2026 Horror Movie Halloween Costumes You Can Put Together With Very Little Effort

In the great tradition of Michael, Jason, and Ghostface, Faces of Death‘s titular serial killer keeps things simple when it comes to the mask. If you'd like to dress as the sadistic Arthur Spevak from Isa Mazzei and Daniel Goldhaber's reboot of a controversial cult classic, you'll need a (clean) pair of pantyhose on your head and a featureless white mask to go over them.

The eyes will be trickier, especially if you're not used to wearing contact lenses, but Arthur's bright red peepers are a core part of what will make your Faces of Death costume recognizable to other gorehounds, as are his red rubber gloves that you can easily paint yourself.

Finish off your fit with a black button-down and black slacks, and boom, you're ready to go creep people out on the Internet.

Sure, a Captain Clark costume would be the preferred option for a Backrooms-themed Halloween look, but if you're reading this, you almost certainly don't have the time or resources to put one together, let alone learn to walk on a peg leg.

Luckily, dressing as the Backrooms themselves couldn't be easier. All you need is a hideous musty yellow shirt and pants, usually found in the forgotten corners of your local thrift store. Pair them with Joya x A24's Backrooms scent score discovery set to fully embody the smell of a liminal nightmare, with notes of scorched dust, industrial carpet, heated plastic, and ash. Yum.

For an even easier Backrooms fit, take a leaf out of Fango's Sean Abley's book and go as yourself, but Backroom‘d.

There won't be a shortage of Nikki costumes this year, but if you want to dress as the true villain of Curry Barker's Obsession, a thrifted Bear outfit will cost far less than the official ones currently listed on Universal's store.

As usual, your local secondhand store will provide. Bear's signature blood-stained sweater is the exact type of retro grandpa fit you'll find in the men's section, especially at this time of year. The itchier and mustier, the better.

From there, throw on your rattiest pair of jeans, and don't wash your hair for a couple of days before the big event. Extra points if you get into character by acting like an insufferable man-baby all night.

Demand for Bryan costumes is so high this year that Etsy has seen a huge boom in listings for “ugly but adorable knitted hats.” If you missed out on getting a Resident Evil-accurate Bryan beanie then just any pom-pom topped hat will do, as long as it's relatively close to the original's color.

For the rest of the fit, you'll need layers: a gray sweater, plaid shirt, and well-loved jacket can all be found at your local thrift, and if you couldn't grab the medical courier bag/popcorn bucket, any large first aid kit will do.

The only place you might have to splurge for an authentic Bryan look is for his beloved Js. Before he got acid puke all over them, our boy rocked a pair of Jordan Spizike Lows in the Rare Air colorway, which'll easily set you back around $100 even if you buy them used.

Babies are pretty damn terrifying as it is (just as the protagonist of any horror movie centered on motherhood), but Spider One's meta-slasher Big Baby gave us a whole new reason to be frightened, sleepless nights and full diapers aside.

While the real Big Baby mask was created especially for the film by LA-based studio Little Shop of Gore, throw enough fake blood on any baby mask, and it'll do the job.

You'll also need some disposable white zip-front coveralls, which will also come in handy should you need to repurpose them for another costume on this list…

Carrie costumes have been a Halloween staple since Brian De Palma's first adaptation all the way back in 1976, with this year bringing a fresh take on everyone's favorite telekinetic teen with Mike Flanagan's Prime Video series now streaming.

A Carrie costume couldn't be easier; all you'll need is a sleek, simple V-neck dress in white, gray, or silver (or light pink, if you're going for the OG style), a silver tiara, and a bucket load of fake blood.

To get the signature Carrie splatter just right, make sure you have a so-called friend dump the blood on you from above.

If you and your squad have left it too late to put together a cohesive group costume, fear not—if there are four of you, you can put together a cute spin on Meredith Alloway's witchy comedy horror, Forbidden Fruits.

While the ladies of Forbidden Fruits are decked out in gloriously girly fits, it's actually their names that will provide the basis for an easy crew costume, so decide amongst yourselves who's going to be Apple, Pumpkin, Cherry and Fig.

Then, just head over to Amazon, or preferably your local costume shop, and grab your fruity fashion of choice. Just keep in mind that Apple and Pumpkin will have an easier time than Fig and Pumpkin, so get the short straws ready.

If you want an even easier Resident Evil outfit than the aforementioned Bryan, this year's Requiem has you covered. Got a white T-shirt? Got a dark pair of jeans? Got some fake blood and a bandage? Boom, you're Grace Ashcroft, the timid FBI agent at the heart of Capcom's ninth mainline game in the iconic survival horror series.

Of course, a Grace costume only really works if you've got her signature blonde bob, but luckily, that's not a hard wig to find. Pull on a pair of boots, practice your timid demeanor, and maybe ask a very tall friend to act as your personal stalker enemy all night.

If you're really rolling in it, you could go as the Internet's boyfriend, Requiem zaddy Leon Kennedy instead, but an authentic double-breasted leather jacket and custom Hamilton Watch are gonna set you back more than a few Raccoon City dollars.

If you dressed as Dr. Kelson for 28 Years Later in 2025 and want to pay homage to the post-apocalyptic GP again for The Bone Temple, this year's Kelson will thankfully require less iodine and more eyeliner. You'll need black pants and a black trench coat, preferably leather, plus black tooth paint if you're feeling really fancy.

Complete the look with a copy of Iron Maiden's “Number of the Beast” and a crucifix if you want to go all out, and remember we are not dressing as any other characters from the 28 Years Later series, especially not ones wearing blonde wigs and tracksuits, got it?

If we have to tell you how to put together a halfway decent zombie costume, can you really call yourself a horror fan? You know the drill — dead-eyed contact lenses, torn-up clothes, and fake blood galore.

Of course, if you want to go as an Infected from Yeon Sang-ho's Colony, there's a distinctive aesthetic twist: these rotters are part of a fungal hive mind, so they're covered in a fine layer of viscous, white goop.

Cast your mind back to first-grade science class, and you might remember making something like that. All you need is some cornstarch, water, and a strong stomach.

The haunting children's television host Jack the Donkey somehow wasn't even the scariest thing in Damian McCarthy's latest horror feature Hokum, but he's easily the most recognizable addition to the McCarthy Universe of Fucked Up Faces.

For your Jack the Donkey look, you'll first need a pair of donkey or horse ears (because, as his name suggests, he's not a rabbit!) that you can easily get from Amazon or your local costume store for very little.

If your makeup skills are on point, you can also bring Jack to life with a dark smoky eye, blocked-out eyebrows, black lipstick, and a painted nose. Grab a bow tie and a white button-down, then go out and give the local kids some nightmares.

“But Fango!” we hear you cry, “with so little time left before Halloween, how on earth can I put together a boxy, metallic air vent-inspired helmet akin to Jack Haven's Little Death in Jane Schoenbrun's queer meta-slasher Teenage Sex and Death at Camp Miasma?”

Well, you probably can't unless you're crafty enough to follow this handy guide, but us regular slackers will have to make do with a cardboard box and some Sharpies.

Luckily, the rest of Little Death's outfit is simple enough—all you'll need is black boots, disposable white zip-front coveralls, and, err, probably leave the spear at home.

If you're reading this, you've almost certainly missed the boat on a wolf mask for a Creep costume, but luckily for all of us, Peachfuzz is a master of disguise with plenty of looks to choose from.

Our personal favorite from this year's Season 3 of The Creep Tapes is Fuzz's take on a washed-up rocker “Timmy”, and he's put as much effort into the look as you'll need to.

Grab a Sharpie, scrawl on some fake tattoos, throw on a Party City wig, and you're ready for a night of partying, a tall glass of Mommy Loves Her Juice in hand.

As with much beloved Japanese horror, Genki Kawamura's Exit 8 was a hit earlier this year because it kept things simple and, in turn, scary. That extends to the costumes, too, so if you're still out here looking for a last-minute costume, the liminal thriller has you covered with the entity known only as The Walking Man.

A white shirt, black pants, and a briefcase are all you'll need to nail this look, but to truly bring The Walking Man to life, you'll need to find a loop at whatever Halloween event you're attending and spend the entire night walking it with a great, big, beaming smile on your face. That's commitment to the bit.

If you want to turn heads as the biggest (literally) movie antagonist of 2026 and have a whale-y good time at your upcoming costume party, go as the titular cetacean in Brian Duffield's Whalefall.

Sperm whale costumes are harder to come by than you might think, so for the truly last-minute laggards, we suggest lots of blue/gray clothing and a bag of gummy bears to chow down on, representing poor Austin Abrams in his second sticky situation of 2026.