Spooky season is here again, and it's time to cuddle up and incite some frights this Halloween; what better way to do that than with these classic Halloween movies? From gruesome scares to wholesome laughs, we've gathered something for everyone to watch this Halloween, whether you're a scary movie lover or trying to get into the spirit of Halloween. We've curated a list of classic Halloween movies for you to watch this season. So, gather your popcorn and get ready to binge to your heart's content.
Credit: Dimension Films
1. Halloween:
This classic American Slasher franchise is a must-watch for spooky season; it contains 13 movies in the franchise, all with Michael Myers as the primary focus. The movie centers around his gruesome serial killings that only occur on Halloween. The original movie aired in 1978, and we have a playlist on which order to watch the films for maximum scare factor.
Credit: Warner Bros. Pictures
2. Trick'r Treat:
If you're a stickler for rules, then you're in luck cause this is perfect for you; this movie is about respecting Halloween traditions and rules, otherwise getting hunted down by Sam the Trick Or Treater. It's an anthology meaning there are several different stories told. The movie takes a non-linear approach to storytelling that I'm sure you'd love. A very thrilling watch to scare all the rule breakers straight.
Credit: Miramax
3. Scream:
Chilling Phone calls and Horror movie trivia are just a few things that mark this iconic movie with the infamous ghostface killer that taunts his victims before brutally murdering them, giving you not only gore but also laughs as well. With five movie installments, there's enough ghostface to keep you satisfied and scared for 10 hours straight.
Credit: Disney
4. Hocus Pocus:
Adding a lighthearted spark to Halloween, this Trio of witches are accidentally resurrected after 300 years by some kids in Salem, Massachusetts. The Sanderson Sisters are here for an adventure; there are a lot of shenanigans and some vacuum machine riding. After almost 30 years between the two movies, the Sandersons returned to our tv screens again.
Credit: Sony Pictures
5. Ghost Busters:
What's a Halloween without ghosts? It doesn't exist. This comedy movie is an absolute crowd favourite; from the quirky costumes to the catchy songs, I'd be amiss not to add this to a list of classics. With eccentric parapsychologists out and about in New York City hunting for ghosts, there are three ghostbusters movies, the most recent being Ghostbusters Afterlife, which came out in 2021.
Credit: Warner Bros. Pictures
6. The Shining:
This 1980s psychological horror is based on the Stephen King book of the same name. The movie stars Jack Nicholson, who plays the father of the character Danny who possesses an unusual telepathic ability called Shining. This movie is filled with a lot of spooks and creeps and down right off the rails scenes, a very climactic movie sure to leave you with chills.
Credit: Orion Pictures
7. The Silence Of The Lambs:
For the love of all things Hannibal Lecter, this movie centres around an FBI agent requiring the help of Hannibal, a well-known psychopathic serial killer and former psychiatrist, to apprehend a serial killer on the loose targeting female victims. He skins his victims like lambs eluding to the reason for the name of the movie. A gruesome psychological horror
Credit: Disney
8. Halloweentown:
Trust Disney to give us a ray of sunshine even during Halloween. This movie follows the adventures of Marnie, who finds out that the women in her family are witches on her 13TH Halloween, which means she's also a witch. She discovers a secret portal that takes her to Halloweentown, a place where all the goblins, ghouls and all other Halloween staple characters stay when it's not Halloween. This lighthearted family Halloween movie is perfect for the little ones who enjoy a good Halloween movie.
Credit: Paramount Pictures
9. The Addams Family:
Whether you watch the movies or the cartoon series, this family is arguably the best Halloween family in existence, with characters for everyone. From the Moody Wednesday Addams to the highly romantic Gomez Addams and all the characters in between, regardless of the time of year, it's a recommended watch and will bring back many memories.
Credit: Warner Bros. Pictures
10. Corpse Bride:
Tim Burton's Corpse Bride, this stop-motion animated movie, is set in Victorian Era England. An unseemly twist on Romeo and Juliet with similarities in the miscommunication trope. Victor accidentally marries a corpse while practising his vows in a forest days before his wedding; it's a tale of ups and downs with a highly intriguing and somewhat romantic storyline that's far from the norm of most Halloween Movies.
Credit: Warner Bros. Pictures
11. The Conjuring:
A supernatural horror film that takes place as a family moves into a farmhouse that seems normal but is riddled with paranormal activities within their first day of moving in, which causes them to hire a demonologist to find out the cause; the dark spirits latch on to the family. They must find a way to escape in one piece cause just leaving the house won't free them.
Credit: Warner Bros. Pictures
12. Nightmare on Elm Street:
The definition of a supernatural Slasher with the iconic child killer Freddy Krueger who murders the victims in their dreams as a vengeful ghost showcased in a deformed body from his death. This thriller keeps you on your toes as the kids struggle to stay awake.
Credit: Paramount Pictures
13. Friday The 13th:
Saving the 13th spot for this cult classic film series, it follows a group of teenage camp counsellors who try to reopen an abandoned summer camp and are killed one by one by an unknown killer. With 12 installments of this slasher movie, there's enough blood and gore to satisfy any scary movie lover's taste.
With a list filled with lighthearted and dark, gruesome movies, there's something for everyone, even little kids, this season. So sit back and get into the spooky season movie marathon with a comprehensive list of classic Halloween movies; if you're looking to binge newer Halloween movies from this year, we also have an exhaustive list of those for you to choose from.
About the Author: Oluwatobi Omotoso is a writer, content creator, Social Media Manager, and marketing strategist. She's an avid treehugger and lover of all things sci-fi. She has been compared to the Joker in personality tests, and her friends lovingly call her a Megalomaniac.
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