Be it a long distance or a live-in relationship, have you been trying to bond over with your partner in the middle of the monotonous and grim picture the pandemic has painted all over? Then Halloween is here to your rescue. Eerie, horror and psychological thrillers can feel like an adventure taken together. Here’s what Betterhalf suggests: Dress up in a funky costume, dab on the makeup that’s been crying to be used all this while. Become a gipsy, a Dracula, zombie, wizard, an evil witch for the night; instead of munching on some popcorn, hog on your dinner while you have a movie marathon all night long. Sounds like a plan?
For the couples who are miles apart but yet closer in thoughts, there are several apps like Rave, TwoSeven and Netflix Party that allows you to watch together, chat in text and audio while the flick is on. This way, you don’t really have to worry about not screaming together.
We at Betterhalf have curated some recent releases, warm watched and classics that are must for a Halloween night. Here’s to the ghoul times!
Mirage
A space-time glitch allows a nurse to time travel and save a boy’s life who died 25 years in the past, but somehow results in the loss of her family and she must fight to get them back. This psychological+horror thriller is a bit intense and uses the theory of butterfly effect into its narrative to tell us a compelling story. Packed with twists and turns, the film is a fun ride on a rollercoaster. As you near the climax, it will leave you connecting the jigsaw pieces of the puzzle for long after it has ended.
The dream House
A publisher quits an attractive job in New York to relocate with his wife and two little daughters to a quaint town. As they settle into their home, they discover that a woman and her children were murdered there, and the surviving husband is the town’s prime suspect. With help from a neighbour, who was close to the murdered family, Will pieces together a horrifying chain of events. This is a watch for the light-hearted so that you don’t stay awake for nights with what you saw.
Psycho
What’s a Halloween night without an Alfred Hitchcock classic? The human mind is the most haunting and scarier than any ghosts or paranormal events ever witnessed, and the movie conveys just that. A young lady disappears after stealing bundles of cash from her employer. She goes on a vacation with herself and ends up at an unassuming lodge called Bates Motel. She gets killed on the night she reaches by someone she has never seen before. Who is it and why her? Find out what happens next as her lover and sister try to find her.
The classic is an all-time thriller and it needs no further recommendation.
Sleepy Hollow
Here’s another classic from the 90s by Tim Burton. Set in 1799, Sleepy Hollow is based on Washington Irving’s classic tale ‘The Legend of Sleepy Hollow’. A police detective is sent from the city of New York to Sleepy Hollow to investigate a series of murders committed by a Headless Horseman. The movie is a balanced mix of horror, fantasy and romance and features an extraordinary cast of characters that dabble in the supernatural.
His House
The movie has not been released yet but after its world premiere this year in Sundance Festival, the film got promising reviews. A refugee couple makes a harrowing escape from war-torn South Sudan, but then they struggle to adjust to their new life in a house in English town that has an evil lurking beneath the surface. Echoes from behind the walls, screams of grief engulfs the house. Just in time for Halloween, the movie will be available on Netflix on October 30.
Coco
Lastly, we wrap up our curation with a heart-warming Mexican animated film that revolves around the festival of the departed. A young boy travels to the land of spirits where the souls remain intact as long as they live in the memories of the living. Through a journey of music and uncertainty, the young boy meets his ancestors in the land of the dead to uncover the truths of his family’s history and reunite several generations that remain broken due to once incident. This movie is a visual treat and a colourful explosion with soulful Latina music.
Make the movie marathon an experience where you get all chills down the spine, then go cold after a few jump-scares and end it warm and lovely with a nice musical. Pairing this experience with good food and drinks will not make you miss the trick-or-treats.
