🖤 The Purr Purr Press Halloween Movies Series: Halloween movie recommendations

Week 5: The Final Scare: Halloween movie recommendations

The end is near… at least for our 🎃 Halloween movie series. Cue dramatic crying. I’m not ready to say goodbye to spooky season, but I’m ready for one last reel of horror favorites. I mean, Halloween is an obvious choice — and of course I’ll be watching it like every year — but I wanted to throw in a little something for everyone. We’ve got vampires, ancient burial grounds, creepy spiders, and plenty of reasons to keep the lights on. Grab a snack, pour a drink — maybe a beer, a little wine, or a nice Chianti if you’re feeling cinematic. Don’t worry, no fava beans on this menu.

Here are the final girls that made it to week 5: Halloween movie recommendations. 

🕷️ Arachnophobia (1990) Tubi

Watch trailer here

Jeff Daniels and his family move into a small town that suddenly becomes overrun with deadly spiders. It’s one of those movies that makes you laugh one minute and 😱 scream the next. Every time a spider appeared, it was nerve-wracking — they’re in your shower, your helmet, your popcorn! By the end, I felt like spiders were crawling in every corner of my house and in my hair.

😩 I don’t even like looking at pictures of spiders — they make me cringe — so watching an entire movie about them was way more than I thought I could handle. From the first creepy crawl to the last, I was on edge: gasping, flinching, and bracing myself every few minutes. There’s this constant dread that something’s about to happen… or crawl on me.

Thank God for John Goodman, who provides the perfect comic relief while I’m holding my breath and yelling at the screen. And I have to admit, some of those spiders had personality, which made me laugh despite myself. This one’s the perfect way to kick off the week: funny, freaky, and full of eight-legged chaos. My heart rate was so high by the end it felt like I just finished a workout. Turns out I’m way more scared of spiders than ghosts or monsters.

🩸30 Days of Night (2007) Tubi

Watch trailer here

In a remote Alaskan town that goes dark for 30 straight days, a group of residents finds themselves hunted by a pack of bloodthirsty vampires 🧛‍♂️. And not the sparkly kind — these vampires are vicious, fast, and downright terrifying. The setup alone is chilling: endless night, total isolation, and nowhere to hide. The movie starts right before the final sunset, and you can just feel the dread building. The cinematography is cold and bleak, the sound design makes every scream echo like it’s bouncing off frozen air, and the tension never lets up. Just the fact that all of this takes place in freezing weather makes me cringe. I’m from the Rio Grande Valley in south Texas — anything below 70 is a horror movie to me.

Well, if it isn’t the love of my life, heart 💗 Josh Hartnett, back to save the day. My hero. He plays the sheriff trying to protect what’s left of the town, and he does it with that perfect mix of calm and chaos that makes me swoon every single time. And those vampires — why do they have to move so fast!? It gets me every single time. This movie doesn’t rely on cheap jump scares — it’s moody, brutal, and relentless. I found myself gripping my blanket like it was a lifeline. It’s one of the few vampire films that actually makes you feel how hopeless the situation is. The kind of movie where, when it ends, you just sit there in stunned silence for a second. Definitely not one to watch alone in the dark.

🍷 Silence of the Lambs (1991) HBO

Watch trailer here

Oh mama, this is the big enchilada. I love this movie. I love Jodie Foster. We’re such huge fans of hers over here at Purr Purr Press — she’s absolute perfection in this role. The Silence of the Lambs is thrilling, eerie, and full of that slow, steady build that keeps you hooked every time. And that scene where Clarice talks about the lambs 🐑 when she was younger—ahhh, scary and heartbreaking all at once.

When Clarice first meets Hannibal Lecter, it’s deep underground in a cold, brick-walled cell block that screams nightmare. No windows, just flickering lights and a hallway full of cells. He’s charming, intelligent, and deeply unsettling—the kind of creepy that crawls under your skin. And then there’s Buffalo Bill, the stuff of pure nightmares. That basement scene where Clarice is in total darkness? No thank you. When she realizes she’s standing in the killer’s house and he just smiles and chuckles... oh no no no—chills.

And look who makes a return from week two’s The ’Burbs: 🐶 Queenie! Or, as she’s known here, Precious. Fun fact: her real name is Darla, and she’s also appeared in Batman Returns, Pee-Wee’s Big Adventure, and more. What a legend.

And can we talk about that Tom Petty “American Girl” moment? Every time that song comes on, I start jamming — and then immediately remember... oh wait, I’m watching Silence of the Lambs. 😬

This movie never gets old. It’s creepy, smart, and so, so good.

😈 Drag Me to Hell (2009) HBO

Watch trailer here

Yes, Sam Raimi is back — and so is his signature style: over-the-top scares, dark humor, and a healthy dose of gross-out moments. This movie is such a wild ride. It’s campy, scary, funny, and disgusting in the best way.

The story follows a loan officer, Christine (Alison Lohman), who denies an old woman’s request for an extension on her mortgage — big mistake. The curse that follows is pure Raimi chaos: flying objects, creepy shadows, and one unforgettable parking garage scene that still makes me jump. The floating handkerchief, the backseat scare, and that 🔮 séance scene — how delightful.

This movie is a nonstop blend of shock and silliness, with Raimi leaning hard into his Evil Dead-style madness — close-ups, goo, shrieks, and twisted humor that makes you laugh and scream. There are even a few Evil Dead throwbacks. 

Poor Christine goes through it — and I mean through it. Possessed shadows, haunted dreams, and a cursed button that won’t quit. You can’t help but root for her while also thinking, “Girl, just don’t touch anything.” The ending hits fast and hard, the kind that makes you sit there like, “Wait… did that really just happen?”

It’s over-the-top, it’s chaotic, and it’s pure Sam Raimi magic. Funny, freaky, and a little looney-tooney — exactly how I like my horror.

🪦 Pet Sematary (1989) HBO

Watch trailer here

I mean, Stephen King — what else needs to be said? This one still gets me. An ancient burial ground where kids bury their pets, only for them to come back... 🧟 different. It’s eerie, emotional, and deeply unsettling. This movie has everything: creepy kids, zombie cats, and one of the most disturbing sisters ever put on screen. Zelda still haunts my dreams. Every time that scene comes on, I have to cover my eyes.

The mix of small-town life and supernatural chaos makes it even creepier. You think you’re getting a sad story about loss and love… then boom — here come the nightmares. It’s equal parts heart-wrenching and horrifying, and it still makes me jump no matter how many times I’ve seen it.

That one scene where the mom talks about her memories of her sister when she was young? I still shudder thinking about it. This one definitely gave me nightmares as a kid — and honestly, it still does. And yes, the neighbor in Pet Sematary is played by Fred Gwynne, the same actor who played Herman Munster in the TV show The Munsters. Iconic! Thankfully, The Ramones 🎶 swoop in at the end with “Pet Sematary” to lighten the mood just a bit (or make it weirder — depends who you ask).

Fun fact: The Ramones actually wrote the song for the movie after Stephen King — a huge fan of the band — handed them a copy of his book. Dee Dee Ramone wrote the lyrics, and the track ended up on their 1989 album 🧠 Brain Drain. You can even find it on our Creepshow playlist — because spooky season never really ends around here.

🎥 Cue the Credits

And that’s a wrap on our 👻 Halloween movie series! Thank you so much for watching along this month—it’s been a blast screaming, laughing, and hiding behind blankets with you. Watch out for creepy spiders, killer klowns, and the occasional weirdo lurking around the corner.

Spooky season is my absolute favorite, and I hope to see you next year for another round of thrills and chills. Don’t forget to check out our video store–inspired sticker—a little love letter 💌 to all those late-night rentals and rewind fees.

🎙️📻 This one’s going out to all the night owls and horror hounds tuning in to K-P-P-P—home of the Creepshow playlist, keeping spooky season alive one song at a time. And if you need something to set the scene while you pack away the pumpkins, our Halloween playlists have you covered. Until next time, stay spooky, my friends, and have a fun (and safe!) Halloween.