This is the list of our 11 Nights of Spooky Freaky Reviews – must-see movies and TV shows to get you ready for Halloween.
SINISTER 🤩
11 Nights of Halloween: Overlooked Gem – Sinister
Aaron Goldstein
“Bad things happen to good people and they still have to have their story told.”
I keep telling myself I am a grown man, I shouldn’t have to sleep with a light on. Then I remind myself that I rewatched SINISTER, the scariest film from 2012 and I’m doing everything in my power to not have nightmares.
It is available to stream on Peacock.
ASH VS EVIL DEAD 🤩
11 Nights of Halloween: TV COMEDY – ASH VS EVIL DEAD
Aaron Goldstein
Starz boldy turned a horror comedy into 3 seasons of binge worthy Halloween junk food. There’s an abundance of offensively funny lines like, “I’m gonna be like a ninja losing his virginity. Quick and discreet” that are LOL worthy and over-the-top gore sequences that may or may not involve Ash fighting the undead from inside of a rectum. 🍑
So pack your boomsticks, keep your Necronomicon safe and watch ASH VS THE EVIL DEAD this October.
It is available to stream on Starz.
THE SHAPE OF WATER 🤩
11 Nights of Halloween: ROMANCE – THE SHAPE OF WATER
Aaron Goldstein
Guillermo del Toro’s Oscar winning classic is a buffet of recycled ideas made with love. I could SFR this one for days, but instead I leave you with three quotes from GDT that inspired this work:
“An idea is a building. If you go through the front door, it’s boring.”
“There are no original ideas, the synthesis of your voice is the art.”
“The essence of love is not transformation – it’s acceptance”
It is available to rent on Amazon, Google, Vudu, YouTube and iTunes.
MONSTER HOUSE 🤩
11 Nights of Halloween: ANIMATED – MONSTER HOUSE
Aaron Goldstein
A tragic ghost horror story disguised as a kid’s movie captured my heart back in 2006. This monster deserves to be welcomed into your house this Halloween.
It is available to stream on Peacock.
THE DEVIL’S BACKBONE 🤩
11 Nights of Halloween: FOREIGN – THE DEVIL’S BACKBONE
Aaron Goldstein
Guillermo del Toro on THE DEVIL’S BACKBONE: “The politics within the walls of the school serve as a microcosm for the politics raging outside: Fascists, Communists and Republicans all vie for supremacy.”
Rule #750 in horror, “thou shalt not kill kids.” When thou does, the rules are thrown out the window.
Leave it to Del Toro to not only break the rules in this overlooked Spanish orphanage ghost story, but also have a timely hidden political theme expertly woven into the film’s fabric.
It is available to rent on Amazon, Google, Vudu, YouTube and iTunes.
HEREDITARY 🤩
11 Nights of Halloween: CREEPY – HEREDITARY
Tarush Mohanti
Ari Aster’s HEREDITARY is a slow-burn, heavy family drama delivered in a deeply disturbing horror package. If you’re looking for a fun and spooky Halloween romp, this isn’t it. This movie does have its fair share of creepy visuals, but what still sticks with me is Toni Collette and Alex Wolff’s haunting and intense performances.
It is available to stream on Amazon Prime Video.
IT FOLLOWS 🤩
11 Nights of Halloween: INDIE – IT FOLLOWS
Aaron Goldstein
Please follow my lead and watch this indie gem as it will be remembered for two things and one anecdotal story:
For figuring out how to capture 360 degree immersive storytelling before it was even a thing.
Making horror tropes the opposite of what one suspects. #SexIsGood
Anecdotal story – I saw it alone in an empty movie theater…well, it was empty until the projectionist played a trick and screamed during an extremely creepy part. 😱
It is available to stream on Peacock.
THE HAUNTING OF BLY MANOR 🤩
11 Nights of Halloween: TV DRAMA- THE HAUNTING OF BLY MANOR
Aaron Goldstein
THE HAUNTING OF BLY MANOR poetically showcases that true love is a supernatural force that either destroys or empowers you. It’s a horror story that is one of the best ghosts…scratch that, love stories of 2020.
Episode 1. I am not sleeping with the lights off 🤩
Episode 2. Wait, is this a puzzle or a horror show? 🤩
Episode 3. Is Oliver Jackson-Cohen playing the same character from THE INVISIBLE MAN? 🙂
Episode 4: This is not quite the spectacle reveal it intended to be… 😊
Episode 5: “Well,” that wasn’t what I was expecting… 🤩
Episode 6: This episode is far from being perfectly splendid and the weakest in the series so far. 🙂
Episode 7: Meep Meep! 🤩
Episode 8: Flashback story for the win! 🤩
Episode 9: #ImNotCryingYoureCrying 🤩
It is available to fall in love with on Netflix
THE CABIN IN THE WOODS 🤩
11 Nights of Halloween: NERD ALERT – THE CABIN IN THE WOODS
Aaron Goldstein
You can not have a Halloween list without at least one movie that takes place with a “cabin” in some sort of “woods.”
It is available to stream on Amazon Prime Video.
THE WITCH 🤩
11 Nights of Halloween: ARTSY – THE WITCH
Tarush Mohanti
THE WITCH is a slow-burn, period horror built around self-fulfilling prophecy and societal expectations. Aside from the beautifully haunting visuals of 17th century New England and great cast (Anya Taylor-Joy, Kate Dickie), I love the thought-provoking questions the movie brings up around family, faith, and goodness.
I’ve seen this movie 3 times, and what I love most is that it really does deliver on the tagline “A New England Folktale.” Watching it feels like someone’s telling you a story, and while the movie is definitely suspenseful and unsettling, a lot of the horror feels implied – and that makes it stick so much more.
It is available to rent on Amazon, Google, Vudu, YouTube and iTunes.
A QUIET PLACE 🤩
11 Nights of Halloween: GENRE GOLD – A QUIET PLACE
Aaron Goldstein
Five viewings later and A QUIET PLACE is still the top movie from 2018 and possibly one of the greatest genre movies of all time. The plot of a family attempting to go outside feels oddly familiar…subbing an invisible enemy for one that can be seen…just don’t make a sound.
The film pays brilliant homage to BUFFY THE VAMPIRE SLAYER’s best episode, HUSH by adding more empathy, characters and most importantly, the struggle to try keep you and your family alive during a pandemic.
It is available to rent on Amazon, Google, Vudu, YouTube and iTunes.
