve seen in a long time.

Honorable mention recommendations for scary category: Cabin in the Woods, Child’s Play, and Alien.

Next up is the Halloween favorites, and these are more family friendly but definitely focus on Halloween.

FUN HALLOWEEN CLASSICS

  1. The Nightmare Before Christmas: Yes, I am a firm believer that this movie is for both holidays. It takes place primarily in Halloweentown, with the opening song being, “This is Halloween,” but it does celebrate Christmas and we see Santa Claus. Best of both worlds in my opinion. I am an avid fan of Tim Burton’s works, and this is definitely my favorite out of the ones I have been able to watch.
  2. Scooby-Doo: The live-action one where the gang all go to Spooky Island! Scooby-Doo is a must-watch for the Halloween season. From the mystery solving to the monsters, it’s a good time for everyone. You can also make this one a double feature since there is a sequel. Not to mention the cast for the film is stellar. Shaggy might look a little familiar if you know the ins and outs of the Scream franchise. Matthew Lillard, the man that he is! Ah!
  3. Halloweentown: As someone who grew up on Disney, getting to introduce my husband to the world of Halloweentown definitely was a treat. We don’t speak about the “fourth one” because that does not exist, but a three-film marathon, let’s go! Witches, pumpkins, and dark magic? What more do you need?

Honorable mention recommendations for the fun Halloween classics category: Beetlejuice, Hocus Pocus, Twitches, It’s the Great Pumpkin, Charlie Brown, and Ghostbusters.

Lastly, I’m going to give you more fall recommendations and maybe lean into the Thanksgiving aspect, because it’s also fall. Except, I lied. There’s really only one movie that matters, and it’s A Charlie Brown Thanksgiving. You cannot go wrong with even more Charlie Brown and all the friends of Peanuts because they really just bring the joy for every season.

So there you have it. Comment below what your favorite spooky or fun Halloween classics are to watch this season.