It’s Saturday, which means we’re dedicating today’s #BloodyHalloween selection to a movie enjoyable for all ages, with a core theme of family. It offers up just enough spooks to serve as a formative gateway horror film for the budding fan, but enough humor and complex characterizations for adults to enjoy as well. Our own Horror Queers podcast featured a deep dive of the film on a recent episode.
Bonus: ParaNorman is a Laika production, which means fantastic stop-motion animation and style. The precise type of film that would invoke the spirit of Saturday morning cartoons. In other words, the ideal scenario to watch this film is with your family and giant boxes of Halloween cereal. Ideally, Cap’n Crunch’s Halloween Crunch, because green milk! But there’s no wrong choice here as long as you’re having fun.
Synopsis: In the town of Blithe Hollow, young Norman’s favorite hobby is watching horror movies with his grandma. The only catch is that his grandma is dead. Norman has the unique ability to see and speak with the dead, but only his best friend believes him. That makes the kid an outcast. An ancient curse unleashes ghosts and zombies upon the town, and only Norman can save everyone.
Key Players: Kodi Smit-McPhee voices Norman, Anna Kendrick voices Norman’s older sister Courtney, and Leslie Mann and Jeff Garlin voice Norman’s parents. John Goodman lends his voice to town eccentric Mr. Prenderghast. Listen for other notable actors like Christopher Mintz-Plasse, Casey Affleck, Alex Borstein, and Jodelle Ferland in various supporting roles.
Why It’s on the List: Aside from the aforementioned family fun, ParaNorman is a great movie period. One that doesn’t shy away from its horror elements in the slightest. It’s clear that the filmmakers behind this movie actually love the horror genre. Themes of family and bullying grounds a horror story filled with ghosts, zombies, and ancient curses. So does the humor, too. It’s hard to achieve that perfect balance of style and substance, but ParaNorman nails it.
Best B-Movie Parody: Talk about one killer opening hook. Everything you need to know is set upright in the first few minutes of the movie. The love of horror, who Norman is, his bond with his grandma, and the nicely played out reveal behind his grandma makes for a perfect chill for the beginner.
Where You Can Watch: ParaNorman isn’t currently available to stream, but it is playing on Freeform’s 31 Nights of Halloween early in the morning of October 5th (check your listings).
In all seriousness, though, what’s your favorite Halloween cereal?