40 of the Best Halloween Movies of All Time for Spooktacular Chills and Thrills
Updated: Jun. 27, 2022Get ready for some serious scares with these eerie-sistible horror classics you’ll want to binge-watch on Halloween and beyond.
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‘Tis the season…for scares!
Grab a comfy blanket, a big bowl of candy, and maybe a flashlight—just in case! Halloween is creeping up on us, which means it’s time to scare yourself silly. (Hey, who needs to sleep?) Whether you’re looking for something truly terrifying or something on the funny-scary side, we’ve got just the thing for you on this list of the best Halloween movies of all time. These are the cult hits and undying classics that horror buffs and scream fiends watch over and over. Once you watch, you’ll see why…even if you cover your eyes occasionally.
We’re talking vampires, werewolves, and zombies, along with iconic horror-movie killers wielding sharp, shiny knives. With a little help from Amazon Prime, Netflix, and Hulu, these films will help you properly celebrate Halloween from the comfort (and safety) of your own couch. That said, if you’re looking for something a little lighter, you might want to try these witch movies or these Disney Halloween movies to watch with the kids. Either way, you’ll also need a great soundtrack at this time of year, so you’ll want the best Halloween songs playing on a constant loop when these flicks aren’t on your screen.
Halloween
Go back to the 1978 original slasher classic starring Jamie Lee Curtis to experience one of the best Halloween movies of all time. The opening shots start with the point of view of a creeper who peeks into windows, enters a house, then stops in the kitchen to grab a big, shiny carving knife. Scared yet? If not, you will be soon!
Scream
It’s Halloween night and your vocal cords need exercise. Time to scream. Why is screaming fun? Just ask the teens who face off with Ghostface in this thriller that gets meta with the slasher-film genre when the victims watch horror movies while they’re in one. Get the Scream mask for an easy, scary Halloween ensemble, or check out these other terrifying costume options this year.
The Nightmare Before Christmas
The iconic, cult-favorite captures the magic and malevolent spirit of Halloween—but keeps it cute. Gothic guru Tim Burton came up with the story for this whimsical, watchable fairy tale about holidays and the creatures who are in charge of them, like the Pumpkin King, Jack Skellington, who gets into trouble when he tries to take over Christmas. Why do they call pumpkins “Jack,” anyway? Here’s the scoop on Halloween jack-o’-lanterns.
Nosferatu
Travel back to the creepy origins of cinematic vampires with the silent cinema masterpiece Nosferatu. You’ll be mesmerized by the nightmare visuals as the vampire count terrorizes a small town, and you’ll recognize the shadowy visual style that still influences horror movies today. Take note as the creature’s sharp nails and pointed ears appear on surfaces before he does, creating symbolic violence that foreshadows the doom to come. Learn the origins of vampires and the other Halloween monsters that are out and about in October.
Sleepy Hollow
Tim Burton’s live-action adaptation of Washington Irving’s classic of American literature, The Legend of Sleepy Hollow, ups the ante on atmospheric gloom and won an Oscar for Art Direction. The movie, which offers stylized Gothic Americana in its retelling of Headless Horseman lore from 1799, stars Johnny Depp as the hapless Ichabod Crane. This haunting tale takes place in New York, by the way. These are the spookiest ghost stories in your state—and every other.
Frankenstein
Return to the original out-of-control mad-scientist flick this year with one of the best Halloween movies that’s been influencing monster films ever since. Based on Mary Wollstonecraft Shelley’s epic Gothic horror novel, it’s a story that asks, “Why not bring the dead back to life?” The classic 1931 movie starring Boris Karloff spawned countless sequels and remakes, including one of the greatest follow-ups in cinema history, The Bride of Frankenstein.
Poltergeist
They’re heeeere! This PG-rated haunted-house flick scared your socks off in the ’80s. (We know you were covering your eyes and pulling up your legs so the monsters under the theater seat couldn’t grab you!) Well, guess what? The original Poltergeist is still terrifying. Make sure you’re not living on top of a burial ground and you aren’t the owner of a cursed pool before you watch this one. These Halloween quotes will also get you in the spooky spirit.
Fright Night
Chris Sarandon, at the height of beefcake-dom, stars as a seductive next door neighbor in this ultimate movie fright fest. Roddy McDowell plays a TV horror host and fictional vamp hunter who has to face that vampires are, yes, real when a teenager asks him for help. You’re going to need to lighten the mood after because it’s truly frightening, even though it’s infused with some tongue-in-cheek humor. Our suggestion? These corny Halloween jokes to help take the edge off.
E.T. The Extra Terrestrial
You might not initially think of E.T. as a Halloween movie, but it definitely qualifies: It takes place during the lush fall season, and in one of the most iconic movie scenes of all time, the little alien wears his Halloween ghost costume as Elliott flies across the full moon. His bike might as well be a broomstick. Toss in some Reese’s Pieces candy, and the whole vibe is fall season, October magic. If you don’t have your very own alien, then your pet will have to do. Here are the absolute best Halloween costumes for your dog.
Child’s Play
It’s the ol’ killer meets doll setup. Killer transfers soul into doll. Doll goes on rampage. Because dolls apparently weren’t creepy enough, in this movie they’re brought to life, given knives, and try to stab you. This scary concept from the 1988 original spawned the Chucky series cultural phenomenon. For a can’t-miss idea, get dolled up as Chucky or any of these punny and funny Halloween costumes.
Arachnophobia
How many spiders does it take to make you jump? If you’re in the mood to get your skin crawling, then tune into the cult classic that offers several horrible ways to cure arachnophobia (or cause it) after aggressive and deadly arachnids take over a rural enclave and make it their breeding nest. Eeeeek! Time to calm down with some Halloween memes.
It’s the Great Pumpkin, Charlie Brown
Cute. Classic. Completely adorable. Make a snack mix with peanuts and popcorn and fall full-force into Snoopy nostalgia with your traditional, seasonal rewatch. Linus believes so strongly in the Great Pumpkin that he waits all day and all night for the mystical pumpkin to appear, despite comments from naysayers. The best Halloween movies don’t have to scare the living daylights out of you. Here are another 50 of the best Halloween movies for kids.
Night of the Living Dead
George A. Romero’s 1968 low-budget, black-and-white zombie movie inaugurated a new era of flesh-eating killers who stumble forward to eat you, even if you’re family—especially if you’re family! It’s still scary, and it’s also chock-full of cultural commentary about the masses as the walking dead.
The Babadook
So, what’s a babadook? Just a harmless kids’ book! Right. In this ominous study in terror, a newly widowed, grieving mom tries to care for her child while haunted by an increasingly terrifying entity. Critics loved the weirdo freakiness of The Babadook when it was released in 2014, and soon audiences around the globe caught on to the inspired terror of this stylish Australian movie that bridges the artsy and the scary. For a truly harmless book, try this list of spooky, silly Halloween books for kids.
Us
Time to screen this chilling, cover-your-eyes horror masterpiece from director Jordan Peele. But first, look outside. Make sure it’s dark. Now check to see if you and your fam’s exact doppelgängers dressed in orange jumpsuits are just standing there, staring at you. (Hopefully not!) This psychological thriller will make you smarter while it scares your socks off.
Hellraiser
Pinhead (who didn’t get his very literal name until subsequent films) and his merry band of Cenobites wreak grisly havoc in this horror hit that spawned a cult following and a film franchise. Helpful tip: If you stumble upon a demonic and complicated Rubik’s cube, just leave it alone. Do not open the portals to hell or wait to hear Pinhead say, “The box. You opened it. We came.” Just leave it be! We promise that this list of Halloween party games won’t get you into any demonic trouble.
The Fly
David Cronenberg’s 1986 remake of The Fly rivals the 1958 original starring Vincent Price as the brother of a man whose head fuses with a fly’s body. Help me! The update is a gore fest with Jeff Goldblum perfectly cast as another obsessive scientist. Don’t mess with science. If you must, don’t science yourself into an insect hybrid. That’s gross—but also the reason why audiences love this movie.
Scary Stories to Tell in the Dark
Based on the popular, best-selling children’s books, this horror flick goes full-throttle on gore and ghastliness while still managing to keep it PG-13. That said, while it’s one of the best Halloween movies for tweens and teens, make sure to keep little ones away—no matter how much they beg to watch with their older siblings. Three teens stumble across a possessed book that writes scary stories that come to life in terrifying ways. Watch out for hugs from hallway monsters and acne that comes with spiders. Here are more spooky stories that will keep you up at night.
A Nightmare on Elm Street
Why carry one knife when you can attach four to each of the fingers on your slashing hand? Efficiency! This dreamscape horror classic will keep you up all night on Halloween. Perfect! After all, that’s the only way you’re safe from iconic baddie Freddy Krueger. The first film came out in 1984 and was an immediate box office hit that hasn’t slowed down yet with several sequels and remakes. The knife-fingered villain remains the top pop-culture monster who just won’t go to sleep.
Dracula
Ah, yes the “children of the night.” Howling. What music they make! Bela Lugosi stars as the ultimate blood-sucking royalty in this 1931 masterpiece filled with gorgeous black-and-white visuals that express deadly horror and entrapment in beautiful ways. Looking for a costume for the big day—or for a big party? You can’t go wrong as a vampire, especially if you follow the directions for these easy Halloween makeup ideas anyone can master.
The Brood
What if therapy involved giving birth to your traumas—literally—and then they ran around in pastel, hooded onesies killing people? The Brood gains cult status from its over-the-top psychological and physical horror. A woman goes through intense psychoanalysis during a divorce and custody battle and develops “exowombs” that produce offspring she can psychically control. Watch at your own peril.
The Houses October Built
Every year, those terrifying haunted houses appear, and who takes those seasonal jobs as the monsters paid to scare you? This cult favorite asks what if those employees took their jobs very, very, very seriously—and that scaring suddenly was no longer pretend. The film uses a found-footage documentary style that will make you wonder if the whole thing is real. If you’re scared of clowns, you might want to avoid this one!
Carrie
Telekinetic powers. John Travolta as prom king. Sissy Spacek as a super angry teen who just wants to fit in. These are the oh-so-perfect ingredients in this classic Stephen King adaptation. In an iconic scene, mean girls drench Carrie with pig’s blood at the school dance. Then it’s time for Carrie to unleash her powers in an uncontrollable revenge rampage. It’s hard not to love this classic cult horror with its sympathetic heroine at the center—while still being completely terrified at the same time.
Blacula
Illustrious thespian and opera all-star William Marshall gives an epic performance as an African royal who wakes up in 1970s Los Angeles as a vampire after he was bitten and boarded up in a coffin centuries earlier. Early Blaxploitation style mixes in with this misunderstood masterpiece. Marshall imbues Blacula with a transcendent gravitas as he wreaks poetic, blood-sucking justice, and the ending is a surprising tearjerker for a vampire movie.
Shadow of the Vampire
In this film about the making of Nosferatu, Willem Dafoe stars as Max Schreck, the actor who played the vampire in the silent cinema masterpiece. In this fictionalized rendition of the production, vampires are actually real, and the lead actor is one of them. John Malkovich stars as the film’s obsessive director in this freaky retelling that’s perfect for fans of the vampiric. If you haven’t started decking your halls with all things spooky, now is the time to start! Try these budget-friendly DIY Halloween decorations for just the right touch.
Children of the Corn
He who walks behind the rows is a seriously sinister monster out to get grown-ups. Based on one of Stephen King’s terrifying literary works, this movie stars Linda Hamilton and Peter Horton as rural road-trippers who stumble upon a cult of religious children who murder all the adults as a sacrifice to their angry cornfield deity. While we’re talking about the legendary author, check out this list of Stephen King’s best quotes—which are alternately profound, inspiring, and terrifying.
House
If you like your cult films unhinged and hilarious, then don’t miss this 1977 Japanese horror-comedy from Nobuhiko Obayashi. It’s indescribably original and spiked with weirdness, gore, and charm. Teen schoolgirls visit a summer home that’s haunted by a grieving aunt and her fluffy, white cat, and madcap violence ensues. We’re talking horrors such as monster mattresses, deadly chandeliers, and a flood of blood.
The Wolf Man
Universal Studios’ classic monster movie offers the perfect blend of terror and pathos as a man (Lon Chaney Jr.) contends with the horror and guilt of his actions. Delight in iconic visuals of black-and-white violence in gloomy, foggy woods. This one’s famous for the early special effects monster transformation from wolf creature to man. Claude Rains stars as the desperate father of the doomed beast in this 1941 classic. Don’t miss these vintage Halloween costumes that could still be worn today.
Eyes Without a Face
This subtitled French horror film follows the terrible exploits of yet another mad scientist. He’s a surgeon who removes the faces of women in the on-site laboratory of his luxurious Gothic mansion. He’s trying to help his daughter whose own face was disfigured in an accident. Come for the freaky mannequin mask, and stay for the grisly facial surgery. This cult classic is truly a fright! Watch if you dare.
1922
Halloween aesthetics can make idyllic farm pastures and rows of corn very scary. In this 2017 flick, a woman wants to sell said idyllic farm and move to the city. Her husband is not having it, and things get ghostly and grisly in this film adapted from a Stephen King novella. It’s both one of the best ghost stories and best King adaptations of late.
The Innocents
Slow-burn chills fill this creepy classic adapted from Henry James’ ghost story novella, The Turn of the Screw. Deborah Kerr gives an iconic performance as the governess of two sinister kids caught up in ghostliness and a waking nightmare after their servants die. The visuals are breathtaking and totally chilling, even all these years later.
The Lost Boys
Time for vampire-mullet mania and lots of hair gel! Eighties horror schlock was never so rad. Jason Patric is, like, totally awesome as a teen bad boy who gets pulled into the beach lair of wilding adolescents led by Kiefer Sutherland, who plays a motorcycle-gang delinquent of the night.
Ringu
The 1998 Japanese scary movie that inspired The Ring, it also involves scary VHS tapes that curse you if you watch them. Start with this chilling cult hit if you love the series, in which you’ll find a terrifying ghost girl who crawls soaking wet out of your television set. Long, black hair covering her eyes. White nightgown. Nightmare time. For some real-life scares, read these creepy Ouija board stories that people swear actually happened.
House on Haunted Hill
Vincent Price seethes with his characteristic creepy charm as a millionaire who promises a cash prize to five strangers if they can last a single night locked inside a haunted mansion—the site of several grisly murders. This 1959 classic still chills with surprise twists and jump scares that will keep you on edge. Foreboding visuals, like guns resting in mini-coffins, fill every frame with dread and shadow.
An American Werewolf in London
A lovely stroll on the moors turns terrifying when two American tourists get attacked by a lunatic hound. One survives the bite and finds himself afflicted with werewolfism. Don’t miss the iconic scene, scored by the soft croon of Sam Cooke singing “Blue Moon,” as you witness the horrifying mysteries of violent transformation brought on by the full moon. FYI, these are the most haunted places in America, according to paranormal experts.
Suspiria
The original 1977 horror film brims with intense psychological terror as a young ballerina finds herself enmeshed with an evil sect. Famed Italian director Dario Argento saturates images with striking color and diabolical dread. The 2018 remake with Tilda Swinton and Dakota Johnson also sizzles with stylish terror, but watch the earlier one first for the full cult experience.
The Others
This stylish psychological thriller takes place in an ominous, enormous English estate that seems haunted. Nicole Kidman plays a mother alone with two children who begin to notice sinister happenings in the grim and gloomy manse. Tune in for the slow-burn mystery and chilling style.
Ready or Not
Set in a gigantic mansion filled with endless wood-paneled rooms and decorated with weaponry, Ready or Not tells the story of a newly married bride who is cajoled into playing a game with her new in-laws. If you like Halloween movies that make you avert your eyes and hope it’s all over soon, then by all means, say “I do” to this rowdy thriller. Planning your own spooky soiree? These Halloween party ideas will provide a scary-good time that everyone will actually love.
Psycho
Amp up Halloween with the best suspense thriller from iconic director Alfred Hitchcock. Psycho basically invented modern slasher cinema and stylized cinematic screaming. It premiered in 1960, but it’s still the gold standard for truly disturbing cinema that will fill your Halloween night with a menacing mood. Next, see if you can answer these Halloween trivia questions.
