Many of you know me as the Community Manager for Gen Con. But you may not know I’m also a certified Halloween fan-girlie! I am devishly delighted to share a few of my favorite spooky season pop culture recommendations.
From games and books to movies and TV shows, there’s something for everyone on the list to activate chills and thrills! Please check trigger warnings for these suggestions (mainly books, movies, and TV shows).
Board Games
Disney Villainous quickly became one of my favorite games. I love all things Disney villains, so being able to step into their shoes to complete themed objectives was a no-brainer. One of the things I love about the Villainous games is that every game will be different! With dozens of villains to choose from, the matchups are unpredictable. Sure, you’ll know the best way to complete your objective if you play the same villain every time, but unless you’re well-versed in all the villain’s capabilities, you may get beaten by a player who’s just a little quicker… or more sinister.
Deadly Dowagers is a new game on my shelves! I actually picked it up from Gen Con 2024 and loved every minute of playing it. What’s better than living out my Downton Abbey/Bridgerton dreams with a bit of murder mixed in? In Deadly Dowagers, you play an eligible lady looking for a suitable match to grow your dowry. But beware! You don’t want to become too infamous…
Books
If you were to ask me what my favorite book of all time is, I’d tell you Frankenstein by Mary Shelley. This was the first horror book that opened my eyes to the horror genre. And to imagine that Mary Shelley started writing this book when she was 18 is incredible! Shelley truly reigns as the “Mother of Horror”. Surely, you know what Frankenstein is about, so I won’t give you a synopsis. But I will say that reading Frankenstein in 2025 really speaks to how well Mary Shelley captured society and what it means to be alive. Highly recommend picking it up again, especially if you only read it in high school English class.
Have you read a Nick Cutter book? No! Well, The Troop is a great place to start. If you dare, imagine this chilling scenario: a scouting troop in the Canadian wilderness, a stranger who appears in their camp pale, thin, and hungry, and ghost stories that may be more real than you think. The Troop is one of the few books that made me queasy. Read at your own risk!
Mister Magic by Kiersten White is a book I can’t stop thinking about. 30 years after a tragic accident shuts down production of a kid’s TV show, the five surviving cast members end up back together. This book feels very culty. I also think fans of the movie NOPE would really enjoy this read. The unsettling vibes feel the same.
TV Shows
I am a sucker for spooky TV shows, especially around Halloween. Both of these picks are available on Netflix. These need huge trigger warning reviews!
I never miss a chance to watch/rewatch The Haunting of Hill House (also a book – but the show’s better, in my opinion). Who doesn’t love a haunted house story with a touching ending? One of the things I love about Hill House is that every time I rewatch it, I catch something new (ghosts in the background!). Honestly, any Mike Flanagan series is worth a watch! Just remember, “the rest is confetti”.
This last limited series is new! Wayward stars Toni Collette (honestly, it was so hard not to make this a Toni Collette blog) as a head teacher at a behavioral school for teens. Wayward introduces a small town where things don’t seem alright, some scrappy teens who are trying to run away, a little cult action, and some light drug use. All I can say is: keep me out of Tall Pines!
Movies
Finally, movies! I could go on and on about horror movies. But I picked three that you can stream, and that, in my opinion, evolved and changed the horror genre in their own unique ways.
If you’ve made it this far and have never seen The Blair Witch Project, stop everything and watch it now! This was the first “found footage” movie. One of the things I love about this movie (I was too young to see it in theaters… I know, I know) is how these were unknown actors. I can’t imagine how it must have felt to be so well-known from this horror movie, but not get much recognition for it when it came out. Now, do you believe that the witch existed? Or do you think that Mike and Josh made it all up to scare everyone?
Midsommar is a movie that marries Swedish culture with horror. It is so beautiful that you almost forget that you’re in a horror movie until things start to unfold. Did this one make the cut because the main character’s name is Dani? Maybe. But I also think that Midsommar is relevant because it shows that horror can be more than jump scares and monsters.
And finally, what might be my top movie of 2025, Sinners. If you missed out on this movie, please go and watch it. The director, Ryan Coogler, did an incredible job at bringing the 1930s South alive through storytelling and the soundtrack. I had never experienced a moment when I shed a few tears from a horror movie. But Sinners got me. It’s one part historical fiction and one part vampire camp, and I’m all here for it.
What is your go-to Halloween activity? Share your Halloween plans on Instagram, TikTok, Facebook, and X.
Cover art illustration by Tinnel Lovitt.