I won't be the first one to say that Halloween is brilliant – when it's falls on a weekend.
Nobody, and I repeat nobody, wants to answer the door to annoying, bin-bag clad children asking for sweets, paint their faces in fake blood or dress up as a blummin' pumpkin on a Tuesday night.
Halloween frivolity should be reserved for the weekends, when it's permissible to resemble a zombie (most likely as a result of too much alcohol and no sleep) and spend hours perfecting your ghoulishly terrifying Halloween-inspired nail art.
So, for us, the weekday celebrations call for two things: a classic Halloween film and chocolate. Lots of it.
Here are our top 18 picks of the Halloween films you need to watch this All Hallows Eve*:
*Runs to check the door is triple locked*
1. The Birds, 1963
Alfred Hitchcock. Unexplained bird attacks. Tippi Hedren. There's a reason why this film was rated the seventh greatest thriller ever by the American Film Institute.
2. American Psycho, 2000
You'll be reeling off Patrick Bateman quotes all evening, but might want to think twice before dancing to Huey Lewis and the News' single, 'It's Hip To Be Square' ever again.
3. Hocus Pocus, 1993
This 1993 films will certainly put a spell on you after watching a trio of witches resurrected by a virgin teen in Salem. Plus, it's got Sarah Jessica Parker as a witch so what's not to love?
Amok, amok, amok…
4. IT, 1990
While everyone might have been talking about the 2017 American supernatural horror film directed by Andy Muschietti that came out in September, we urge you to step back in time and revisit the 1990 original mini-series.
Based on one of Stephen King's bestselling novels, this is a story told in flashbacks about a small town where a group of kids are terrorised by an evil, clown-looking guy.
5. Beetlejuice 1988
Putting aside the film stars Winona Ryder, Alec Baldwin, Geena Davis and Michael Keaton for a second, and the fact there's some incredible Halloween costume inspiration going on, Beetlejuice is a 'hands in the air in appreciation' kind of Halloween film classic that every cinema-lover should have seen by now.
Directed by Tim Burton, the American comedy-fantasy revolves around recently deceased couple (Baldwin and Davis) as they attempt to haunt their old house's new inhabitants with the help of humbug-stripe clad ghost Beetlejuice.
However, ol' Beets over there has other ideas.
6. The Shining, 1980
'Darling, I'm not gonna hurt you…' said no sane man, ever.
7. 28 Weeks Later, 2007
There's nothing like a bunch of infected zombies, quarantined relatives and nerve gas to get you into the Halloween spirit…
8. Friday The 13th, 1980
If you need a lesson about why not to re-open an abandoned campground, this is it.
9. Donnie Darko, 2001
Starring siblings Maggie and Jake Gyllenhaal, this film sees a troubled teenager named Donnie (Jake) plagued by visions of a man called Frank dressed in a large rabbit suit who manipulates him to commit a series of crimes.
With the focus on the supernatural, psychology and hypnosis, it's no wonder this film became a cult classic in the early Noughties. Not to mention Jake Gyllenhaal is in it too, of course.
What's Halloween without some (eye) candy, right?
10. Halloween, 1978
A six-year-old inexplicably murders his sister, escapes a psychiatric ward 15 years later and goes home to kill again.
You might want to watch this with a friend, that's all I'm saying.
11. The Texas Chain Saw Massacre, 1974
Giving everyone a fear of sheds and gardening tools forever, this film sees a group of friends who fall victim to a family of cannibals while on their way to visit an old homestead.
Joyous stuff, right?
Marketed as a true story at the time, the plot is entirely fictional but some of the details were inspired by the crimes of real-life murderer Ed Gein and it certainly packs a punch.
12. Carrie, 1976
Carrie White is a name you won't forget in a hurry after seeing this film.
Known to be a shy, friendless teenage girl who is sheltered/abused by her overly domineering religious mother, Carrie is humiliated and bullied continuously by her classmates. That is, however, until she unleashes her telekinetic powers at her senior prom.
13. The Craft, 1996
Before the days of Sabrina The Teenage Witch and Harry Potter, there was The Craft - a 1996 American supernatural horror film starring House of Cards and Scream favourite Neve Campbell.
The plot explores four outcast teenage girls who pursue witchcraft for their own gain and, of course, it doesn't end well.
14. The Witch, 2015
Nothing good ever comes from running into the woods. At night. Without a mobile phone. Seriously, do people in horror films not know anything?
So, you can imagine the evil forces that come out the woods in this terrifying blockbuster hit.
15. Tim Burton's The Nightmare Before Christmas, 1993
If the thought of insomnia for the next week after watching too many horror films on Halloween doesn't sound like fun, your best bet is to watch Tim Burton's 1993 stop-motion animated dark fantasy about Jack Skellington's celebration of Christmas.
Adorably spooky.
16. Young Frankenstein, 1974
In honour of the late, great Gene Wilder, we suggest a night in with popcorn and hot chocolate with the hilarious parody film, Young Frankenstein.
'No, it pronounced, 'Frokensteen'.'
17. The Ring, 2002
After watching this film, you'll be glad VHS tapes don't exist anymore, that's for sure.
In this film, journalist Rachel Keller is investigating a videotape that may have killed four teenagers - including her niece - which is thought to result in the viewer's death seven days after watching it.
Watch out for long raven-haired girls crawling out of your television, that's all we can say.
18. The Blair Witch Project, 1999
Given the shaky footage, at the time of its release the film cause some audience members to have motion sickness and vomit as a result.
Do you dare watch it?
Look, don't blame us if you have nightmares.
Happy Halloween!
Katie O'Malley is the Site Director on ELLE UK. On a daily basis you’ll find Katie managing all digital workflow, editing site, video and newsletter content, liaising with commercial and sales teams on new partnerships and deals (eg Nike, Tiffany & Co., Cartier etc), implementing new digital strategies and compiling in-depth data traffic, SEO and ecomm reports. In addition to appearing on the radio and on TV, as well as interviewing everyone from Oprah Winfrey to Rishi Sunak PM, Katie enjoys writing about lifestyle, culture, wellness, fitness, fashion, and more.
