You may be on the hunt for some movies for Halloween and trust us, there are loads to choose from so choosing can be quite a tough task. Halloween is a great season for spookier movies and some of them are even slightly comforting. Luckily for you, here’s a list of Halloween movies to watch if you’re stuck on what to watch this Halloween.
We’ve got a good mix of kids’ movies, scary movies, and everything in between so you’ll find something just up your street to make sure you have the best Halloween movie for yourself this Halloween.
Why don’t you get nice and comfy with your hot drink, blanket, and pumpkins and choose a great movie from our suggestions from Hocus Pocus to The Exorcist.
Halloween Movies List
If you want something to look at quickly to decide instantly what to watch this Halloween then this list will help you choose something perfect. This list is especially good if you’re used to Halloween movies and are just too overwhelmed with options. Let’s help you out so you can find the perfect movie for this evening.
- Hocus Pocus
- Trick ‘r Treat
- Sinister
- Talk to me
- The Exorcist
- Monster House
- The Monster Squad
- Young Frankenstein
- Arachnophobia
- Children of the Corn
- Twilight
- Frankenstein
- The Conjuring
- Clue
- Poltergeist
- The Witches
- Dracula
- Death Becomes Her
Top Halloween Movies
Hocus Pocus (1993)
This movie is probably one of the most watched Halloween movies out there and it’s definitely still popular despite being a little bit older. A young boy moves to Salem along with his family and lights a Candle of Black Flame which is cursed. This resurrects three witches who have been trapped for 300 years. They are all out for revenge and start a reign of fear over Max and the town.
Disney’s Haunted Mansion (2023)
Disney’s Haunted Mansion is a great one if you’re after some modern spook. This movie is directed by Justin Simien and the cast is definitely an all star one. The story is inspired by the theme park attraction “Haunted Mansion” and it follows the story of a mother and her son hiring a motley crew of supposed spiritual experts to help them get rid of their supernatural squatters who decide to reside in their home.
Halloween (1978)
In 1963 on a cold winter’s night, Michael Myers, a six year old boy killed his big sister Judith who was 17 years old. As a result of this, he was locked away for a total of 15 years. But on the 30th of October 1978, Michael Myers decided to steal a car and escape whilst on the way to a court case. He then returns back to his hometown in Illinois to continue his hunt for his next set of victims.
The Texas Chain Saw Massacre (1974)
This movie is based on the true story of Ed Gein. In 1974, five close friends decided to head down the back routes of Texas on their way to their grandfather’s possibly vandalized grave. In this group of friends, we find Sally Hardesty and her brother Franklin. They come across a hitchhiker and he slashes himself as well as Franklin with a knife. Luckily, the friends manage to get this hitchhiker out of the vehicle but soon after, they have to stop and walk over to a rundown house to find some gas. But little do they know that this is the house of Leatherface as well as his family who are all psychopaths. One friend at a time, Leatherface kills them all in spooky ways and as Sally finds herself there, she runs into the night to escape this cannibal and his chainsaw. The big question is, can she flee Leatherface and the same fate as her friends?
The Nightmare Before Christmas (1993)
This movie is a great crossover between Halloween and Christmas so it’s a brilliant movie to get you into both spirits. The film follows the story of Jack Skellington who’s Halloweentown’s pumpkin king. When he becomes bored of his annual routine of scaring people in the real world, he stumbles across Christmastown which is full of warm colors and spirits. He decides to try and get Christmas all under his control by kidnapping Father Christmas and becoming him himself. But soon after, Jack Skellington discovers that plans can easily go wrong – even for a skelly.
Classic Halloween Movies
Goosebumps (2015)
Zach Cooper is quite upset after being moved into a small town, he may have found a silver lining when he meets Hannah, the girl next door. He’s interested to know more about her father R.L Stine who is the famous author of the Goosebumps series. Zach finds himself accidentally releasing the monsters from Stine’s stories leaving him, Stine, and his daughter to get the monsters back into the books where they belong.
It’s The Great Pumpkin, Charlie Brown (1966)
This classic Peanuts movie focuses on Linus, the blanket holding, thumbsucking little boy who has faith in the Great Pumpkin. Now, once he finds out that nobody else believes in this great creature, he’s ready to prove to everyone that this pumpkin is real and spends the entire night on his own in a pumpkin patch.
Rocky Horror Picture Show (1975)
This one is certainly a cult classic. It follows the story of two lovers, Brad and Janet as they’re stuck with a flat tire in the middle of a storm. Soon they discover a creepy mansion owned by Dr. Frank-N-Furter who is a transgender scientist. When the sweethearts’ innocence is lost, they meet loads of different wild characters like a butler and a rocking biker played by Meat Loaf. Throughout the movie and different songs and dances, Dr. Frank N Furter reveals his latest invention: Rocky, a muscular man.
Harry Potter
Now many people wouldn’t class this as a Halloween film or set of films although many people tend to watch these movies over the Halloween period. These movies are based on the famous stories by JK Rowling and follow a young boy on his quest with his friends at Hogwarts School Of Witchcraft and Wizardry. In their time in this school, they’re faced with defeating the dark Lord Voldermort as he tries to kill Harry having failed the first try.
The Addams Family (1991)
This story follows the Addams family as a man who says that he is Fester who is the missing brother of Gomez Addams, arrives at their home. Despite everyone being thrilled, Morticia is convinced that this man is nothing more than a fraud as he can’t remember the details of Fester’s life. Fester manages to get them all evicted from their home with the help of his lawyer Tully Alford and Gomez realizes that they’re trying to steal the Addams fortune and decides to challenge Fester.
Movies To Watch On Halloween For Kids
Coraline (2009)
Based on the novel by Neil Gaiman, the story follows a girl named Coraline who explores her new home and finds a secret door where an alternate world is hidden. This world is almost the same as hers but is somehow better. She is glad in her findings until her other Mother and the rest of her family in this parallel universe try to keep her there for the longest possible time – forever. It’s up to Coraline to try and escape back to her own life and family by using all bravery and possible resources.
Monsters, Inc. (2001)
Based in the largest scare factory in the monster world, Monsters Incorporated, James P. Sullivan is the top monster scarer. This huge and scary monster who is blue and has horns is best friends with his little green monster friend, Mike Wazowski. Boo, a little human, finds herself in the monster world, a place where no human has gone before, and begins her adventures with these two monsters and it’s up to them to get her back where she belongs before something bad happens.
Scooby Doo (2002)
After a clash of egos made Mystery Inc close its door to the public two years ago, Scooby Doo and his gang Fred, Daphne, Shaggy, and Velma are each summoned to Spooky Island to try and figure out a series of different supernatural incidents at the Spring Break Hotspot. Will they solve the crimes and what will happen?
Gremlins (1984)
An inventing salesman is on a hunt for a particular gift for his son at Christmas and luckily finds one in a strange shop in Chinatown. The shopkeeper isn’t too keen on selling him the Mogwai but ends up selling him but urges the father to keep to a list of strict rules: don’t expose him to bright light, no water, don’t feed him after midnight. All these rules are eventually broken and it ends up with a gang of gremlins trying to break up the town on Christmas Eve. Will the gremlins be stopped or will they haunt the town forever?
Muppets Haunted Mansion (2021)
When most of the muppets are enjoying at Miss Piggy and Kermit’s annual Halloween party, Gonze and Pepe decide to take on a massive fear challenge to stay for an entire night in the castle of the magician, great MacGuffin. As the guests go through all the labyrinth corridors of the towers, scary things occur meaning they have to face their biggest possible fears. What have Gonzo and Pepe done this time? And will they stay alive in ultimately the most dangerous place in their Earth? Or will they be in the Muppets Haunted Mansion forever?
Best Movies to watch on Halloween
Corpse Bride (2005)
Two families have arranged the marriage of their children Victor and Victoria and even though they like each other, Victor finds himself very nervous when thinking about the ceremony. He decides to go to a forest to practice his lines for the ceremony but when he does this, a tree branch drags him into the land of the dead. The branch acting as a hand belongs to a girl called Emily who was killed after eloping with her partner and then decides she wants to marry Victor. It’s up to Victor to get back to the ceremony in time in the overworld so Victoria doesn’t marry the villain Barkis Bittern.
Beetlejuice (1988)
Barbara and Adam Maitland die in a car crash and after this find themselves haunting their old country residence and can’t leave the house. When Deetzes and Lydia buy the house who are both unbearable, the Maitlands decide to scare them away but are unsuccessful. Their attempts to scare them end up summoning Beetlejuice who is a spirit but his help soon becomes quite dangerous for the Maitlands as well as Lydia.
Scary Stories to Tell in the Dark (2019)
This modern film follows the shadows of the Bellows family which haunts the small town of Mill Valley as it has for years. Sarah Bellows, a young girl turns her tortured life and all her horrible secrets into scary stories. The teens who go into Sarah’s spooky home later become a lot too real for them but what happens?
The Shining (1980)
Jack Torrance who becomes the winter caretaker for the Overlook Hotel in Colorado is in the hope that his job will stop his writer’s block. He lives with his wife Wendy and his son, Danny who is haunted by psychic ideas. When Jack’s writing doesn’t go anywhere, Danny’s visions start to get a lot more creepy and disturbing. Jack suddenly discovers the dark secrets that this hotel holds as well as the homicidal maniac decides to terrorize his family.
Get Out (2017)
This other more modern film is about Chris and his girlfriend Rose as Rose invites him for a getaway with her parents Missy and Dean for a weekend. Chris tries to settle for Rose’s parents’ overly accommodating attitudes which he initially thinks is their attempt to comprehend the interracial relationship. But as the weekend goes on, he realizes a truth that he hadn’t even thought was possible.
Classic, funny, or scary there are a wealth of movies that have a Halloween theme to them and whether you are watching as a family or a group of friends there is bound to be one that will fit the bill.