There’s nothing like a good spooky film, especially around Halloween time. Whether you like the traditional monster movie, a hack-and-slash flick, a fun witch movie, or something else, it’s a good time to watch a horror film. Here are 20 top-notch Halloween films.
Ghostbusters (1984)
Although the movie isn’t inherently scary, it’s still a fun comedy with a bit of spookiness. Also, it’s our first introduction to Slimer. Get a bit of comedy and some shocking moments with this film.
The Addams Family (1991)
Who can forget the kooky and zany Addams family? They made the dreadful emo look more of a high-fashion appeal. From Gomez, Morticia, Wednesday, Pugsley, Uncle Fester, and Cousin It, you had a unique array of characters that made for a creepy yet interesting comedy that turned into a classic.
Halloween (1978)
The namesake truly says it all. This is one of the key Halloween films to set it off. You can’t go wrong with a good Michael Myers flick.
A Nightmare On Elm Street (1984)
Wes Craven knew what he was doing to push the envelope on a scary movie. This hack-and-slash movie gave people nightmares. I mean, the name says it all. Freddy Krueger was one of those guys you just never wanted to engage in tango and tussle.
Casper (1995)
It has a few spooky elements, but this one is more on the PG side. It’s a great flick for kids. Not to mention, it was Christina Ricci’s coming-of-age roles. Classic.
Get Out (2017)
There’s nothing like a good psychological horror. It’s unconventional and also deals with social issues as well. This is one to really mess with your head.
Scream (1996)
It has a few scary points, but some of it is also comedic. You can’t fake on a young Neve Campbell either. If you’re just getting into scary movies, this is a good start.
Night of the Living Dead (1968)
“The Walking Dead” craze for the past 11 years would be nowhere without this flick. If you want a spooky zombie flick, this one will take you for a ride. The grainy black-and-white aesthetic just makes it even spookier.
The Sixth Sense (1999)
You can’t forget Haley Joel Osment’s classic line, “I see dead people.” You can’t go wrong with supernatural elements mixed in with Bruce Willis (who was on his second big run in the 1990s).
The Blair Witch Project (1999)
The low-budget flick just plagued our minds because we all thought it was based on a true story. The marketing for this one was genius. The storytelling mixed in with the rumors just made for an excellent combo in the box office.
Beetlejuice (1988)
Over 30 years later, and this bad boy is still in heavy rotation for the Halloween season. This is a spooky and quirky comedy with Michael Keaton playing the ghoul, Beetlejuice. It showed off Tim Burton’s genius as a director. Burton and Keaton would work again on Batman (1989).
The Nightmare Before Christmas (1993)
Tim Burton made another hit with this movie. By far one of his best-animated movies. The animation is still ahead of its time. The great thing about this movie is you can watch it on Halloween and Christmas. The merch from this movie is quite a seller as well.
Little Shop of Horrors (1986)
When you put Mother Nature in the movie, it only adds to the creepy factor. Flesh-eating plants? Yikes. This was one of Rick Moranis’s early hits as an actor as well.
Children of the Corn (1984)
Children killing the town adults as a ritual? That’s quite an unnerving premise for a movie. Stephen King knew what he was doing when he wrote the book, which turned into a successful film.
The Shining (1980)
Old hotels set the stage for scary movies. The dark past and creepy children just add to the overall effect.
Hocus Pocus (1993)
An all-star cast of Kathy Najimy, Bette Midler, and a young Sarah Jessica Parker as witches are intriguing enough to watch this movie.
Poltergeist (1982)
Ghosts on the TV screen already make for a scary flick. When you have Steven Spielberg producing and writing it, you know it’s on another level. It became the eighth-highest-grossing film of 1982 and went to get many accolades.
Halloweentown (1998)
This is a classic Disney (DCOM) film. It had a young Kimberly J Brown and Judith Hoag (TMNT) in the film. Perfect movie for the pre-teen crowd.
The Exorcist (1973)
Talk about a classic 1970s horror flick. It had a lot of controversy due to some of the risky scenes and its nods to Catholicism. Many people regard it as one of the greatest horror films of all time. In 2010, the Library of Congress selected the film to be in its National Film Registry. It grossed over $400 million at the box office.
Candyman (1992)
The gothic supernatural classic from the 1990s still rings bells. People are still afraid of saying “Candyman” in front of a mirror. The craze has a reboot with the 2021 film. Here’s something that has staying power for 30 years.