With Halloween approaching, spine-chilling and cringeworthy horror movies alike have come out. Which are good? Which are bad? I’ll give my spoiler-free reviews of three recent spooky movies and give recommendations on if they are worth the watch.
“Hocus Pocus 2”:
“Hocus Pocus 2” follows much of the same plot as the original 1993 Hocus Pocus. When two friends, Becca and Izzy, played by Whitney Peak and Belissa Escobedo, bring the Sanderson sisters back, wacky antics ensue as Becca and Izzy must find a way to stop them while reconnecting with a former friend, Cassie played by Lilia Buckingham. The three Sanderson sisters really shine in this movie as Bette Midler, Sarah Jessica Parker and Kathy Najimy reprise their roles as Winfred, Sarah, and Mary Sanderson, respectively. “Hocus Pocus 2” brings the sisters back, letting the three of them shine. While the plot itself is largely unoriginal, it is still amusing to see the Sanderson sisters reacting to modern-day items and concepts. “Hocus Pocus 2” doesn’t shine as brightly as the original, but it is a sufficient watch and a good kid-friendly spooky movie. “Hocus Pocus 2” is available to watch on Disney Plus.
“Halloween Ends”:
“Halloween Ends” is promised as the last film in the recently released “Halloween” trilogy. The final installment follows Laurie Strode played by Jamie Lee Curtis reprising her role, trying to live a normal life with her granddaughter Allyson Nelson, played by Andi Matichak, four years after the events of the last film. The movie spends lots of time on the new character Corey Cunningham, played by Rohan Campbell after he accidentally kills a kid he was babysitting. After a series of increasingly violent events, Corey, Laurie, and Allyson are forced to face the evil that haunts the town. Although marketed as the epic conclusion to a four-year trilogy, “Halloween Ends” is a lackluster film. The first half of the movie spends more time building Corey and Allyson’s relationship for it to fall flat in the end. The kills that the Halloween movies are known for don’t show up until the last third of the movie. I would not recommend this movie; if you are interested in the Halloween franchise and looking for a good movie, the original 1978 “Halloween” can give you those cool kills as well as the creepy feeling in time for Halloween night without having to rely on the previous installments. “Halloween Ends” is currently in theaters and available to stream on Peacock.
“Bodies Bodies Bodies”:
“Bodies Bodies Bodies” is a comedy-horror following a group of friends who get together for a hurricane party. Things quickly turn south after the hurricane knocks their power out and a body is discovered. Accusations fly as the group tries to find out who is the killer among them. As a satire on Gen-Z culture, I was expecting cringey lines written by a boomer who thinks they know how Gen-Z talks and acts. While there are some cringey moments, for the most part, writer Sarah DeLappe does a great job of writing and portraying these moments for laughs. The chemistry between the main group of friends made the movie enjoyable with highlights from Myha'la Herrold as Jordan, Amandla Stenberg as Sophie, and Pete Davidson as David. There are some slow parts, but overall, not a bad watch. “Bodies Bodies Bodies” is an enjoyable horror movie to watch as long as you don’t take it too seriously and buy into the drama between the group. “Bodies Bodies Bodies” is available on various streaming platforms.