The 75 Halloweeniest Movies to Watch in Honor of Spooky Season
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Spooky season is already upon us, folks! And you know what that means. Your local Walgreens is legit already hemorrhaging candy corn from every available shelf and each Instagram caption is some iteration of something cheesy like, “Drink up, witches!” or “Gimme the boos” to celebrate the best holiday of them all.
That also means it's about time to have scary movies on a loop. If you're already a fan of these types of flicks and you watch them year-round, then shout-out to you! You're clearly brave AF and have been ready for this season for awhile now. Whether you’re into horror, thrillers, or just a nice themed comedy...there’s honestly something for everyone here.
1. The Invitation (2015)
Dinner parties are fun, right? Yeah, in this movie, not so much. A man goes back to his former house to have dinner with his ex-wife and her new partner. But instead of just food and conversation, the night takes a sinister turn.
2. Hush (2016)
A deaf woman goes out into the woods for some peaceful time to write, but her relaxing and productive trip turns into a fight for her life when a masked person tries to kill her. If you're looking for a scary movie to really get your adrenaline going, this is the one to watch!!
3. Ma (2019)
When your parents told you to not talk to strangers, this movie reminds you why. In this chilling film, a middle-aged woman becomes friends with a group of teenagers and invites them to party in her basement. But they have no idea the intense rules she'll impose on them when they go.
4. Midsommar (2019)
A couple heads to Sweden thinking they're attending a renowned mid-summer festival, but instead, they end up fighting for their lives in this eerie and bright thriller.
5. Goosebumps (2015)
What's the more terrifying than your wildest, darkest, most spine-chilling thoughts come to life? Nothing. This movie follows a teenager and the daughter of a horror book writer who work together to fight off imaginary demons that have somehow come to life.
6. Boo! A Madea Halloween (2016)
Personally, my kind of Halloween movies are the ones that make me laugh and scared at the same time. (But not *too* scared* obv.) This movie is about a teenage girl who sneaks out of her house with friends to go to a Halloween bash at frat house. The night takes a turn when the police and THE Madea show up to the party. But after Madea's arrival, Madea finds herself in a frightening position when the partygoers seek revenge against her by pulling frightening pranks on her.
7. The Haunting in Connecticut (2009)
Horror movies based on a true story are a bajillion times scarier, and that’s just a scientific fact. This one’s about a family that moves to a cute Victorian home in upstate Connecticut only to find out that it’s actually a former funeral parlor with the creepiest past ever. SMH, and people say millennials don’t own houses because we can’t stop buying avocado toast. It’s actually probably because anything affordable is haunted.
8. We Have Always Lived in the Castle (2019)
Everyone’s favorite spooky baddie from American Horror Story, Taissa Farmiga, stars in this super-creepy thriller about a family that has always lived in an isolated castle (as you can probably gather from the extremely helpful title). There’s murder, magic, and a creepy cousin. What more could you ask for on Halloween?
9. The Purge (2013)
Everyone knows the premise of The Purge, thanks to the fact that the scary masks worn in this film have served as a solid Halloween costume for college girls everywhere since 2013. If you don’t...it’s about a world where unemployment and crime rates are super low because there is one night a year when all crimes are legal so society can blow off steam. (Feels a bit extreme, but okay.) Can we just address the fact that Lena Headey’s character literally pulls a Kombucha Girl face when it’s suggested that she murders someone?
10. The Perfection (2019)
Netflix's original movie, The Perfection is either the worst or scariest thing I have ever seen in my life. TBH, I still can't decide. I don't even know how to begin to explain this film about a terrifying school for cellists. It's...a lot.
11. The Last Exorcism (2010)
Another horrifying movie trope: fake documentaries. In The Last Exorcism, a minister is like, "Fine, I'll do ONE more exorcism. And yes, y'all can film it."
12. The Witch (2016)
Oh you think YOUR family has drama? Think again. This 1630s New England fam is torn apart by witchcraft, disappearances, paranoia and evil possession. You know, the usual. The Witch is one of those rare movies that's not like, jump-out-of-your-seat scary. It's just a deeply disturbing hour and 33 minutes.
13. Secret Obsession (2019)
If you're looking for a Halloweeny movie that is Hallmark-levels of bad, your search ends here. Netflix's Secret Obsession, starring Brenda Song has the same memory-loss plot as The Vow with Channing Tatum and Rachel McAdams...except it makes zero sense and is pretty awful. But you know what? Sometimes you need a little chaotic energy in your life.
14. The Shining (1980)
When you think of Halloween, do you immediately see Jack Nicholson’s face from The Shining? Same, along with other images from the 1980 film based on Stephen King’s classic: the Grady daughters, the river of blood spilling out of the elevator doors, and little Danny’s tricycle, to name a few. If you have time and energy to spare after watching this Stanley Kubrick masterpiece, do check out Room 237, the 2012 documentary about different interpretations of The Shining. It’s basically a master class on the film with all your pals and—*pushes glasses up*—theories.
15. The Exorcist (1973)
There’s nothing scarier than a horror film from the ’70s, and The Exorcist is a prime example of the type of scare that makes you sleep with the lights on for at least two weeks. Fun fact: The Exorcist was the first horror movie to be nominated for a Best Picture Oscar in 1974 but lost out to the heist film The Sting. To date, only one horror film has won Best Picture: The Silence of the Lambs.
16. Halloween (1978)
In 1978, Jamie Lee Curtis made her feature-film debut as Laurie Strode in John Carpenter’s slasher flick about an asylum escapee who was originally committed for the murder of his sister. Turns out, Laurie, a young woman he stalks, is his other sister. And turns out, this film is just as scary even if you’ve seen it 30 times. Good luck trying to get Carpenter’s theme song out of your head.
17. Poltergeist (1982)
The most important lesson you’ll get from watching Poltergeist is to turn off your TV and run as soon as the screen fills with static. That, and always, always check if the land you live on used to be a cemetery.
18. Psycho (1960)
Long before Jamie Lee Curtis met Michael Myers, her mother, Janet Leigh, was the face of horror after starring in the Alfred Hitchcock movie that probably inspired folks to skip taking showers in 1960s.
19. A Nightmare on Elm Street (1984)
This Wes Craven classic is a winner for several reasons: It makes you never want to hit the dream phase of sleep; you’ll be glad to have a cell phone in 2018; Johnny Depp is in it for a hot minute (it was his first film).
20. Hocus Pocus (1993)
Halloween movies need not be dark, bloody, and nightmare-inducing. Leading the comedy horror pack are the Sanderson sisters, played by Bette Midler, Sarah Jessica Parker, and Kathy Najimy, who are resurrected by a virgin in present-day Salem, unleashing all sorts of mayhem and one of the earliest appearances by actor Doug Jones (as Winnie’s sewed-up ex), who most recently appeared as the fish man in The Shape of Water.
21. Beetlejuice (1988)
Raise your hand if you’ve ever worn a Beetlejuice-inspired costume for Halloween or, more important, dressed up as Winona Ryder’s Lydia, aka the goth girl, from the film.
22. Scream (1996)
This movie had everything: the genius of Wes Craven, the words of Dawson’s Creek creator Kevin Williamson, and a young Skeet Ulrich licking “pig’s blood” while Neve Campbell looked on in disgust. The film, which also starred Drew Barrymore and then-married couple Courtney Cox and David Arquette, spawned three more sequels along with the spoof franchise, Scary Movie.
23. Scary Movie (2000)
The scary films of the mid to late ’90s, namely the Scream and I Know What You Did Last Summer franchises, inspired Keenan Ivory Wayans to make Scary Movie, starring Anna Faris in one of her first films. The kills are over the top while the jokes are dirty and wrong, but the film still grossed $278 million worldwide. FWIW, that’s more than Scream’s box office performance ($173 million worldwide).
24. Practical Magic (1998)
Sandra Bullock and Nicole Kidman are sisters Sally and Gillian who try to use their powers (yes, they’re witches) to undo a family curse that results in any significant other who comes into their lives to drop dead. Come for all the magic, stay for Stockard Channing’s commanding screen presence.
25. The Nightmare Before Christmas (1993)
Not long after the Pumpkin King of Halloween Town concludes he’s simply bored with the annual celebrations related to the blessed day that is Halloween, he stumbles into Christmas Town and immediately becomes infatuated—so much that he tries to recreate the holiday at home.
26. The Addams Family (1991)
This dark comedy is satisfying for several reasons, including the fact that Angelica Huston was born to play Addams family matriarch Morticia Addams. (Seriously, can you picture anyone else in Morticia’s long black dress, blood-red lipstick, and deadly stare-downs?) The film is extra fun if you do any of the following: clap along to the theme song; wear braids like Christina Ricci’s Wednesday; impersonate Cousin Itt.
27. Halloweentown (1998)
With the recent discovery that Marnie Piper and Kal (from Halloweentown II: Kalabar’s Revenge) are dating IRL, it’s imperative that you (re)watch the first Halloweentown, which made us all question what we’d do if we suddenly found out we were related to witches. This film is best enjoyed with a plate full of cookies—that you’re allowed to have, of course.
28. The Others (2001)
It’s hard to look away from Nicole Kidman’s powerhouse performance as Grace, a loving and religious mother who tries to protect her children from a photosensitivity disease that keeps them indoors. Who still gets chills upon hearing her daughter Anne say, “Are you mad? I am your daughter”?
29. Friday the 13th (1980)
Before Jason and his hockey mask haunted your dreams, it was his mother, Mrs. Voorhees, who caused havoc at Camp Crystal Lake in the first installment of the Friday the 13th franchise. Yes, this is the film with a young Kevin Bacon, and no, he doesn’t have much screen time.
30. It’s the Great Pumpkin, Charlie Brown (1966)
Much like the other Charlie Brown specials of our youth, It’s the Great Pumpkin, Charlie Brown was short, sweet, and full of hope. While Charlie Brown and the other kids head to Violet’s Halloween party in full costume (Charlie’s a ghost, Lucy’s a witch), Linus stays behind to wait for the Great Pumpkin to arrive. If you watched this as a kid and feared that you, too, would end up with rocks while trick-or-treating, you’re not alone.
31. The Craft (1996)
The thing to do in 1996 after watching Neve Campbell and company in The Craft was get together with your friends to chant “Light as a feather, stiff as a board,” only to find out witchcraft does not run in your blood. Or does it?
32. Paranormal Activity (2007)
Even if you watch this film in broad daylight with lots of people, snacks, and the volume turned down at its lowest, you’ll still flinch and scream so many times you’ll (1) never want to move houses/apartments, (2) never sleep, (3) never look at baby powder the same way. If you ever have literally nothing else to do and want to have a Paranormal Activity marathon, there are a total of six films in the franchise, including 2015’s Paranormal Activity: The Ghost Dimension.
33. The Host (2006)
You know what’s scarier than a regular monster? A sea monster in South Korea possibly created by toxic waste dumped by the U.S. military. Such is the creature lurking in The Host, which picks up the second a local snack bar owner’s daughter is abducted by the monster. Warning: You’ll want to avoid any river and think twice about dumping mystery chemicals down your sink after watching the film.
34. The Blair Witch Project (1999)
The film was revolutionary for its time, as it was made of “recovered footage” from three student filmmakers who disappeared while making a documentary about a local legend (the Blair Witch) in the woods in Burkittsville, Maryland. It also left a lot of audience members in a state of motion sickness (blame the “recovered footage”) and pure shock (blame the final shot of the film).
35. A Quiet Place (2018)
John Krasinski and Emily Blunt put their real-life relationship to the test when John directed himself and Emily in this post-apocalyptic horror film about a family living in silence while monsters with super-sensitive hearing hunt humans. The film is so good that a sequel has already been ordered for 2020.
36. Carrie (1976)
Stephen King’s first-ever novel was such a hit that it was made into a film starring Sissy Spacek just two years after the book’s release. Spacek played Carrie White, the 17-year-old telekinetic-power-possessing outcast who puts an end to a long reign of bullying by her classmates after a bucket of pig’s blood is dumped on her at prom.
37. Train to Busan (2016)
South Korean heartthrob Gong Yoo plays a divorced fund manager who tries to survive a zombie apocalypse while on a high-speed train with his young daughter and hundreds of other passengers, including a heroic man and his pregnant wife, a high school baseball team, and a homeless man with a big heart.
38. Get Out (2017)
A young man and his girlfriend go on a weekend getaway to her parents’ house, only to find out the family’s dirty, horrifying secret. Jordan Peele won an Oscar for Best Original Screenplay for his directorial debut, which starred Daniel Kaluuya, Allison Williams, Bradley Whitford, Catherine Keener, and Lakeith Stanfield.
39. Edward Scissorhands (1990)
Tim Burton’s imagination blessed the world with the heart of Edward Scissorhands (Johnny Depp), who’s taken in by an Avon-selling suburban mom after she discovers him in an abandoned mansion. Edward immediately falls for the woman’s daughter, Kim (Winona Ryder), and the rest is Kim’s story to tell.
40. Casper (1995)
Two words: Devon Sawa. If you fell in love with him in the mid-1990s, it was likely due to his ever-so-brief appearance in Casper, in which he melted hearts with the words, “Can I keep you?” Christina Ricci was excellent as Kat as well.
41. The Conjuring (2013)
The Conjuring franchise, which most recently spawned The Nun, began in 2013 with Patrick Wilson and Vera Farmiga as Ed and Lorraine Warren, the real-life paranormal investigators whose reports led to The Amityville Horror book and related films.
42. The Ring (2002)
The good thing about watching this film in 2019 is that videotapes pretty much don’t exist anymore. The bad thing is The Ring is still creepy AF and you bet you’ll think twice about answering any phone calls while watching the movie for the 13th time.
43. The Sixth Sense (1999)
Haley Joel Osment told you he could see dead people, but who would’ve expected to see Kyra the ghost show up as Marissa Cooper on The O.C. just four years later? Bravo to everyone in this film but especially Mischa Barton, who still gets “Halloween vibes” from her Sixth Sense character.
44. A Girl Walks Home Alone at Night (2014)
This underrated vampire Western (yep) from director Ana Lily Amirpour is a satisfying black-and-white film for anyone who loves cats, hates men who disrespects women, and has an ear for good music.
45. Coraline (2009)
Dakota Fanning is the voice of Coraline, a young girl who discovers a secret door to an alternate, darker world after moving with her family from Michigan to Oregon.
46. Ju-On: The Grudge (2002)
This Japanese horror film (which was technically the third installment of the franchise but the first to be released in theaters) inspired multiple sequels and the American remake starring Sarah Michelle Gellar. But let’s face it, you only have time for one horror film from the franchise, so why not spend an afternoon with the ghost of Kayako (because watching it at night is just not recommended).
47. Hereditary (2018)
Toni Collette and her onscreen family must deal with the aftermath of her mother’s death. The premise sounds simple—that is, until more awful stuff starts happening and you as the viewer begin to question what’s real and what’s imagined. If you find yourself thinking about Hereditary and Toni Collette’s brilliant acting days after seeing the film, don’t worry: This is normal. Probably.
48. The Rocky Horror Picture Show (1975)
More over-the-top entertaining than scary, this cult classic stars Tim Curry as Dr. Frank-N-Furter, a scientist who lives in a castle and creates a living man with muscles named—you guessed it—Rocky.
49. American Psycho (2000)
What makes someone kill? Such is the million-dollar question of Mary Harron’s film, adapted from Bret Easton Ellis’s 1991 novel and starring Christian Bale as the wealthy investment banker slash serial killer Patrick Bateman. In case you’ve forgotten, the movie also stars Reese Witherspoon, Justin Theroux, and Justin Theroux’s giant cell phone.
50. Rosemary’s Baby (1968)
Mia Farrow is Rosemary Woodhouse, a young woman who becomes mysteriously pregnant not long after moving to an apartment with her husband. Their neighbors are definitely-maybe part of a cult. Her pregnancy is anything but a walk in the park. And far too many uninvited players are convinced they know what’s best for the unborn child. Sound familiar?
51. The Texas Chain Saw Massacre (1974)
Leatherface’s kills in this film are not for the faint of heart, but if you think about it, they’re all pretty ridiculous—and not all of them are executed with his famed chain saw. The group of friends that stumbles upon this family of cannibals really shouldn’t have picked up that hitchhiker in the first place. It’s basically the first rule of horror!
52. Alien (1979)
There aren’t a lot of alien-themed titles in this list, but Sigourney Weaver’s first film as Warrant Officer Ripley is arguably the best in the franchise. Maybe it’s her badass attitude, how she makes holding a gun look effortless, or that cute cat who somehow makes it to the very end.
53. Twilight (2008)
Kristin Stewart and Robert Pattinson’s acting has greatly improved since the release of Twilight, but you can’t help but be charmed by everything else this film offered: teen love, hot vampires, and the beginnings of the whole Edward vs. Jacob debate.
54. Us (2019)
If you think your family vacations are the stuff of nightmares, Us follows a family vacation where evil, murderous doppelgängers start appearing. Us is Jordan Peele’s second feature film and stars Lupita Nyong’o, so you know you’re in good hands.
55. The Babadook (2014)
Years after the violent death of her husband, things take a turn for the scary when Amelia’s son, Sam, asks her to read him a book called Mister Babadook (side note: creepiest children’s book ever). Sam becomes convinced that the monster is real. Amelia doesn’t believe him. One of them is very wrong. Also, the Babadook inexplicably became an LGBTQ+ icon in 2017—so there’s that.
56. Teeth (2007)
You might know Teeth as “that weird movie where a woman has teeth in her vagina,” but it’s actually one of the most underrated feminist films of the aughts. Teeth follows high schooler Dawn as she attempts to make a vow of purity in the face of rampant sexual assault—critiquing both purity culture and male entitlement along the way.
57. What We Do in the Shadows (2014)
The mock-umentary that inspired the FX series of the same name, What We Do in the Shadows follows a house of vampires trying to get along in the modern world. Perfect for if you prefer crying with laughter over crying with fear on Halloween.
58. Raw (2016)
This French-Belgian film follows a vegetarian freshman tasting raw meat for the first time during a veterinary school hazing that leaves her with a taste for flesh. On the one hand, this is a brilliant coming-of-age flick that boldly tackles female sexuality. On the other hand, it’s so gross that people literally passed out watching it in movie theaters—so approach with caution.
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59. Now You See It... (2005)
This Disney Channel Original Movie is a relatively obscure one on the list of Halloween movies, but when you combine early aughts reality TV with the possibility that one of the teen contestants may just be a wizard? Yeah, you'll definitely want to add this to your list of movies to watch.
60. Double, Double, Toil and Trouble (1993)
If you're a fan of old-school Mary-Kate and Ashley films, there's no way you didn't see this movie. Telling the story of two girls uncovering a mystery involving their great-aunt and their evil sister, it's equal parts sinister and cute. Which, TBH, isn't necessarily part of the Halloween spectrum. But for these twins? Yeah, we'll make an exception.
61. Knives Out (2019)
If you didn't initially watch this hit movie for the growing murder mystery, surely it had to be for Chris Evans' argyle sweater...
62. Us (2019)
It's one thing to be scared off by some mythical creature. But what if your entire family was being hunted by a bunch of doppelgängers? Well, that definitely amps up the creep factor by, like, A LOT.
63. The Devil All the Time (2020)
An all-star cast (you know, like Tom Holland, Sebastian Stan and Robert Pattinson) comes together to tell an interweaving story filled with absurd accents, hitchhikers, and serial killers. It's bound to give you goosebumps...and not necessarily in the best of ways.
64. The Haunted Mansion (2003)
Based on the famed Disney World ride, Eddie Murphy stars as a real estate agent who recruits his family to help break an old mansion of a curse which spans far longer than any of them were alive. And since it's an Eddie Murphy movie, you know there's going to be lots of hijinks mixed with some creeps. AKA: the perfect combo!
65. Twitches (2005)
When long-lost twins discover they are royal witches in a magical dimension, it's up to them to save their mother and the world she reigns as the twosome know it. But it doesn't come without sisterly bonding. Plus, if you were a fan of Sister, Sister back in the day, why wouldn't you watch a film starring Tia and Tamera Mowry?
66. Annabelle (2014)
If you ever wanted to know what happened prior to the events of The Conjuring, this is the movie for you. Focusing on the Annabelle doll from the original set of films, it will give you tons of goosebumps while also making you wonder if all your childhood dolls were slightly possessed. Definitely going to be avoiding mine right about now...
67. I Know What You Did Last Summer (1997)
Based on the 1973 novel, the movie follows four friends who find themselves being hunted by a killer just one year after they all cover up a fatal car accident. It has all your favorite '90s stars (ever heard of a guy named Ryan Phillippe, or Sarah Michelle Gellar?), it has an urban legend for an origin, and it features all your favorite slasher moments. Let's just say, this movie will be playing at my next Halloween movie marathon.
68. Coco (2017)
Almost all of these films are perfect for a Halloween bash. But what about the day after? Inspired by Mexico's Dia de Los Muertos (Day of the Living Dead), this one follows a young boy as he seeks help from an ancestor to get him back to his living family and reverse the ban on music.
69. The Rocky Horror Picture Show (1975)
Okay...so this movie exemplifies everything that's weird about Halloween. But hey—if the film still has such a cult following behind it, isn't it worth checking out just once? And who knows—maybe you'll just do the time warp again! (You're welcome for the pun.)
70. Child's Play (2019)
Inspired by a very real, very terrifying doll named Robert, Child’s Play tells the story of a young boy and his new toy—a doll with a colorful striped shirt and flaming red hair—which, obviously, ends up being haunted and has an unwavering desire to kill those around him. Casual!
71. Nightcrawler (2014)
Not so much Halloween-y as much as it's just plain eerie. In Nightcrawler, Jake Gyllenhaal plays a photojournalist who records violent events late at night throughout Los Angeles and sells the footage to local television news stations. However, after catching the attention of a news director, he begins to go to greater (read: more dangerous) lengths to catch the "money shot." *Cue the dramatic music*
72. Frankenweenie (2012)
If you're obsessed with Tim Burton's animation style (hi, me!), consider watching his modern-day take on the Frankenstein mythology in this flick about a boy and his revived dog. A note that it got a *chef's kiss* score of 87% on rotten tomatoes, so do with that what you will!
73. Ready or Not (2019)
On her wedding night, the film's protagonist, Grace, finds herself quite literally fighting for her life after being forced to play a, erm, deadly game of hide-and-seek by her new in-laws. The plot is truly giving chaotic, and I, for one, am obsessed!
74. Hocus Pocus 2 (2022)
That's right, witches (srry, I had to lol)! The sequel to the iconic 1993 film has *finally* blessed our Disney+ accounts and was truly worth the wait. I mean, with the original Sanderson sisters making a comeback alongside a slew of new faces, including Gossip Girl remake lead Whitney Peak, definitely it's pretty hard to be disappointed.
75. The Black Phone (2022)
13-year-old Finney is the latest child to be taken in a string of abductions in a Denver suburb. Though things appear to be helpless at first while he's locked away in his captor's basement, Finney quickly realizes that a seemingly-defunct telephone in the room might be his only chance of escape.
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