Midday Movies Critics Suggest Real World Fears for Halloween

Since the turn of the century, fewer than half of eligible U.S. citizens have voted in midterm elections. The 2022 cycle recorded a turnout of just 46.2 percent. KPBS host Jade Hindmon cites this statistic as a source of genuine horror ahead of the Halloween holiday on October 31.

The station's Midday Movies panel moved away from traditional supernatural scares to select films that reflect current political anxieties. With midterm elections approaching, the critics argued that reality often rivals fictional monsters. They compiled a list of six titles that address systemic issues such as voter suppression, mass incarceration, and societal division.

One critic described horror films as a form of comfort food that allows viewers to confront dark truths. However, they noted that documentaries provide a sharper edge because they depict real events. The first selection was Ava DuVernay's 2016 documentary 13th. The film examines the 13th Amendment, which abolished slavery but retained an exception for punishment by crime. The documentary argues this loophole enabled the prison industrial complex to continue involuntary servitude through penal labor, intersecting race, justice, and mass incarceration.

Liz Garbus and Lisa Cortés directed All In: The Fight for Democracy in 2020. This documentary details the history of voter suppression and the barriers that threaten basic citizenship rights. The film follows Stacey Abrams, then a Georgia state representative, during her gubernatorial race. It highlights the challenges she faced while advocating for voting access, aiming to energize viewers who value constitutional rights.

Yazdi Pithavala of Moviewallas selected two lighter options to balance the list. His first pick was Alexander Payne's 1997 film Citizen Ruth. Pithavala called the movie prescient for its depiction of public opinion courts and political misinformation campaigns, themes that predate the social media era. His second choice was Newton, a 2017 film by Amit Masurkar. The story follows an idealistic Indian man assigned as an Election Officer in a remote jungle region. He attempts to run a fair election for rural and tribal communities while facing police apathy and rebel threats.

Hindmon contributed two choices that tap into contemporary fears. She recommended the 2004 remake of The Manchurian Candidate directed by Jonathan Demme. The film features Denzel Washington and shifts the brainwashing plot from a Chinese army to a sinister multinational corporation. The corporation seeks to install a sleeper agent in the White House. Hindmon also selected Civil War, a 2024 film by Alex Garland. Released after the January 6, 2021, attack on the U.S. Capitol, the movie explores the potential consequences of deep national divisions leading to another civil war.

The panel hopes these selections will motivate viewers to engage in the political process. The list serves as a reminder that civic participation remains a central concern in current cultural discourse.