Halloween is perhaps the only time of year when watching someone get stabbed in the back is considered top-tier entertainment. Masked figures? Bring them on. Haunted houses? Prime real estate. Dolls that come alive in the night? On our wish list. Women doing some serious witchcraft? Icons in our eyes. It's safe to say classic horror movies (or even ones that aren't too scary) and October 31 go together.
There are tons and tons of horror flicks and seasonal favorites to choose from, but where do you begin this Halloween? With the classics, duh. They're the OGs, the ones that started all the trends. Whether it's little kids haunted by demonic spirits to stories of what goes bump in the night, these films have paved the way for the next generation of spooky storytellers.
Perhaps you're planning on staying in with friends this All Hallow's Eve and need a movie rec or you're looking for some creepy makeup inspo. Maybe you need some costume inspiration—that's not a cat—this year or you just want to be scared by something that isn't your newsfeed. Then you've hit the jackpot with this list, my friend. Get ready to sleep with one eye open because below you'll find the best Halloween movies of all time.
'The Addams Family' (1991)
Who said all Halloween movies had to be scary? The Addams Family is a dark comedy about an abnormal family who tries to bring back the dead after their uncle, who was missing for 25 years, suddenly arrives on their doorstep.
'Beetlejuice' (1988)
Meet Adam (Geena Davis) and Barbara (Alec Baldwin). They're just like any normal couple, except they're dead. When a very much alive family plans to move into their house, they seek help from Beetlejuice, a malicious spirit who ends up causing more harm than good.
'The Blair Witch Project' (1999)
This found footage movie shows how three film students vanished after they traveled into a Maryland forest in an attempt to document the truth about the infamous Blair Witch.
'The Cabin in the Woods' (2012)
You've heard the story before: A group of college students partying at a cabin in the woods fall victim to killers or monsters. The Cabin in the Woods turns classic horror tropes on their heads, with a group of mysterious technicians manipulating the horror from afar.
'Carrie' (1976)
Carrie White (Sissy Spacek) is an outcast. She doesn't fit in at school, and at home, she's sheltered beyond belief by her ultra-religious mother (Piper Laurie). When she finally has a moment of happiness, her classmates ruin it... and Carrie wants revenge.
'Casper' (1995)
‘90s movie starlet and forever goth icon Christina Ricci stars in this live-action adaptation of the Casper comics. She plays Kat, a girl who begrudgingly moves in with her father (played by Bill Pullman) into an eerie old mansion where she befriends none other than the titular ghost. It’ll warm your heart (and remind you of just how much of a crush you had on Devon Sawa back in the day).
'Child's Play' (1988)
When a single mother (Catherine Hicks) gives her son (Alex Vincent) the doll he's been hoping for, playtime takes a bloody turn. The doll is not just any doll: He's possessed by the soul of a serial killer.
'The Conjuring' (2013)
Based on a true story, The Conjuring tells the tale of paranormal investigators Ed and Lorraine Warren (Patrick Wilson and Vera Farmiga) and an evil house call they make. The film has inspired countless sequels and franchises, from Annabelle to The Nun.
'Coraline' (2009)
An 11-year-old girl (voiced by Dakota Fanning) discovers her new house has a hidden door leading to her dream world... but it'll come at a price. Kid movie or not, Coraline isn't the usual stop-motion film; it's way better.
'The Corpse’s Bride' (2005)
Thanks to Tim Burton, there’s a slew of eerie, stop-motion movies to watch once there’s a chill in the air. This Victorian-era-set romance will win over any undead heart as it tells the story of a groom (Johnny Depp) swept away to the world of the spirits, desperate to find his way back to his love (Emily Watson) in the land of the living.
'The Craft' (1996)
Outcasts at their high school, four friends decide to embrace witchcraft in hopes of turning their popularity around. As they cast spells on their classmates, they soon realize that their dark magic comes at a price.
'The Exorcist' (1973)
Two Washington D.C. priests (Max von Sydow and Jacob Miller) are called on by a famous actress (Ellen Burstyn) and when they arrive, they find her 12-year-old daughter (Linda Blair) possessed by a seriously mean demon and have no other choice but to get it out. The suspense will eat you alive.
'Frankenweenie' (2012)
Tim Burton made a short film of the same name early in his career and revived it into a feature in 2012. The black-and-white stop-motion movie is a Halloween, sci-fi marvel about a boy (Charlie Tahan) who brings back his dog from the dead.
'Friday the 13th' (1980)
The beginning of this iconic slasher franchise will kill any fond memories of summer camp. In it, a group of teenage camp counselors struggles to survive against a masked assailant.
'Get Out' (2017)
A meet-the-parents weekend visit doesn't turn out to be what it seems as Chris (Daniel Kaluuya) realizes his girlfriend's parents are more sinister than sweet. This mind-bending flick earned Jordan Peele an Oscar for Best Original Screenplay.
'Ghostbusters' (1984)
New York suddenly becomes raided by tons of ghosts. It's up to three spirit exterminators played by a group of comedy legends to save the city from mean spirits, a possessed woman, and a really gigantic Stay Puft Marshmallow Man.
'Halloween' (1978)
A Halloween movie list is incomplete without this classic. On October 31, 1963, 6-year-old Michael Myers murdered his sister. 15 years later, he's escaped his mental institution, trying to finish what he started more than a decade prior.
'Halloween' (2018)
40 years after the original, the Halloween franchise brought Laurie Strode (Jamie Lee Curtis) back with a reboot continuing from the events of the 1978 movie. Michael Myers escapes from his psychiatric institution once again and sets out to finish what he started. Only this time, Laurie's ready for him.
'Halloweentown' (1998)
Watching Halloweentown and its many sequels was a rite of passage for a generation of Disney Channel kids. Marnie's (Kimberly J. Brown) everyday life is interrupted on Halloween when her grandmother Aggie (Debbie Reynolds)—secretly a witch—comes to visit.
'Hereditary' (2018)
Each member of a family that's going through the loss of a loved one deals with the subject of grief differently. You just wouldn't expect some members to go the supernatural route. Get ready to have your mind blown.
'Hocus Pocus' (1993)
A fan favorite for a million and one reasons! Three witch sisters (Bette Midler, Sarah Jessica Parker, and Kathy Najimy, who died in 17th century Salem, are awakened by a teenage boy and are ready to do some serious damage. It's up to the boy (Omri Katz), his friends, and a 300-year-old black cat to save the day.
'Jeepers Creepers' (2001)
While driving back from spring break, two siblings (Gina Philips and Justin Long) see a random man throwing wrapped objects down a sewer tunnel. Concerned by what they saw, the pair set out to see what lies at the bottom. But their curiosity puts them in some danger.
'Night of the Living Dead' (1968)
See the classic flick that influenced countless horror films and introduced the modern zombie. A group of strangers trapped in a Pennsylvania farmhouse must defend themselves from reanimated corpses who feed on human flesh.
'The Nightmare Before Christmas' (1993)
Whether you call it a Halloween movie or a Christmas classic, it works. The animated film is about the King of Halloween Town, Jack Skellington, discovering the wonders of Christmas Town.
'A Nightmare on Elm Street' (1984)
You may end up pulling an all-nighter after watching this '80s classic that tells the story of a terrifying spirit who seeks revenge on teenagers when they're most vulnerable: asleep.
'Over the Garden Wall' (2014)
So this isn’t a movie—it’s a miniseries—but the short-sixth episode show could play like a movie if you watched it all in one sitting. The animated Cartoon Network hit has become a tradition for many to watch every spooky season. Why? Because it’s freaking adorable and captures all of the autumnal feelings. The show centers around two brothers (voiced by Elijah Woods and Collin Dean) lost in the enchanted forest, trying to find their way home.
'Paranormal Activity' (2007)
After moving into their new home a couple starts to experience some seriously supernatural things. To ensure nothing suspicious is going on, they set up hidden cameras around the house, discovering they aren't alone.
'Practical Magic' (1998)
If you're looking for more of a lighthearted flick, Practical Magic has you covered. Two witch sisters, played by Sandra Bullock and Nicole Kidman, are stuck with a terrible curse that makes long-term relationships impossible. Will they be the generation that breaks the curse?
'Psycho' (1960)
On the run after embezzling a good chunk of change from her boss, Lila Crane (Janet Leigh) is looking for a place to stay. Luckily for her, she finds the Bates Motel. Unfortunately for Lila, her luck is about to run out.
'Rocky Horror Picture Show' (1975)
This cult musical details the bizarre events one conservative married couple (Susan Sarandon and Barry Boswick) faces while spending a night at the creepy isolated castle of Dr. Frank-n-Furter (Tim Curry).
'Rosemary's Baby' (1968)
Rosemary (Mia Farrow) is delighted to discover she's pregnant soon after moving into an N.Y.C. apartment with her actor husband (John Cassavetes). However, she eventually begins to suspect that he and her odd neighbors have sinister plans for her unborn child.
'A Quiet Place' (2018)
In the near future, a family of four struggles to survive and avoid alien creatures that hunt by sound. Though they've outlasted the end of civilization, they face a new threat when Evelyn (Emily Blunt) becomes pregnant.
'Scary Movie' (2000)
When you’ve watched enough horror movies, check out the parody that pokes fun and them and all of their tropes. Directed by Keenen Ivory Wayans and written by his brothers Marlon and Shawn Wayans, it follows a group of teenagers who kill a man in a hit-and-run and find themselves haunted by someone in a mask the following year. If you’re getting notes of I Know What You Did Last Summer and Scream, those are just the first of the movies satirized here.
'Scream' (1996)
Teenager Sidney Prescott (Neve Campbell) lost her mother in a tragic murder a year ago. As she attempts to pick up her life, she and her friends soon become the target of a crazed serial killer.
'The Shining' (1980)
A family heads to an isolated ski resort to watch over the property, but not without a warning of the resort's previous scary incidents. Husband, Jack Torrance (Jack Nicholson), says they'll be fine but soon finds himself heading off the deep end, becoming someone his loved ones don't recognize.
'The Silence of the Lambs' (1991)
This winner of five Academy Awards, including Best Picture, is a must-see and one of the best serial killer movies of all time. Anthony Hopkins' portrayal of a manipulative cannibal who helps an FBI Cadet Clarice Starling (Jodie Foster) catch another serial killer will give you major goosebumps.
'The Sixth Sense' (1999)
Child psychologist Dr. Malcolm Crowe (Bruce Willis) thinks he can crack anything. But when an ex-patient comes to see him in rage, claiming he never helped him, he falters. Believing he can reverse his luck, Dr. Crowe takes on a patient with similar qualities to the one he couldn't help before. Only this time, the doctor wants to set things right.
'Sleepy Hollow' (1999)
Constable Ichabod Crane (Johnny Depp) from New York is sent to a small town to investigate the mysterious decapitations of three people, only to find the culprit is none other than the legendary, Headless Horseman.
'Us' (2019)
If you love Get Out, make sure to watch Jordan Peele's just-as-spooky follow-up. A family beach vacation is interrupted by a murderous group of doppelgängers who call themselves "the tethered."
'The Witches' (1990)
A young boy (Jasen Fisher) on vacation with his grandmother (Mai Zetterling) encounters a convention of children-hating witches, who plan to turn the world's kids into mice. (Come for the premise, stay for Anjelica Houston being fabulous).
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