Halloween is on a Saturday, there’s a blue moon, and we get an extra hour of sleep the next morning thanks to daylight savings. Only catch? We’re still in a pandemic. So, while it would be wicked fun to run around in costumes, go bar hopping and howl at the moon, the safest way to celebrate is to stay home. RIP to the wild, mischievous Saturday Halloween that could have been.
While we may not be able to celebrate exactly how we want, that doesn’t mean we can’t still enjoy our haunted holiday. I plan on celebrating my hermit Halloween on the couch reading and watching horror (and eating buckets of fun-sized candy).
The horror I’m most compelled by is dread-heavy and atmospheric. This Halloween, we’ve got the whole day to immerse ourselves in a creepy vibe. Or we could go the whole weekend if we’re really committed. Hallo-weekend!
Luckily, there’s no shortage of quality horror content. This year has given us some exceptional new horror books. I’ve paired some of my favorite 2020 releases with horror movies that I feel compliment them in tone. This Halloween embrace your inner introvert and enjoy one (or more!) of these book & movie combos.
For terrifying takes on the witch in the woods…
The Year of the Witching by Alexis Henderson & The Witch
Witches are essential Halloween, but they have more to offer than riding broomsticks and wearing pointy hats. The Year of the Witching tells the story of Immanuelle Moore, a teenage girl living in the puritanical land of Bethel, where she’s taught to be pious and obedient, and to fear the Darkwood, where the spirits of witches dwell. Immanuelle has always been drawn to the Darkwood, and when she happens into the grasp of its branches, she meets the witches, and her ties to them lead her to question the nature of evil, and its true source in her homeland. The Witch also takes place in a puritanical society, this one called…New England. The story orbits around a family banished from the larger colony, left to survive on their own. A series of misfortunes befall the family, who, looking to place blame, begin to turn on their teenage daughter, Thomasin, accusing her of witchcraft. In both works, there is the oppressive, patriarchal, fundamentalist society, and then there are the woods—wild and mysterious and full of witches. Where does the horror truly lie? These stories are an October trip to Salem, in spirit.
For Gothic, imaginative haunted house tales…
Mexican Gothic by Silvia Moreno-Garcia & The Orphanage
The first time I saw The Orphanage it terrified me so much I had to take a break, to hit pause and regain my courage before finishing. The Orphanage tells the story of Laura, who spent part of her childhood at an orphanage before getting adopted. As an adult, she buys the now-abandoned orphanage to re-open it as a home for disabled children. But the day of the opening, her own son goes missing. To solve the mystery of her son’s disappearance, Laura will need to unravel the orphanage’s ghastly past. The ending of the film is perfection. Never had I been so frightened and so moved by something in equal measure, until Mexican Gothic. Mexican Gothic follows charming socialite Noemí as she travels to High Place, a house in the Mexican countryside where her cousin Catalina lives with her new husband, after receiving concerning news about Catalina’s health. At High Place, Noemi’s finds a dismal scene. The house is deteriorating, her hosts are bizarre, and soon Noemí is haunted by strange, distressing dreams. Or are they dreams? Both of these stories feature strong protagonists committed to finding the truth, beautiful old houses, lots of mist, and the most exquisite terror.
For unnerving coming-of-age stories steeped in dread…
Catherine House by Elisabeth Thomas & It Follows
The transition into adulthood can be brutal. In It Follows, college student Jay has sex with her boyfriend only to be abducted by him. He tells her that she’s now going to be stalked by an entity that no one else can see, and she can only free herself of it by having sex with someone else. Being haunted by an unfortunate decision is very much part of the young adult experience, because figuring out who you are requires making mistakes. This theme is also prevalent in Catherine House, where protagonist Ines attends the prestigious university. At first, Ines isn’t too interested in her academic career at Catherine House. She parties and sleeps and hooks up and skips class. But as time goes on, something unexpected happens. The house becomes home. Except this home harbors a dark secret, and Ines can’t contain her curiosity. The director of Catherine House says, “The unsure place is where you are now and where you are meant to be.” That’s the horrifying truth about coming-of-age; there’s an inherent, excruciating, inescapable uncertainty. In these works, the threat remains more abstract, allowing it to elevate the themes and ideas the stories present. Both still deliver genuine scares, but it’s more about the eerie feeling they leave you with.
For bloody good fun with a side of teen angst…
Cirque Berserk by Jessica Guess & Carrie
The iconic 1976 adaptation of Stephen King’s Carrie is a must-see for all horror fans. Sixteen-year-old Carrie White is teased at school by her peers and abused at home by her zealot mother. Carrie, like most of us, does not have power over how other people treat her. Except she does. She discovers she has telekinesis, right around the time she’s asked to prom. It’s a pitch-perfect revenge tale, where a seemingly powerless teenage girl turns the tables (literally). Cirque Berserk is another inventive teen bloodbath, this one set in a supposedly abandoned carnival with a grisly history. When a group of high school Seniors decide to make a pit stop at the old carnival to spice up a lackluster Senior trip, they soon learn the gruesome truth behind the urban legends. Both works are killer. You’re in for some good old-fashioned horror fun, but beyond the screams, both of these stories explore youth and cruelty and revenge and power. When you mistreat someone, when you strip them of their power or assume they have none, they may surprise you. And whatever happens from there, well, you probably deserve it.
For compelling body horror that will make you squirm…
The Unsuitable by Molly Pohlig & Eyes Without a Face
In The Unsuitable, protagonist Iseult is a twenty-eight-year-old spinster living in Victorian England. Her father resents her and is desperate to marry her off, and her mother is dead. Kind of. Her mother’s ghost lives in a scar on Iseult’s neck, and she will not shut up. The only thing that quiets her mother’s constant nag is self-mutilation. In Eyes Without a Face, Doctor Génessier identifies a body dragged from the Seine as his daughter, Christiane, who had recently been disfigured in a car accident. After Christiane’s funeral, it’s revealed that she is actually alive and in hiding. She is forced to wear mask to conceal her scarred face, a face that her father promises to fix. How? By abducting innocent women and removing their faces to graft onto Christiane. Yikes. The cause of both Iseult and Christiane’s isolation isn’t their injuries, it’s their parents. Parents are meant to love and accept us, when they don’t, how can we accept ourselves? Body horror is most effective not when it is the story, but when it serves the story. In these moody, chilling works, the gore serves a greater purpose.
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Some additional recommendations here. Any other suggestions? Comment below! Wishing you a safe & spooky Halloween.
- The Deep by Alma Katsu & The Devil’s Backbone – for ghost stories with a rich historical backdrop
- Survivor Song by Paul Tremblay & Train to Busan – for Zombie tales with a beating heart
- The Only Good Indians by Stephen Graham Jones & Funny Games – for a wild ride with insane suspense
- Clown in a Cornfield by Adam Cesare & The Cabin in the Woods – for fun, self-aware horror
- The Ancestor by Danielle Trussoni & Pan’s Labyrinth – for part horror, part fairy tale
