If there’s anything that inspires me most, is autumn. I remember 10 years ago, around this same time, I kind of lost my will and muse to write. But as my favorite time of the year drew near, I felt like getting a new wave of inspiration, a breath of fresh air. It’s strange, even sweet, that a decade has passed since then, changing me so much throughout this time, but there are still things that ignite my inner spark the same way they did all those years ago.
Anyway, back to the topic. Halloween is coming, which means that my annual marathon of watching spooky films has officially begun. I’ve already talked about plenty of movies you can watch around this time of the year, but never about animated films that are just as worthy to be mentioned. So, here we go.
Coraline
Times come and go, but Coraline remains my favorite film to watch in October. It’s even a little disturbing how much comfort this creepy ass film brings to me, but what can I say, I instantly fell in love with it right when I first watched it around 15 years ago. It follows Coraline as she and her family move to a new house. But the house comes with a dark secret – a tunnel that leads to a parallel universe where everything is perfect. But what seems like a dream-come-true world is actually a trap. And now Coraline has to get out of it.
The Nightmare Before Christmas
Be prepared to see quite a lot of Tim Burton’s creations in this list, cause he’s simply a genius in this genre. But when it comes to The Nightmare Before Christmas I’m not exactly sure when this film should be watched as it has elements of both Halloween and Christmas. It tells about the town of Halloween, where monsters live. The whole year they get ready to celebrate the big holiday, doing the same rituals over and over again. But one year the Pumpkin King, aka Jack Skellington, gets tired of the sameness of his life. During a walk, he discovers other worlds full of magic, like the world of Christmas. To spice up his monotonous world, he decides to bring Christmas to his town. Which isn’t exactly easy, considering that all of its dwellers are used to destroy things and scare people.
Monster House
Monster House isn’t that popular, or at least I haven’t seen people talking about it much, and that’s a shame, as it’s really a good one. Three friends discover that one of the houses in their neighborhood is alive. They try to warn the adults but obviously no one believes them. So, they have to fight the monster on their own. If I’m being honest, I don’t remember many details of the plot–which is a great reason to rewatch this film–but I remember it being spookier than I imagined.
The Corpse Bride
Told you about Burton. I love how his films combine the mysterious and eerie elements with melancholic and tragic stories. A young man named Victor is about to get married. But as he rehearses his oath, he puts the wedding ring on a branch, which appears to be a corpse’s finger. The corpse is a young bride named Emily who never got to get married because she was murdered. She thinks that Victor actually wants to marry her and takes him to the underworld to finally have her happily ever after. And now Victor has to get out of there without breaking Emily’s heart for the second time.
ParaNorman
Ghosts, zombies and a terrible curse–ParaNorman has everything for a good Halloween watch. It’s about Norman, the town’s outcast, who can see and speak to ghosts. One day he finds out that an old curse is about to awaken and unleash the dead. At first no one believes him, cause who would believe the weird boy? But as things start to get uncanny, Norman gathers a team of allies and heads to save the day.
Over the Garden Wall
Two boys get lost in the woods and try to find their way home. Throughout their journey they encounter many strange creatures that live in different parts of the forest. Now, I have a confession to make. I’ve seen quite a lot of objectively scarier films than Over the Garden Wall. Many people even consider it their comfort watch for autumn, but to me it was a traumatic experience. I know it’s not in fact that scary, but somehow it creeped me out so much in a weird way that I can’t even explain. So, as much as I enjoyed the visuals and storyline, I don’t think I’ll ever want, or have the guts, to rewatch it.
Hotel Transylvania
I’ve already talked about this one in last year’s list about vampire movies, so I won’t be too long. It tells the story of Dracula but in a satirical way, making fun of all the prejudices people have about vampires. And while it’s filled with magic, monsters and dark atmosphere, I love how light and funny this film actually is.
Coco
This one’s actually about Día de los Muertos (the Day of the Dead), and I really loved learning more about the holiday because it has interesting roots and traditions. The main character, a boy named Coco, accidentally enters the Land of Dead. There he gets to meet his idol and members of his family, who help him get back to his world. The summary is short and simple but Coco’s journey is much more fascinating, filled with fun adventures and danger.
The Addams Family
The Addams Family is so Halloween-codes that I couldn’t not include it in the list. Everyone knows the ’60s series and the 1991 movie, as those have long become classics. But I guess many aren’t familiar with the animated adaptation that came out in 2019. It tells some brand new stories about the weirdest family in the world. I love the animation style and how it conveys the atmosphere we all love most in this film.
Frankenweenie
Imagine the story of Frankenstein but in a much cuter and more tragic way. That’s basically what Frankenweenie is about. When Victor’s favorite dog Sparky dies, he decides to bring his only friend back to life. Which he does, but it comes with a price to pay, cause everyone knows that you shouldn’t mess with death. I’ve seen this movie once, and I loved and hated it at the same time. It was a great story, but too heartbreaking for my animal loving heart. I’d like to give it another shot because I remember enjoying it.
I know that many consider animated films as childish works that are only for kids. And they honestly miss so much. Because cartoons often convey enlightening messages in simple and beautiful ways. Children, of course, are too little to see all that depth, but we, the adults, can. So, never consider yourself too old to watch a good animated film. They’re fun, visually appealing, kind, and wise all at the same time.
