October is one of our favorite months of the year. Halloween candy, spooky decorations, and frightening films are some of the perfect festive ways to celebrate. Whether you like a good scare from classic horror movies or you’re more of a Disney movie fan, these fun (and scary) Halloween movies will get you in the holiday spirit.
Grab your popcorn, settle in, and enjoy the spooky nights of Halloween this fall with all the best classics starring zombies, vampires, ghosts, ghouls, and more. Best of all, we’ll tell you which streaming service you can use to stream these nostalgic movies. These are the best Halloween movies for you to enjoy.
Recommended Videos
Halloween (1978)
87%
7.7/10
91m
Genre
Horror, Thriller
Stars
Donald Pleasence, Jamie Lee Curtis, Nancy Kyes
Directed by
John Carpenter
Watch on Amazon
In the first original Halloween movie, Laurie Strode (Jamie Lee Curtis) faces a lose mental patient who murdered his sister is wreaking havoc in his hometown. There are currently 11 Halloween movies in the franchise with Halloween (2018) being the latest featuring Jamie Lee Curtis again.
Friday the 13th (1980)
22%
6.4/10
95m
Genre
Horror
Stars
Betsy Palmer, Adrienne King, Harry Crosby
Directed by
Sean S. Cunningham
Watch on Amazon
The first of the American horror franchise, Friday the 13th is about a brutal killer set out to the counselors in a summer camp.
Hocus Pocus (1993)
43%
6.9/10
96m
Genre
Comedy, Family, Fantasy
Stars
Bette Midler, Sarah Jessica Parker, Kathy Najimy
Directed by
Kenny Ortega
Watch on Disney+
After three kids resurrect three witches, they have until dawn to stop the evil beings from becoming immortal. Hocus Pocus stars Sarah Jessica Parker, Bette Midler, and Kathy Najimy as the three witch sisters in this classic fantasy-comedy film. The Sanderson sisters’ return to Salem, Massachusetts, will be thoroughly entertaining for everyone in the family. And there’s been talk about a sequel in the works for 2022.
Beetlejuice (1988)
70%
7.5/10
92m
Genre
Fantasy, Comedy
Stars
Alec Baldwin, Geena Davis, Jeffrey Jones
Directed by
Tim Burton
Watch on Amazon
It’s not a Halloween list without a sprinkle of Tim Burton’s movies. In this Broadway-adapted film, a deceased couple finds themselves stuck in their home and attempt to scare their new tenants. Having no luck scaring them away, they summon Beetlejuice, a green-haired demon to help but things get out of hand.
It's the Great Pumpkin, Charlie Brown (1966)
8.2/10
25m
Genre
Family, Animation, TV Movie
Stars
Christopher Shea, Peter Robbins, Sally Dryer
Directed by
Bill Melendez
Watch on Apple TV+
This animated television special is based on the comic strip Peanuts. The Peanuts crew is celebrating Halloween, but Linus believes he will finally be visited by The Great Pumpkin.
Corpse Bride (2005)
83%
7.3/10
77m
Genre
Romance, Fantasy, Animation
Stars
Johnny Depp, Helena Bonham Carter, Emily Watson
Directed by
Tim Burton, Mike Johnson
Watch on Amazon
Victor Van Dort (Johnny Depp) is a groom arranged to be married to Victoria Everglot (Emily Watson) but clumsily finds himself in the forest on the day of his wedding. In the forest, he finds Emily (Helena Bonham Carter as ) a corpse bride who claims she is Victor’s wife.
The Nightmare Before Christmas (1993)
82%
7.9/10
76m
Genre
Fantasy, Animation, Family
Stars
Chris Sarandon, Danny Elfman, Catherine O'Hara
Directed by
Henry Selick
Watch on Disney+
Tim Burton’s The Nightmare Before Christmas is an animated musical dark fantasy. Jack Skellington is the king of Halloween Town but what happens when he opens a portal to Christmas Town? Watch as he becomes obsessed with celebrating Christmas in this great holiday mashup movie.
The Addams Family (1991)
57%
6.9/10
102m
Genre
Family, Comedy, Fantasy, Horror
Stars
Raúl Juliá, Anjelica Huston, Christopher Lloyd
Directed by
Barry Sonnenfeld
Watch on Paramount+
The Addams Family comedy movies are a staple to Halloween movie lists. Who hasn’t dressed up as a character from this classic Halloween film? In the first 1991 Addams Family movie, it centers on the Addams family’s spooky yet lovable relatives reconnecting with who they believe to be Gomez’s long-lost brother, Fester Addams.
Ghostbusters (1984)
71%
7.8/10
107m
Genre
Comedy, Fantasy
Stars
Bill Murray, Dan Aykroyd, Sigourney Weaver
Directed by
Ivan Reitman
Watch on Amazon
This supernatural comedy film revolves around a team of scientists (Harold Ramis, Dan Aykroyd, Bill Murray) after they lose their cushy positions at a university in New York City, and decide to become “ghostbusters.” When they stumble upon a gateway to another dimension, the Ghostbusters must save New York from complete destruction.
Sleepy Hollow (1999)
65%
7.3/10
105m
Genre
Drama, Fantasy, Thriller, Mystery, Horror
Stars
Johnny Depp, Christina Ricci, Miranda Richardson
Directed by
Tim Burton
Watch on Amazon
Sleepy Hollow is a film adaptation directed by Tim Burton. After a series of mysterious deaths where victims are found beheaded, Ichabod Crane (Johnny Depp), sets out to investigate.
Bram Stoker's Dracula (1992)
57%
7.4/10
128m
Genre
Romance, Horror
Stars
Gary Oldman, Winona Ryder, Anthony Hopkins
Directed by
Francis Ford Coppola
Watch on Amazon
When Count Dracula, a 15th-century prince, sees a photo of his barrister’s fiancée, Mina (Winona Ryder), the spitting image of his dead wife, he imprisons Jonathan Harker and sets off for London to track her down.
Edward Scissorhands (1990)
74%
7.9/10
105m
Genre
Fantasy, Drama, Romance
Stars
Johnny Depp, Winona Ryder, Dianne Wiest
Directed by
Tim Burton
Watch on Hulu
This isn’t your typical love story. Edward (Johnny Depp) is an almost human-man creation with scissors for hands that was left alone for years after his inventor died. One day he is approached by a nice sales lady and falls in love with her daughter (Winona Ryder). Despite his gentle demeanor, he is treated as an outcast.
The Craft (1996)
55%
6.4/10
101m
Genre
Horror, Drama, Fantasy
Stars
Robin Tunney, Rachel True, Fairuza Balk
Directed by
Andrew Fleming
Watch on Amazon
A group of teenage misfits who normally perform love spells takes a turn when their magic starts accidentally murdering people.
Paranormal Activity (2007)
85m
Genre
Horror, Mystery
Stars
Katie Featherston, Micah Sloat, Mark Fredrichs
Directed by
Oren Peli
Watch on max
The first Paranormal Activity film has an authentic and frightening vibe that hasn’t been matched since. The found footage camera style lends an immersion to the horror that was also incredibly cheap to film.
The Crow (1994)
71%
7.5/10
102m
Genre
Fantasy, Action, Thriller
Stars
Brandon Lee, Rochelle Davis, Ernie Hudson
Directed by
Alex Proyas
Watch on Amazon
On the anniversary of Eric Draven and his fiancée’s death, Eric rises from the grave and assumes the gothic mantle of the Crow, a supernatural avenger. He tracks down the thugs responsible for the brutal crimes.
Child's Play (1988)
58%
6.6/10
87m
Genre
Horror
Stars
Catherine Hicks, Chris Sarandon, Alex Vincent
Directed by
Tom Holland
Watch on Amazon
Murderer Charles Lee Ray uses black magic to put his soul inside a doll named Chucky — which Karen Barclay then buys for her young son. When Chucky kills Andy’s baby sitter, the boy realizes the doll is alive and mayhem ensues.
Scream (1996)
65%
7.4/10
112m
Genre
Crime, Horror, Mystery
Stars
David Arquette, Neve Campbell, Courteney Cox
Directed by
Wes Craven
Watch on max
A masked murderer stalks a group of high schoolers. It manages to parody the movie clichés while still being mysterious and keeping you on edge.
I Know What You Did Last Summer (1997)
52%
5.8/10
100m
Genre
Horror, Thriller, Mystery
Stars
Jennifer Love Hewitt, Sarah Michelle Gellar, Ryan Phillippe
Directed by
Jim Gillespie
Watch on Peacock
Exactly a year after running over a fisherman and dumping his body in the water, Julie (Jennifer Love Hewitt) receives a frightening letter telling her that their crime was seen. The four get back together to find the killer in the midst.
Trick 'r Treat (2007)
6.7/10
82m
Genre
Horror, Comedy
Stars
Anna Paquin, Brian Cox, Dylan Baker
Directed by
Michael Dougherty
Watch on Amazon
On Halloween night, a series of events following the same group of people encounter a sinister trick-or-treater who doesn’t like it when people don’t follow Halloween tradition.
M3GAN (2022)
102m
Genre
Science Fiction, Horror
Stars
Allison Williams, Violet McGraw, Ronny Chieng
Directed by
Gerard Johnstone
Watch on Amazon
Another horror movie focused on dolls, but with A.I. at the center of the story. M3GAN analyzes what would happen if an artificial intelligence haunted us night and day.
The Witch (2016)
92m
Genre
Drama, Mystery, Horror, History
Stars
Anya Taylor-Joy, Ralph Ineson, Kate Dickie
Directed by
Robert Eggers
Watch on Amazon
One of the most terrifying debuts of recent years, The Witch tells the story of a puritan family living in the Massachusetts colony who are excommunicated because they are simply too fanatical. As they set up on the edge of the wilderness, they begin to suspect that they are coming under attack from demonic forces living in the nearby woods. Starring a young Anya Taylor-Joy as the family’s oldest daughter, and featuring some of the most unsettling imagery of the past decade, The Witch is guaranteed to haunt you long after the credits start rolling.
Clue (1985)
94m
Genre
Comedy, Thriller, Crime, Mystery
Stars
Tim Curry, Eileen Brennan, Madeline Kahn
Directed by
Jonathan Lynn
Watch on Paramount+
A brilliant board game adaptation that feels like Knives Out before Knives Out, Clue tells the story of a group of houseguests who travel to a secluded mansion because they’re being blackmailed by their host. When he turns up dead, they immediately begin to point fingers at one another to figure out exactly who the killer is. Featuring an all-star cast of great comedians, Clue is light, frothy fun, and has just the right amount of spooky energy to qualify it for any Halloween watchlist.
