31 movies to watch in October: Trick ‘r Treat

It’s here, it’s here, it’s finally here! Halloween Day is upon us, and with it comes day 31 of 31 movies to watch in October. It may surprise you to learn that I did not choose Halloween as the movie to watch today instead it’s Trick ‘r Treat!

In my book, there is no better movie to celebrate October 31 than Michael Dougherty’s delicious and darkly funny Trick ‘r Treat. Everything about this movie screams Halloween, from the characters’ costumes to the gorgeous jack o’ lanterns, to the mini education weird Rhonda gives us regarding the holiday’s history.

Trick ‘r Treat has become beloved among Halloween aficionados, which is a miracle, given how shabbily it was treated by Warner Bros. It was originally slated to premiere in October of 2007 and was advertised with some pretty good fanfare. A gorgeous coffee table book with photos, storyboards, concept art and all sorts of goodies was released, and I am happy to say that I own it.

The film’s backing company, Legendary Pictures, was very hopeful that Trick ‘r Treat would become the dark holiday’s answer to A Christmas Story. Warner Bros., however, held up the anticipated release date, and the film was finally unceremoniously dumped into DVD release two years later.

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Trick ‘r Treat is an anthology film featuring stories that all take place on the same timeline (Halloween night) and in the same town, with characters and stories sometimes crossing paths. Warren Valley, Ohio celebrates Halloween in a big way, with a festival large enough to attract television news crews.

Emma and Henry return from the festival, and she decides to start taking down their Halloween decorations before the holiday is officially over.

That’s a big mistake because a small child-like figure wearing a burlap mask and orange pajamas is watching disapprovingly. Though he looks cute at first glance, Sam is slightly murderous, and it’s not the last time we will see him onscreen.

Throughout the night, we also meet the sinister Principal Wilkins (Dylan Baker), a group of kids who venture out to the town quarry (another big mistake), virginal Laurie (Anna Paquin) and her slutty friends, grumpy Mr. Kreeg (Brian Cox) and a busload of long-dead children wearing the creepiest Halloween costumes ever.

Trick ‘r Treat is not only entertaining, but it is also gorgeously filmed and slightly demented. If you enjoy it, you should also check out Dougherty’s prequel, a short film called Season’s Greetings.

Trick ‘r Treat can be streamed on Amazon Prime and Vudu. It will be available on streaming service Shudder next month.

Is Trick ‘r Treat your favorite Halloween movie? If not, what is your favorite film to watch on “The Big Night”? Tell us in the comments section.