Top Halloween Movies for 2021

My favourite time of year is fastly approaching. The temperature outside is just right, we are closing in on Christmas and of course its Halloween! Each year in October, I like to count down to the spookiest day of the year by re-visiting my favourite spooky flicks. But sometimes, you get a little tired of re-watching the same films over and over, so its nice to try and find some new films to add to the watchlist. And this October, I am doing exactly that! I will be counting down my Halloween picks for 2021, these are all new releases and are films you will want to check out.

The Forever Purge (2021) – One of the most successful modern day horror franchises is ‘The Purge’ franchise. The franchise has seen great success and has become a staple in the genre. The 2021 film entry ‘The Forever Purge’ takes the franchise in a completely new direction. The concept is genuinely terrifying, the action set pieces are nail biting and tense and the new additions to the cast are also fantastic. I am a long time Josh Lucas fan and he is used very well in this film. The film also is a lot more gritty than the first, playing into the border location of Mexico and the United States of America. The films concept as well is terrifying, imagine all crime being legal, not only for a night, but forever. It’s a scary prospect and does contain thoughtful and at times meaningful political and social commentary. This is a great entry in the franchise and worth checking out this Halloween.

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Escape Room 2: Tournament of Champions (2021) – After the success of the first film and the great cliff hanger it left us with, it was only a matter of time before we got a sequel. And oh boy does this one deliver. The film picks up, straight after the first film. The film again is filled with tense situations, great horror set-pieces and a great sense of terror, which is a hard thing to find in modern horror films. I love the way the film incorporates the escape rooms thematically as each room has elements tied to the past of our heroes. It’s a great way to keep the audience invested in the characters and also a great way to keep the scares personal and interesting.

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The Conjuring 3: The Devil Made Me Do It (2021) – One of the great horror franchises of the past 20 years is without a doubt ‘The Conjuring’ franchise. Each of the films is unique and different in its own way. I for one love the first two core films of the franchise, as I think they are unique, well-made and all-round entertaining. The heart of the franchise is Ed and Lorraine Warren played by Patrick Wilson and Vera Farmiga respectively. ‘The Conjuring 3’, was a different direction for the franchise. The film plays differently to the first three films, touching on elements of the occult, whilst also touching on the elements that fans have grown to love, including an exorcism which is at the bookend of this chapter. The film is still filled with scares, a lot of them through great set-ups and even better pay offs. Without spoiling anything, there is a great sequence in a morgue that had me on the edge of my seat. This one is definitely worth checking out this spooky season.

Buy The Conjuring Movies on DVD, Blu-ray & 4K UHD Here

Demonic (2021) – ‘Elysium’, ‘Chappie’ and ‘District 9’ director, Neil Blomkemp is one of the more unique voices in Hollywood. He has mastered the Science-fiction genre and now is taking a turn at horror. His 2021 (pandemic filmed), horror flick ‘Demonic’ is unlike any other I have seen. It does not play like your traditional horror flick, as it does not rely on jump scares to create tension. The films concept is unique, following a young woman who unleashes paranormal hell, which stems from a rift between mother and daughter. The family drama add a different take to the genre, making the film feel separated from other demonic possession films. There are some great visuals, which we have come to expect from the director and some unique set-pieces, when taking into consideration that the film was filed during the COVID-19 pandemic. This one is worth a watch this Halloween, but be warned, you may want to keep the lights on when you do watch it.

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Scare Me (2017) – Streaming service Shudder have delivered quite a few unique and different horror flicks since their inception in 2017. One of their more unique titles is ‘Scare Me’, which has recently been released on DDV and Blu-Ray thanks to Acord Entertainment. The film  follows a couple as they start to tell each other spooky stories in a cabin in the woods during a power outage. Sound familiar? The film is gleefully aware that you have, and does its very best to subvert these expectations and pre-conceived notions. I think the film does a great job at this. It blends comedy and horror near seamlessly and has a great time doing it. The film also utilises its location well, with the film never feeling trapped or contained, whilst only taking place in one location. This is a great little flick and definitely worth your time this Halloween!

Buy Scare Me & Other Shudder Movies on DVD Here

These flicks I think have something for everyone. Even if you are not a fan of the genre, the scares are not too intense and you will be able to stand some of these. This Halloween Sanity have you sorted with the best new release horror flicks.

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Christopher Pattison wrote this blog post for Sanity. See more from Chris here