A spooky Canadian Halloween awaits for you on your TV screen
By: Alisha Shaikh
With Halloween approaching, let the horror-movie-bingeing begin. With so many great scary movies to watch, it may be hard to choose which one to start with. Here are a few iconic Canadian Halloween films to make your doom-scrolling a bit easier.
The Witch (2015)
Directed by Robert Eggers and starring Anya Taylor-Joy, The Witch is one of Canada’s most iconic horror films, earning more than $40 million USD at box office. Although The Witch is an international co-production between the United States and Canada, it is primarily shot in Southern Ontario.
The movie does a spectacular job of building suspense and engaging its audience. Max Weiss, a film critic for Baltimore Magazine, reviewed this film as a “more slow burn than an edge-of-your-seat thriller, but it builds steadily to its dreadful and earned conclusion.”
The story follows a farmer and his family in New England in 1630, whose life is filled with fear and despair when their youngest son mysteriously disappears. The oldest daughter (Anya Taylor-Joy) is blamed for her brother's death, which leads the family to drown in chaos. As their paranoia grows, suspicion of witchcraft is suspected, putting the clan's faith, loyalty and love for one another to the test. Although The Witch was released in 2015, it’s still a perfect movie to get you in the spooky Halloween mood. The movie has a score of 90 per cent on Rotten Tomatoes.
The Changeling (1980)
The Changeling is a classic Canadian-produced supernatural, psychological horror film that won a Canadian Screen Award for Best Screenplay. It was directed by Peter Medak and released in 1980, starring George C. Scott. The plot centers on composer John Russell, who is on vacation with his family when his wife and daughter are killed in a car accident. Russell, devastated by his loss and unable to cope, relocates to New York City in a massive, remote mansion. Soon after, Russell starts to feel the presence of a young boy who drowned in the bathtub of his new home. The film leads to uncovering the spine-chilling secrets of the boy's death and the mansion itself. The film left many feeling scared and terrified, which earns it a spot on this iconic Canadian Halloween movie list.
Ginger Snaps (2000)
Ginger Snaps, set and filmed in Ontario, is an iconic dark and gothic Canadian film. If you’re a horror movie fan with a love for werewolves, this is a must-watch. It was directed by John Fawcett, and it stars Katharine Isabelle and Emily Perkins, all three of whom are Canadian. It’s also highly acclaimed by moviegoers and critics alike, with a 90 per cent approval rating on Rotten Tomatoes
The story follows two outcasted sisters obsessed with death. As they attempt to deal with the unfortunate consequences placed upon them, one is bitten by a deadly werewolf. Watch how these sisters' lives unravel with the actions they must take in order to prevent chaos. With plenty of plot twists, desire and murder, this modern classic has something for everyone.
Videodrome (1983)
A classic from the '80s, Videodrome is a movie housing a myriad of genres from horror to sci-fi to gore. Canadian David Cronenberg directed the film, which starred American James Woods. Videodrome is set in Toronto during the early 1980s and is produced by Telefilm Canada. The film centers on the CEO of a small television station in Toronto as he discovers a broadcast signal of odd movements. As he determines the origin of the signal, a strange mind-control conspiracy begins to unravel.
Videodrome was released in 1983 and was a raging success, earning more than $2 million USD at the box office. Brian Eggert, a veteran film critic for Deep Focus Review, reviewed it saying, “films like this rouse powerful reactions to their extreme metaphors and violent imagery; but then, there has never been a film quite like this one.”
Along with these four must-watch scary movies, there are so many more great Canadian horror films out there. This list is a great way to start your Halloween movie marathon!