SpookyJawn Watchlist 2026
by "Doc" Hunter Bush
MovieJawn Staff Writer & Podcast Director, cohost of the Hate Watch/Great Watch Podcast
One of my favorite seasonal / movie activities is making a watchlist for my household and some friends to take part in. For the past few years, I've been sharing these watchlists on MovieJawn in an effort to encourage folks to take part and eventually make their own! I've found that for a lot of people, the idea of taking part in a month-long watchlist activity can be a little overwhelming, so below I will walk you through the list of prompts I've prepared for this year, as well as some helpful tips to keep in mind. I'll even be offering suggested films and this year, all my suggestions have a special theme!
To tie into the release of the MovieJawn Fall 2026 zine (purchase your HERE), all the films suggested below will feature some depiction of a cinematic afterlife. It has been said that the greatest unanswered question in life is What Happens After? and these films offer a possible answer, but you might not like it!
First things first: Don't get overwhelmed. I know the idea of watching a movie a day is a LOT for some people. Even I, currently unemployed and surrounded by movies on various formats, don't have time for that every day. So guess what: You don't have to! Instead of looking at this list as a thrown gauntlet or some kind of requirement, look at it as a bunch of suggestions. If you happen to find yourself with a little chunk of time and a desire to watch a flick, just see what that day's prompt is. And y'know what, if you're not feeling that one, just pick a different one; I promise I won't be personally offended.
Another thing that some folks get hung up on is not knowing a film that fits a specific prompt. As I say often, there are no wrong answers! If you think one of the Friday the 13th movies fits the "PHILADELPHIA" prompt because it takes place in New Jersey and that's close enough: Cool! There are no Movie Police coming to slap the cuffs on you. Similarly, if you want to watch something you've never seen before, and it turns out a movie you thought was perfect for "BLACK & WHITE" is actually in color: No big deal. We are, none of us, perfect and now you know for next time!
Lastly, if there's a prompt you just flat out don't like or can't think of anything for, skip it or choose another category for yourself. Maybe you're burnt out on films from the "1990s" and you decide to swap in a werewolf movie: Good call! The world is tough enough without us making things arbitrarily harder for ourselves. Watching movies, and these watchlists, should be fun above all else.
So now, let me run through the prompts really quickly, just for clarity.
Things start off with a bunch of prompts themed around their titles: a couple of specific words in the titles, or a number; a long and a short title; and literally any movie that starts with the word "THE _____".
Then we've got the various genre- or category-themed ones. Remember, there are no wrong answers. If you think of Hellraiser (1987) as a "COMEDY", watch it! For the aforementioned "BLACK & WHITE" prompt, you could watch Beetlejuice (1988) because his suit is most definitely black & white. For the "ORIGINAL" and "REMAKE", they don't even need to be two versions of the same movie. On my list of suggested titles, I chose the 1960 13 Ghosts and it's early 2000s remake, but you could watch the original The Fly (1958) and the remake of The Blob (1988). It's your call! All I ask is that you tag us in your watchlist journey, but more on that below.
The next block of suggestions is grouped by source: something from a "FEMALE FILMMAKER"; films made or set in various broadly-defined international locations; and something inspired by or about "COMICBOOKS"; then the block of films by decade. With those, you could even watch something set in those years, but made at some other time. Watch whatever is most fun for you!
The list wraps up with a few wild cards. "PHILADELPHIA" because I love films set and/or made in my city and try to celebrate that as often as is possible; "SCIENCE" because I knew my suggestions were going to be leaning more into the supernatural side of things and thought it would be a fun challenge to myself to find a scientifically-themed film that still touches on the afterlife; and then "ALL HALLOWS EVE" and "H'WEEN". I'll let you in on a little secret (*waves you in closer*): both of these are your free spaces. Watch whatever you want on either night! Or both! Watch a favorite film, or something you've been meaning to watch all year! Also, not for nothing, Halloween falls on a Saturday this year, so you might have plans for at least one of those nights, and this way you have something fun to look forward to at the end of the watchlist.
Now comes your part of the deal. Share this article with anyone you know who you think might enjoy the low-pressure watchlist walkthrough, or any friends who you would like to organize watching some movies with this October. If and when you watch anything, or if you make a full list of titles and are going to try to watch them all: tag @moviejawn and @hwgwpodcast on instagram and use the hashtag #spookyjawnlist26
Have a happy and safe rest of the year. Make the most of your time. Have as much fun as you responsibly can. And Long Live the Movies!
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