As Halloween comes to life, students around campus share their favorite scary movies for the season.
By Akira Elliott
Scary movies and plays have been around as long as cinema has existed, and have evolved throughout the years.
Peyton Douma, ‘30, definitely knows what her 2 favorite scary movies are. She says, “Hocus Pocus and The Nightmare Before Christmas.”
She adds that she liked Hocus Pocus because it was a part of her childhood, and she liked The Nightmare Before Christmas because of its classic feel.
Not all scary movies need to give a nightmare feeling; some are just a good feel for the season.
Joseph Landin, ‘27, agrees that Halloween Town is one of those movies.
He says, “Halloween Town is my first…I really like it; it reminds me of all the good stuff in Halloween, and not just the bad stuff. I just like how it’s fictional, and I can escape into my own little world.”
Scary movie characters have also played a key role in making scary movies what they are.
Madison Agredano, ‘28, agrees that Michael Myers is one of the scariest Halloween movie characters. She says, “Because, for some reason, he doesn’t seem to die. He always comes back even after being shot. It’s kind of crazy.”
Michael Myers doesn’t fail to be a scary character, and is definitely a classic Halloween movie that glues people’s eyes to the movie.
However, there are still lots of other terrifying Halloween characters out there.
Haley Tierce, ‘27, feels like Freddy Krueger would be a scary one. She says, “… Freddy Krueger gets you in your sleep, like oh my gosh, I would be terrified and couldn’t sleep, because I was probably gonna get killed in my dreams.”
Some scary movies can also be slightly confusing at times. We all know those moments when you’re yelling at a character through the screen to run away, but they still act carelessly and walk into the horrifying scary mansion.
Derrick Dean, ‘29, has his own plans for how to survive. He says, “I would probably survive in the world of It because I’ll just run away.”
Haley Tierce also has her own plans for which character she would survive. She says, “I think Chucky, it’s just a doll, and then you probably just kick him and then you’re good.”
Even though there are some scary characters that can easily be beaten, some movies have features that seem impossible to escape from.
When asked about the worst Halloween/Scary movie to be in, Landin says, “The worst to be in would probably be The Conjuring, yeah, no, because I would not want to be possessed, or like, even near that stuff.”
Scary movies do a great job of giving the thrill to pretty much everyone who watches. Not only do they give a thrill, but they also provide an exciting way to connect with friends through chills!
Akira Elliott
Akira Elliott, '30, works in the arts and entertainment section in the Redwood Gigantea. She joined journalism in 2026 and loves to read, draw, and write. This year, she plans to include as many voices as possible in her stories.
Tags: arts & entertainment, fall, favorites, halloween, movies, ranger, redwood gigantea, redwood high school, redwood journalism, scary, scary movies, season, visalia ca
