Her Campus Logo Her Campus Logo
Kathy Najimy as Mary Sanderson, Bette Midler as Winifred Sanderson, and Sarah Jessica Parker as Sarah Sanderson in Disney\'s live-action HOCUS POCUS 2
Kathy Najimy as Mary Sanderson, Bette Midler as Winifred Sanderson, and Sarah Jessica Parker as Sarah Sanderson in Disney\'s live-action HOCUS POCUS 2
Disney Enterprises, Inc
Culture > Entertainment

Halloween Movies to Get You in the Spooky Mood

Carissa Ray
The opinions expressed in this article are the writer’s own and do not reflect the views of Her Campus.
This article is written by a student writer from the Her Campus at Purdue chapter.

If you are like me, you are ready for spooky season and can’t wait to dive into the horror movies! Whether you like to be completely and utterly scared or just want a light-hearted Halloween-themed movie, I have got you covered! Let’s dive in!

Mild Halloween Movies:

  • The Nightmare Before Christmas by Tim Burton (1993): This movie is a classic Halloween watch. Whether you grew up watching this movie or are just discovering it now, it is a must watch during this Halloween season. To add on, if you need a couple costume idea, Jack Skellington and Sally Shock are the perfect duo!
  • Hocus Pocus (1993): This is yet another classic when it comes to Halloween. It can be a bit more on the spooky side but it is still pretty tame when it comes to Halloween movies. Moreover, Winifred, Mary, and Sarah are perfect if you are looking for a trio costume idea!
  • Hubie Halloween (2020): This movie starring Adam Sandler is one of the funniest Halloween movies you will ever see! It follows Hubie Dubois, a citizen that takes Halloween and safety very seriously but is not taken seriously by the other citizens in this town. It is a great watch and I highly recommend this one for people who are not into the horror genre but want to get into the Halloween mood!

Terrifying Movies:

  • Talk to Me (2022): This movie was absolutely terrifying! In Talk to Me, the characters communicate with the dead through a ceramic hand and the spirit can take over their body until they take the hand off. Something about the paranormal aspect really gets to me. But, if you have a high tolerance of being scared or love to be terrified, this movie is for you!
  • Hell House LLC (2015): This movie is yet another unsettling one! This movie is set up as almost a fake documentary where a crew is working to figure out what happened one fateful night at the opening of a haunted house. They have recovered footage and are going through it to figure out what happened. It is very creepy and has a ton of jump scares. If you are into that kind of horror movie, I highly recommend!
  • The Conjuring (2013): I had to end on a classic. This movie is the epitome of a scary movie. There is a supernatural aspect, there are jump scares, and worst of all, it is based on a true story. It can’t get much scarier than that!

No matter what kind of scary movie you are looking for, there are dozens out there on any streaming platform! I highly recommend you check out some of the above movies and go from there!

Carissa Ray is the president of the Purdue Chapter of Her Campus. Last year she held the position of senior editor. She also writes articles for the chapter and typically writes entertainment pieces. She has been a member of the chapter since January of 2023! Carissa is currently a senior studying at Purdue University. She is majoring in Psychological Sciences with minors in Spanish and Forensic Sciences. Aside from Her Campus, Carissa is also on the board of the Purdue Chapter of Omicron Delta Kappa, a leadership honors society. She was recently elected as the president for the 2024-25 academic year. She is also a mentor for the College of Health and Human Sciences. In the future, she hopes to become a Forensic Psychologist and potentially work for the FBI. When she is not busy with school, Carissa is a huge book nerd and loves to read anything with mystery, romance, or fantasy. She also loves dancing and is part of the Purdue Higher Ground Dance Company. She enjoys jazz, hip hop, and theater dance styles. Finally, if she has any extra time, she is a TV buff and enjoys binging TV shows like Modern Family, The Vampire Diaries, or Supernatural.