5 Spooky English Movies to Recommend to Students this Halloween

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To ring in the Halloween spirit, we've picked out five spooky English films you can recommend to or discuss with your students.

We've also included some Halloween-themed discussion questions under each movie, so even if you have students who aren't interested in scary movies, you'll have plenty of things to talk about!

1. Host (2020)

Host is apparently one of the scariest movies ever made. A study monitored participants' heart rates while they watched 40 scary movies and found this British film made peoples' heart rates increase the most.

Filmed during the pandemic, Host is about a group of friends who regularly get together on Zoom. Sounds pretty normal, right? It is, until they hire a spiritual medium and terrifying things start to happen.

Do you believe some people can actually communicate with the dead? Why? Why not?
Do you believe in psychics and fortune tellers? Why? Why not?
What's the scariest film you’ve ever seen?

2. It (2017)

According to The Numbers, It is the highest-grossing horror film worldwide. The movie is set in a small town in the US, where children start disappearing one by one. The villain? An evil clown which lives in the city's sewers.

What do you think about clowns? Why do you think so many people are scared of them?
Why do you think a horror film about a clown became so popular worldwide?
Have you ever seen a clown in real life? If so, when?

It is based on a novel by famous horror writer Stephen King, so if students like the movie, they can check out the book too.

3. War of the Worlds (2005)

When H. G. Wells wrote The War of the Worlds in the 1890s, he probably didn't know his alien invasion story would be turned into dozens of movies, TV programs, radio shows, and more! Out of all these adaptations, the 2005 film is one of the most terrifying.

Do you believe in aliens? Why? Why not?
If aliens do exist, do you think they would invade Earth? Why? Why not?
If you met an alien, what topics do you think you could talk about?

For more alien-related topics to discuss, check out the Daily News articles, "First Brit in Space Says Aliens Are Real" and "Roswell, New Mexico: From UFOs to Alien Tourism."

4. The Sixth Sense (1999)

A huge sensation when it was released, The Sixth Sense is about a child who can see the spirits of dead people lingering around in grotesque, horrifying forms. Throughout the story, he receives counseling from a child psychologist, who later discovers something terrifying about himself.

Do you believe in ghosts? If so, have you or anyone you know ever seen a ghost?
Would you ever want the ghost of a friend or family member to visit you? Why? Why not?
Why do you think people find ghosts so frightening?

For more thought-provoking questions about ghosts, check out the Daily News article, "One Third of Americans Believe in Ghosts."

5. Coraline (2009)

An animated film based on a novel of the same name, Coraline is the most child-friendly option on this list. The movie is about a girl who stumbles into a parallel universe that's too good to be true and must find a way back to her original life before she loses her soul.

Do you believe there might be a parallel universe?
When you were a kid, what were you most scared of? What about now?
Do you watch animated movies? If so, what are some of your favorites?

Kids who like this film can also check out The Nightmare Before Christmas (1993) by the same director, Henry Selick.

👋 That’s It For Now

We hope this post gave you an idea of some spooky discussion topics and scary movies to watch. Which of these movies do you and your student most want to watch this Halloween?

And while we're on the topic of Halloween, make sure to check out our new Halloween emojis: