Halloween Month (2026)

It’s spooky season again. I get why so many people love Halloween; it’s the perfect opportunity to indulge in the creepy and the macabre. It’s not my favorite. I’m just not into scary movies and the dark and sinister. I don’t mind watching the occasional freaky film, and you will see that in this year’s list.

This year’s selections will still include some classics, which are now on rotation. There are too many to include, and there wouldn’t be room to watch something different. The classic selections this year are …

• The Nightmare Before Christmas
• Psycho
• Ghostbusters
• Ghostbusters II

The new selections this year are:

• Obsession (2026)
• Corpse Bride (2005)
• Event Horizon (1997)
• The Shining (1980)
• Locked (2025)
• The Vanishing (1993)
• Doctor Sleep (2019)

Obsession (2026)

Directed by: Curry Baker
Starring: Michael Johnston, Inde Navarrette
My Rating:

A hopeless romantic makes an innocuous wish that the woman he pines for falls madly in love with him, but it doesn’t work out the way he imagined it.

So many people were talking about this movie, so I had to watch it to see what all the … obsession was about. It’s worth the hype.

Inde Navarrette is absolutely amazing. The movie is quite unsettling, and it’s her performance that makes it that way. The effect they achieved with her eyes in some scenes is spectacular. It’s more of a psychological thriller than horror, which is fine with me. I don’t care for the jump scares that often occur in horror movies, and this movie doesn’t really have any of that.

Corpse Bride (2005)

Directed by: Tim Burton, Mike Johnson
Starring: Johnny Depp, Helena Bonham Carter, Emily Watson
My Rating:

While rehearsing his wedding vows, a shy groom inadvertently places the wedding band on a corpse bride who rises from the grave and assumes they are now man and (dead) wife.

Tim Burton has to be the unofficial king of Halloween. (Although one could argue that Mike Flanagan deserves that title, Tim Burton was first.) This movie could also be a candidate for the annual rotation because it’s a fun Halloween movie.

This is Johnny Depp’s first voice acting role in a theatrical film. This film also includes the voice talents of Albert Finney, Christopher Lee, and Tracey Ullman.

Event Horizon (1997)

Directed by: Paul W.S. Anderson
Starring: Laurence Fishburne, Sam Neill, Kathleen Quinlan
My Rating:

Something has happened to the Event Horizon crew, so a rescue crew is sent to investigate.

It’s been a while since I saw this movie, and with Sam Neill’s recent passing, I felt I had to watch it again. For some reason, his performances in this and Jurassic Park are the ones that stick out the most in my mind.

When you watch this film, you may also recognize Richard T. Jones (who plays Captain Grey in The Rookie), Sean Pertwee (who was Alfred in Gotham), and Jason Isaacs.

It’s a fun flick; your typical space horror film. I can’t believe it’s almost 30 years old … man, I’m old!

The Shining (1980)

Directed by: Stanley Kubrick
Starring: Jack Nicholson, Shelley Duvall, Danny Lloyd
My Rating:

A writer and his family become the caretakers of a secluded inn during the winter months, but nefarious and supernatural forces slowly drive him insane.

Of course I’ve seen The Shining; this movie is as old as I am. This could be a candidate to watch on a rotation because it’s classic and iconic. This movie is one of Jack Nicholson’s best films and one of the best adaptations of a Stephen King novel.

If you haven’t seen it, then you’re probably too young; if you are older, why haven’t you watched it yet? If you’re too busy, just remember …

All work and no play makes Jack a dull boy.

Locked (2025)

Directed by: David Yarovesky
Starring: Bill Skarsgård, Anthony Hopkins
My Rating:

A man, down on his luck and desperate for money, attempts to steal a luxury SUV but ends up the victim of a horrific game.

I was interested in this movie because Skarsgård and Hopkins are an interesting pairing. Both of them give solid performances; in fact, it almost sounds like Anthony Hopkins was having a bit of fun. We all know he can play a great villain since he played one of the top villains of all time.

This movie was OK. I haven’t decided if I’d watch it again. You do feel for Skarsgård’s character, although for someone who is so strapped for cash, he has an awfully expensive mobile device. Perhaps that’s to further illustrate his irresponsibility.

If you’ve seen it, let me know what you thought.

The Vanishing (1993)

Directed by: George Sluizer
Starring: Jeff Bridges, Kiefer Sutherland, Nancy Travis
My Rating:

After a woman is abducted, her boyfriend becomes obsessed with finding out what happened to her.

I haven’t seen this movie in years, but I remember it leaving an impression on me. Jeff Bridges is fantastic as the villain; creepy good. I forgot that Sandra Bullock was in this film before she became famous. She will go on to make Speed, which is the film that launched her career.

The movie still leaves an impression on me. If you enjoy psychological thrillers from the 90s, I recommend checking this one out.

Doctor Sleep (2019)

Directed by: Mike Flanagan
Starring: Ewan McGregor, Rebecca Ferguson, Kyliegh Curran
My Rating:

Danny Torrance is grown up and dealing with his own demons when The Shining returns, and he must help a young girl with the same gift.

It also wouldn’t be Halloween month without watching something written and/or directed by Mike Flanagan. In fact, anything by Tim Burton or Mike Flanagan is required viewing during October. Mike Flanagan does not disappoint.

If you didn’t know, this is the sequel to The Shining. This is not a “Hollywood made an unnecessary sequel” situation; Stephen King did write the book first in 2013. Only Mike Flanagan could have done this movie, and he pays proper respect to the source material. Everything from the music to the heartbeats and recreating the Overlook Hotel.

I really enjoyed this movie. The acting from Kyliegh Curran is really great. Of course, Ewan McGregor and Rebecca Ferguson also do not disappoint.

Just a heads up, should you decide to watch the Director’s Cut, which I recommend, it’s 3 hours long – but worth it.

---

Among the new movies on the list this year, Obsession and Doctor Sleep are my top two favorites. I really enjoyed both of them, but Obsession is going to be my top choice overall. Inde Navarrette’s performance is fantastic and my key reason for picking that movie.

Also, there was a bonus movie this year. We saw Street Fighter in the theater, and I’ve already written my review. The short version is that it’s a fun movie, but given its performance at the box office, we will likely not see a sequel.