The days are getting shorter, there’s a slight chill in the air, and things are starting to feel just a little darker. Halloween is creeping closer. We know we’re currently still six weeks out, but some of us are shamelessly already pulling out the decorations. Aside from that, there’s really no better way to get in the spirit than with the best Halloween movies.
What are the best Halloween movies?
Picking the best Halloween movies is a horrific question on its own, simply because there are too many good ones. Halloween movies come in all genres: psychological horror that messes with your mind, classic slashers dripping with more than suspense, thrillers that keep you on edge, high-horror and low-horror, and even family-friendly picks that still capture the spooky season. This list is a mix of a few of our personal favorites that we return to every October.
The Shining (1980)
The Shining is one of those movies that’s great any time of year, but it’s especially unforgettable on the big screen. Many theaters do special Halloween season screenings of Stanley Kubrick’s classic, and if you get the chance, don’t skip it. Seeing that tricycle roll ominously down the hotel’s long corridors on a 30-foot screen is an entirely different experience.
For those who haven’t seen The Shining yet, the Stephen King-adapted story begins when Jack Torrance (an iconic Jack Nicholson) takes a job as the winter caretaker of the Overlook Hotel, bringing his wife Wendy (Shelly Duvall) and young son Danny (Danny Lloyd) with him. As the months wear on, the hotel’s eerie presence begins to affect Jack, and he slowly descends into madness — while Danny’s psychic abilities, known as “the shining,” reveal that something sinister lurks within the hotel’s walls.
Psycho (1960)
This is the movie that made people afraid of taking showers. We can’t blame them either; even by today’s standards, that scene is pretty disturbing. But more than the scene itself is Alfred Hitchcock‘s ability to build tension and suspense. Psycho is another classic that’s great to watch any time of year, but it truly shines during Halloween.
The story follows Marion Crane, a young woman who steals a large sum of money and hits the road. Along the way, she checks into the isolated Bates Motel, run by the seemingly docile Norman Bates. What begins as a heist movie quickly turns into a chilling psychological thriller, as Norman’s dark secrets and the sinister presence of his domineering mother come to light in one of cinema’s most infamous scenes.
Halloween (1978)
This is the ultimate Halloween movie icon. It’s violent, darkly funny, endlessly tense, and responsible for more than a few spooky ringtones over the years. It’s impossible to deny that John Carpenter’s Halloween set the standard for the modern slasher film. Many movies have tried to replicate Halloween in terms of story, tone, and slow-building terror, but you can’t copy it. The best Halloween movie of all is the film I watch every year on October 31st.
The story begins on Halloween night in the quiet town of Haddonfield, Illinois, when six-year-old Michael Myers murders his sister. Fifteen years later, he escapes from a mental institution and returns to his hometown, intent on killing again. Halloween night starts normally for 17-year-old Laurie Strode (Jamie Lee Curtis), who is spending the evening babysitting — until she becomes Michael’s next target. What follows is a masterclass in horror.
Scream (1996)
There are a few times audiences have been filled with as much dread as watching Drew Barrymore as a hunted teen sporting a blonde wig, trying to outwit a masked psychopath. No matter how quickly she locks the doors, calls for help, or runs for her freaking life, the girl is doomed. With a stellar opening right out of the gate, Scream is one of those movies that goes down in scary movie history. It perfectly, caps-lock perfectly balances terror and dark humor. It’s self-aware, satirical, and brilliantly written, and manages to poke fun at horror movie tropes even as it delivers genuinely shocking scares. And, of course, we get a nice backtrack of Nick Cave’s Red Right Hand, only injecting more brooding cool to the creeping dread.
High school student Sidney Prescott (Neve Campbell) is still reeling from her mother’s brutal murder when a new string of killings begins, and she soon realizes her mother’s killer may be after her too. As the body count rises, Sidney and those around her, including a rookie Sheriff (David Arquette) and a new ambitious news reporter (Courtney Cox), race to uncover the identity of the masked murderer. But they also have to stay alive.
Suspiria (1977 / 2019)
Alright, here’s our artsy pick for the best Halloween movie. You can choose the Dario Argento original or Luca Guadagnino‘s 2019 remake for this one. They’re both excellent in their own right. The original is a feast for the senses and will make any cinephile swoon. Scenic design, lighting, color, and sound are used with absolute brilliance to create a surrealist, 1970s psychedelic fever dream of blue and blood. So much blood.
The remake channels that 70’s aesthetic while cranking up the intensity of the violence and gore with Damien Jalet’s haunting choreography, shocking body horror, and standout performances from Tilda Swinton, Mia Goth, and Dakota Johnson. And big, big shoutouts to dancer/contortionist Elena Fokina (Olga) and special effects makeup artist Mark Coulier. Sure, the original has a higher critic rating, but this writer will respectfully disagree. I couldn’t pick the better film, so they’re both here.
Both movies follow the same story: Suzy Bannion, a talented young dancer, is accepted into a prestigious dance academy in Berlin. But as girls start going missing, Suzy realizes the school hides a terrifying secret. As she sets out to uncover the truth, Suzy finds herself trapped in a world of ritual and supernatural power.
How we picked the best Halloween movies
We know, we know — Hocus Pocus isn’t on the list, though this writer will be watching it at least twice in October. Neither are Beetlejuice, A Nightmare on Elm Street, Nightmare Before Christmas Hereditary, It Follows, The Exorcist, Pet Sematary, The Sixth Sense, The Grudge, Alien, Death Becomes Her, The Others, It, Friday the 13th, Get Out, The Amityville Horror (1979 original or 2005 remake), Texas Chainsaw Massacre, Bram Stoker’s Dracula, What We Do In the Shadows, The Witch, Corpse Bride, Practical Magic, The Conjuring, Crimson Peak, Carrie, Nosferatu, Sleepy Hollow, the recent addition Sinners (yes, there are vampires, and yes, it counts as a Halloween movie as well as a sweaty summer flick), or dozens of others that truly deserve a spot.
We narrowed it down to five of the best Halloween movies based on whether they’re worth rewatching every year, while also highlighting top contenders from the most important horror eras, from the eerie 60s to the cool 90s, plus a modern remake that proves it can stand on its own. These are the films that will scare you, thrill you, intrigue you, and remind you why October is the best month of the year.
