“The First Omen” is a top choice for thrills and chills this Halloween. (photo courtesy of 20th Century Studios)

Ghostly greetings my ghouls and goblins. On this most sinister night, I imagine you might crave a festive visual treat to accompany your sweet, sweet loot. Rest assured I did the research.

To prepare for this waning crescent moon, I viewed more than 20 new films, sampled more than 10 others and entirely avoided “Terrifier 3” for my own sanity’s sake. From a pumpkin out for revenge in “Carved” to a pro-wrestler fighting home invaders in “Here for Blood,” I can say with certainty nothing about this year’s horror quite makes sense.

Some of the highs confuse me. Why did “Late Night with the Devil” receive more praise than any other horror flick this year? It’s fun, but that ending is cheap. And for a found-footage flick, it doesn’t have the courage to follow its themes through.

That isn’t a criticism anyone can levy at body-horror film “The Substance,” in which Demi Moore and Margaret Qualley bare all before things turn grotesque to hilarious excess. It’s another critical darling, though that runtime is trying after a while. Side note, you might never look at shrimp the same way again.

Perhaps the real heroes are all the low-fi entrees, well-written stories with modest budgets like the French creepy-crawly “Infested” about spiders that terrorize an apartment complex. The leader of that pack has the worst film title: “Daddy’s Head.” In this Shudder original, a boy’s grief is compounded by a spider-like creature with, well, daddy’s head that tries to lure him into the woods. It’s unsettling and jolting while it delves into the pain of losing a loved one.

Then there’s “Monolith,” a horror mystery that builds to a tense, ambiguous conclusion. Meanwhile, “New Life,” one of the highest-reviewed horror films of the year, is a bit too modest as it explores a strain that quickly turns folks zombie-adjacent. Well, the very few who grace the screen.

Several ultra lo-fi films earned high praise, but they frankly aren’t worth more than a single view (if that). “Stopmotion” features a stop-motion animator who starts incorporating more than clay into her figures, who in turn become a bit more than lifeless objects. It’s fun, brutal at points, but hardly incredible.

Austrian historical film “The Devil’s Bath” is a rough ride. The primary theme is important (a woman’s limited role in society), but it explores it in a draining, excruciating way, first with trauma then a slow build and then more trauma.

And then comes “Longlegs,” marketed as a serial killer film. That’s partly true, but it gets much weirder. Thank Nick Cage for his most unhinged performance in some time. It’s an ostracizing experience, but props to Cage for going all in.

Horror allows folks like Cage to try something new, and a few of the year’s releases tried out some unique tricks. Dystopian religious thriller “Azrael” doesn’t include a single word in English as it features a community whose vocal cords were removed.

Set 45,000 years ago, “Out of Darkness” features a group surviving in a new land against an unknown predator entirely speaking a language created specifically for this film. And “In a Violent Nature” features a slasher film almost entirely from the killer’s point of view. It’s a clever idea, but the film’s added desire to portray some of the most disturbing gore makes the experiment feel less meta and more like just another gore endeavor trying to outdo the competition.

Once upon a time, the “V/H/S” franchise felt original, but a seventh installment, “V/H/S/Beyond,” can no longer claim that status. Still, a few of the short films included are quite enjoyable, especially the first one, “Abduction/Adduction.”

Other films follow suit. “Cuckoo” sports some decent scares and a fun reveal, but it won’t win any awards, while mystery horror “Caddo Lake” sets grand sights and then flutters in the final 15 minutes. As for M. Night Shyamalan’s “Trap,” Josh Hartnett as a serial killer in an elaborate trap, it has some of the most laughably bad acting, but I can’t call it a complete waste.

Some other OK options include “Smile 2,” “MaXXXine,” “Speak No Evil” and “Immaculate,” if you can look past Sydney Sweeney’s acting in that one. But the real winners of the season premiered some time ago. First, “Strange Darling” subverts the final girl trope in a story told in various chapters out of order. The suspense, the brief moments of brutality and that ending all tie things together quite nicely.

As I noted two weeks ago, “I Saw the TV Glow” is a remarkable film, both beautiful and horrifying in its remarkable analogy about gender dysmorphia. But it’s not exactly a horror film, just a solid film. That’s also the issue with “Alien: Romulus.” It’s a fabulous “Alien” entry, the third best actually, but it’s equal parts sci-fi and horror.

The true winner of the season might shock you, but I stand by it. “The First Omen” shouldn’t be the best. It’s a prequel to a franchise with little cultural footprint. Yet it works on so many levels. Shocking, violent, jolting, plot structure and performances all work so well. It stands on its own while paying homage to films dating back to the late 1970s. This is the best choice for Halloween, the most pure viewing experience you can ask for tonight. Enjoy, fellow monsters. Enjoy.

“The Substance” starring Demi Moore is one of the best horror films of the season. (photo courtesy of Mubi)