The night, when the dead, witches, demons, and ghosts return to Earth, is approaching. The air fills with mystery, and the line between our world and the afterlife becomes dangerously thin. In this darkly enchanting atmosphere, we at Psylo have dived deep into the world of horror cinema to bring you the 5 most stylish horror films for Halloween 2024. In each film, fashion and terror intertwine in a fascinating and macabre dance. Iconic characters move through horror atmospheres, ranging from psychedelic to gothic, and even touch on mysticism. These films will not only keep you on the edge of your seat but will also inspire you with their unique and unconventional style.
"Beetlejuice" (2024)
Tim Burton amazes again with his "Beetlejuice" (2024), reinventing the classic that made him famous. In this new version, the most famous dark lady of cinema, Winona Ryder, finds herself trapped in a surreal limbo, battling a bizarre afterlife bureaucracy. The film's atmosphere blends black humour, 80s nostalgia, and grotesque fantasy, all wrapped in a vintage aura. Elongated shadows and saturated colours mix the macabre with the comic. Gothic style reigns supreme: black and eccentric dresses, adorned with lace details and vintage accessories. Heavy makeup and black-rimmed eyes highlight porcelain-like pale faces. The film's protagonist, Beetlejuice, is an eccentric dandy demon from the afterlife. His black and white striped suit is reimagined with bold asymmetrical cuts and changing textures that ripple and shift shape. The character's face is a masterpiece of makeup: a ghostly pallor accentuated by deep purple eye sockets, combined with shocking electric green hair, creating a hypnotic contrast with his sarcastic smile and eyes filled with contagious madness. Every screen appearance is a mix of elegance and grotesque... It's hard to resist saying his name three times.
"Midsommar"
Under the blinding sun of an "eternal" Swedish day, Ari Aster subverts horror conventions with "Midsommar", transforming a summer getaway for a mid-summer festival into a whirlwind of ancient pagan rituals and disturbing sacrifices. The atmosphere is a fascinating paradox: sunny, bucolic, and seemingly idyllic, but filled with a growing sense of threat. The contrast between the blinding brightness of Nordic landscapes and the darkness of pagan rituals creates a psychedelic and unsettling experience that borders on folk horror. The style transitions from dark casual clothes to a floral explosion, with rune and ritual symbol details representing the dark rebirth within the cult. The climax of this metamorphosis is the May Queen's coronation: a white dress made entirely of flowers, a powerful image of unsettling beauty where nature itself seems to have taken control. The unforgettable, enormous floral crown creates an image between the sublime and fear.
"Suspiria"
Luca Guadagnino leads us into the depths of "Suspiria", a reinterpretation of Dario Argento's film, set in 1977 Berlin, where the "Tanz Akademie" dance school hides dark secrets of witchcraft and murders. The visual experience oscillates between decadent baroque and psychological horror, creating an atmosphere dense with erotic tension and occult mysticism. The colour palette ranges from cold, desaturated tones to bursts of blood red, blending East German aesthetics with elements of body horror and modern dance. At the centre of this nightmare, the wardrobe pays tribute to sophisticated decadence: long black or red velvet dresses, floating capes like raven wings, hair framing ghostly white faces, eyes hiding unspeakable secrets. Every movement is a performance mixing deadly grace and veiled threat. Thom Yorke's soundtrack adds another layer of unease to the already-charged atmosphere.
"Climax"
Gaspar Noé's "Climax" tells the story of a night of excess and paranoia, where 90s rave fashion merges with psychedelic horror. During a post-rehearsal party, a dance company drinks drug-laced sangria, turning the night into a psychedelic and violent nightmare. The atmosphere is claustrophobic and frenetic, filled with spasmodic energy and sexual tension. The film pulses to the rhythm of electronic music, creating a hyper-stimulating environment where strobe lights and the dancers' frantic movements contribute to a growing sense of disorientation and paranoia. "Climax" outfits are characterised by colours like red, black, and gold lamé, creating visual drama. The characters wear tight-fitting clothes, such as crop tops, skinny pants, black stockings, and mini dresses, inspired by dancewear for their elastic fabrics and functional cuts. The alternative, bohemian atmosphere is influenced by club fashion and punk and rave styles.
"Mandy"
Finally, Panos Cosmatos creates a surreal nightmare with "Mandy", where revenge is tinged with neon and blood. The plot centres on Red Miller, played by Nicolas Cage, a man seeking vengeance against a cult that kidnapped and killed his beloved. In a journey of madness and brutality, the atmosphere is an explosive mix of new-age mysticism and extreme violence, a dreamlike and hellish world where psychedelic colours and images blend with elements of folk horror and retro-futuristic sci-fi. Nicolas Cage, starting with a lumberjack's ordinary look, ends up covered in blood, wearing a T-shirt with a roaring tiger image, symbolising the beast awakened within him. Red eyes, soot and dried blood-stained pale skin, Red wields a self-forged axe, completing the image of a post-apocalyptic warrior emerging from the depths of his tortured soul.
These five films take you through different horror subgenres, offering terrifying narratives and true alternative worlds where visual style becomes as much a protagonist as the plot itself. For cinema lovers seeking sensory and imaginative challenges this Halloween, these works represent the perfect blend of fashion, art, and horror, promising sleepless nights and passionate discussions long after the end credits fade into darkness... After all: "We all go a little mad sometimes" - "PSYCHO” (1960).
