Halloween movies

Horror rooted in cultural myths and religious fears can be the most resonant and scary for Halloween viewing.

If this list were fully a combination of theatrical and TV productions, Midnight Mass would be at the top of the list. CARRIE — A testament to the dangerous, awful conditions in extremist religious households and the trauma it inflicts on those trapped in its persecutory boundaries. THE EXORCIST III — A worthy follow-up to the original horror classic that goes in some unexpected directions and relies once again on the conflict between loss of faith and the power of belief in the darkest of moments. ANGEL HEART — Among the most controversial films of its era, largely because of the patronizing attitude of folks offended to see Lisa Bonet transition from sitcom fame to admittedly graphic horror and sexual content. [REC]2 — This is not just one of the best religious horror films, it’s also one of the best zombie films and most original in its concept of where the undead come from. SAINT MAUD — A remarkable character study about self-denial, religious extremism, isolation, and mental illness, and among the best horror films of the 2020s. FRAILTY — One of the least-seen but most shockingly good horror movies of the 1980s is also a fantastic blend of both at-face-value religious horror storytelling and subtextual examination of extremism, with excellent twists and turns along the way. I also offered my list of [the top 10 scariest moments in horror movie history](https://www.forbes.com/sites/markhughes/2022/10/28/the-top-10-scariest-moments-in-horror-movies/?sh=78b1db912614), and even [a list counting down and reviewing every film in the entire Halloween horror franchise](https://www.forbes.com/sites/markhughes/2022/10/28/the-top-10-scariest-moments-in-horror-movies/?sh=78b1db912614). THE OMEN — A straightforward story imagining the Biblical book of Revelations in a modern setting, the son of Satan is presented as a little boy surrounded by sinister forces visiting ghastly punishment on those who try to oppose the Antichrist. It’s compelling psychological horror, so don’t expect a bunch of bloodletting, but also don’t be fooled into thinking it won’t deliver the horror when the time comes. I also didn’t just include films that were explicitly religious without really being horror films, thus tremendous movies like for example The Rapture (1991) aren’t appropriate for this list (but if you’ve not seen that movie, I strongly urge you to seek it out, it’s amazing). I wanted movies that took their religious themes seriously and used them not only as plot-points but as the engine for the story and character arcs.