“Are you freaking kidding me?” my best friend said after watching the third Conjuring movie. We flipped the lights back on in the basement. We all had a look of disappointment and confusion. We liked the first two movies, why was this one so lame? Let’s face it. There are some real stinker movies. One of my least favorite tasks is trying to pick a movie to watch while I’m scrolling through all of my streaming services. The worst feeling ever is when the movie I spent forever picking isn’t good. I’m hoping that this article will help others avoid this evil predicament. Without further ado, here are five of the best movies to watch in October in no particular order.
Sweeney Todd: The Demon Barber of Fleet Street (2007)
Sweeney Todd: The Demon Barber of Fleet Street is adapted from a musical written by Stephen Sondheim, who is highly regarded as one of the most influential composers on Broadway. With Stephen Sondheim’s music and direction from Tim Burton, this is easily one of my favorite movie adaptations of a musical. It is especially awesome during October due to its macabre energy.
Even though they are objectively problematic, I found myself falling in love with Nellie Lovett (Helena Bohnam Carter) and Sweeney Todd (Johnny Depp). I swooned over the beauty of the song Johanna, sung by Anthony Hope (Jamie Campbell Bower), a young sailor who falls in love with a girl who sings in the window of the room she has been trapped in. I want to get “Wake up, Johanna, another bright red day” tattooed on my body, as that is a mantra I say to myself daily.
Someone could watch this movie many times, because every time they would pick up on something they previously missed. To me, the complex themes balanced with the well written characters and music make Sweeney Todd: The Demon Barber of Fleet Street best suited for October.
The Phantom of the Opera (2004)
This movie made me cry. The Phantom of the Opera is another movie based on a musical (notice a theme?). Phantom’s music is written by Andrew Lloyd Webber, another Broadway great. This musical touches my heart because it inspired me to pursue theater.
The show takes place in the glamorous French Opera House and really romanticizes the process of putting a show together. One thing I don’t understand is why they cast such a beautiful man (Gerard Butler) as the Phantom. When I saw Phantom for the first time, I was in middle school, and I was enamored with Gerard Butler. I didn’t understand why Christine (the leading lady) didn’t willingly get kidnapped and brought to the catacombs by the Phantom. Now that I’m older, I obviously get it. This doesn’t change the fact that Phantom of the Opera is one of the best to watch around Halloween. Phantom is another one of my favorite movies and musicals.
The Rocky Horror Picture Show (1975)
The Rocky Horror Picture Show is one of my favorite movies. The Rocky Horror Picture Show is a cult classic for a reason. The movie started as a musical (I promise not every single movie on this list is a musical). I love the music written by Richard O’Brien (fun fact, he plays the dad in Phineas and Ferb) because it has a rock energy to it unlike the others on this list.
I also fell in love with the kooky characters. However, every person in The Rocky Horror Picture Show is objectively bad for their own reasons. I feel like good writing is making a bad person likable.
Also, the way this movie is filmed is awesome. It is a science fiction movie from the 70s, so it is just the right level of campy. The Rocky Horror Picture Show makes me nostalgic for a time I wasn’t alive in.
The Nightmare Before Christmas (1993)
The Nightmare Before Christmas was my comfort movie when I was little. I would watch it over and over. One year I remember really wanting to be Sally for Halloween and being very upset when I wasn’t her.
Henry Selick’s animation stimulated my mind and vision. I love this movie so much. The best thing about The Nightmare Before Christmas is that it’s appropriate to watch for all of the holiday season. It starts in Halloween Town then Jack Skellington accidentally finds himself in Christmas Town.
I also love how relatable the storyline is. Jack starts as a well loved celebrity of Halloween Town, but then once he sees the happiness and love that Christmas brings, he goes crazy trying to bring that to Halloween Town. Sally is in love with Jack, but Jack is so busy with Christmas that he doesn’t realize. Sally knows something bad will happen to Jack if he tries to replicate Christmas, but nobody will listen to her. The storyline of The Nightmare Before Christmas is delicious, the animation is delicious, and the soundtrack is delicious. I love this movie.
Bratz Kidz Sleep-Over Adventure (2007)
Bratz Kidz Sleep-Over Adventure was another movie I would watch over and over. I loved this movie. It was just scary enough to freak me out when I was 7. It is still spooky to me. It is an anthology-esce movie with numerous stories ranging from a silly talking dog to a scary doppelganger story that made me afraid of mirrors forever. The animation leaves something to be desired because this flick is from 2007, but other than that, Bratz Kidz Sleep-over Adventure is awesome. I don’t think people talk about it enough.
