Dressing up in costumes and eating lots of candy is a part big of October 31, but the day wouldn’t be complete without a scary movie. And perhaps none is better than Halloween.

The film begins with a young boy named Michael Myers murdering his sister Judith Myers and being found by his parents. 15 years later Michael returns to his hometown Haddonfield  and begins to stalk high school student Laurie Strode (Jamie Lee Curtis.) Meanwhile his psychiatrist Doctor Samuel Loomis (Donald Pleasence) is trying to find Michael and stop him from killing once again.

Halloween has practically everything it needs to be scary. Unlike most horror films recently, Halloween creates a feeling of genuine fear and suspense. The characters are relatable with one of the most memorable and terrifying villains in any horror movie, Michael Myers. The audience does not learn much about him aside from the opening scene. But with how Doctor Loomis talks about him, we actually fear this unstoppable force of evil with “The devil’s eyes.”

The setting provides a familiar vibe as we know all these houses in the neighborhood and we know all of these people. The legendary music by John Carpenter perfectly enhances the intense and subtle moments, especially in the finale and the opening sequence.

With a genuine sense of terror, great camera work, and a terrifying killer, John Carpenter’s Halloween is nothing short of a horror masterpiece.