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Halloween at home: What to watch

Halloween is almost upon us! Whether you are trick-or-treating with your mask on or hunkering down at home with a Hershey’s variety pack (full-size or mini: we’re not judging), Daybreak’s scream queen Rebecca Ugolini has horror movie picks to thrill you.

Daybreak's top picks for a spooky night in

Looking for scary movies to watch on Halloween? Check out these picks from Daybreak's Rebecca Ugolini. (CBC)

Halloween is almost upon us! Whether you are trick-or-treating with your mask on or hunkering down at home with a Hershey's variety pack (full-size or mini: we're not judging), Daybreak Montreal's scream queen Rebecca Ugolini has horror movie picks to thrill you.

This year, she's picked movies that are less about ghouls and goblins and more centered around themes of confinement.

"I wanted films that pertain to the daily realities we are all going through, but in a different way", she says. That said, the list contains no pandemic movies.

Here are her top horror movie recommendations for Halloween 2020. 

Link to the full interview with Mike Finnerty can be found here

The Invitation: When dinner parties go bad. (Drafthouse films)

The invitation (2015) : While attending a dinner party (remember those??) at his former house, a man starts to believe that his ex-wife and her new husband have sinister plans for the guests.

Why Rebecca chose it: "It's a slow burn movie. It's not jump scares or supernatural monsters, but it really plays with your mind and has a really big payoff at the end".

Unfriended. Probably the worst ZOOM call you've ever been on. (Universal Pictures)

Unfriended (2014) :  A group of online chat room friends find themselves haunted by a mysterious, supernatural force using the account of their dead friend.

Why Rebecca chose it: "This is a really immersive experience because it's filmed as if you're one of the characters. You're looking at the screen. You can see their video chats and read their messages. It's like you're living their world".

Await Further instructions: Told you TV was bad for you. (Dark Sky Films)

Await further instructions (2018): A family's Christmas takes a strange turn when they awake to find themselves trapped inside and begin receiving mysterious instructions through the television.

Why Rebecca chose it: "This has the feel of a zombie survival movie but it's happening in your own home with a family you thought you knew...or do you?"

It Follows: Simmering tension at its best. (Mongrel Media)

It follows (2014): A young woman is followed by an unknown supernatural force after a sexual encounter.

Why Rebecca chose it: "Although it's possible to see links between the movie's entity and issues like STIs, It Follows provides no easy answers, instead asking you the question: Who would you be willing to sacrifice, to ensure your own safety?"

For the meeker among us: 

Vampires Vs. The Bronx: Fun for the whole family. (Netflix)

Vampires vs. the Bronx (2020): A group of young friends from the Bronx fight to save their neighborhood from gentrification ... and vampires.

Why Rebecca chose it: "Yes, it will make you laugh, but it will also make you think. Kids and adults alike will both enjoy this movie."


The invitation, Await further instructions and Vampires vs. the Bronx are available on Netflix. Unfriended and It Follows are available to rent on Amazon video or YouTube.