Here are the movies I love to hate to love to watch around Halloween. Horror films come and go, but these are cemented in my gut as the ones that disturb me, make me squirm, freak me out, and send me flying over to Marlboro Man’s side of the couch. Every single time.
Grab one of these and watch it tonight!
(These are in no particular order.)
Halloween
It’s the music. The mask. The muffled breathing under the mask. The babysitting theme. The Michael Myers sightings in the yard. And Jamie Lee Curtis’s unbridled terror as she discovers the boogeyman is not only real, he has killed all of her friends.
I couldn’t babysit for a long time after I saw this movie.
When a Stranger Calls
This ended my babysitting career permanently.
Per. Ma. Nent. Ly.
Paranormal Activity
It’s very rare that a recent movie scares me as much as the older classics do…but Paranormal Activity is a rare exception. I was on the fence about watching this on pay-per-view with Marlboro Man, not because I was afraid it would be scary, but because I thought it would be boring.
I wound up being absolutely terrified by this movie. To the point of not ever wanting to see it again.
That ending. Ugh…that ending.
The Exorcist
I watched this when I was relatively young, and as a result I feared demon possession for years.
It’s a tough and exhausting one.
Psycho
Psycho. This Hitchcock classic still terrifies me. The music. Norman Bates. That roadside motel. The conversations with his mother. The shower scene.
I couldn’t shower for years after I saw this movie.
It was a dark and dirty time for me.
Happy Halloween, guys! Feel free to shout out the movies that scare you the most.
Ree Drummond is the founder of The Pioneer Woman and a lover of butter, basset hounds and life on the ranch! Ree started her blog in 2006, and now millions visit ThePioneerWoman.com every month for her trusted recipes and fun family stories. Here’s what she has been up to since it all began:
New York Times Bestselling Author
Ree has written two memoirs (Black Heels to Tractor Wheels, and Frontier Follies) plus nine bestselling cookbooks:
The Pioneer Woman Cooks: Recipes from an Accidental Country Girl (2009)
The Pioneer Woman Cooks: Food from My Frontier (2012)
The Pioneer Woman Cooks: A Year of Holidays (2013)
The Pioneer Woman Cooks: Dinnertime (2015)
The Pioneer Woman Cooks: Come and Get It! (2017)
The Pioneer Woman Cooks: The New Frontier (2019)
The Pioneer Woman Cooks: Super Easy (2021)
The Pioneer Woman Cooks: Dinner’s Ready! (2023)
The Pioneer Woman Cooks: The Essential Recipes (2025)
Food Network Host
Since 2011, Ree has been sharing simple, family-friendly recipes—and the occasional kitchen prank!—on her award-winning show The Pioneer Woman, filmed right on Drummond Ranch. Ree is also a regular judge on Food Network competitions, including Christmas Cookie Challenge.
Founder, The Pioneer Woman Collection
Ree has been creating and selling kitchen and home products at Walmart since 2015 and she’s involved in designing every piece and pattern. The line now includes best-selling appliances (you have to see the floral blender!), plus hundreds of pieces of cookware, tableware, and more. Ree doesn’t like to play favorites but the Agatha print has a special place in her heart.
Restaurant and Hotel Owner
Together with her husband Ladd, Ree has opened several bustling businesses in Pawhuska, Oklahoma, including The Pioneer Woman Mercantile—a bakery, restaurant, and general store that draws visitors from across the country (many come for the biscuits alone!), P-Town Pizza, Charlie’s Ice Cream Shop, and The Boarding House, a charming hotel with eight different rooms decorated by Ree and Ladd.
Media Personality
Ree appears regularly on national TV shows like Today, Good Morning America and more—all while managing to keep flour off her shirt.
Wife, Mom and…Grandma!
Ree’s kids (daughters Alex and Paige and sons Bryce and Todd) are all grown up, and as of December 2024, Ree is the proud grandma of the cutest baby ever, Sofia Scott, born to Alex and her husband Mauricio. Ree still cooks for Ladd (and the kids when they’re home), and she also looks after a few mischievous ranch dogs.
