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Spooky and mystical tales are a Halloween specialty in the Western world. Halloween has gradually become popular in our country over the past decade, with outdoor costume parties featuring people of all ages becoming a common sight. If travel restrictions continue due to the pandemic, preventing the usual Halloween festivities, then dedicate these cinematic picks with elements of horror and mystery to make your Halloween night even more exciting!
Hotel Transylvania
Hotel Transylvania is a series of animated movies set in the world of monsters. The film has already released three installments, with Hotel Transylvania 4 expected to premiere in the Halloween season of 2021.
Illustration: Enigmatic Hotel Transylvania
The film unfolds in a mysterious hotel nestled deep within the Transylvania forest, owned by the vampire Count Dracula. It's where Dracula seeks to shelter his daughter Mavis from humans, whom he deems as vile creatures always seeking to eradicate the world of monsters.
Illustration: Enigmatic Hotel Transylvania
On Mavis's 118th birthday, Hotel Transylvania unexpectedly welcomes an uninvited guest - a young man from the human world.
The arrival of young Jonathan has turned Dracula's hotel into a frenzy like never before. Despite his reputation as a monster, the count is a kind-hearted vampire, so upon recognizing Jonathan, he endeavors to find ways to send the young man back home. Meanwhile, hilarity ensues as Dracula must both prepare for his daughter's birthday party and conceal Jonathan's identity from the peculiar guests.
Image: Hotel Transylvania 1
Despite being in the horror genre, the Hotel Transylvania series always exudes a cheerful, light-hearted vibe. It's the perfect animated film series for some stress relief during the upcoming Halloween season!
Coraline
Coraline is an animated feature film produced by Laika Studios, based on the novel of the same name by author Neil Gaiman. The film follows Coraline's journey to defeat evil and reunite with her family.
Image: Coraline
It all begins when Coraline notices her parents becoming increasingly absorbed in their work, growing distant and indifferent to her emotions. With her rebellious nature and the isolation of living in a remote suburban house without a friend to share it with, Coraline feels lonely, helpless, and begins to resent her loved ones. This is the very reason why the wicked witch residing in the house can bring tragedy to her family, by luring Coraline into her world - a world with a 'fake' family under a pink facade.
Image: Coraline
Coraline isn't just an animated film for entertainment; it undoubtedly offers many lessons in courage, family love, and especially serves as a wake-up call for parents who are indifferent to their children. Its meaningful storyline combined with captivating stop-motion animation has made Coraline a must-watch horror animated film at least once in your lifetime.
Image: Coraline
ParaNorman
ParaNorman is another stop-motion horror masterpiece from Laika Studios, receiving praise from film critics worldwide.
The film follows the adventure of Norman, a boy living in Blithe Hollow - a mysteriously eerie town believed to be cursed by a witch 300 years ago. Norman has an unusual hobby, spending his time researching ghostly legends and being passionate about the mysterious world. What sets him apart is his ability to see and communicate with the deceased. This leads to him being shunned by friends, doubted by family, with the only one who listens and talks to him being the spirit of his late grandmother.
Image: ParaNorman
ParaNorman is a popular animated feature film thanks to its clever integration of suspenseful, chilling elements along with humanistic storytelling that evokes various emotions in the audience. The film has many touching segments about family love, friendship, and humanity in society. Although initially met with skepticism from those around him, it's in the most dire moments that Norman finds support from family, friends, and kind-hearted neighbors.
Image: ParaNorman
Alice In Wonderland
Alice in Wonderland originally started as a children's novel in 1865 by Lewis Carroll. It's a globally renowned adventure story that has been adapted into various forms, from stage plays to films. Disney's animated adaptation in 1951 was a great success. Then in 2010, Tim Burton recreated Alice in Wonderland in a live-action version, becoming a record-breaking animated film at that time.
Image: Alice in Wonderland
The film follows Alice, who, wanting to escape from a prearranged party, accidentally follows a rabbit and ends up in a world of peculiar creatures underground. In fact, Alice visited this place when she was very young, and memories of over 10 years ago about this land have completely disappeared. The present Wonderland is gradually becoming dark under the tyrannical rule of the Red Queen. From here, Alice embarks on a new journey with old friends to rescue the fairy world and restore peace to this colorful land.
Image: Alice in Wonderland
Alice Through the Looking Glass
Considered as a sequel to Alice in Wonderland, Alice Through the Looking Glass is a thrilling journey through time filled with challenges and dilemmas as Alice returns to the underground world.
Image: Alice Through the Looking Glass
Six years after Alice in Wonderland, Alice has grown stronger and is now taking over the role of captain from her late father. While facing the ambition to seize the ship 'Wonder', orchestrated by Hamish - Alice's jilted fiancé, Alice receives news that her dear friend Hatter is gravely ill. She hurriedly returns to the fairyland to join everyone in finding a way to save Hatter.
Image: Alice Through the Looking Glass
Alice Through the Looking Glass introduces a completely new storyline, more dramatic, as Alice and her friends embark on a race against time. Apart from confronting the Red Queen once again, Alice's challenge this time is Time himself - the deity who controls time and is responsible for Hatter's mishap.
Besides Alice in Wonderland, Alice Through the Looking Glass is also one of the most exciting animated films for this Halloween season.
Monster House
Monster House is a computer-animated film produced in the United States in 2006. With its dark tone and unexpected plot twists, Monster House, despite featuring child protagonists, is actually more suitable for adults.
Image: Monster House
The film follows a memorable journey of children living in the suburbs as they begin to notice peculiar things about the old man's house next door. Out of curiosity, the children attempt to approach and break into the house. Through this, they discover a horrifying secret about a malevolent entity lurking beneath that house. When the children report to the police to investigate the house, no one believes them. Therefore, the brave trio must devise their own plan to confront and vanquish the invisible monster.
Image: Monster House
Monster House is highly praised for its creative content and terrifying moments that even adults would scream. Surely, this will be a film that leaves a deep impression on you due to its unexpected ending and the meaningful story behind the haunted house.
Image: Monster House
The Boxstrolls
Among the trio of animated feature films that established Laika's reputation, The Boxtrolls is also a title you shouldn't miss. Maintaining its dark filmmaking style with somewhat eerie character designs, The Boxtrolls brings audiences a 'peculiar' story that satirizes human vices in society.
Image: The Boxstrolls
The film revolves around the world of 'oddities' along with the story of a boy named Eggs. Eggs is the son of an intellectual, and after his father is captured by Archibald - a madman with ambitions to rule the town, the boy is sent and raised by a tribe of subterranean dwarves known as Boxtrolls. They are called Boxtrolls because they always hide in cardboard boxes to avoid human detection. These harmless Boxtrolls are victims of false rumors spread by humans about a tribe of kidnappers who eat children and drink their blood at night.
Image: The Boxstrolls
A tragedy befalls the Boxtrolls family as they come under the scrutiny of Archibald. And now, only the boy Eggs has the ability to save them from the genocide plot.
Humans believe that the dwarves hidden in the boxes are monsters, but who is truly the 'monster' in this story? This is also the message that the screenwriter subtly embeds for viewers to realize that one should not judge anyone solely based on their appearance.
Image: The Boxstrolls
For a long time, animated films have not been just about bright colors and simple everyday stories for children. The films above are some examples that can make adults 'scream', while also helping us rediscover meaningful human values. And hopefully, you will have a memorable Halloween season with the list of animated horror-themed films that Mytour Xperience has introduced.
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