The official Daphne du Maurier website, approved by her Estate
Halloween – the perfect time for watching a scary film or reading a scary story!
Hurray, it's Halloween, a day for trick-or-treating, costume parties, carving pumpkins into jack-o'-lanterns, apple bobbing, bonfires, and playing pranks!
It is also a great time to watch a horror or Halloween-themed film or to read a really scary short story, maybe one by our favourite author, Daphne du Maurier.
Certainly, the two scariest film adaptations of Daphne du Maurier's works are The Birds and Don't Look Now.
Alfred Hitchcock directed The Birds, released in 1963. It differs greatly from Daphne's novella because it is set in Bodega Bay in the US and is a much bigger story, with many more people involved than in the original. However, as far as frightening is concerned, the tension definitely builds and builds as the film progresses, until you and all the characters are absolutely terrified.
Nicholas Roeg directed Don't Look Now, released in 1973. This film has enjoyed cult status almost from the beginning. Its content stays quite close to the original short story, and it is, in my view, the most frightening of all Daphne's works. The film is brilliant, and it doesn't matter how many times you watch it; it remains just as frightening every time. So, it really is the perfect Halloween film.
If you would prefer to read something scary, then we recommend Daphne's newest short story collection, After Midnight: Thirteen Chilling Tales for the Dark Hours, which includes all of her most frightening short stories, perfect for the scariest night of the year!
October 2026.