Jesus, but October has crept up on us fast this year. One minute you’re thinking the summer heat might last till Santa arrives, the next you’re doubling up on socks, eyeing up the animatronic witches in B&Q, and wondering if fourteen bags of fun-size bars will see off the trick-or-treaters (and a few wee sly visits from yourself). The nights get longer, the curtains close earlier, and the living room once again becomes a place of ritual – blanket, snacks, low light… and something nasty on screen. Welcome to Film Ireland’s 31 Days of Halloween.
All month we’ll be serving up a horror movie recommendation a day. This list will have something for everyone – the curious and the jaded, the gore-hungry and the connoisseurs, the easily spooked, and the “I don’t really do horror” crowd who somehow end up watching the whole thing anyway. Expect monsters, witches, cults, curses, bad dates, worse families, questionable science, rubbery creatures, and at least one decision so stupid it could only be made by a man in a horror movie.
The aim here isn’t to dust off the same old heavy hitters. Freddy, Jason, and pals can enjoy a well-earned nap as they prepare for the big day. Here, we’re looking at oddities, overlooked gems, cult favourites, modern nasties, and under-loved sequels that deserve a revisit. Some are funny. Some are filthy. Some are clever enough to make you feel slightly attacked. Some will have you swearing off public transport, rural cottages, medical ethics, marriage, and Jeff Goldblum.
So clear your diary and dim the lights. Spooky season is short, and the watchlist is long. Do you hear that? Something is scratching at the window. We’d best not keep it waiting. Let’s begin.
Trick ’r Treat (2007)
You can’t really dive into a month of horror without the basic essentials – a pumpkin (or turnip if you’re old school) glowing out front, a bowl full of sweets to appease the tiny terrors arriving at your door, and a scary tale or two. Michael Dougherty’s Trick ’r Treat ticks all the boxes and starts the season the right way.
This fantastic horror anthology threads together several stories unfolding across one night in a small Ohio town. A woman snuffs out a pumpkin too early. A school principal with a murderous hobby disposes of a troublesome child. A group of kids stage a cruel prank around an old school bus legend. A shy young woman with a big, bad secret heads to a party in the woods. And lurking around all of it is Sam, a mysterious, pint-sized terror in jammies and a burlap mask, policing the spirit of the season with cheerful brutality.
What makes the movie such a treat (careful now) is the way it behaves like campfire stories being passed around. Characters brush against one another, segments bleed together, the structure loops and doubles back without becoming smug or breaking the fourth wall. Anthologies often live or die on keeping the energy up – one weak segment can derail the whole thing. With Trick ’r Treat, you won’t find a dud.
Dougherty understands that Halloween horror works best when it’s pure theatre, and his movie is all jazz hands, no filler. Its werewolf sequence is a belter, turning what first looks like a familiar setup into something wilder and cheekier. Elsewhere, the school bus tale taps into the sort of urban legend children repeat with total conviction, half thrilled and half terrified by their own interpretation. The mood does a lot of heavy lifting, too; everything has that Spooky Season glow. Porch lights flicker, colourful costumes are everywhere, streets are thick with leaves and fog. Make no mistake, this is not cosy horror – it’s got a mean streak a mile wide. But crucially, it never crosses into being miserable or – worse – dull. You get murder and gore, but they always feel like part of the same twisted carnival ride; funny, wild, full of sly little thrills. And Sam? Unsurprisingly, he’s become a bit of a horror icon, and a staple at conventions. It figures, he’s adorable enough to sell as a Funko Pop but menacing enough to make you wonder if that’s really a good idea.
Trick ’r Treat just gets Halloween. The holiday is about rituals, dressing up, sharing treats and stories, honouring the past, and half-believing the dead are waiting for us to let our guard down. It’d be hard to find a better movie to kick off the month.
If you liked Trick ’r Treat, check out: Slither (2006), Black Sabbath (1963), Southbound (2015)
Check out last year's list below!
Film Ireland Editor
