41 Horror Movies To Put You In The Halloween Spirit

Let's get those spooky juices flowing with this celebrated Argento classic. Witches are once again really having a moment in the spotlight right now, so it's an extra perfect time to take it back to this beautifully lit tale of a dance school run by witches. The soundtrack by Goblin absolutely slaps and should be on any self-respecting Halloween playlist.

Luca Guadagnino's 2018 remake is also great, but they are two different beasts. Make it a double feature if you're feeling extra wild and witchy.

Who wouldn't want to traipse around Salem on Halloween night? When a trio of teens accidentally bring back a trio of ancient witches hellbent on sucking the lives of all the children in town, it makes for a shockingly good time. Horror royalty Mick Garris, Tony Gardner, and Doug Jones helped bring this now classic to life. A must watch every Halloween.

One of the best anthology films of all time, Mike Dougherty's Trick' R Treat gave us a new horror icon in Sam and plunged us deep into a quintessential Halloween aesthetic. This is a very rare case of an anthology completely void of a weak link. Just make sure you follow the rules, and you'll be ok.

Tim Burton's stylish horror comedy spawned an animated series, a sequel that came decades after the original, and an influx of Beetlejuice-related Halloween costumes every Halloween since its release. That's pretty iconic.

As horror comedies go, this is one of the best of all time. The Universal Monster-ness of it all invokes cozy October vibes, the comedy holds up today, and it's quotable as hell. Mel Brooks assembles an incredible cast of comedians, and they're all operating at peak performance. “Put ze candle beck!”

Continue the monochromatic family fun with Frankenweenie or head for the bright lights (and bold colors) in the big city for a date with Frankenhooker.

We've all dreamed of finding a way to make our beloved pets live forever. And that's precisely what young Victor Frankenstein does in Tim Burton's feature-length stop motion adaptation of his 1984 short film, Frankenweenie. Fans of Frankenstein, The Bride of Frankenstein, and classic Universal Monster movies in general will find plenty to love here.

Guillermo del Toro makes magic, and his gothic horror Crimson Peak excels in the world-building department. Giant, gothic, secluded mansions feel innately like solid October fare. Throw in some creepy and questionable siblings, and you've got one hell of a recipe bubbling in your October cauldron.

Burton's dark gothic take on Washington Irving's The Legend of Sleepy Hollow immediately feels like Halloween, set in the brisk and stark New England town that serves as the story's namesake. Christopher Walken as the Hessian with the filed-down teeth who eventually becomes the legendary Headless Horseman hasn't left my head since opening weekend.

Fall is arguably the best time to fuck off into the woods, but maybe not the best time to go witch hunting. We've written extensively about found footage horror, The Blair Witch Project, why it rules, and how it changed the game. October is the perfect time to revisit this one.

Continuing our journey into the woods, The Cabin In The Woods surprisingly flips the script and plays with tropes in a wholly original way. Exceptionally refreshing at the time of its release, and still a gem that holds up today.

As The Conjuring series comes to an end, it's a great time to go back to where it all began. If possession horror does it for you, the first entry in the long-running demonic franchise is still a fan favorite and delivers some legitimate scares. The latest entry, The Conjuring: Last Rites is available on digital October 7, so you can have a full Conjuring  marathon from the comfort of your couch.

Classics are classics for a reason. It doesn't matter if you've seen this two or two hundred times, Hitchcock's masterpiece still hits. If you have someone in your life who has never seen Psycho, treat yourself by inviting them to watch it with you. Even as prominent as some of the scenes are in pop culture, I promise you, watching the reveals unfold for a new viewer is a dark reward in itself.

Horny teenage werewolves? Sure, you've seen it before. But this time, lycanthropy has taken hold of a teenage girl with a biting wit. An unapologetic coming-of-age tale that deserves to be in your annual Halloween rotation. Ginger Snaps would make for an excellent double feature with Jennifer's Body. And if you want a teen girls taking no shit triple feature, throw The Craft into the mix.

Teenage witches looking for a fourth unleash unimaginable power upon their peers. “We are the weirdos. Mr.” The ensemble cast is made up of horror royalty, the fashion has made a full circle comeback, and the “magic” effects still hold up today. It's also quotable as hell.

One of Ti West's early entries is a banger. Jocelin Donahue plays a college student desperately in need of some cash, so she does what any reasonable girl would do— takes a mysterious babysitting job on the night of a lunar eclipse. Aesthetically, this one will certainly stick with you. Greta Gerwig and Dee Wallace are also featured, which should sweeten the deal.

One of the best contemporary horror movies, It Follows, is in the process of getting a long-awaited sequel. Brush up on this masterpiece of an original that serves as a far more effective STD PSA than any virginal final girl trope ever could. The score also slaps.

Many folks cite this as their favorite horror movie of all time. That may be a bold claim for something that hit screens less than a decade ago, but it put Ari Aster on the map, and it has certainly served as Halloween costume inspiration for me. There are scenes that worm their way into your subconscious and stay there forever. Toni Collette's ” I am your Mother” monologue is an all timer. Another one of the strongest entries in contemporary horror, and worth revisiting this month.

Glam rock vampires that sparkled before Edward was ever even a twinkle in Stephanie Meyer's eye. The cast is killer, the vampire makeup design is incredible, the costumes will inspire a deep longing, the setting of beach vampires is iconic, and it has inspired countless pilgrimages to Santa Cruz, which stood in for the Santa Carla boardwalk. For so many reasons, this is one of the best and most original vampire films ever made.

Sticking with vampires, we now arrive at one of the most romantic vampire films ever made. “I have crossed oceans of time to find you”??? Come onnnn. Gary Oldman is a chameleon, and Bram Stoker's Dracula serves as an absolute playground for that irrefutable fact. A pretty faithful adaptation of Stoker's original work with incredible (and Academy Award-winning) costume design by Eiko Ishioka.

The Autopsy of Jane Doe has gained popularity in the last several years, but it remains criminally underseen by the world at large. André Øvredal's first English-language film centers on a father-son coroner team as they attempt to perform an autopsy. I won't spoil anything, but strange things are afoot, and if you're looking for some genuine chills, this should do the trick.

Gore Verbinski's English language remake of Ringu remains one of the best horror remakes to date. A mysterious videotape and the birth of a new horror icon are reason enough to throw this on. Watch seven days before Halloween for added effect.

Art the Clown has become the face of horror, and we'd be remiss to leave him off the list. Since Terrifier 3 is a Christmas horror, we went with the second entry in the Terrifier franchise, but really you can't go wrong with any of the Art the Clown shorts or features. We would not advise taking a drink every time you spot an Art the Clown costume in the wild this season unless you're planning to spend your Halloween night in the hospital.

Rob Zombie first introduced audiences to the Firefly Family in House of 1,000 Corpses. Zombie's 2003 feature directorial debut centers on two couples on a macabre road trip. Their hunt for the local legend, Dr. Satan, leads them right to his front door.

'80s horror totally focused on a Halloween party. What could be more perfect for your October watchlist? A seance in an abandoned funeral home goes horribly awry (or I guess… horribly right?) when an actual demon is unleashed. If you're looking for a seance party/satanic ritual double feature, pair Night of the Demons with Ghoulies.

Samara Weaving stars in this horror comedy set on Halloween night. She's the babysitter from heaven, until things start to unravel. A healthy dose of satanic rituals, snappy dialogue, and some incredible kills earn this a well deserved spot on the list. We'd love to see Laurie Strode go up against this brood in an ultimate Battle of the Babysitters.

This 1981 made for TV movie goes surprisingly dark. Vigilantes in a small southern town murder a wrongfully accused mentally challenged man (Larry Drake), and strange things begin to happen as a result of their insane mob mentality response.

For an in-depth Dark Night of the Scarecrow deep dive, check this out.

Directed by the author of Audrey Rose, something about the '80s broadcast nature makes this one feel especially suited for an October watch. Pair with Scary Stories To Tell In The Dark for a back to back killer scarecrow lineup. (Does that qualify for a murder of scarecrows, or do we need a third?)

The '80s were really big on stranger danger and child abduction, and while Lady In White doesn't take place in the '80s, it was made in the '80s, and child abduction takes center stage. The story takes place on Halloween night when a young boy gets locked in the school's cloak closet by some bullies, where he witnesses the ghost of a young murder victim from years before forced to reenact the brutality over and over again.

That may not sound like a huge selling point, but the small town Halloween nostalgia is off the charts, while revealing the horror of what lurks beneath the polished postcard image.

Bride of Frankenstein is celebrating her 90th birthday, and she's never looked better. The comedy is ramped way up in this follow up to Frankenstein, and Dr. Pretorius is about as sassy as they come. The effects are impressive and of course, the iconic design of both the Frankenstein Monster and the Bride has endured for 90 years for very good reason.

If you have a chance to see this on the big screen, take it. I've probably seen this movie a hundred times, but this year marked my first big screen viewing, and dare I say, it was a religious experience.

Personally, I'd say all the Universal Monster movies are perfect Halloween season viewing.

How many horror movies feature Night of the Living Dead, particularly as a background Halloween night watch? Yes, I know about the unfortunate public domain loophole, but still. This one holds up, and George A. Romero changed the game forever. Its use in dozens of horror movies only solidifies its place as a perfect October watch.

This one reportedly really messed up some UK folks and stirred up some controversy when it aired on the BBC in 1992. Think Orson Welles' The War of the Worlds, but with ghosts. Presented as an investigation, this mockumentary bends reality as investigators take viewers into a haunted house. Pair this one with Late Night With The Devil, The Blair Witch Project, or WNUF Halloween Special to keep the fun going.

WNUF Halloween Special plays like a Halloween mixtape, not of the cassette variety, but of the VHS variety. Mixed in with “local” Halloween commercials for small businesses, a small town news reporter investigates an allegedly haunted house with a team of paranormal investigators.

'80s horror comedy is my bread and butter, and I'm really making a conscious effort here to branch out from the best hits and round out this list with other decades and subgenres. But this one is too good to leave off the list, and doesn't ever seem to be in conversation as often as some of its cohorts.

If you're into the idea of a Tom Atkins double feature, pair this one with Halloween III. Atkins stars as a detective investigating alien brain parasites that have overtaken a college campus. “Thrill me.” Night of the Creeps is right at home alongside the likes of The Stuff, Re-Animator, and Night of the Comet.

David Dastmalchian stars as a late night talk show host with big dreams. When he decides to host a live exorcism for his Halloween night special, things get a little dicey in the television studio. You really have two paths to choose from when pairing Late Night With The Devil with a perfect double feature companion.

You can go found footage, or you can go full on classic exorcism with The Exorcist or something of that ilk. Perhaps combining the best of both worlds for the ultimate on theme double feature companion is The Cleansing Hour, an underseen gem with a refreshing take on exorcism in the modern world and our obsession with social media.

A favorite found footage entry that digs into a tragic event that occurred at a Halloween haunted house attraction. This has since grown into a franchise, but start here for genuinely scary found footage horror.

All good goth kids know, The Crow is a Devil's Night must watch. There are few tales more tragic than this. Brandon Lee is immortalized as The Crow, brought back to life to seek vengeance for his fiancée's murder. Featuring a '90s soundtrack that is an event in itself, with the likes of NIN and The Cure. There's a reason some people built their entire personalities around this one. If this is a first time watch for you, be forewarned, have some tissues on hand.

Celebrating its 50th anniversary this year, the little musical that could is a party for so many of our favorite things. There's a reason this one means so much to so many. The songs are brilliant, the cast is unbelievable (Tim Curry as a fishnet-clad mad scientist, Susan Sarandon as the naive and newly engaged Janet Weiss, ready to be unleashed, and that's just for starters. If you can manage to catch this one on a big screen with a shadow cast this season, do it. Dr. Frank-N-Furter would be pleased.

By now, Halloween III has garnered the respect it deserves. While that wasn't always the case (“no Michael Myers!?”), it's no longer an unpopular opinion to champion the third entry in the Halloween series. An evil corporation is using its line of popular commercial Halloween masks for some very nefarious designs. Damn the man. And maybe make your Halloween costumes at home this year. Just say no to big Silver Shamrock.

Obviously, John Carpenter's original 1978 classic has to be on the list. The only real polarizing question is, do you watch this leading up to Halloween to get you in the mood for the season, or do you watch it on Halloween? Both?

Jamie Lee Curtis takes on Michael Myers for the first time and wins the babysitter of the year award, which probably should have been mentioned in one of the subsequent sequels. It would be cheating for me to fill this list with movies from the Halloween franchise, but knock yourself out with a full marathon.

The first film to ever win an Academy Award for Best Makeup and Hairstyling. Rick Baker's practical effect of turning David Naughton into a snarling quadrupedal beast is still one of the most impressive werewolf transformations to ever appear on screen, and even now it's a viewing experience that is both fascinating and painful to watch.

For more, go in-depth on An American Werewolf In London.

Walk into any Halloween store, and you'll be greeted with popcorn bazookas, cotton candy rayguns, and some very iconic Killer Klowns. When a comet crashes outside a small town, the aliens that have come to Earth (unfortunately) resemble clowns that look just slightly off. Their circus-themed spaceship and weapons make for a ton of fun set pieces, and did I mention they cocoon their victims in pods that resemble cototn candy?

This one's a newcomer, but trust me when I say it will be on your annual Halloween watch list. The long running found footage franchise has naturally landed on Halloween night, and the tales run the gamut from neighborhood urban legends to no good novelty treats, killer candy factories, child abductions, and home haunts. The V/H/S Halloween directors really went hard, absolutely annihilating the kids this time around, and you're going to love every twisted minute of it.

These franchises are year round watches for me, and likely for you as well. You can never go wrong with our favorite slashers, so pick any entry from A Nightmare On Elm Street, Friday the 13th, Child's Play or Scream and you can't really go wrong.

If you have the time, do a whole ass marathon. But if you need some suggestions to narrow it down, may we offer A Nightmare On Elm Street 3: Dream Warriors and A Nightmare on Elm Street 4: The Dream Master. If you're looking to head to Camp Crystal Lake, Friday the 13th: The Final Chapter and Friday the 13th Part VI: Jason Lives. If a foul mouthed ginger doll is more your speed, Bride of Chucky ups the ante with the iconic Tiffany. And nothing beats the original Scream. 

Ok, so I cheated this list a little by name dropping way more than 41 movies, but can you blame me? The horror genre is an embarrassment of riches, and October is when we slam it into hyperdrive. With way more than 41 horror movies perfect for the Halloween season, I hope you find at least 31 that you really enjoy. Happy Halloween. Pass the candy corn.

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