It’s a dark and rainy night, the sound of the thunder is far from gone. You hear the doorbell ring which distracts you from the rain. You are grappled with the fear of a stranger right out front or worse – the same salesperson that has come back every day for five years to tell you about this foot cream that can fix that athlete’s foot in a matter of seconds. You slowly grab the door handle and then – you scream at the TV because the dumb antagonist in the movie is opening the door that has a shadowy figure with a knife behind it.

Horror movies tend to make us feel nostalgic. Whether it’s the cheap jump scares, existential dread or pigging out on some candy, they make me miss being a kid. With Halloween right around the corner, here are some movies that bring back the good memories of being scared out of our minds:

Coraline:

What can be better than Coraline? With kooky neighbors, talking cats and a crazy other mother this movie gives buttons a scary side. A wonderful movie to sit down and enjoy, available on Hulu and amazon prime with a STARZ subscription.

The Addams Family:

The spooky fun family may be an older film, but it is such a classic that it had to be on the list. With each member of this family bringing unique to a new level you would have to be insane to not watch this film. Available on Netflix and Amazon Prime.

Halloweentown:

What a wonderful town to live in, ghouls and ghosts crawling everywhere with the occasional witch casting a spell. This movie has a mix of things, but nostalgia is on the top. Available on Disney+ this movie brings fun times mixed with a spook to make your day.

Nightmare Before Christmas:

The classic that people debate whether this movie is either a Halloween movie or a Christmas movie. Seeing this movie on this list shows my opinion but the movie is still such a good movie. This is ready to be watched on Disney+ and trust me still makes me hum the theme while writing this right now.

Hocus Pocus:

I put a spell on you, and now you’re mine. This movie growing up made me start liking the villains from movies, with the amazing trio of old witches in the modern era, they made me want to pick up a broom and start flying while turning people into cats. You can watch this on Disney+ to fulfill that urge to see witches sing.

Corpse Bride:

Now this movie has always been on my head when thinking about Halloween, the corpses and skeletons always seemed to freak me out as a child but now what freaks me out is the poor posture the Bishop had in it. The lessons in this movie are really deep and without spoiling it too much, never put a ring on a tree. You can head to the Land of the Dead by renting it on Youtube, Amazon Prime and other renting sites.

Scooby-Doo (live-action version)

Let me tell you, I love the Scooby-Doo franchise, but… this movie literally scared me, not only the really bad CGI and acting but the spooky ghosts and even just the gang breaking up (even though they have done that multiple times) I couldn’t bear it. It’s so bad you can’t take your eyes off of it. You can watch this on HBO max or rent it on any rental service.

These movies bring wonder and spells to the imagination and have the mystical feel of sitting down and watching a Halloween movie with some spooky pals.