The Doctor's Halloween Movie Special 2022

Hi everyone. Welcome to my Halloween Movie Special!

Every year in October, I enjoy spending some of my free time watching horror movies and TV series. So if you are planning on staying in for Halloween, here are some films and TV shows you might want to check out.

Let's begin!

HELLRAISER (2022)

Surprisingly released straight to Hulu, this reboot follows a young woman struggling with addiction. She soon finds herself in possession of the ancient puzzle box known as the Lament Configuration, unaware that its purpose is to summon the dreaded Cenobites.

Directed by David Bruckner (The Ritual, VHS), this new version of Hellraiser tries some new things and sets up some new rules. For example, solving the Lament Configuration alone isn't enough to be sent to Hell. The puzzle box now hides a blade which will doom whomever is cut regardless of who solved it. Unfortunately, this resulted in the movie devolving into a slasher flick at times but it was still an interesting change. There are other changes to the rules but I am not sure the film quite follows them all as it appears to break them at times.

Another change is the Cenobites no longer wear leather. Instead, they appear to wear their own mutilated flesh as clothes. The Cenobites are as scary as ever and Jamie Clayton is amazing as the new Pinhead. She did her own interpretation and knocked it out of the park.

Jamie Clayton kills it as Pinhead... Bad pun not intended.

Ultimately, I enjoyed this take on the Clive Barker classic despite its flaws. It felt like the story had a message. It shows what addiction can do to someone as they take down those around them, including loved ones. If you enjoyed the original film, I suggest giving this one a try.

X

Set in 1979, a small cast and crew set out to make an adult film on an elderly couple's property in rural Texas. But the filmmakers soon find themselves fighting for their lives.

I think I downloaded the wrong adult film.

Directed by Ti West (The Sacrament), this is a fun homage to 70's slasher flicks like The Texas Chainsaw Massacre. The film also features standout performances by Mia Goth and Jenna Ortega.

X was just released this year and a followup called Pearl was already released in theaters to great reviews. I have yet to see it but based on what I saw from X, I look forward to checking Pearl out as well.

THE BLACK PHONE

A 13-year-old boy is kidnapped and held prisoner in a soundproof basement by a sadistic masked killer. However, the boy soon finds out he can communicate with the murderer's previous victims through a disconnected phone on the wall. Will they be able to help the boy escape?

"Who wants to see the back of my van?"

Directed by Scott Derrickson (Doctor Strange, Sinister), and based on a short story of the same name by Joe Hill, this was an intense thriller and one of my favorite horror films this year. Ethan Hawke is super creepy as the masked antagonist. The film will have you on the edge of your seat while you root for the protagonist to escape. Highly recommended.

NOPE

This sci-fi horror movie follows two horse-wrangling siblings as they attempt to capture evidence of an unidentified flying object. But what is it exactly they are trying to capture?

What exactly is going on here? An abduction? Do you really want to know?.... Nope.

This is another great horror film from director Jordan Peele (Get Out, Us). What I enjoy about Peele's films is how layered they are. I can also tell he is a fan of The Twilight Zone since his films often feel like they were inspired by the old sci-fi show. If you liked his previous films then this is an easy one to recommend.

BARBARIAN

A young woman books a rental home but discovers it was somehow booked at the same time by a strange man. Against her better judgement, the young lady decides to stay anyway. But she soon learns things are not how they seem at this creepy house.

This might just be my favorite horror film this year. I do not want to give anything away but the film kind of changes genre in the middle of it, and yet it continues to throw twists at the viewer as the story moves along.

Justin Long plays one of the most detestable characters in the film but also has some of the funniest scenes.

Writer/director Zach Cregger clearly took a lot of risks with this film. It has some of the tropes you expect from a horror movie but also eschews the typical formulas audiences have come to expect. That might be polarizing to some but I think that it mostly works in this case. It is a surprising and entertaining film. A stand out among horror movies. It is also available on streaming platforms right now. I think this is one of those movies that is best watched knowing as little as possible, and even better when watching it with a group of people. So go find some friends and make this a priority.

WEREWOLF BY NIGHT

This Disney+ MCU special follows a group of deadly hunters who convene following the death of their leader. The attendees are then instructed to participate in a deadly competition to determine a new leader, and for possession of a powerful artifact.

The titular Werewolf by Night is just one of the new characters introduced to the MCU

I was really surprised by this special. You wouldn't think a good horror film would debut on Disney+ taking place in the Marvel Cinematic Universe but here we are. The great thing is you do not need any knowledge of the MCU to enjoy it. This short film is under an hour but serves as an homage to classic Universal monster movies. It isn't scary but the film is surprisingly bloody and gory. It is all done in black and white, which may be why they can get away with it.

This was a fun special and my only criticism is that I want to see more of these characters. Here's hoping we'll see them in future MCU releases.

PREY

This is another film I am surprised went straight to Hulu as it could have made a lot of money in theaters. The story follows a Comanche warrior who finds herself having to protect her people from a highly evolved alien predator.

Taking place in 1719, Prey is the fifth entry in the Predator film franchise and a prequel to the previous four films. This movie features the Feral Predator with a much more primitive look.

He's ugly even for the Yautja (the name of the Predator race).

This is the best Predator film in a long time. It does follow somewhat of a slasher flick formula but it is so well done and unique with the setting and characters. My only small gripe is that it was filmed mostly in English but I can understand why they did that. I recommend watching this film with the Comanche dub. It's just more immersive that way. Big thumbs up for this one.

ANNIHILATION

A biologist and former soldier joins a dangerous expedition into a mysterious zone where the normal laws of nature do not apply.

Directed by Alex Garland (Ex Machina, Men) and based on the novel of the same name, this sci-fi horror story has some Lovecraftian elements similar to the film Color Out of Space (which is an adaptation of a Lovecraft story). Both films focus on a mysterious, extraterrestrial force that lands on Earth and begins to warp reality around it. It is like a horrific infection that cannot be contained.

Annihilation features imagery that is both beautiful and horrific.

I think this film is a little more cerebral than most horror movies as it explores challenging themes but that is why I love it. This is a film that makes you think and you may be wondering what exactly you experienced by the film's end. This film also has a great cast featuring Natalie Portman (Black Swan, Leon: The Professional) and Oscar Isaac (Ex Machina, Inside Llewyn Davis) so check this film out now.

THE MIDNIGHT CLUB

The latest Netflix offering from Mike Flanagan (Oculus, Gerald's Game, Hush) centers on a group of eight terminally ill young adults who live in at a mysterious manor and gather at midnight to tell scary stories.

Based on the Christopher Pike novel of the same name, despite the setting lending itself to an anthology series, this is not that kind of show. There are central mysteries the characters explore within the manor, and the stories they tell mainly serve as a form of character development. The club members often put themselves into the stories they tell, making the stories more of an extension of who they really are and what they have experienced.

The Midnight Club getting ready to "make ghosts" by telling their stories.

I went into this show thinking it was a limited series like all of Flanagan's previous Netflix shows like Midnight Mass and The Haunting of Bly Manor. However, the story ends with some story threads left unfinished and some mysteries unexplained. I was disappointed at first but then I found out that Flanagan meant for this to have multiple seasons. I am hoping that happens but a second season has not yet been announced.

Ultimately, this show was not very scary but features strong characters like most of Flanagan's previous efforts. This first season (and maybe last) offers an emotional journey that happens to have a lot of jump scares. Give this show a chance and maybe we will get that second season. The Midnight Club is streaming on Netflix now.

That's it for my annual Halloween Movie Special. Thank you for reading! I hope you all have fun this year and stay safe. Just don't solve any puzzle boxes if you don't know where they came from. Happy Halloween!