As the Halloween season approaches, so does the release of many new Halloween movies for viewers to enjoy. Whether it’s a horror film with a completely different idea, or possibly the millionth Scream movie we’ve seen in the past years, the theatres are filled to the brim with new movies for everyone to enjoy this spooky season, and I’m here to give you all a few recommendations on the new films that I truly think are worth the watch.
Beetlejuice Beetlejuice
In this thrilling sequel to the 1988 film, ‘Beetlejuice,’ the Deetz family arrives back at Winter River after a family tragedy occurs. While Lydia — a reoccurring character from the 1988 film — continues to be haunted by the idea of Beetlejuice, she didn’t expect that she would be calling his name three times once more when she has to save her daughter, Astrid, from a problem.
This sequel was one I fairly enjoyed, for it complements the 1988 film well. The smooth gradient between humor and solemn moments is one that makes the film worth watching, and it introduces new characters that add to the plot. If you loved the original film, and wish to see more of the troublesome demon known as Beetlejuice on screen, I recommend you watch ‘Beetlejuice Beetlejuice’ as soon as possible. Despite it not being a horror movie, exactly, it’s still a thrilling film that you can laugh at after watching the scariest movies known to man.
Longlegs
In this recent 2024 horror film, we’re enlightened on a story that revolves around a woman named Lee Harker — an FBI agent who’s working on catching a serial killer named Longlegs. Longlegs, being played exceedingly well by Nicolas Cage, lures Harker and those who follow her into series of frightening clues that don’t only leave them with more knowledge about him, but also more trauma given how frightening his ways are. Harker is left to deal with everything just so she can end his reigning killing spree.
The movie itself wasn’t bad, but it didn’t meet the hype I got from watching the trailers. I was expecting something so scary that I would have to turn off the movie and watch Bluey for a few hours, but instead, I was just met with a blank thought about the film. Sure, it was better than a lot of other horror movies coming out at the time, but it was over-hyped. Despite that, it was still a pretty good movie. Nicolas Cage played his role to the point where I had goosebumps, and that intrigued me enough to stay and watch the whole movie. If you enjoy horror movies that include murder and psychotic people, then this one is worth the watch.
A Quiet Place: Day One
Following the other two movies, this film continues the story, but not in the way we would expect. The movie takes place on the day the whole invasion started. Our main protagonists, Sam and Eric, are expected to survive until they can reach an island in the middle of their city — rumored to have no aliens at all. But to survive, they have to remain as quiet as possible unless they want to get killed.
The Quiet Place franchise is one I’ve always enjoyed given how there are moments I truly fear for the characters, and moments I want to scream at them because one of the characters can’t stop breathing so hard for no reason. This movie is exactly like the other two, and possibly better. There are heartwarming scenes included that prove that even in the midst of a horrifying situation, there is still hope and prosperity. I really did enjoy this movie when I watched it — even if some of the scenes irritated me because the characters wouldn’t stop breathing so hard when a monster was right next to them. But despite that, it’s a really good watch that you should add to your Halloween movie list.
Smile 2
Having recently been released, this movie is similar to the first film’s plot, but in a different perspective. A global singer, Skye Riley, starts to have odd experiences happen to her. Everyone around her will randomly begin to creepily smile while telling her horrifying things, and this leads Skye to try and deal with this terrifying experience while being on a world tour.
This film, in my opinion, is better than the original. It has more gore, it provides a better plot line, and it doesn’t make me want to leave the theatre any time the main character says something. The acting is surreal, and it makes you feel like you’re in the movie. Though, towards the end, the CGI becomes fairly noticeable. But, if you don’t mind seeing a few bad CGI scenes, then this movie is one you would enjoy watching.
