Every Halloween season, children and adults alike gather, pop popcorn, grab candy and watch their favorite spooky and scary Halloween movies. Popular franchises include “Hocus Pocus,” “Friday the 13th,” “Halloween” and “Goosebumps.” But which Halloween movie reigns supreme above all? What genres do students prefer, horror or comedy? What reasons do students choose their favorite movies?
Students may prefer the more gory, slasher-style Halloween movies, such as “Halloween” and the Michael Myers franchise, which includes horror-esque films that include jump scares, twists and elaborate evil plans and plots. Senior Bryson Filbert prefers the horror/slasher genre. “I love all scary Halloween movies, especially the Michael Myers franchise. The plots and storylines are fun and entertaining to watch and I would much rather watch a scary movie like Friday the 13th than a comedy movie,” Filbert said.
Others may prefer a more comedic, funny movie like Adam Sandler’s “Hubie Halloween,” which can provide comedic relief in a time of year like Halloween. More comedic, family-friendly Halloween films include “ParaNorman,” “Casper” and “Scobby-Doo.” While these movies are mostly focused on comedy, of course, there are slight elements of horror present. Senior Zach King said, “Casper is my favorite Halloween movie because it’s so nostalgic. It’s one of those movies that never gets old.”
When selecting a Halloween movie, factors come into play: popularity, actors, and streaming platforms make the movies available. For example, Tubi has a big Halloween marathon each year where Halloween movies are readily available to stream during the spooky season with big-name features. Students also watch movies based on popularity, especially characters like the Michael Myers franchise and “IT” with the Pennywise character. Filbert said, “I started watching the Michael Myers movies because I had heard his name before and my friends got me to watch with them. I had already seen the ‘IT’ movies and ‘Friday the 13th’ movies, so the Halloween franchise, which was just as popular, was next up for me to watch.”
Similar to Filbert, sophomore Jack Sisco prefers the gory, slasher, scary Halloween movie over comedic, funny movies. Famous actors like Jamie Lee Curtis, Jack Black, Sarah Jessica Parker and others appear in the horror-type films, which is another driving factor in favor of movies like “Halloween” and “Goosebumps” rather than movies like “Casper,” as the big-name actors can draw in more attention. Sisco said, “Scary movies are so much better than any Halloween comedy. The actors like Jamie Lee Curtis and the stories are 10 times more entertaining in Halloween than in Hubie Halloween. Horror movies are always amazing during Halloween.”
From the opinions of the students, they enjoy watching a mixture of both genres, balancing the thrill of scary movies with the funny and heartfelt attributes of a comedy. The wide range and mixture of different types of Halloween movies that students prefer demonstrate how Halloween movies can appeal to a broad audience, whether they are seeking a thriller, laughter, comedic relief, or a combination of both.
