Introduction
As we are now in October, I felt it was only fitting to look at some films appropriate for the spooky season. Throughout this article, I am going to be counting down five of the best spooky film musicals to get you prepared for Halloween.
So, let’s see what film has gained the fifth place on our list:
5. The Nightmare Before Christmas
Okay, so technically this isn’t a film musical, but it is an animated film which includes its characters singing songs, so it’s made our list.
When Jack Skellington (Danny Elfman) becomes bored of Halloween, he discovers another holiday called ‘Christmas’. Wanting more excitement in his life, Jack takes over the job of Santa Claus and ends us scaring the world’s population instead of bringing joy and peace.
This film includes a number of really catchy songs, and terrifying characters, such as Oogie Boogie (who honestly gave me nightmares as a kid). As well as the amazing producing talent of Tim Burton, why wouldn’t you want to watch this classic film this Halloween?
4. Little Shop of Horrors
Little Shop of Horrors is a perfect film musical to watch as we enter the spooky season. This film brings a mixture of horror and comedy which balance each other out to create something truly brilliant.
Seymour Krelborn (Rick Moranis) was orphaned at a young age as works at a plant shop. With nothing going for him in life, he comes across a strange plant that he’s never seen before. Soon, Seymour discovers that the plant needs human flesh and blood to grow. As Seymour begins to do unspeakable acts to help the plant, named Audrey II (Levi Stubbs) grow, it soon reaches a record-breaking size, but just how far will Seymour go for fame and fortune?
This film contains catchy songs from comedic performances such as ‘Dentist!’ performed by Steve Martin, to the iconic musical theatre number ‘Suddenly Seymour’ which has become a fan favourite amongst musical theatre fans. With great acting, famous cameos from Bill Murray and John Candy, and small undertones of horror, this film is a great choice to watch this Halloween.
3. Sweeney Todd: The Demon Barber of Fleet Street
If you’re looking for a darker musical film to watch this Halloween, Sweeney Todd is the film for you!
Starring Johnny Depp and Hellena Bonham Carter, Sweeney Todd is about disgraced barber, Benjamin Barker, who was wrongly accused of a crime and transported away from England. Years later, he holds a new alias, Sweeney Todd. Upon his return to England, Todd is told his wife was assaulted by the same person who sent him out of England, Judge Turpin, and then took her own life, leading to the judge taking their daughter away to raise as his own. Consumed with rage, Todd is hungry for blood, and no one is safe.
Based on the Broadway stage show by Stephan Sondheim, any musical fan would know this film would be a success. On top of that, the incredible directing talents of Tim Burton means that this film presents the dark themes of horror perfectly- making it an amazing choice of film to watch this Halloween.
2. Heathers: The Musical
“What’s your damage, Heather?”
Anyone born in the 80s will be aware of the cult classic film ‘Heathers’ starring Christian Slater and Winona Ryder, but less people are aware of Heathers: The Musical. Okay, so technically this isn’t a proper film, but the pro-shot of the stage show was released in 2023, so I’m including it in our list.
When Veronica Sawyer is fed up with living a life at the bottom of the high school hierarchy, she befriends the most popular girls at school, the Heathers. But when she refuses to bully her old friend, Martha, she is shunned away from the popular lifestyle. So, her boyfriend, JD takes maters into his own hands and kills anyone who causes Veronica any harm.
If you haven’t seen this film, you need to! Every song in this musical is incredibly catchy, the acting is incredible, and the dark themes of murder, depression and suicide are conveyed in such a way that it creates awareness, but it is also entertaining to watch. Whether you’ve never seen this film before or if you’ve seen it one hundred times, this is the perfect film musical to watch this Halloween.
1. The Rocky Horror Picture Show
Obviously Rocky Horror had to be at the top of our list- there is no other film musical that compares to The Rocky Horror Picture Show when it comes to the spooky season.
When Brad Majors and Janet Weiss’ car breaks down in the middle of nowhere, they stumble across a castle, filled with a strange and unusual lifestyle of which neither of them had experienced before.
This film is a cult classic, starring the incredible Tim Curry, Richard O’ Brien and Susan Sarandon, filled with iconic songs such as ‘The Time Warp’ and ‘Sweet Transvestite’ and themes of horror, romance and sci-fi makes this film is completely bonkers in the best possible way. If you haven’t seen this film before, where have you been?
Well, I don’t know about you, but I certainly will be watching Rocky Horror again this Halloween.
Do you agree with our picks? Let us know in the comments below.
