“Knock, knock… Trick or treat?”
“Treat.”
“Check under your bed.”
And just like that, Halloween plans are underway. Spooky masks, face-carved pumpkins, a missing knife, dried blood, a floating lady… Who knows what you’re going to find under your bed?
But if you prefer your monsters on a screen and your ghosts safely inside a television, this edition of Weekend Vines is a treat for ye.
From masked killers and misunderstood monsters to haunted houses and things lurking in the darkest corners of the human mind, here’s your company for a Halloween night that may leave you questioning every creak, clank and suspicious shadow in the house.
Warning: Watching these alone is entirely your decision. Just don’t blame me when you hear plates clanking in the kitchen or start wondering whether the ceiling is about to come down.
A quiet neighbourhood, a Halloween night, and a man in a white mask who has absolutely no plans to go trick-or-treating. That’s Halloween (1978) for you.
It’s Halloween evening in Haddonfield, and Michael Myers is back. The town has no idea what is coming. Alongside Laurie Strode, you’ll discover how an ordinary Halloween night turns into a nightmare. The man in the strange outfit is the last person you would want knocking on your door.
Directed by John Carpenter, the 1978 film is one of the most influential horror movies ever made. Its suspenseful storytelling, memorable score and white-masked killer helped define the modern slasher genre. Michael Myers remains an iconic figure in horror.
“Millions are thrilled. Millions are waiting to be thrilled by the greatest horror the screen has ever known.” This was the opening line of the trailer for the original Frankenstein (1931).
Then came another adaptation in 2025, Guillermo del Toro’s Frankenstein. This time, it’s not just about jump scares or spooky faces. Through the journey of Victor Frankenstein and his creation, you get to explore a deeper question: what makes a monster a monster?
The creature here has emotions. He won’t just scare you; you might even want to be friends with him. Victor and his creation confront deeper questions about creation, responsibility, isolation, identity and the consequences of unchecked ambition.
If you are into English literature, Mary Shelley’s Frankenstein is hardly an unfamiliar name. The story has been told and retold in Hollywood and adapted into several languages. And you might just fall in love with Victor’s creature. He is the monster version of the people we look at and think, ‘I can fix him!’
Do you know what makes you qualified to be a Halloween avatar in India? I think you must have a whole lot of wealth. Because nobody even looks at you if you’re poor (being scary is just not enough).
Tumbbad is about wealth, cursed treasure and the greed that follows. The 2018 film is set in 1918 and spans several decades. Rich in tradition, superstition and mythology, it offers some of the best folklore to keep you company on a sleepless night. Highly recommended if you’re already short on sleep!
And here’s your takeaway: Vinayak Rao won’t scare you, but the relentless rain, barren landscapes, eerie cries and unsettling atmosphere will keep you hooked until the end.
Visiting your girlfriend’s family can be a little awkward. But there’s no need to feel that something is a little… off. Well, meet Chris Washington in Get Out (2017), who has quite a story to tell you. And what a ride it is for the spooky season!
At first, everything seems perfectly fine. The family is welcoming, the house is beautiful, and the guests are unusually interested in getting to know him. But the longer Chris stays, the more he realises that something is terribly wrong.
Directed by Jordan Peele, Get Out is not your ordinary haunted-house horror film. It explores psychological horror, dark humour and racism. Sometimes, there is a terrible gap between what you see and what you think you understand. You may even start questioning every overly friendly smile.
And here’s a little advice: if your girlfriend’s family insists that you stay for the weekend, have an emergency contact ready.
Do you love holiday trips? I absolutely do! Going out, exploring valleys, spotting mountain flowers, soaking up the sunshine… Life sounds like a dream. But here’s your checklist before visiting the village in Midsommar (2019), directed by Ari Aster.
Dani and her friends travel to a remote Swedish village to attend a midsummer festival. At first, everything seems to be about wildflowers, candles and wreaths. But that picturesque village has quite a few surprises in store for Dani.
Still think nothing is wrong? Who said a film needs dark rooms or spooky corners to frighten you? Here, the horror unfolds in broad daylight, surrounded by flowers, music and smiling faces.
So, before you pack your bags, remember that there may be more to those village festivals and promises than meets the eye. Especially if they insist that you stay for the entire celebration. Watch out for yourself, because the spooky season is here!
A writer, his family and an isolated hotel. What could go wrong? Almost everything. This is psychological horror at its finest: The Shining (1980).
They are one of those families in Hollywood who somehow end up in exactly the wrong place, make the worst possible decisions and do everything they should never do if they want to stay alive. The only difference here is that they didn’t buy the property!
Meet Jack Torrance in The Shining (1980), directed by Stanley Kubrick. Jack takes up a job as the winter caretaker of the Overlook Hotel, hoping to spend some quiet time writing. His wife, Wendy, and their son, Danny, accompany him. But the hotel has a history of its own, and little Danny seems to know more about it than anyone else.
It’s not just about ghosts appearing one after another. It’s a disturbing journey into isolation, madness and the supernatural. With eerie corridors, mysterious guests and an unforgettable performance by Jack Nicholson, The Shining is one of those films that makes you suspicious of every empty room. An absolute must-watch if you’re looking for a vintage horror film.
Then there's Wednesday Addams, a girl generations have grown up knowing. The gloomy Wednesday is Halloween personified, the girl who seldom smiles, seldom blinks, survives with minimal vocabulary, and always suspects something. She even has a disembodied hand as her personal helper!
From Charles Addams' original cartoons to television adaptations and films, the Addams Family is that kind of family that trouble loves and vice versa. And let's admit it, Morticia has had her share of admirers too.
Think gothic mansions, weirdly eccentric relatives, the strangest family traditions, and a kind of humour that makes the macabre seem perfectly normal. And her school? Nevermore Academy only adds to the wonderfully weird world she belongs to.
From the original cartoons and the 1991 films to the latest screen adaptations, Wednesday has stayed with us, bringing the same irresistible gloom to generation after generation. Some characters age; Wednesday just gets gloomier!
Just a final reminder: don’t open the door if you hear strange sounds outside. And whatever you do, don’t look under your bed. It’s Halloween, you know!