CineCrossroads: Five films to make your Halloween weekend unforgettable

Movie of the week: Other Mommy (2026)

This week’s main release is Other Mommy, a supernatural horror film directed by Rob Savage and based on Josh Malerman’s novel Incidents Around the House.

The story follows Bela, a young girl whose family home is invaded by a sinister entity she calls Other Mommy. Appearing in the shape of Bela’s mother, the creature tries to gain the child’s trust while gradually tightening its hold over the household.

Jessica Chastain takes on a disturbing dual role as Bela’s mother and the entity imitating her. She is joined by Jay Duplass and Arabella Olivia Clark, while filmmaker James Wan serves as one of the producers.

Rather than relying only on sudden scares, Other Mommy draws its tension from a fear familiar to many children: the possibility that something frightening may be hiding inside an apparently safe home. Its domestic setting and unsettling central figure make it an appropriate choice for viewers seeking a chilling start to the Halloween weekend.

Classic pick: Halloween (1978)

No Halloween selection would be complete without John Carpenter’s Halloween, one of the most influential horror films ever made.

The film follows escaped killer Michael Myers as he returns to the fictional town of Haddonfield on Halloween night. There, teenager Laurie Strode, played by Jamie Lee Curtis, gradually realizes that a silent masked stranger is following her.

Carpenter creates suspense through patient camerawork, carefully framed shadows and an unforgettable minimalist score. Much of the film’s power comes from what remains unseen. Quiet streets, darkened houses and empty doorways become sources of danger long before violence occurs.

More than four decades after its release, Halloween remains a model of economical filmmaking. Its imagery and music have become inseparable from the holiday itself, making it an essential classic for anyone interested in the history of horror cinema.

Gothic pick: The Others (2001)

For viewers who prefer atmosphere to bloodshed, Alejandro Amenábar’s The Others offers an elegant and haunting alternative.

Nicole Kidman stars as Grace, a deeply religious mother living with her two children in an isolated mansion shortly after the Second World War. Because the children suffer from an extreme sensitivity to sunlight, the curtains must remain closed and every door must be locked before another is opened.

When unexplained footsteps, voices and strange figures begin appearing in the house, Grace becomes convinced that the family is no longer alone. Yet the truth behind the disturbances proves far more complicated than she expects.

With its candlelit rooms, heavy fog and growing sense of isolation, The Others captures the spirit of a traditional ghost story. Its restrained approach and carefully constructed mystery make it an excellent Halloween choice for audiences who enjoy psychological suspense.

Horror comedy pick: What We Do in the Shadows (2014)

Halloween does not have to be entirely frightening. Taika Waititi and Jemaine Clement’s What We Do in the Shadows turns a household of ancient vampires into the subjects of a mock documentary.

The vampires share a home in Wellington, New Zealand, where their supernatural abilities do little to solve ordinary domestic problems. They argue about cleaning, struggle to enter nightclubs without an invitation and attempt to understand contemporary fashion and technology.

The film affectionately parodies familiar vampire traditions while giving each of its immortal characters a distinct and surprisingly relatable personality. Its humor comes from placing legendary creatures in mundane situations, without losing sight of the darker mythology surrounding them.

Inventive, quotable and consistently charming, What We Do in the Shadows is ideal for viewers who want costumes, creatures and Halloween atmosphere without an evening of intense scares.

Family pick: ParaNorman (2012)

The final recommendation is ParaNorman, a stop-motion animated adventure that combines ghosts, zombies and witchcraft with a compassionate story about fear and prejudice.

Norman is an eleven-year-old boy who can see and speak with the dead. His unusual ability makes him an outsider in his small town, but it also leaves him as the only person capable of stopping an old curse when the dead begin rising from their graves.

Although the film embraces spooky imagery, its monsters are never quite what they initially appear to be. Beneath the supernatural adventure is a thoughtful message about misunderstanding others and the harm caused when fear turns into cruelty.

With its detailed animation, lively humor and emotional depth, ParaNorman is a strong choice for families with older children. It provides plenty of Halloween excitement while ending this special edition on a warm and meaningful note.

Whether the weekend calls for supernatural terror, classic suspense, gothic mystery, vampire comedy or animated adventure, these five films offer different ways to enter the Halloween spirit.

You can read last week’s edition of CineCrossroads here.