While horror movies abound each spooky season, nothing gets me truly in the mood for frightening fun like movies set directly on the holiday. Here are my top 13 Halloween movies, grouped by family-friendly & mature themes.
For those who love to share their love for Halloween with their families, these flicks offer the right amount of spookiness and kid-friendly fun. They showcase the season’s iconography and introduce kids to a little spookier fare.
🎃 A quintessential Halloween film, this Disney nostalgia has surged in popularity in recent years. It is basically a right of passage to watch this film in the leadup to Halloween.
🎃 This made-for-tv movie from the Disney Channel’s golden era spawned three sequels. Fans love the creative characters that inhabit the titular town and the spooky fun hijinks.
🎃 This film has a special place in my heart. I absolutely loved watching it when I was a child. The scene where the troll appears in the child’s bedroom terrified me! I love the opening sequence with its montage of classic b-horror cut with clips of Ernest. I made a point as a child to watch each of the films referenced. It certainly helped to reinforce my love for cinema. While the movie itself is quite cheesy, it is still a fun watch and nice blend of scary and humor to introduce kids to the horror genre.
🎃 The 80’s through early 90’s were a wonderful time for family horror & sci-fi. Spaced invaders offers silly alien costumes, corny humor, and a fun Halloween atmosphere. I especially enjoy the trailers’ voiceover: “For years scientists have speculated that there was intelligent life in outer space. Now comes definitive proof that there is no such thing.”
🎃 As this was made for tv, the animation quality is not the best, but I love the stylization of each character. It is not a well-known movie, but audiences may recognize the voice talents of Gilda Radner as “The Godmother” and Catherine O’Hara as “Malicious”.
🎃 This adaptation of the 1972 Ray Bradbury book of the same name won an Emmy Award for Outstanding Writing in an Animated Program. It is both educational and an emotional story.
🎃 The Headless Horseman is surely one of Disney’s scariest villains. Additionally, the film features a darkly humorous anthem, “Headless Horseman”, sung by crooner Bing Crosby (who voices “Brom Bones” in the film). If that song isn’t on your Halloween playlist, go add it now!
Although I am an advocate for introducing your children to horror early, some of these might be a little too intense for some young ones. Here are my favorite Halloween movies aimed at an older audience.
🎃 A PG-13 film, this one is just a little too aimed at mature audiences to be included in the prior category – even though it was produced by Nickelodeon Movies. Due to this mismatch of brand and marketing, the film flopped at the box office and is a hidden gem for audiences today. While it lays in an odd purgatory between kid and adult fare, it is still an enjoyable film that encapsulates the craziness and possibilities of Halloween night.
🎃 This is a cheesy B-horror movie all the way, but it is my favorite cheesy B-horror movie. Back in college this was the most-requested movie from my friends for our Halloween season movie nights. There are so many opportunities to yell at the screen, make fun of character choices, and re-quote. “That man was Alex’s father… And Jesus is Satan!” (Believe me, it makes sense in context). This is the perfect popcorn flick to watch with close friends who enjoy something silly.
Trick ‘R Treat (2007) – Five Halloween stories: A principal has a secret life, a virgin is looking for her first time, a group of kids pull a prank, a woman who loathes Halloween does not respect the rules, and a mean old man meets a demonic trick-or-treater.
🎃 Sam is the ultimate mascot of the Halloween season. A more perfect Halloween film has not been made.
Halloween III (1982) – Kids all over America want Silver Shamrock masks for Halloween. Doctor Daniel Challis seeks to uncover a plot by Silver Shamrock owner Conal Cochran.
🎃 Here is where I may receive some hate from horror movie fans. Sorry, but I just find Michael Myers to be the most boring of the franchise boogeyman. Halloween III is very interesting to me because it was John Carpenter’s attempt to create an anthology out of the series rather than having it dominated by the milk-toast man in the mask. (Apparently Carpenter didn’t care to keep Michael coming back again and again either). It failed, however, showing that I am one of the few who would have preferred an anthology series.
Cobweb (2023) – An eight-year-old boy tries to investigate the mysterious knocking sounds that are coming from inside the walls of his house, unveiling a dark secret that his sinister parents have kept hidden from him.
🎃 The newest addition to my favorites list, I enjoy the monster design. I have always enjoyed the fantastic elements that can arise when a horror movie is centered around a young kid and this movie certainly has those moments of terror and dark whimsey.
Night of the Demons (1988) – Ten teenagers party at an abandoned funeral parlor on Halloween night. When an evil force awakens, demonic spirits keep them from leaving and turn their gathering into a living Hell.
🎃 Filled with gore, skantily-clad women, and 80’s hair, this is just a solid classic film.
The above 13 Halloween movies are just my favorites from the wide away of films out there. A plethora of other films fell short of being called my favorites. Honorable mentions include any of the other Halloween franchise movies/remakes, Casper (1995), Hubie Halloween (2020), The Curse of Bridge Hollow (2022), and Spirit Halloween (2022).
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Now that you have some Halloween movie recommendations, host a movie night with your friends!
While horror movies abound each spooky season, nothing gets me truly in the mood for frightening fun like movies set directly on the holiday. Here are my top 13 Halloween
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