‘Tis the season to curl up on the couch with a scary movie on the screen, but at this point, you’ve likely seen the classics – Halloween, Nightmare on Elm Street, The Exorcist – too many times for them to give you the same thrill. And if you’re avoiding this year’s box office thrillers (no thank you, terrifying dolls and haunted Ouija boards), it’s time to get a little more creative in the movies you choose this Halloween season.
And when you’re looking to get spooked, there’s something extra chilling about a scary movie that was filmed (or at least took place) nearby. As it turns out, there are plenty of Halloween-appropriate movies that were filmed or based in New England – meaning you might find the backgrounds and towns familiar. Creepy!
Sorry, Texas Chainsaw Massacre. Here are the best Halloween movies filmed in New England for you to watch this October.
Silent Night, Bloody Night (1974) – Murders, graverobbers, incest and more all go down in this old-school horror film, set in a small Massachusetts town.
Jaws (1975) – OK, so maybe Jaws isn’t a quintessential horror film, but you still get a little freaked out when they’re facing the shark (just me?). Knowing that it all went down off of Martha’s Vineyard doesn’t help matters, but at least it’s not boating season.
The Witches of Eastwick (1987) – If scary movies aren’t your thing, you don’t have to miss out on the Halloween fun. Witches of Eastwick, based in the fictional Eastwick, Rhode Island, has witches, magic, and seduction.
Beetlejuice (1988) – While not a thriller (unless you’re under the age of five, perhaps), Beetlejuice stars ghosts and focuses on the afterlife, so it’s got the Halloween go-ahead. Plus, their idyllic New England home will likely look familiar, so be sure to watch out for dogs in the road next time you’re on a scenic drive.
Pet Sematary (1989) – A family moves from Chicago to Ludlow, Maine, and all hell breaks loose thanks to a haunted cemetery that resurrects the dead as terrifying versions of their former selves.
It (1990) – Pennywise the Dancing Clown is still creepy as ever, and all the It action goes down in the fictional town of Derry, Maine. Just make sure you have three hours to spare before diving in.
Hocus Pocus (1993) – So it might not have scared you since you were a little kid and thought you could be turned into a black cat or have your youth sucked out of you. But, it’s still a Halloween classic today, all taking place in the nearby town of Salem, Mass.
Wolf (1994) – If werewolves give you the creeps, seek out Wolf, a horror film that takes place in New England, where Jack Nicholson is bit by a wolf and then turns into a bestial, vengeance seeking creature whenever the moon ripens. Ooo!
Casper (1995) – Sure, Casper might be a friendly ghost, but that movie did send a chill down my young spine when I learned that he died from staying out in the cold too long. Seeing as the Whipstaff Manor is in Friendship, Maine, it goes to show that cold isn’t out of the ordinary in these parts.
Lake Placid (1999) – In the fictional town of Black Lake, Maine, a 30-foot-long, man-eating crocodile is terrorizing residents. That’s not exactly not scary.
Practical Magic (1998) – If you like witches more than horror, watch Practical Magic, starring Sandra Bullock and Nicole Kidman as two witches who are cursed: any man they fall in love with will die tragically. Their family’s historic home is supposed to be in Sudbury, Mass.
What Lies Beneath (2000) – Murder, infidelity and supernatural occurrences mark the husband and wife living in a house on a lake in Vermont.
Shutter Island (2010) – Taking place at Ashecliffe Hospital, an insane asylum on one of the Boston Harbor Islands, Shutter Island is a freaky psychological thriller that follows two police officers investigating the disappearance of a patient who drowned her three children.
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