With Halloween being on a Monday, a lot of people are going to find their plans consisting of staying in and watching movies while young trick-or-treaters come to your door-- at least, that’s what my evening will consist of. So I decided to put together a list of films that really bring that Halloween spirit right into your living room. This is not a list of just horror movies but a list of all kinds of Halloween movies from Disney to Independent and slasher to the heart warming. If there is a movie missing from the list, don’t fret-- it’s a short list and there are a lot of Halloween films out there. These are just the ones that remind me the most of Halloween.
#10. Hocus Pocus, 1993
No one born after 1990 remembers the first time they saw Hocus Pocus. It has just been a Halloween staple since we knew what Halloween was. It is innocent enough for any child to enjoy while also showing enough unnerving supernatural events to make any grown man or women to be anxious about how the story will play out for the main characters.
#9. The Babadook, 2014
A unique psychological thriller that is a bit of an acquired taste of a film. Not all will get into this one but those who do will appreciate how unsettling the relationship between the mother and son is. A film that makes you question what kind of reality the film takes place in.
#8. Scream, 1996
A fun one to start the night on, Scream will both embody and mock all other horror films. By combining typical horror clichés with a self-aware meta tone, this movie will keep you guessing.
#7. The Nightmare Before Christmas, 1993
Is it a Christmas movie? Or is it a Halloween film? Well it’s both, right? Not in the same way ABC Family has you convinced Harry Potter is both, though. I limited myself to only using one Tim Burton film for this list because if not, this whole list could’ve been dedicated to him. The Nightmare Before Christmas wonderfully blends the warm feeling of the Holiday season with a dark theme of Halloween
#6. The Cabin in the Woods, 2012
The second most modern film making it to the list just behind the Babadook. The Cabin in the Woods is a shockingly smart and interesting take on horror cliches but not in the same way Scream was. By the end, you develop more questions than answers but that doesn’t make it any less satisfying.
#5. The Blair Witch Project, 1999
Like many of the other films on this list, the Blair Witch Project shows off unique style in film making and redefining the genre. But what even happened at the end?
#4. A Nightmare on Elm Street, 1984
Probably the most terrifying concept on this list. A pervert turned unstoppable supernatural force of death. Give Max Cady from Cape Fear a razor gauntlet and the ability to kill you in your dreams and Freddy Krueger is what you get. This is the one you watch a comedy immediately after in hopes to not have nightmares.
#3. The Exorcist, 1973
Not many will be able to face the screen for this one. Although it is slow to start, this movie shows some of the most disturbing visuals of a little girl experience a demonic illness.
#2. Halloween, 1978
I shouldn’t even have to explain why Halloween is on a list of movies about Halloween. This movie redefined the slasher flick by ramping up the pacing from the old days of Hitchcock’s Psycho. But it is probably the score that impresses me most with this film.
#1. Psycho, 1960
As mentioned in the previous entry, Hitchcock created the slasher genre with this one. But there was more to it than murder at the edge of a blade. The real horror with this film is the surreal possibility that any seemingly fine person is actually a sick murderer.
