As this Halloween season’s crop of horror movies is released, I recommend skipping the sensational and the torturous and staying in with one of the films below.  Not only will they scare you but you’ll also get a little commentary about the world we live in to make you think.

Some of the films are more subtle with their messages and some are more obvious but they’re all chockfull of insights about how we can make the world a better place or how we’ve gone wrong in the past and can learn from our mistakes.

Let me know if I missed your favorite. If you want more movie recommendations, check out my list from last year of the Top Ten Films for Halloween Fun and Fear.

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10. Carrie - This film has a lot of underlying commentary about religion but I put it on the list mostly because of the film’s basic message to be nice and treat other people--even those you don’t like--with respect and decency.  All too often we treat others rudely (as my friend Elizabeth recently pointed out) and I think this is something we can all work on. It may not be the same as protesting a war, but I think that the world would genuinely be a better place if people worked a little harder on this end.

Also, the following trailer’s references to Psycho make me kind of happy as it’s my favorite film of all time!

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9. Cropsey - A real life horror film, this documentary is “an important debate about the reliability and integrity of our justice system.”  It looks at how a town dealt with the death and disappearance of children in connection to patients at a horribly run mental institution. Read my entire review from Tribeca here.

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8. 28 Days Later - A horrific, apocalyptic film about a virus, zombies and surviving, 28 Days Later comes with some awesome commentary about testing on animals, rage and aggression and military power.

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7. The Wicker Man - While some see this as a right wing tale in favor of Christianity, I see it more as a debate on the subject.  The main character, a Christian in a world of Pagans, is kind of a doofus and definitely not painted in a positive light--even if his enemies are painted in a worse one. The film actually makes a great point about religious fervor in general and could easily be applied to the right wing today.

Plus, the music is simply awesome.

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6. The Host - In this film, a crazy pipe dwelling monster that was created from too much pollution in the water wreaks havoc on a town in South Korea. It’s thought to be a reference to a real incident where someone working for the U.S. Military dumped a ton of formaldehyde down a drain.  In the words of director Bong Joon-ho “It’s a stretch to simplify The Host as an anti-American film, but there is certainly a metaphor and political commentary about the U.S.”

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5. Diary of the Dead - I may not have loved this film when I wrote about it here at TakePart but I do think there are some interesting points made about internet culture today. Plus it’s George Romero and ZOMBIES!

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4. They Live - It doesn’t get much better than a John Carpenter film about a society where the powerful yuppies are actually aliens and a pair of sunglasses helps the hero to see them.  A scathing look at product placement, Reagan-era politics and conformity, They Live is a political horror must-see.

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3. The Brood - A horrific take on the themes also present in Kramer vs. Kramer, The Brood examines parenting laws and how we treat mental illness.  And, as it’s a David Cronenberg film, it’s filled with his wonderful flair for body horror. The end scene literally made me wave my arms at the screen in terror.

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2. Dead of Night - A major critique on Vietnam, Bob Clark’s Dead of Night tells the story of parents who lose a son in the war, pray for it not to be true and then regret that wish when he returns, hungry for humans.

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1. The Crazies - George Romero’s wonderful 1973 film looks at the dangers of biological warfare and military abuse.  I recommend checking out the original now in preparation for the amazing remake that is coming out soon!

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*photo by alicia rae (CC)