These are the best horror films showing in Dublin this weekend

Halloween coincides with the bank holiday weekend once again this year, and horror fans are spoiled for choice with great films to see over the long weekend.

Genre-defining classics such as Texas Chainsaw Massacre, The Omen and Halloween are showing at the Lighthouse, and will be sure to attract those with an interest in horror history those who enjoy scared out of their minds.

The Irish Film Institute is going all-in on the theme, with their Horrorthon offering a buffet of films for horror hounds, with everything from cult video nasty classics all the way up to the latest in chills and spills on offer.

The Horrorthon at the IFI starts on Thursday, with the highlight being the terrifying Robert Wise film The Haunting.

Based on the Shirley Jackson novel of the same name, The Haunting marks its 60th anniversary this year and is sure to be as chilling as it was for 60’s audiences.

Friday sees Aussie horror film Monolith play at the IFI, with Evil Dead Rise star Lily Sullivan playing a disgraced journalist who looks to lift the lid on an alien invasion conspiracy theory.

A great horror double bill is worth its weight in gold, and Friday night at the IFI has a double bill of Return Of The Living Dead III and Wishmaster sure to send people out into the wee hours of the morning with a smile on their faces.

Saturday at the IFI has a veritable mix of the highbrow and the cult classics, with Aligator fitting the bill in the afternoon.

The cult classic about a sewer alligator terrorising the streets of New York is a film that demands to be seen with a crowd.

Fans of Irish horror will want to check out Double Blind on Saturday evening, with a Q and A following the screening with the film’s director, writer and star.

Society, often regarded as a secret handshake among horror fans, is the crown in the jewel of the IFI horrorthon, with the film playing late on Sunday evening.

On the less extreme end of the scale, there is a family showing of Zombie Town, the latest big-screen adaptation of RL Steine’s work, and for those who want to go in completely in the dark about what film they are going to watch, there is a secret screening of a horror film at 3 on Sunday afternoon.

The Lighthouse are also catering to families this weekend, with Hocus Pocus screening on Sunday and a sensory-friendly screening on Monday.

The Smithfield cinema are deploying the big guns in a bid to attract horror fans, and their list is a dream team of horror classics.

Their Living Nightmares-themed month has gone done a treat with fans, and they are saving the best for last.

Director Michael Powell was one half of the legendary British directing duo The Archers, and Powell struck out on his own in 1960 to direct Peeping Tom.

While his compatriot Alfred Hitchcock secured his place in the history books with Psycho that same year (which is also playing at the Lighthouse on Halloween) Peeping Tom was a scandal upon release, effectively derailing the career of one of the greatest directors in history.

In the current true crime-obsessed culture, Peeping Tom is a film ahead of its time and is still remarkably effective.

The film, which has been championed by none other than Martin Scorsese, plays at the Lighthouse across the weekend.

Saturday at the Lighthouse has some slices of 70s horror gold, with the terrifying Donald Sutherland film Don’t Look Now playing in the afternoon and Japanese fever dream House playing in the evening.

Sunday evening at the Lighthouse will have more iconic 70s horror films showing in the form of The Omen and the Texas Chainsaw Massacre.

Both films are nearing the 50-year mark, and neither have lost their ability to terrify even the most ardent horror buff.

Of course, you cannot have a Halloween-themed series of films without the film that solidified the genre for decades to come, and to that end, John Carpenter’s 1978 classic Halloween will be shown on the day itself at the Lighthouse.

The original Exorcist and Suspiria will also be playing on the big day itself at the Lighthouse, so for horror fans looking to get bang for their buck on the scariest day of the year, the Smithfield cinema has you covered.

The full list of films can be seen at the IFI and Lighthouse website, with tickets available from their websites.