With Halloween fast approaching, it’s the perfect time to watch either scary or Halloween-themed movies (two of the best movie genres out there in my opinion). However, because there are thousands of movies in both genres, I’ve selected some of my favorites to help take the guesswork out of movie night! If you have an aversion to the scarier side of Halloween, not to worry! There are plenty of non-scary movies on the list. Remember, though, that some of the scarier movies contain potentially triggering events, so please exercise caution and look into these movies before you watch them. Feel free to use some of my tips to navigate horror movie trigger warnings!
Scary Movies
- X
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X is easily one of my favorite horror films of all time. X follows Maxine Minx and a group of adult film actors as they set out to make what they believe will be the film that launches their careers. However, they choose to make this film at the near-abandoned farm of Pearl and Howard, who decide to murder the actors in a very Texas Chainsaw Massacre-esque style. X is part of an acclaimed trilogy from director Ti West, followed by prequel film Pearl focused on the killer in X and sequel film MaXXXine centered on Maxine Minx as she tries to put the events of X behind her and make it in Hollywood.
- Midsommar
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This movie is perfect for those looking for less gore and more psychological disturbance. After Dani’s family tragically dies, she accompanies her boyfriend and his friends to Sweden for a midsummer festival. However, viewers quickly learn that all is not as it appears to be, as Dani and her travel mates realize they’ve walked straight into a murderous cult.
- Scream
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A classic horror movie, Scream subverted expectations with its 1996 release by killing off the biggest star first instead of having them be the survivor of the movie. A year after Sidney Prescott’s mother is murdered, a killer begins to target her and her friends one by one. Known for the iconic Ghostface and his phone calls, this movie has become a Halloween classic and led to the creation of five sequels.
- The shining
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Another classic horror movie, Stanley Kubrick’s The Shining is creepy and perfect for the Halloween season. Adapted from Stephen King’s novel of the same name, this movie follows Jack Torrence and his family as they oversee the Overlook Hotel. They are quickly plagued by the darker secrets of the hotel and the mysterious events that follow.
- bodies bodies bodies
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A newer horror-comedy from A24 Films, Bodies Bodies Bodies focuses on a group of rich twenty-somethings as they gather at a mansion to wait out a deadly hurricane. However, when a game of “Bodies Bodies Bodies” goes sideways, one of the group winds up dead. Paranoia overtakes the group as they try to find the killer in their midst, resulting in even more deaths.
Not-So-Scary Movies
- Hocus Pocus
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Want to watch a Halloween movie that didn’t get nearly enough love at the time of its release but is now widely acclaimed? Try Hocus Pocus! Set in Salem, Massachusetts in the ’90s, the movie follows Max Dennison as he accidentally frees the witchy Sanderson Sisters by lighting the Black Flame candle. The witches are intent on accomplishing their goal of sucking the life from the children of Salem to keep themselves young forever, and only Max, his little sister Dani, and his crush Allison can stop them.
- Beetlejuice
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A classic Tim Burton movie is Beetlejuice. Known for its stunning practical effects (very little C.G.I. was used in the creation of this movie!), Beetlejuice is a goofy ghost movie that has garnered a cult following in recent years. After the Maitland couple tragically dies, their ghosts are bound to their house. The house is bought by a family, the Deetzes. Lydia Deetz is less than thrilled that her father has moved her here after her mother’s death, and employs the Maitlands and Beetlejuice to help scare her father out with disastrous and hilarious results.
- The nightmare before christmas
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Another great Tim Burton movie is The Nightmare Before Christmas. Done completely in stop-motion claymation, the movie tells the story of Jack Skellington, the Pumpkin King of Halloweentown, and his goal to spread Halloween cheer into Christmas. This movie has some really memorable songs written by Danny Elfman, and can double as a Christmas movie when you think about it!
- haunted mansion
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This movie was one that I was excited for when it came out, and it definitely lived up to my expectations. Based on the Disney World ride of the same name, Haunted Mansion follows a mother and son as they move into a haunted house in New Orleans. The movie focuses specifically on the duo’s attempts to drive the 999 Happy Haunts out of their house. While spooky enough to keep you on your toes for Halloween, this movie is also lighthearted and comedic enough to keep it on the not-so-scary side of this list.
- lisa frankenstein
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This movie has become one of my favorite movies of all time, to the point that I bought it less than a week after seeing it in the movie theater. After the murder of her mother, Lisa Swallows feels more at home in the local graveyard than at home with her new stepmother and stepsister. However, things turn interesting when a bolt of lightning brings the man under her most frequented gravestone to life. In love with the man, Lisa vows to help him recover the body parts he’d lost — even if it means resorting to murder. While there is gore in this movie, it is infrequent and lighthearted (through the timing of jokes and cut-away shots) enough to keep the movie more funny than scary.