As the leaves turn brown and the autumn chill starts hanging in the air, that only means one thing: Halloween is coming. As the spooky season is upon us, here are the 7 best Halloween-themed movies to watch amid all the pumpkin carvin’ and trick or treatin’!
Hocus Pocus (1993)
Teenager Max Dennison (Omri Katz) accidentally lights the Black Flame Candle, resurrecting three centuries-old wicked witches known as the Sanderson Sisters: Winifred (Bette Midler), Sarah (Sarah Jessica Parker), and Mary Sanderson (Kathy Najimy). In order to stay alive, the newly unleashed witches must suck the souls of children before sunrise. With help from his sister Dani (Thora Birch), his crush Allison (Vinessa Shaw), and a cursed talking cat, Max races against time to stop the sisters from achieving their nefarious plan. Mayhem ensues as the gang continues to thwart the witches’ attempts – resulting in some hilarious hijinks.
This Disney classic has morphed into a Halloween staple thanks to generations of kids embracing its dorky magic. Wild adventure meets witchy comedy – it’s pure Halloween fun that the whole family can enjoy.
The Addams Family (1991)
In an otherwise ordinary suburb, Gomez Addams (Raul Julia), his wife Morticia (Anjelica Huston), and their two children, Wednesday (Christina Ricci) and Pugsley (Jimmy Workman), enjoy a bizarre but happy life in their gothic mansion. Their peaceful existence is disrupted when a con artist plants a man (Christopher Lloyd) posing as Gomez’s long-lost brother, Fester, to steal the family’s fortune. As suspicions rise, the Addamses must outwit the schemers threatening their strange but loving world.
Nothing screams Halloween more than the spooky and kooky world inhabited by the Addams Family. From a severed hand aide, a guillotine toy, to a graveyard playground, the film constantly aims to shock with its morbid humor. And yet, underneath all the creepiness lies a warm family love and a message about unity, acceptance, and embracing each other’s quirks.
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Halloween (1978)
When he was six years old, Michael Myers murdered his sister and was locked away in a mental institution. Fifteen years later, as Halloween approaches, Michael escapes his confinement and heads back to his hometown. Psychiatrist Dr. Loomis (Donald Pleasence) races to stop him as Michael sets his sights on killing teenage babysitter Laurie Strode (Jamie Lee Curtis). With Michael’s arrival, the normally placid suburb turns into a bloody battleground of terror and survival.
Well, the name speaks for itself. The pioneer of modern slasher horror, John Carpenter's film popularizes so many elements that would influence the genre going forward – from the teen-heavy body count, the masked serial killer, to the concept of the “Final Girl”. And to have it take place during the “spookiest” day of the year is just dead on perfect.
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Corpse Bride (2005)
While rehearsing his proposal, shy young merchant Victor (Johnny Depp) accidentally proposes to a dead woman named Emily (Helena Bonham Carter). Unaware of Victor’s engagement to Victoria (Emily Watson), Emily whisks him away to the Underworld. As Victor tries to figure out how to return to the land of the living, he makes a startling discovery about Emily’s past. Meanwhile, Victoria is facing a dilemma on her own, one with a strange tie to Emily’s death.
Tragedy and romance blend together amid flickering candles and skeletal waltzes. Coming from Tim Burton, the master of macabre himself, the film perfectly nails the balance between gothic gloom and quirky sentimentality. It’s a hauntingly romantic tale that feels right at home during Halloween.
Donnie Darko (2001)
If you’ve got an appetite for something darker, this one’s for you. The film’s eerie suburban setting and twisted fate make it the perfect Halloween mystery.
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Trick R Treat (2007)
Halloween traditions turn into deadly games of twisted violence in this anthology horror flick. Five loosely connected stories unfold over one Halloween night, revealing the terrifying consequences that follow when people break Halloween superstitions. From a cantankerous old man to party-loving teens, nobody can escape the curse of desecrating the rules – especially under the watchful eyes of a creepy little boy in a Jack O’ Lantern mask.
With its campy tone, the film gleefully laces the holiday’s familiar tropes with some bloody edge. It’s surreal, creepy, and just so quintessentially Halloween.
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Sleepy Hollow (1999)
Another masterpiece from Burton, Sleepy Hollow captures the very soul of Halloween with a tale set amongst misty woods, urban legend, and Puritan townsfolk. Atmospheric and genuinely terrifying at times, the movie just transports you into a different world filled with superstition and gothic magic.
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From suburban slasher to Victorian ghost story, there is no shortage of chilling tales to herald Halloween’s coming. Did we miss your favorite Halloween flick? Tell us in the comments below!
