By By: Morgan Watters
Staff-Writer/Cartoonist
Halloween only comes once a year, and the best way to get into a spooky mood is to watch horror movies. We all know and love our classic slasher films, but it’s time to face a new threat: the paranormal. There are three films that I will be giving an overview of and a personal rating out of ten. Each is vastly different from the other, so hopefully one of these will give you goosebumps.
Pet Sematary
First on the list is “Pet Sematary,” released in 1989 and directed by Mary Lambert. This movie is older and that may not be everyone’s cup of tea, but it is much better than the 2019 reboot. The film follows the life of Dr. Louis Creed and his family in Maine. Creed starts to notice strange things occurring on his property, which only increase in frequency after the death of the family cat, Church. They bury Church in the “pet sematary” that lies in the woods beyond their property. This seems like a fairly normal set of events until Church comes back to life with a strong smell of sulfur. The family faces a downhill turn of events from that moment forward. “Pet Sematary” is not only a film, but also a book by Stephen King, which provides a much more detailed course of events. Overall, I would give this film a 7.5/10.
The Sixth Sense
Second on the list is “The Sixth Sense,” released in 1999 and directed by M. Night Shyamalan. Most avid movie watchers know M. Night Shyamalan’s “Unbreakable” trilogy, so if you enjoyed any of those movies, “The Sixth Sense” is a must-see. The film focuses on a little boy named Cole Sear who has started seeing a psychiatrist by the name of Malcolm Crowe. However, Cole isn’t a typical troubled boy. He has a secret: he sees dead people. This film is where the notorious line “I see dead people,” came from and is still quoted to this day. I would give this film a 9/10, and I highly recommend it to anyone who wants to dive into spooky season without the gore.
Candyman
Last on the list is “Candyman,” released in 2021 and directed by Nia DaCosta. The original “Candyman” film released in 1992 is very good, and I would recommend watching it first, but it is not necessary to understand the newest film. The newest “Candyman” focuses on the life of Anthony McCoy, who is a professional artist and painter. McCoy begins to research the legend of the Candyman and the events that occurred in the first film for his next art exhibition. McCoy becomes obsessed with the tale, and strange things begin to occur within and around his life. Overall I would give this film an 8.5/10 – the perfect watch for those looking for something more chilling and unique than your average ghost film.
