Since people might be attending less Halloween festivities this year, nothing beats curling up in a warm blanket and watching a good movie. But what should you watch while you ignore the trick-or-treaters pounding on your door?
“Insidious”
Rating: 3/5
A family of six moves out of their house after finding out that it was haunted by Satan’s angels. After moving, the members of the family begin to have night terrors and suffer from traumatizing sleep paralysis. An exorcist is called in on the scene, and what she reveals next changes the family’s lives forever.
I thought the idea itself was good, but the execution had its flaws. The over saturated colors were distracting at times, and the story can’t be tied back to modern society. That isn’t necessarily a bad thing, but it’s a pet peeve of mine. The writers also left out a few small details that aren’t that big of a deal, but it’s enough to leave some small plot holes after the movie ends.
“Coraline”
Rating: 5/5
A girl, tired of her uneventful life with her family, feels lost and confused about what to do until she discovers a secret door while exploring her home. On the other side is a new world and family that closely mirrors her own, yet feels more exciting. However, the joy fades when her other family tries to keep her there forever.
The stop-motion animation style was a nice throwback to early animation. The plot is a metaphor for how the grass might seem greener on the other side of the fence, but people don’t realize that it’s not what they want until it’s too late. “Coraline” serves as a cautionary tale for people who aren’t satisfied with what they have. This movie got my highest rating because the plot and animation style sync up perfectly, and the tone has some positive aspects to it, along with the movie’s satisfying ending.
“The Silence”
Rating: 4/5
This apocalypse thriller features archaeologists uncovering a cave that has housed a species of bats that, after a few hundred years, evolved into blind killing machines that hunt by sound. By digging up the cavern, the archaeologists accidentally release the bats to wreak havoc on the world. The movie follows a family of seven trying to escape to the fabled last permanent stand for humanity.
Though there’s not a lot of realism, the CGI bat creatures are incredibly well-animated and the quiet, anxiety-inducing tone of the movie goes well with the plot. The grotesque bats are terrifying with sharp brown scales, torn wings and a hole in their face where the eyes should be. The situations the characters get into almost serve as a satire for the horror genre, with a hint of modern culture. Nothing would beat watching “The Silence” on Halloween night with some ambient lights and a few friends.
