Weird Girl Cinema Picks to Watch this Halloween Season
By: Becca Kadlec
In no particular order, this is my must-watch list for the spooky season. Even if you aren’t necessarily a horror fan, the patriarchal themes depicted in these films really hit home. I also advise that readers look into trigger warnings for each movie, before watching. Safe scares are the best scares!
“Talk to Me” (2022)
Mia, the seventeen year old main character, deals with the grief of her mother’s passing. Without the guidance of her mother in navigating through young adulthood, Mia is led to a party in which her friends play dangerous games. Like an ouija board, an embalmed hand gets passed around and each person takes turns on being possessed. When Mia’s friend takes his turn, a familiar spirit takes hold of his body and thus thrusts Mia into a mental spiral.
In the sub-genre of horror where teens-do-things-they-shouldn’t, this one sticks out to me. Are they all foolish for playing with the supernatural? Or does a desire for connection breed risky thrills? Mia’s choices throughout the film reflect the product of her environment and the state of her mind. When horror plays off of the unpretty habits of grief, it’s neither a warning or humiliation–it’s a comfort for the disturbed.
“Pearl” (2022)
Is it controversial to say that you can skip “X” (2021) and “Maxxxine” (2024) and only watch “Pearl” (2022)? Starring Mia Goth, “Pearl” is undoubtedly the best film to come out of Ti West’s trilogy. Set in the early 1900s, Pearl is a farm girl living with her stern mother while taking care of her disabled father. Pearl dreams of leaving the farm and pursuing a career in the ‘pictures,’ hoping to exacerbate a luxurious lifestyle–much different from home. Reality is, her life provides her nothing more than stability and routine. Unfortunately for everyone else around her, being held back won’t stop her from achieving her dreams.
Mia Goth’s portrayal of Pearl will make you question whether or not you're crazy yourself. Pearl is hauntingly relatable, easily disgusting, and extremely quotable. If you're into in-depth character studies and psychological thrillers, this might just be for you.
“Bodies, Bodies, Bodies” (2022)
Credit: Heute
This movie is for the chronically online and the Rachel Sennott worshippers. A who-dun-it film that doesn’t take itself seriously. Another movie based on a made-up game, “Bodies, Bodies, Bodies”, takes place in a mansion overnight with a group of friends and an older boyfriend of Rachel Sennott’s character–that she also just met. When one of the friends is found actually dead outside of the game, blame is thrown around like confetti and other truths are revealed.
Aside from the casual gore of this modern slasher, the only thing that comes off as uncomfortable are the truthful representations of fake friends, petty drama, and complicated relationships. “Bodies, Bodies, Bodies” turns these unnerving themes into an ironic comedy that just happens to be a horror movie as well. This movie also gives out inspiration for a last-minute, low-effort halloween costume.
“It Follows” (2014)
What’s scarier? Horror movies or STD’s? “It Follows” comes out of the golden era of tumblr-esque films and still holds up to date. Jay, a college student, navigates a horror of her own–a phenomenon passed through sex where a figure only she can see slowly comes after her, ready to kill her and her only. Instead of giving this ‘curse’ to someone else, she decides to avoid it as best as she can, for as long as she can.
Jay represents many people who have learned the hard way of being mindful of who to trust for the most intimate moments. And if that metaphor wasn't scary enough, the jumpscares and visuals of this movie are insanely well done. The supernatural elements are far beyond from other seemingly bad horror movies. Like, the kind of images you won’t be able to get out of your head for a while. It Follows showcases the depths of creativity that the horror genre makes.
Whether these are your first-time watches or the millionth, movies you schedule to watch with friends or alone in your bedroom, the Halloween season brings out community for the weird. Some honorable mentions are; “Ginger Snaps” (2000), “Totally Killer” (2023), “The Autopsy of Jane Doe” (2016).