Top 10 Halloween Movies For Adults

I definitely need to start off by saying that I hate horror movies and therefore there are going to be some classic slasher films missing that most people would expect to see. Apologies to those people, but I just have no interest in those ones. However, I can definitely say that all of the films listed are fantastic movies so please enjoy!

10.) Sleepy Hollow

Surprise! Tim Burton and Johnny Depp made a movie together! I haven't seen this movie in a few years, but damn is it creepy and weird. It definitely fits the halloween criteria with the classic Headless Horseman tale. This movie is one of my favourite Tim Burton movies, which obviously means that the lead is Johnny Depp. This is a perfect character for Depp and he plays it very well. The rest of the class is great and includes Christina Ricci, Michael Gambon, Richard Griffiths, Jeffrey Jones, and Christopher Walken. Depp plays Ichabod Crane, who is sent to Sleepy Hollow to investigate the decapitations of 3 people.  He soon discovers the classic tale of the Headless Horseman and attempts to solve the crimes committed.
IMDB: 7.4/10

9.) Nosferatu

This is a black and white, silent film from 1922 so its probably not for the casual movie-watcher, however it is fully creepy, and is the first time a film was based on the book "Dracula". It follows mostly with the classic story by Bram Stoker, but the director was unable to get the rights to make the film so there are some differences. This film was also the first instance of a Vampire being killed by sunlight. This is a great film, and a great start if you've never seen a silent film before, very easy to follow, a great story, and the cinematography is very impressive for its day. What says Halloween more then a creepy old Vampire movie?
IMDB: 8/10

8.) Zombieland

You may not think that laughter is the best way to celebrate Halloween, but when zombies are involved it works. Thanks to some great acting, and interesting editing, this movie is hilarious. It has a very comic book feel with its numbered tips in big block lettering in the middle of the screen and that just adds to the humour. Jessie Eisenberg unsurprisingly plays an awkward, antisocial teen, but he works so perfectly in that role, especially in this movie, that its totally fine. Woody Harrelson as a badass, Twinkie loving, zombie killer is absolutely perfect. His storyline ends up being pretty heartbreaking and gives us one of the serious moments in the film, but thats necessary in a movie about zombies taking over the world. Emma Stone and Abigail Breslin are awesome as two badass sisters who are willing to do anything to survive. Bill Murray makes a great cameo that I think really makes the movie. There could easily be a fantastic sequel, and damn I hope there is. But until then, watch this awesome movie!
IMDB: 7.7/10

7.) Carrie

I watched this film for the first time last weekend, and even though it wasn't really what I expected, it definitely didn't disappoint. I was under the impression that it was a very scary movie, but I really didn't find it bad. It was a good combination actually, because it was enough that horror fans would enjoy it, but its also ok for fans who don't like too much gore, or cheap scares. Another interesting thing about this movie is that its sort of justice for all bullied or abused kids in the world. Obviously I'm not condoning murder, but sometimes you feel a little better watching a person who was abused and tortured, as much as Carrie was, to get a little revenge. The mother is truly terrifying, and the teenage girls are possibly more evil then her. Since the movie was filmed in 1976 it was very interesting to see Sissy Spacek  and John Travolta as young adults. With the remake out this month you should definitely check out the original!

 IMDB: 7.4/10

6.) The Rocky Horror Picture Show

I guess technically this is a weird twist on Frankenstein? This film is from 1975 which pretty much explains its bizarre storyline. It has monsters, and death, and half-dead guys riding motorcycles, plus Frank-N-Furter makes a man. Like Zombieland this is a black sheep on the list because its a musical, and just a generally strange movie, but I think most people would think of it as fitting with Halloween. Tim Curry is amazing in this movie, his voice alone made this movie for me the first time I saw it. Susan Sarandon plays Janet, one part of a newly engaged couple, and she was a hottie in her youth! My favourite part of the movie is the Meat Loaf cameo from before he was famous. I didn't really fully enjoy this movie the first time I saw it, but after I learned all the songs and watched it for a second time about a year later, I loved it, and I have ever since. Do yourself a favour and open your mind, and watch this insanely ridiculous, and awesome movie.

IMDB: 7.2/10

5.) Rosemary's Baby

Great film by Polish director Roman Polanski. I actually just saw it for the first time, I had been holding off because I had heard it was really scary, but it actually wasn't too bad. Definitely leaves you with a very creepy feeling, but at no point did I have to shield my eyes in fear. Mia Farrow gives a really fantastic performance as Rosemary Woodhouse, a woman who is going through a traumatic pregnancy and is convinced that her husband traded their unborn child to a group of witches in return for fame and fortune. Is Rosemary going crazy or are a group of witches really after her? The transformation she takes in the film is really impressive, she seems like she must've lost quite a bit of weight to really show the transformation. The story is quite bizarre and really messes with your mind, but overall its a really great film!
IMDB: 8/10

4.) The Sixth Sense

I think we can all agree that this is M. Night Shyamalan's greatest film, it went pretty downhill from here. Really fantastic acting on this one, I have to say. It follows Dr. Malcolm Crowe(Bruce Willis), a psychologist who is currently working with a young boy, Cole Sear(Haley Joel Osment) who seems to be going through a traumatic time. For Malcolm, it seems that most of the evidence points to domestic abuse, but we're able to see a little more then he does, and so does Cole. Probably one of the greatest ghost films, and a really great twist ending. Toni Collette gives a really fantastic and occaisionally heartbreaking performance as Cole's mother for which she received an Oscar nomination for Best Supporting Actress. It was nominated for 5 other oscars including Best Picture, unfortunately it didn't win any in the end.

IMDB: 8.2/10

3.) The Silence of the Lambs

This is one of my favourite films of all time, so it had to make the list for me. Its definitely a thriller rather then a horror film, but the creepiness of Anthony Hopkins as Hannibal Lecter is pretty incredible. So incredible, in fact, that Hopkins received the Academy Award for Best Actor in a Leading Role as Lecter despite only having had just over 16 minutes of on screen time during the entire film. It was not just Hopkins acting that was impressive, Jodie Foster and Ted Levine were also fantastic, leaving Foster with a Oscar for Best Actress. The film is one of only three films to have won Oscars in all of the categories of Best Actor, Best Actress, Best Director, Best Sound, and Best Picture. I love a good murder mystery, and this one does not disappoint, but its Hannibal Lecter that makes this film Halloween worthy.

IMDB: 8.7/10

2.) Psycho

I think most people would agree that this is one of the greatest horror films of all time. Everything about it makes a great film and Alfred Hitchcock knows something about making a great film. Janet Leigh may not make it through the entire film (hopefully this is not a spoiler alert), be she definitely gives a memorable performance. Everyone knows the name Norman Bates, even those who haven't seen the film. It seems like such a normal name, but once you watch the movie it sort of gives you a chill. In fact, Anthony Perkins gave such a convincing performance that he had great difficulties finding jobs after the film was released because people could only see him as Norman Bates. In this film, Hitchcock manages gives us one of the greatest twist endings in all of film history, so check it out!
IMDB: 8.6/10

1.) The Shining

The Shining might be the creepiest movie ever, not fake, stupid, cheap scares, but just genuine, "what the hell is happening right now??" creepiness. Stanley Kubrick is a genius when it comes to this, many of his other films leave you with the same reaction, but this is one of my favourites. I only saw it for the first time last year, but I will definitely be watching it again this Halloween season. The entire premise of the film adds to the creepy factor, the thought of being completely alone and isolated for months in a huge empty hotel is terrifying, and I think the situation would make just about anyone go crazy, which I suppose is the point of the film. Is Jack going crazy or is the resort really haunted? The performance from Jack Nicholson in this film is unreal. He's so intense, and it really shows the amazing ability that he has for acting, which I think hasn't really be shown much in the last few years. Shelley Duvall and Danny Lloyd were also really great. Danny really adds to the creepy factor, and his silence at certain points can be really erie. Definitely check out this movie, its a classic for good reason.
IMDB: 8.5/10

Honourable Mentions: Dracula, Sweeney Todd, Clue, Frankenstein, Scream, Shaun of the Dead, The Lost Boys, Scream, Scary Movie, The Craft, Jaws.