There’s always a time when you could do with a zombie; they’re useful for everything from keeping your place in queues to warning the neighbours not to do their DIY when you’re asleep (“Or Ralph here will just push the fecking wall down, geddit?”). But how the devil do you go about getting one? Luckily for you, we’ve collated some of the best zombie recipes in cinema history…

Tamsin Greig is the only high point in this mediocre thriller about a woman’s hallucinations.

Here at Best For Film, we want you to be prepared. Halloween comes but once a year, creeping up on you whilst you are distracted by the changing weather and the slow realisation that it’s not acceptable to wander around in your bikini because SUMMER IS OVER. And we would hate for you to miss out on super cool Halloween things due to a lack of preparation. So here it is, champs; a list of Halloween film events for you and me and all to share.

A welcome return from director Joe Dante, The Hole is another fine contribution to the ‘family horror’ genre that helped make his name. Providing both laughs and scares, it credits its child viewers with an ability that too many kids films lack; the intelligence to be treated like adults. Bringing the darkness, but keeping things light, it will entertain both youngsters and grown-ups alike. And it all comes with the added benefit of 3D. So, go on – have a little fun and face your biggest fears.

You might not be tempted by Buried – after all, it’s by a director you’ve never heard of and it stars an actor best known for playing vapid romantic interests or unnecessarily violent supervillains. We’d more or less written Ryan Reynolds off too, but in this extraordinary film he demonstrates a range and talent which left us gasping for breath. A bit like him, because he’s been buried alive.

There are 150,000 endangered tigers in the world – and one is in your house. Classy low-budget action thriller Burning Bright is more than just a tiger action movie. It’s a heartstopping ride with human interest and genuine surprises in store…

Russians, eh? Just when you think there’s no more Hollywood mileage to be had out of their sinister accents and evil shirts, along comes Salt. With a plot straight out of a Cold War thriller, twists that don’t bear any scrutiny whatsoever and set action pieces that have been done countless times before, Salt shouldn’t be that good. So why did I enjoy it so bloody much?

The lunatics are taking over the asylum, or that’s what Martin Scorsese’s impeccably crafted Shutter Island would have us believe. But then perception and reality are completely blurred in this 1950s-set mystery, adapted by screenwriter Laeta Kalogridis from the best-seller by Dennis Lehane (Mystic River, Gone Baby Gone).

Production company Hammer continue their return to form with Wake Wood, a chilling horror set in the Irish countryside. On paper it could be dismissed as an Irish version of The Wicker Man, but sets itself apart by grappling with the realities of grief, the occult, and how to safely deal with cattle. It’s not perfect, but strong performances, a strangely Scandinavian feel (part of the filming took place in Sweden) and artistic flair makes Wake Wood an enjoyable addition to Hammer’s canon.

The weight of public expectation can be a heavy burden – it can cripple even the strongest men. In 2006, Noel Clarke wrote and starred in Kidulthood. His gritty portrait of disenfranchised youth culture raised eyebrows and two years later, he wrote, directed and starred in the sequel, Adulthood. The continuation of his emotionally damaged characters was a wake up call to the UK box office, taking an impressive £1.2 million in its opening weekend. Cinemas hurriedly arranged additional screenings and Clarke accepted his newly-minted reputation as the bright young thing of home-grown cinema. There were obvious concerns that he was a one-trick pony. Thankfully not.