The Doctor's Halloween Movie Special

 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!

TERRIFIER

I had heard so much hype about this series so I watched part 1 and 2 back to back. The first Terrifier is an ultra-violent slasher flick that follows a crazy clown as he stalks and kills multiple victims on Halloween night.

Directed by Damien Leone, this movie is a throwback to 80s style slasher movies with practical special effects. Part of what makes this film stand out is its antagonist, Art the Clown (David Howard Thornton). Art is a terrifying killer who is unpredictable. Art is gleeful in torturing and murdering his victims. He savors it and there is no apparent rhyme or reason to what he does.

"What did I do?"

Another reason this movie stands out is because it is one of the goriest movies around. If that is the kind of slasher flick you enjoy, this may be your cup of tea.

TERRIFIER 2

Whatever you thought of Terrifier, the sequel is everything its predecessor was and more. This time around, there is a proper protagonist with the introduction of Sienna Shaw (Lauren LaVera). Sienna has a proper character arc and even helps introduce a new element that was missing from the nihilistic first film: hope.

Sienna dons a pretty cool costume.

While the first film was straight up horror, the second film has more fantasy elements. That is not to say that they skimped on the gore. This film is bloodier and more brutal than ever. There is even a scene that reportedly made some audiences vomit and faint in disgust. However, the gore is so over-the-top and ridiculous that it borders onto dark comedy despite the extreme violence.

"Ain't I a stinker?"

If you think you have the stomach for it, Terrifier 2 is easy to recommend.

SMILE

After witnessing a traumatic incident with her patient, Dr. Rose Cotter begins to experience terrifying occurrences she cannot explain. As her life and mental stability begin to unravel, Rose must confront her traumatic past to survive and escape her horrifying new reality.

Yikes!

This is definitely one of the creepiest films I have ever seen. Every time someone on the screen smiled their creepy smile, I genuinely got chills. This movie just gave me an icky feeling and I mean that in the best way possible. The story itself is also deep as it explores trauma and overcoming it. This is an excellent horror film and I highly recommend giving it a watch.

AS THE GODS WILL

A group of high school students are forced to play a supernatural game of death. With no idea who is behind the games, their only option is to continue winning to survive.

The first event is a deadly game of Red Light, Green Light with a talking Daruma.

Directed by Takashi Miike (Audition, Ichi the Killer), this movie is based on the manga of the same name. These types of stories are all the rage with shows like Squid Game and Alice in Borderland proving popular. There are definitely some similarities but this film is still worth checking out on its own merit. Unfortunately, the film does leave some story threads hanging. It is clear there is more to it. So if an incomplete story bothers you, you may want to skip this film since there is no sequel planned at the moment. But as a whole, the film is still satisfying even without answering all the questions it props up.

DEADSTREAM

A disgraced internet personality tries to win his audience back by live streaming his stay overnight at an abandoned haunted house. Things take a turn for the worse when he accidentally awakens a malevolent spirit.

I admit that I would like to see a real live stream doing stupid things like this.

A modern take on found footage films, Deadstream is clever, creepy, and genuinely funny. Running at just 1 hour and 27 minutes, the movie makes the most of its time and is entertaining throughout. Even though the comedy is great, the film also has moments of tension. This is an easy horror comedy to recommend. Give this one a look.

SKINAMARINK

Two children wake up in the middle of the night to find that their father is missing, and all the windows and doors in their home have vanished.

This Canadian-made horror film is difficult to describe. There is very little narrative of any kind. It really just follows these children, who you barely even see, as they navigate their own home which has apparently turned against them.

I think this is one of those films that relies on your own imagination. To really put yourself in the film and get the most out of it, I recommend watching it at night with all your lights off. Put away your phones and any other distractions to be immersed. You will feel like the children in this film, not knowing what is going on but still feel a sense of dread as you navigate their home. 

The film is often dark and grainy, leaving the horror to the viewer's imagination.

Ultimately, I think this film will be divisive but if you think you can immerse yourself like I described then it is worth checking out. It is a unique experience.

INFINITY POOL

A couple on vacation ventures outside their resort but soon find themselves involved with a culture of violence, hedonism, and horror.

Directed by Brandon Cronenberg (son of renowned filmmaker David Cronenberg), this trippy film features stand out acting from the excellent Mia Goth (X, Pearl) and Alexander Skarsgård (The Northman, Succession).

Mia Goth has quickly made a name for herself in the horror genre.

Without giving anything away, this film is a real mindbender that asks some tough questions and takes the viewer on a journey with unsettling themes. Do morals decay when consequences are removed? I think audiences will also have some healthy debate about what really happened in the film. This is one to watch.

M3GAN

A brilliant roboticist named Gemma designs M3GAN, a robot with advanced artificial intelligence built to be the ultimate companion for children. When Gemma becomes the caretaker to her 8 year old niece, Gemma decides to use a M3GAN prototype to help her with her new duties. But things do not work out the way Gemma had hoped.

The Olsen Twins are back in the spotlight.... Which one is this again?

This film really surprised me. It is a clever modern take on movies like Child's Play but still stands out on its own. M3GAN is also a surprisingly funny film and the gore is kept to a minimum despite the violence so it is appealing to a fairly large audience. Watch this movie now.

TALK TO ME

A group of friends conjure spirits using an embalmed hand for fun and thrills, until one of them goes too far and unleashes a sinister evil.

Oh she's just letting a spirit possess her. What could go wrong?

This is a really good thriller with great acting and genuinely unsettling moments. The film explores the theme of grief throughout, and shows the devastating consequences of messing with supernatural forces you do not understand. This film gets a big thumbs up from me.

NO ONE WILL SAVE YOU

A seamstress living alone in her childhood home soon finds herself fighting for her life against an extraterrestrial threat.

Written and directed by Brian Druffield (who wrote the fun horror comedy The Babysitter), this sci-fi horror film stands out because there is no dialogue. This can be polarizing but a good film does not need to tell you what is happening when they can show you. While not very scary, this film is a fun watch as the protagonist has to overcome bigger and bigger threats. 

This seamstress is surprising decent at fighting aliens.

Now if this film was just about fighting aliens, it would be a miss but there is a running theme about trauma. One could even argue that overcoming trauma is what the film is really all about. However, I think the ending will be divisive. It is open to interpretation but I think it is fun to talk to your friends about what the film and ending really mean. Go watch this movie now!

EVIL DEAD RISE

Two estranged sisters have their reunion cut short when they must battle for survival and save their family from evil flesh-possessing demons.

This film surprised me. The trailer did not impress me but this turned out being an intense and gory movie. I missed the comedy from the old Ash Williams movies but it still has what you expect from the Evil Dead franchise such as fast and frantic gory action. 

It's not Evil Dead without a chainsaw.

If you enjoy the Evil Dead movies, this is a worthy standalone flick.

THE FALL OF THE HOUSE OF USHER

The latest Netflix drama from Mike Flanagan (Oculus, Gerald's Game, Hush) involves a story following siblings Frederick and Madeline Usher who built a powerful pharmaceutical empire. However, everything they created begins to crumble when the heirs to the Usher Dynasty begin to die one by one.

"The Usher heirs are doing what now?!"

Loosely based on the short story of the same name by Edgar Allan Poe, this limited series is a love letter to the master of the macabre himself. There are several references to the works of Poe including character names, episode titles, and even some of the situations these characters find themselves in. If you are a fan of Poe, you will likely love this show.

Quoth the Raven, "Nevermore."

The show also features excellent acting and a very topical story that is darkly satirical. The show is not very scary but features the expected elements from gothic literature as well as strong characters. Definitely give this show a watch. The Fall of the House of Usher is available 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 keep away from the clowns. Happy Halloween!