Weekend Watchlist | Anything Halloween

This Halloween, more people than ever will be staying in and staying safe. Relax, watch one of our spooky streaming recommendations and stay socially responsible.

Jennifer’s Body (Hulu) // Genna Edwards, Senior Staff Writer

I’m not just choosing this cult teen classic because of Megan Fox, but really — Megan. I am so sorry I hated you as a teenage girl due to my internalized misogyny and general loathing of anyone even remotely attractive. If you ever dump Machine Gun Kelly, please marry me. You are super scary as a demon who eats men in Diablo Cody’s “Jennifer’s Body,” directed by Karyn Kusama, and your presence in general makes me happy. (That’s it. Just watch it.)

Freaky Friday (Disney +) // Kaitlyn Nuebel, Staff Writer

I don’t know about you, but with midterm season coming to a close, I don’t need to watch any movie that will make my heart palpitate any faster than it did these past few weeks. So, if you’re not looking for a nail-biter this Saturday night as you decompress and sink your fist into a bowl of mediocre candy from Rite Aid, watch “Freaky Friday.” Lindsay Lohan plays high school punk rocker Anna Coleman, who, like any high school rebel, doesn’t exactly see eye-to-eye with her mother, notable and uptight psychologist Dr. Tess Coleman (Jamie Lee Curtis). After eating a cursed fortune cookie (ooo! spooky!), the two mysteriously switch lives at what could not be a worse time — the night of Tess’ wedding rehearsal dinner, which conflicts with a big audition for Anna’s band. Released in 2003, “Freaky Friday” will take you back to the days of flip phones and early 2000s haircuts (very scary, I know), but this top-tier Lohan movie, right up there with “Mean Girls” and “The Parent Trap,” will incorporate a digestible bit of supernatural into your Hallo-weekend, not to mention that it gives a great lesson on empathy.

Alien (HBO Max) // Diana Velasquez, Senior Staff Writer

There’s more to Halloween than ghosts and vampires and werewolves. There is plenty of horror to behold off-planet, so to speak. ”Alien,” released in 1979 and directed by Ridley Scott, is not only a staple of science fiction films but a must-see for horror fans as well. Set on the sprawling space-ship Nostromo, the film begins when the seven-member crew wake up from a stasis as the ship’s computer, named Mother, detects a distress signal on a nearby moon. The crew, required to go down and investigate, stumble across an “alien” who they unknowingly carry back to their ship, only to face what can only be described as the space panther from hell. Not only is the film a master-class in creating suspense, but it’s a bastion for women in early science fiction films. Ripley (Sigourney Weaver), the crew’s warrant officer, rises as the film’s alien ass-kicking star. Without spoiling anything, Ripley proves herself to be the alien’s match not only in firepower, but in tactics. “Alien,” which would have earned itself a spot in the horror/sci-fi hall of fame based on its production design and script alone, emerges even further as a shining star with Weaver as the lead, and proves the perfect choice to watch this Halloween.

The Legend of Sleepy Hollow (Disney +) // Charlie Taylor, Contributing Editor

No other adaptation of Washington Irving’s short story holds a candle to this 1949 animated classic. Featuring Bing Crosby narrating, voicing characters and providing musical accompaniment, “The Legend of Sleepy Hollow” will transport you to the fall landscape of your dreams. Disney makes Ichabod Crane goofy and relatable — a lanky, awkward man with a love of good food, a fear of ghouls and a passion for romance. When he arrives in the quiet New York town of Sleepy Hollow to serve as schoolmaster, he falls in love with Katrina van Tassel, who just happens to be the daughter of the richest farmer in town. He competes for Katrina’s love with Brom Bones, the local bully, who plays into Ichabod’s superstitions as a way of undermining his confidence. The movie’s central villain, the Headless Horseman, has arguably the strongest Halloween vibes of any character in cinematic history — his head is literally a pumpkin. Add to that the light-hearted tone of the movie and the delightfully quaint aesthetic of the animation, and “The Legend of Sleepy Hollow” is the perfect accompaniment for a night of pumpkin-carving.

GooseDrunks (YouTube) // Sarah Stager, Contributing Editor

“GooseDrunks” is everything you never knew you needed — a woman in her mid- to late 20s reading R.L. Stine’s Goosebumps series, getting entirely too invested in the story, making fun of Stine’s many silly tropes and getting wasted in the process. Bailey Meyers, who runs the YouTube channel, has made up a drinking game to go along with these short and spooky novels, and the rules are quite simple. Drink if it’s scary, and drink if it’s stupid. If you’re over 21, you can of course play along, but I find the videos entertaining even without the help of alcohol. Meyers’ commentary is by turns snarky wit and genuine enjoyment, and it’s clear that she truly loves the series, even as she gently pokes fun at it. Even though I never read Goosebumps as a kid — I was too much of a coward — these videos still provide that warm nostalgia for childhood just because the books center so thoroughly on the experiences of our pre-teen main characters. Though it’s unlikely that you’ll get too spooked — they are books for kids, after all — the videos are still worth a watch for the laughs alone.