Ah, October. The month of trills, mischief, pranks, ghosts, candy, and many other festive treats of the old traditions. October, home to the holiday Halloween, is the beacon of hope for kids- especially for the younger ones who don’t have the chance to obtain sweets often. Halloween evokes the feelings of horror and terror within the hearts of kids and adults alike. These are seen through the images of ghosts as well as other kinds of monsters that make people shriek from fear. But at the same time, Halloween brings in sparks of joy from being able to hang out with friends and family, watching movies and eating sweets. Halloween, while it’s originally a horror based holiday, has become a thrilling case of time.

However, Halloween isn’t only for the young kids. Teenagers, as well as adults, enjoy the 31st by watching horror movies with a bowl of their own candy and various other snacks.

But what about these films catches the eyes of the viewers? The answer may be the jumpscares.

Perhaps one of the most memorable jumpscares occurs in the film #alive, which is about a deadly virus pandemic transmitted through biting. There is one particular scene where a neighbor walks into the house of the lead character asking to use the bathroom, while clearly showing bite symptoms. Later, he runs out of the bathroom and attacks the lead. This similar method occurs when the lead goes to the apartment of the neighbor to scavenge for food and tools, but remembers that the neighbor was bit by his brother. Suddenly a zombie comes rushing in, causing yet another jumpscare.

But there’s more to enjoying the horror genre than the occasional jumpscare.  Viewers love the adrenaline-pumping action and the eerie mood of these films. Although the plot structures may be similar, each good horror film is different from the rest. Even if the ending is predictable, what matters most to viewers is the thrill of the journey. 

In addition to #alive, I recommend The Call, with its thrill-inducing scenes that make viewers jump out of their seats in anxiety. 

#Alive is a zombie film filmed inside of two apartments across from the main one. The two main characters must figure out a way to survive and wait for help to arrive. The one character posts on Instagram with the hashtag “alive,” hence the title of the movie.

The Call is about a murder and a chase. Two characters live in different times. Seo Yeon lives in the present, while Young Sook lives in the past. The two are connected by one phone call, which changes their lives irrevocably. Seo Yeon discovers that Young Sook was the serial killer who killed her father, and she must find a way to exact revenge. It is a perfect movie during Halloween and for anyone who loves cop and crime movies. 

#alive and The call are both Korean films.  Even with subtitles, they are incredibly entertaining.

But why limit yourself to movies?  Video games have also found their way into the Halloween season.  My top three picks to play this month are Phasmophobia, the Five Nights at Freddy’s series, and the Resident Evil series.

Although two are solo games, Phasmophobia can be played with a group of friends where you attempt to find the ghost and identify the person that became this ghost, while clinging to your life, hoping not to be targeted by the angry spirit ghost. Personally while playing Phasmo with my friends, it is scary but hilarious when one of them screams when they hear something. It makes the game more engaging to play with friends 

Five Nights at Freddy’s is a quest game where you must survive the office until 6 am while keeping monsters away.  It is an excellent jumpscare and horror game. FNAF always has me anxious because I never know when an animatronic is going to appear.

Resident Evil is lore-based, with lots of scary scenes following a story of fighting against a monster that attacks each game. I love playing RPGs and other story-based games, so if that’s something you’re interested in, Resident Evil is a great one to try, especially as the days grow shorter, the air grows colder, and the spooky season settles in.