73 Best Halloween Movies and TV Shows to Watch This Spooky Season
Get ready, because the best Halloween movies and TV shows are about to take over your queues. ’Tis the season, people! It’s time to celebrate all things scary, spooky, and maybe even a little evil. The most fun way to do that? With the scariest horror movies and shows, of course.
There are so many good Halloween shows and movies available too. Channels like AMC and TCM all have special blocks of creepy content scheduled for Halloween night, not to mention Freeform’s 31 Nights of Halloween schedule and the dozens of scary movies on Netflix and other streaming platforms like Amazon Prime Video and Hulu. Even Disney Halloween movies has become a thing for those looking for more family-friendly options.
From classics like Halloween (the original) and The Shining to newer fare like Lovecraft Country and Stranger Things, there’s something spooky for everyone. Even scaredy-cats have options for movie night. (See The Addams Family, Hocus Pocus, or Scooby-Doo.) Plus, there are Halloween-themed shows like The Haunting of Hill House, Daybreak, and Into the Dark ready for you to stream.
So go forth, eat candy, and get freaky. Happy Halloween!
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©Buena Vista Pictures/Courtesy Everett Collection1/73Hocus Pocus (1993)
For many, the spooky season doesn’t truly begin until they’ve viewed this classic Halloween movie starring Kathy Najimy, Bette Midler, and Sarah Jessica Parker. The three play the Sanderson sisters, a trio of comically villainous witches who are accidentally resurrected on Halloween night.
Steve Dietl/Netflix2/73The Haunting of Hill House (2018)
In case you missed The Haunting of Hill House when it debuted on Netflix in 2018, now’s the perfect time for a binge. The story follows a family’s traumatic childhood at Hill House and how it affects them in the present as adults. Oh, and it’s terrifying.
EIKE SCHROTER/NETFLIX3/73The Haunting of Bly Manor (2020)
After you watch The Haunting of Hill House, you’ll have to dive into the next installment in the Netflix anthology series: The Haunting of Bly Manor, which was loosely based on Henry James’s novel The Turn of the Screw.
©Columbia Pictures/Courtesy Everett Collection4/73The Craft (1996)
Catch this ’90s favorite on HBO Max or as part of Freeform’s 31 Nights of Halloween programming. The movie about a group of teen witches dealing with love, mean girls, and magical powers is always a good time.
©Buena Vista Pictures/Courtesy Everett Collection5/73The Nightmare Before Christmas (1993)
Only Tim Burton could combine two of America’s favorite holidays into one animated film. The Nightmare Before Christmas is perfect for anyone looking for a little spookiness, but not too much spookiness. In addition to streaming on Disney+, it's also a part of Freeform's 31 Nights of Halloween.
Alex Lombardi/Hulu6/73Light as a Feather (2019)
Who among us didn’t play a little Light as a Feather, Stiff as a Board when we were younger? The Hulu original finds the lead character, McKenna, haunted by a curse attached to the game she started playing on Halloween night. Naturally, there are deadly consequences.
©20thCentFox/Courtesy Everett Collection7/73Edward Scissorhands (1990)
Edward Scissorhands is what happens when a goth fairy tale meets a beauty trend. Bonus: There are few Halloween couples costumes better than Edward (Johnny Depp) and Kim (Winona Ryder).
Patrick Wymore/Hulu8/73Into the Dark (2018)
Each episode in this anthology series is inspired by a different holiday or seasonal activity. Example: In the episode “Uncanny Annie,” it is Halloween night and a group of college students gets trapped in a board game that feeds on their secrets and fears. Still low-key scared from that one.
©Paramount/Courtesy Everett Collection9/73The Addams Family (1991)
If you found yourself wishing you were part of the eccentric Addams family upon first viewing this 1991 movie, you are not alone. They may embrace all things creepy, but they share a strong bond and are endlessly charming. Catch it as part of Freeform's 31 Nights of Halloween, or rent it on your own schedule.
©Paramount/Courtesy Everett Collection10/73Addams Family Values (1993)
Speaking of our favorite spooky family, why not make it a double feature with Addams Family Values? There are few things as fun as Wednesday (Christina Ricci) at summer camp. It’s rare to love a sequel as much as the original, but this is definitely an exception.
Courtesy of Neon/Hulu11/73Little Monsters (2019)
Watch Lupita Nyong’o as a schoolteacher fighting to save her class when a zombie apocalypse breaks out in this Hulu original film. If she’s got skills like her Us character, everything will probably be all right.
Courtesy Everett Collection12/73Nosferatu (1922)
If you’re not a film nerd, there’s a chance you haven’t seen this 1922 vampire classic. But you should. The silent film is an unofficial adaptation of Bram Stoker’s 1897 novel Dracula, and a must-see.
©Columbia Pictures/Courtesy Everett Collection13/73Hotel Transylvania (2012)
Monsters need vacations too, which is the premise behind this sweet animated feature starring the voices of Adam Sandler as Count Dracula and Selena Gomez as his daughter, Mavis. It’s a family-friendly film everyone can enjoy this Halloween.
©Columbia Pictures/courtesy Everett Co / Everett Collection14/73Ghostbusters (1984)
Who you gonna call? The O.G. Ghostbusters (Bill Murray, Harold Ramis, Ernie Hudson, and Dan Aykroyd) and their proton packs if you want to handle the spooky infestation of a city, of course. If you have cable, it's a part of Freeform's 31 Nights of Halloween lineup.
©Columbia Pictures/Courtesy Everett Collection15/73Zombieland (2009)
Starring Jesse Eisenberg, Emma Stone, Woody Harrelson, and Bill Murray, Zombieland is a hilarious take on the classic zombie movie. Eisenberg plays a geeky student who joins forces with other survivors to search for a zombie-free zone.
Dana Starbard/Hulu16/73Castle Rock (2018)
Halloween + Stephen King = a perfectly terrifying combination. So check out Castle Rock, the Hulu series that is based on a mix of King’s novels and stories.
©Dimension Films/Courtesy Everett Collection17/73Scream (1996)
When Scream was released in 1996, it totally redefined a new era of self-aware scary movies. Decades later, the film is still just as utterly watchable.
Everett Collection18/73Scream 2 (1997)
...and so is its sequel, which reunited Sidney (Neve Campbell), Gail (Courteney Cox), and Dewey (David Arquette) on a college campus to take on a new serial killer.
©Miramax/Courtesy Everett Collection19/73Scream 3 (2000)
The Scream movies have always been super meta, but none more so than the third installment in the franchise, in which the characters meet the actors playing them in a movie adaptation of the events of the first film.
Netflix20/73Stranger Things (2016)
If for some reason you’ve missed the Stranger Things wave, October is the perfect month for a binge of the popular supernatural series set in the 1980s. The Halloween episodes will especially get you in the spooky season spirit.
HBO21/73Lovecraft Country (2020)
The main characters in Lovecraft Country battle monsters both all too real and fantastical in this new HBO series. Racist police officers, wizards, and blood-thirsty monsters are some of the terrifying people and creatures they face—and that’s just in the first few episodes.
©Buena Vista Pictures/Courtesy Everett Collection22/73The Sixth Sense (1999)
Remember the first time you saw this M. Night Shyamalan–directed classic and went, “What the hell????” Now you can feel that all over again.
©DreamWorks/Courtesy Everett Collection23/73Sweeney Todd: The Demon Barber of Fleet Street (2007)
Johnny Depp plays a murderous barber in this reimagining of the creepy Broadway musical directed by Tim Burton. Warning: You won't have much of an appetite after you watch.
©FX Networks/Courtesy Everett Collection24/73American Horror Story: Coven (2014)
Every iteration of Ryan Murphy’s FX anthology series American Horror Story is good for a scare. But if we had to pick a favorite, we’d suggest watching the witch-centric third season, Coven.
Compass International Pictures/ Courtesy Everett Collection25/73Halloween (1978)
The music. The mask. The Michael Meyers of it all. There’s a reason this is considered one of the best Halloween movies of all time, and it’s not just because of its on-theme title.
Netflix26/73The Perfection (2018)
This movie, starring Allison Williams and Logan Browning, takes some real big unexpected turns along the way. We won’t spoil the ending, but brace yourself for some gore.
©MGM/Courtesy Everett Collection27/73Poltergeist (1982)
Carol Ann saying “They’re heeeeeeeeere” can still send chills up any spine, even all these years later. See also: clown toys and unfinished swimming pools in this classic ghost story.
Courtesy of Netflix28/73Unsolved Mysteries (2020)
Real life can be a hell of a lot scarier than any made-up monsters. Proof: Unsolved Mysteries. While we love the original ’90s series, the Netflix reboot digs even deeper into these true stories of missing people, alien encounters, and other unexplainable moments.
Saeed Adyani/Netflix29/73Bird Box (2018)
If you somehow missed the viral sensation that was Bird Box, Halloween is the perfect time to get in on what everyone on the internet was talking about for a hot minute in 2018.
©United Artists/Courtesy Everett Collection30/73Child’s Play (1988)
You might think a murderous doll is more silly than scary, but that means you probably haven’t met Chucky.
©Warner Bros/Courtesy Everett Collection31/73Annabelle (2014)
Speaking of murderous dolls, Annabelle takes this trope NEXT LEVEL. This film, which is a spin-off from the popular Conjuring movies, is absolutely bone-chilling.
Robert Falconer32/73The Twilight Zone (2019)
Horror master Jordan Peele rebooted the beloved series The Twilight Zone for the modern age. Like the original, each episode deals with a different bizarre situation—so many twists!
©Paramount/Courtesy Everett Collection33/73Cloverfield (2008)
A group of New Yorkers start out their night at a going-away party but end up in the middle of a massive monster attack. You know, as one does.
©New World Releasing/Courtesy Everett Collection34/73Hellraiser (1987)
One look at Pinhead and you know why Hellraiser is a Halloween movie staple.
Justina Mintz/NETFLIX35/73A Babysitter’s Guide to Monster Hunting (2020)
Not every pick on this list is capital-S scary. If you’re looking for something tamer, try A Babysitter’s Guide to Monster Hunting. It follows a high schooler who takes on the bogeyman after he kidnaps the kid she’s watching on Halloween.
©Gramercy Pictures/courtesy Everett Collection36/73Kalifornia (1993)
Did you know that Brad Pitt played a completely terrifying ex-convict hitchhiker who ends up being picked up (with Juliette Lewis) by David Duchovny’s character, a dude writing a book on serial killers? Because that’s a thing that happened in the early ’90s.
©Paramount/Courtesy Everett Collection37/73A Quiet Place (2018)
The silence is so terrifying in this monster pic meets family drama that stars John Krasinski (who also directed) and his real-life wife, Emily Blunt.
©Universal/Courtesy Everett Collection38/73Get Out (2017)
Jordan Peele wrote and directed this movie about a photographer (Daniel Kaluuya) who accompanies his girlfriend (Allison Williams) to visit her parents for a weekend. Of course, because this is a horror movie after all, everything is not what it seems on the surface.
©Lions Gate/Courtesy Everett Collection39/73Saw (2004)
Watching a serial killer torture strangers for two hours is one way to get into the Halloween spirit, if you have the stomach for it.
©AMC/courtesy Everett Collection40/73Host (2020)
You’ll reconsider accepting your next Zoom meeting invite after you watch Host. The 50-minute film takes place entirely over a video conference call and features jump scares galore.
©DreamWorks/Courtesy Everett Collection41/73The Haunting (1999)
A professor (Liam Neeson) decides to conduct a sleep-disorder study with insomniacs (including Catherine Zeta-Jones and Owen Wilson) in a creepy old mansion. What could possibly go wrong? Fun fact: This film is based on the same Shirley Jackson novel as The Haunting of Hill House.
©20thCentFox/Courtesy Everett Collection42/73Scream Queens (2015)
Scream Queens, Ryan Murphy’s series about a serial killer stalking a college campus, has its highs and lows, but Keke Palmer is one big reason for why it’s worth watching.
©Picturehouse/Courtesy Everett Collection43/73The Orphanage (2007)
Just look at that picture and tell us you’re not already completely scared out of your mind. It gets even creepier when you find out what the movie is actually about: A woman who returns to the orphanage she grew up in with her own adopted son…but soon after they settle in, he disappears.
Everett Collection / Everett Collection44/73Tragedy Girls (2017)
Brianna Hildebrand and Alexandra Shipp play two high schoolers who run a blog called Tragedy Girls. When a serial killer comes to their small Midwestern town, they sense a twisted opportunity: The more people who die, the more followers they get.
HBO45/73True Blood (2008)
Based on the popular novels by Charlaine Harris, True Blood follows the sexy vampires, werewolves, fairies, and other fantastical beings who surround a small town in Louisiana. It’s the perfect pick if you’re in the mood for a spicy Halloween.
©Columbia Pictures/Courtesy Everett Collection46/73What Lies Beneath (2000)
No spoilers, but all is not what it seems in this psychological thriller starring Harrison Ford, Michelle Pfeiffer, and Amber Valetta.
©Channel Four/Courtesy Everett Collection47/73Crazyhead (2016)
Amy and Raquel form a bond over a truly unique ability: They both can see demons. The two take on these hellish creatures—and more—in this charming British horror-comedy series.
Diyah Pera/Netflix48/73Chilling Adventures of Sabrina (2018)
Kiernan Shipka plays a half-witch, half-human who has to decide which path her life is going to take in this Netflix original set in the larger Riverdale universe—and it’s pretty great.
©Warner Bros/Courtesy Everett Collection49/73The Shining (1980)
All work and no play may make Jack a dull boy, but this Stanley Kubrick classic and those freaking evil-looking sisters will always make us scream.
Eric Zachanowich50/73Fractured (2019)
Sam Worthington stars in this film as a dad who takes his daughter to the E.R. only to discover that something is very off at the hospital. The suspense!
©Columbia Pictures/Courtesy Everett Collection51/73Goosebumps (2015)
Jack Black plays a fictionalized version of R.L. Stine, the author of the famous Goosebumps series, in this 2015 movie. In it, the creatures from his creepy stories get unleashed on the world. Yikes.
Available on Freeform’s 31 Nights of Halloween
Netflix52/73Black Mirror (2011)
Each episode in this British science-fiction anthology series focuses on the unanticipated consequences of new technologies. It’s fascinating, but make sure you’re in the right mindset to watch—many episodes end on a dark and bleak note.
Atlaspix / Alamy Stock Photo53/73The Walking Dead (2010)
Binge The Walking Dead and try to figure out what kind of survivor you’d end up being during a zombie apocalypse. Nine seasons are currently available on Netflix, so you could keep yourself entertained with this show for the whole month of October.
Emmanuel Guimier54/73Marianne (2019)
Marianne is as beautiful as it is terrifying. The French series follows a best-selling horror author who announces she’s retiring from the genre…only to then find herself being haunted by the very witch she’s spent her career writing about.
©Lions Gate/Courtesy Everett Collection55/73The Haunting in Connecticut (2009)
The Haunting in Connecticut sits soundly in the “there’s something wrong with the house” genre of Halloween movies, and we love it for that.
Seacia Pavao/Netflix56/73The Society (2019)
A group of teens find themselves alone in their town after all of their parents and families have disappeared. While trying to figure out what happened, they also have to deal with murder and other societal problems. It’s more mystical than horror, but it’s super addicting.
CLAY ENOS/NETFLIX57/73Army of the Dead (2021)
Army of the Dead is a solid choice for those times when you're watching with a group of friends because it crosses several genres. It's a high-stakes heist film, an action-packed blockbuster, and a thrilling zombie adventure all in one.
©Universal/Courtesy Everett Collection58/73The Strangers (2008)
Is anything more scary than this home-invasion film starring Liv Tyler and Scott Speedman? We’ve seen a lot of scary movies, but this one still gives us the most chills.
Universal/ Everett Collection59/73Candyman (2021)
This sequel of sorts to the original ’90s classic horror film was praised by critics when it came out in summer 2021. Writes Tanya Christian in her Glamour review, “With exquisite performances from Yahya Abdul-Mateen II, Teyonah Parris, and Colman Domingo, director Nia DaCosta’s reimagining takes the exploration of class and race highlighted in the earlier film and dials it up several notches.”
Everett Collection60/73Twin Peaks (1990)
This famous David Lynch show began with the murder of Laura Palmer and only gets weirder from there. It’s both darkly funny and creepy—a perfect mix to watch on Halloween.
Courtesy Everett Collection61/73Carrie (1976)
You will never look at a school dance the same way again after watching this classic horror film starring Sissy Spacek and John Travolta.
Netflix62/73The Fear Street Trilogy (2021)
Settle in for an epic movie marathon, because this Netflix original consists of three separate movies: Fear Street Part One: 1994, Fear Street Part Two: 1978, and Fear Street Part Three: 1666. Each one is inspired by a different horror subgenre and will have you howling with laughter in between the frights.
Atlaspix / Alamy Stock Photo63/73The Invitation (2015)
Prepare to be very tense for the entirety of this film, which is set at a mysterious dinner party in the hills of Los Angeles. We won’t spoil it for you, but the ending is really…something.
JOHN P. FLEENOR/NETFLIX64/73You (2018)
Every season of this thriller series, starring Penn Badgley as a bookish stalker, somehow manages to up the ante, and the upcoming season three is no different. Prepare yourself, because the madness returns on October 15.
© A24/Everett Collection65/73Hereditary (2018)
Honestly, Toni Collette should have been nominated for all the awards for this Ari Aster movie about grief and mommy issues. We’ll never stop being terrified of that clucking sound her daughter makes, either.
Netflix66/73Haunted (2019)
This reality show features real-life people telling their friends and family creeped-out things that have happened to them. It then portrays these terrifying tales through well-done reenactments.
Courtesy of Netflix67/73Mindhunter (2017)
Because real-life can be so much creepier than any fictional tale: Mindhunter follows FBI Behavioral Science Unit agents Holden (Jonathan Gross) and Bill (Holt McCallany) as they interview some of the country's most notorious serial killers.
Ursula Coyote/Netflix68/73Daybreak (2019)
Teens navigating a postapocalyptic world filled with zombielike creatures and gangs? Sign us up.
Alamy Stock Photo69/73Willy Wonka and the Chocolate Factory (1971)
When you were a kid, it probably seemed both awesome and terrifying to visit Mr. Wonka’s candy-filled factory. Actually, it probably still does as an adult.
Photo Credit: Universal Pictures70/73Ma (2019)
This relatively new psychological horror film has since gained something of a cult following on TikTok, Twitter, and other social media platforms for its truly bonkers plot: A lonely middle-aged woman befriends a group of popular teens, only to terrorize them when they later ditch her.
©Warner Bros/Courtesy Everett Collection71/73Dark Shadows (2012)
You can never go wrong with a Tim Burton film around Halloween. Dark Shadows is his take on the vampire genre—in it, Johnny Depp plays a vampire who has been entombed for hundreds of years. He’s finally released in the 1970s and must adjust to the new world around him.
©Warner Bros/Courtesy Everett Collection72/73Scooby-Doo (2002)
Halloween movies can be light, fun, and mysterious—like this early-aughts Scooby-Doo reboot that stars Sarah Michelle Gellar, Freddie Prinze Jr., Linda Cardellini, and Matthew Lillard.
©Warner Bros/Courtesy Everett Collection73/73It (2017)
Stephen King. Creepy clowns. Enough said.
