Scary movies are a great way to get into the spirit of Halloween. There are hundreds of great thriller movies to watch this October, but there are a few, in my opinion, that set themselves apart from the rest. Here are my top five thriller movies for you to watch this Halloween season.
Fear
“Fear” is a great movie that keeps you on the edge of your seat. The movie follows a young girl by the name of Nicole (Reese Witherspoon) and her boyfriend David (Mark Wahlberg). At first, David seems like a nice enough guy but throughout the movie, he starts to show signs of aggression. Nicole’s father Steve (William Peterson) dislikes David, especially after he learns that he hit Nicole. David believes that Nicole’s family, especially Steve, is getting in the way of their relationship and devises an evil scheme to make sure he has her all to himself.
The Shining
One of the most iconic horror films of all time, “The Shining” is a must-watch for anyone who is yet to have watched it. “The Shining” follows the story of the married couple Jack Torrance (Jack Nicholson) and Wendy Torrance (Shelly Duvall), as well as their son Danny Torrance (Danny Lloyd). The Torrance family moves into a hotel in the mountains in Colorado for one winter to watch it while it is closed for the season. Jack is a writer and spends his days working on his upcoming book. The hotel has a haunting past which Danny seems to know about even though he is only five years old and has never been to the hotel before. Both he and his father encounter spirits in the hotel. Jack starts to go mad with cabin fever and Wendy and Danny are in trouble once Jack finally snaps.
Halloween
“Halloween” is a staple movie during October for obvious reasons. It follows the story of Laurie (Jamie Lee Curtis) and a crazed man who escapes a mental hospital, Michael Myers (Nick Castle). Myers’s psychiatrist Dr. Samuel Loomis (Donald Pleasence) knows him better than anyone and investigates and tries to apprehend Michael before he can harm anyone. Loomis knows Michael will return to where his criminal record started, at his old home. Michael is in the hospital for murdering his sister at just six years old on Halloween in 1963. He returns to his old home where Laurie is babysitting and terrorizes Laurie, Tommy Doyle (Brian Andrews) and Laurie’s friends on Halloween night in 1978.
Misery
“Misery” is another fantastic movie that was originally a Stephen King book like “The Shining.” “Misery” is a horror movie about the critically acclaimed author Paul Sheldon (James Caan) and his superfan Annie Wilkes (Kathy Bates). Paul is driving in the winter on a windy, mountain road and goes into a ditch. Paul is in critical condition and has broken many bones in both legs. Annie saves Paul from the car wreck and expresses to him how much she enjoys his work. Annie makes it seem like she is unable to get to town because of the bad weather and takes care of Paul at her home because she is a nurse. Paul lets Annie read his newest book that he is publishing soon and Annie is livid that he wants to kill off his main character in his series, “Misery Chastain.” After she reads his new book, Annie’s behavior goes from somewhat odd to downright evil. This movie keeps the audience guessing if Paul will escape Annie’s grasp or if she will ultimately win the war.
The Sixth Sense
“The Sixth Sense” is probably the least scary film on this list but is still worth the watch if you like plot twists. “The Sixth Sense” is about Dr. Malcolm Crowe, a talented child psychologist trying to overcome his trauma from being shot by an ex-patient of his. Malcolm is in a bit of a rough patch in life. He and his wife Anna (Olivia Williams) aren’t getting along and he feels like he’s not dominating his career like he used to. He is given a chance to redeem himself when he gets a new patient Cole Sear (Haley Joel Osment) who is quiet and has a hard time making friends. Cole tells Malcolm that he can see ghosts. Malcolm originally does not believe Cole until he discovers new information about a patient who claimed the same thing as Cole. He is able to help Cole lead a happier life but learns the horrifying truth as to why he has been unable to make his wife Anna content.
