The reboot trilogy that began with 2018’s Halloween concluded this October with the aptly titled Halloween Ends, and much to my surprise, it was easily my favorite of the three. It was a surprise because I agree with most critics that the second movie, Halloween Kills, was a complete misfire. Ends, fortunately, goes in a different direction and almost works as a standalone drama about a young man who has been pushed to the edge by the misplaced hatred of his community, while Michael Myers sort of looms in the background. I’ll admit this movie has some wacky elements and probably won’t appeal to everyone, but for some horror fans I suspect it will become a new favorite.  

There are a few caveats regarding this recommendation. Mike Flanagan's latest project is based on the works of YA horror author Christopher Pike, and it features terminally ill young people in hospice care who ritualistically tell scary stories to each other at midnight. So, already a bit depressing. The various spooky tales told by the kids can be a bit uneven, while the overarching plot simmers slowly before it reaches something of a cliffhanger. However, the young actors are fun to watch, especially newcomer Ruth Codd, a TikTok influencer in her first role. The 10-episode season was also a little up and down, but I feel it's worth the watch this Halloween season.

I don't know about you, but I appreciate good animation geared towards adults. Netflix hit it out of the park with the Kenya Barris executive produced Entergalactic. A city-based love story about a guy caught up between falling for his neighbor and entertaining his ex-girlfriend after she randomly pops back up in his life. Kid Cudi is the voice of the lead character, Jabari, Timothée Chalamet voices his best friend, Jimmy, Jessica Williams plays the new love interest, Meadow, and Laura Harrier is Carmen, the ex-girlfriend. 

A stickler for the rules who can also be a boy-who-cried-wolf type, Hubie Dubois (played by Adam Sandler) is Halloween’s biggest fan, and this year the town of Salem needs the last person they thought would be on the roster as a hero, Hubie! This cast is star-studded and hilarious, including Kevin James, Julie Bowen, Ray Liotta, Rob Schneider, June Squibb, Kenan Thompson, Shaquille O'Neal, Steve Buscemi, Maya Rudolph, and more. If you are an Adam Sandler fan, you know exactly what this movie will be like, but it will get you in the Halloween spirit!

The release of a Weird Al biopic on Roku (fittingly scripted as a satire of the genre) is just two weeks away, but if you can't wait for some Daniel Radcliffe zaniness, check out Miracle Workers. Each season of this goofy series, renewed for a fourth, has a completely different storyline — so far Heaven, the Dark Ages, and the Oregon Trail — that reshuffles the roles of the ensemble cast, which also includes Steve Buscemi. A different writing room might have positioned Buscemi and Radcliffe above lesser-known costars Geraldine Viswanathan and Karan Soni, but Miracle Workers gives all four the chance to show off their light-comedy chops in a series that refreshingly doesn't aspire to anything beyond telling a funny story.

Don't say his name three times! But, if it's been a while since you enjoyed this classic spook-fest I recommend giving it another watch. Michael Keaton does a masterful job playing the creepy — but not scary — title character who claims to help the recently deceased but is much more rotten than he claims. If you like to say, "Wow, I remember that!" you'll really enjoy stellar performances from the all-star cast, rounded out by Alec Baldwin, Geena Davis, Winona Ryder, and Catherine O'Hara. The soundtrack is full of fun tunes; you're sure to have Day-O (The Banana Boat Song) stuck in your head for a while.