MANILA, Philippines — October marks the beginning of the most wonderful time for Halloween fanatics. Fake cobwebs are being brought out, pumpkins are being carved, Halloween-themed sleepovers are being organized.
The celebration is never complete without watching some horror classics. The staples are usually Friday The 13th, Halloween, Scream, The Shining, and — tbh, the scariest of them all — Mean Girls. This year, Netflix wants you to switch it up with newer flicks that will sure give you the chills. Some are sleepover-appropriate while others require a bit of attention (and let’s be real, more lights turned on) than others.
Here are seven films and shows you should check out this season. Some are scarier than others, so check the guide to see how many lights you should keep on while watching them — if you plan on sleeping soundly tonight.
The Haunting of Hill House
Based on the Shirley Jackson novel, which also inspired the 1963 classic horror film The Haunting and its 1999 remake, The Haunting of Hill House makes great use of its 10-episode format by picking apart the intricate pieces and details that make up Jackson’s original work and putting them back together in a whole new way. It centers on the Crain family, who in 1992 moved into an old mansion called Hill House and, in 2018, are reunited and must grapple with the trauma and grief caused by the terrifying paranormal encounters, tragedy and loss they experienced 26 years earlier.?— Fiel Estrella
The Babysitter
Babysitter tropes often involve vulnerable young women and the children under their care, alone in the house, who must survive the night in the company of stalkers, intruders, and/or serial killers. But The Babysitter pulls a major twist on your standard R.L. Stine paperback: this time, the babysitter is the killer, taking part in a Satanic ritual with a bunch of snarky, stabby teens — a fact the babysittee is horrified to discover when he stays up past his bedtime, and must now counteract with only his wits and strategic use of household items. The result is fun, colorful and delightfully gory. Surprisingly heartwarming, even, and worth shedding a few tears over by the end. — FE
Chilling Adventures of Sabrina
Apostle
Lights on:
The Witch
Lights on:
For someone who’s not used to a slow-burn period horror, The Witch can be a bit dragging. It tells the story of a family who was banished from a plantation after the father interpreted the Bible differently. Horrific events unfold in the forest near their hut: Caleb, the son, gets a mysterious sickness after being in the forest, and of course, your quintessential tall, creepy figure who drinks blood for sustenance. Let’s not forget the eerie black goat the children love talking to. The real horror of the movie is in the atmosphere and the build-up. It’s beautiful, yes, but it’s not something you can really watch at a Halloween sleepover. — MM
Holidays
Lights on:
Coraline
Lights on:
Coraline is one of those films that gave many adults nightmares when they were children, and understandably so. It’s a story of a young girl whose parents are far too busy for her liking. When the possibility of having funner, more attentive parents arrives to her through a (forbidden) door, she immediately takes it. However, as with all good things, this has consequences. The new parents must sew buttons on her eyes so she can stay. As with all animated film marketed towards children, it has a good mix of creepy and educational. You can only guess which of the two stuck to us until now. — MM