Here are the scariest costumes according to ChatGPT for Lancs Halloween

The leaves are dropping, the air is cold, the uni students are afflicted with Freshers’ flu.

That’s right, it’s mid-October, which means instead of thinking about your degree or grad jobs – you should think about what spooky costumes you can scare your mates with.

If you are anything like myself, you are one for the pop-culture, stupid costumes rather than overly scary or “realistic horror” outfits. That’s why for this article we are consulting everyone’s favourite generative AI ChatGPT to decide once and for all which is the scariest.

Because what is scarier than the ongoing issue of growing reliance on generative AI and the elimination of creative spaces…

Art the Clown (Terrifier)

via Epic Pictures Releasing

If we are truly being honest, this clown freaks me out so much. I wish I could forget watching these films last Halloween – no wonder it is one of the first costumes ChatGPT suggested.

Accompanying the suggestion, ChatGPT said: “Greasepaint, silent menace, and buckets of fake blood.” Even the emotionless face of generative AI seems to be scared speechless at the menacing killer clown.

Lancashire Witch

Okay so away from the pop culture, we have a homage to the Pendle witches. Due to its famous (or more likely infamous) connection to the Lancashire county, this creative and historical costume is sure to make your friends that study history fangirl over its connection.

As for its scariness? It does leave a little bit to be desired but at least you may be able to go as a sexy Pendle witch.

The Nun (The Conjuring Universe)

via Warner Bros. Pictures

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Horror movie fans rise up because this next one is terrifying. I personally have never seen any of The Conjuring films but from the Tik Tok clips that grace my feed, this Bride of Christ is pretty unnerving and spooky, making it the perfect costume to terrorise the streets and clubs of Lancaster.

ChatGPT provided a short, but sweet explanation: “Religious iconography + demonic grin = pure terror.”

Pennywise (IT – 2017/2019)

via Warner Bros. Pictures

Right well, I think my ChatGPT is aware of my discomfort with clowns because this is the second one on the list.

But, I can see where ChatGPT is coming from, Pennywise is a terrifying yet pretty easy character to recreate with makeup and costume. Just don’t climb in any drains and attempt to lure your fellow students with utterances of “we all float down here”.

On the creepy clown, ChatGPT kept it simple, saying: “The nightmare clown with razor teeth and a balloon that always spells doom.”

Midsommar Cultist (Midsommar)

via A24

Perhaps not the most outwardly scary, this folksy psychological thriller is completely unnerving and full of iconography easy to recreate.

Grab your flower crowns, white robes, and your best Florence Pugh crying face impression to fully freak your friends out. Just please dont put anything in their food, if you know, you know.

On the spooky thriller cult costume, ChatGPT said:  “White robes, flower crowns, eerie smiles — horror wrapped in daylight.” A pretty solid suggestion if you ask me.

Haunted Theatre Actor

Lancaster is home to quite a few theatres, and a large drama scene. So why not join in on the theatrics and dress like a spooky ghost of a theatre actor. Bring your best thespian-inspired monologue and roam the streets moaning about how you died from a stage malfunction. It’s a cool way to pay homage to the stage scene in Lancs as well as spook the hell out of any of your friends that may partake in student theatre productions.

Regarding this costume, ChatGPT added: “Old stage costume (Victorian / early 1900s), maybe bloodstains or fading, maybe a mask or veiled face, limp pose, haunted.” So dramatic, and fitting.

Headless Figure

This one is an oldie but a goodie, the headless figure could be pretty spooky in an uncanny-valley kind of way. Perhaps you could even use its as a wider metaphor for our constant reliance on faceless generative technology in the modern day, pretty deep.

On this timeless classic, ChatGPT provided instructions: “Cloak concealing your head, fake shoulders above. The illusion always freaks people out.”

Clicker (The Last of Us)

via Sony Pictures

Okay so we are back on the pop culture. This zombie-inspired fungus monster is pretty creepy and intense. I’m not sure what your make-up accessibility is like but I do know this costume would take a lot of work, but it would be so worth it. Just make sure you don’t use super-strength glue.

In regards to its suggestion from the smash-hit show The Last of Us, ChatGPT was a being of few words: “Fungus-encrusted zombie faces = uncanny terror.”

Ghostface (Scream)

via Paramount Pictures

I’m sure we’ve all have, or at least know someone who has, dressed up as Ghostface. It’s a pretty simple costume, they may even sell it on your local supermarket, but the slasher icon that is Ghostface has stood the test of time since its 1996 debut. The best part about it is that anyone can be the masked killer, it’s kind of like Spiderman, but…evil.

When talking about the infamous slasher villain, ChatGPT added a description, just incase you forgot who Ghostface is: “The meta killer who asks, “What’s your favorite scary movie?” before striking.”

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Featured images before edits via Sony Pictures, Epic Pictures Releasing, Paramount Pictures, and Warner Bros. Pictures.