HALLOWEEN MUST-WATCH FILMS TO SET THE MOOD

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Hello everyone, I am Matt, our Lead in Streaming here at Nerd Initiative, and if you’re anything like me, Halloween is the perfect time of year where we can get cozy, overeat candy, and indulge in some spooky films to complete the night. So I figured I would share some must-watch films to get in that Halloween mood in no particular order, including some 2025 releases, because this may have been one of the best years in horror. Find more from me here: http://linktr.ee/hopsgeeknews

• Friday the 13th Part 2. (Peacock) This 1981 slasher, directed by Steve Miner, is often not talked about enough; however, it is the first film in which Jason Voorhees appears. They’re back, attempting to get Camp Crystal Lake up and running again, but Jason has other plans, of course. He doesn’t have his usual hockey mask; in fact, he doesn’t wear that until the third film. However, this one marks the true beginning of his long reign of terror on unsuspecting young adults who love to camp in the woods.

• Bring Her Back. (HBO Max) Okay, A24 has found a gem with this film, released in 2025, directed by Danny and Michael Philippou. It is about two step-siblings, Andy and Piper, who have just lost their dad. Piper is blind to the point she can only see light and shapes, and the duo find themselves in the foster care of Laura, who lost her daughter Wendy in a drowning accident. Unfortunately for our kids, Laura just so happens to also be into some dark magic, attempting to bring her daughter Wendy back. The last 20 minutes of this film left me pretty messed up for a bit, so fair warning, as it gets intense in ways I wasn’t expecting.

• Halloween (1978). (AMC+) We weren’t leaving John Carpenter’s original masterpiece, and the film that landed Jaimie Lee Curtis on the map off the list. What makes this tale so spectacular is how they build the horror without ever showing blood! What may in fact be even more frightening is the fact that the crew had to paint every individual leaf to make it look like fall. Honestly, I would rather take my chances with Michael over this.

• Sinners. (HBO Max) My personal favorite horror movie of the year, and one that continues to get better with every watch. Ryan Coogler, Michael B Jordan, Jack O’Connell, Hailee Steinfeld, and the silky smooth voice of Miles Caton do things with this film that blew me away. It isn’t just about vampires but about diving into the differences in cultures and showcasing the South as it was during this time, and paying homage to the origins of the blues. I’ve seen this film four times so far and will be making it a fifth time.

• Weapons (HBO Max). I know, I know, another 2025 film, this year was just that good for horror. Zach Cregger does an amazing job at bringing this tale of children mysteriously going missing to life, as does Julia Garner, Josh Brolin, and especially Amy Madigan. In fact, Aunt Gladys may be the spookiest horror villain in quite some time. The way this film weaves interconnecting stories together, culminating in a thrilling ending, makes this a top 3 movie of 2025 for me.

• Event Horizon (Peacock). Paul Anderson directs this 1997 space horror starring Sam Neil with and without a face at times, as well as Laurence Fishburne and Jason Isaacs. It’s only 97 minutes, but it is a frightening 97 minutes of body horror mashing together inspirations of 2001: A Space Odyssey and Hellraiser. The crew finds an abandoned spaceship in space, but as you can tell, there is a lot more to it than this.

• IT: Welcome to Derry (HBO Max). This isn’t a movie, but episode two of this series drops tonight on Halloween, and if you haven’t jumped on board yet, then you are missing out in a big way. The series dives deep into the mythos of Pennywise, our beloved dancing clown, and crafts a gory tale of blood-soaked horror and frightening jump scares. Episode one will leave your jaw hanging on the floor and have you hit the next episode.

• The Texas Chainsaw Massacre (1974) (Peacock/Netflix). My final suggestion is this low-budget film by Tobe Hooper, in which the behind-the-scenes filming may be more terrifying than the film itself. Five friends find themselves in the middle of nowhere, Texas, and in the sights of a very disturbed family. There is an extremely unsettling dinner scene in which the filming took 14 hours with no air conditioning in the middle of summer in Texas, as the food was rotting, causing the cast to be put through hell just to film. The entire film has a deeply disturbing vibe to it and continues to build this sense of unease in your stomach.

Of course, I left off favorites such as The Exorcist, Scream, Night of the Living Dead, A Nightmare on Elm Street, and many more. However, I wanted to shine a light on some films you may not have thought of, or the impressive year 2025 has had in terms of bringing horror back to its glory. If you have any you’d love to recommend, drop them in the comments below, and happy haunting!