What better way to embrace the spirit of Halloween than to host a movie night in with your bestie? Grab the popcorn, pop and a few of these classics for a guaranteed ghostly night-in. Not a scary movie fanatic? No worries! There’s a Halloween flick for everyone.
1. Halloween (1978)
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The classic of the classics; Michael Myers is the real deal. It’s 1963 and on Halloween night, he stabbed his sister to death. After years in a mental institution, he escapes and returns to the town to kill. Put this one at the top of your list, and prepare to jump… many times.
2. Hocus Pocus (1993)
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This silly comedy isn’t the scariest of them all, but sets the perfect Halloween mood as three witches return to Salem, Massachusetts, after 300 years from being accidentally resurrected by teenagers. If that doesn’t convince you, did I mention Sarah Jessica Parker plays the role of one of the witches? She’s fabulous. In order to keep their immortality, they have to take a life of a child, so the teens will do anything it takes to stop them. Expect lots of laughs!
3. Halloweentown (1998)
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A Disney Channel classic, this one’s for all of us. Three siblings who aren’t allowed to celebrate Halloween run away with their grandmother, and they soon discover she’s a witch from a place called Halloweentown. Ask any ’90s kid – this upbeat film never gets old.
4. Scream (1996)
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There may be four movies now, but the original Scream is timeless. In a small town, a ghost-faced psychopath who has seen one too many scary movies stalks, taunts, and kills victims of a small town, one by one. The killer could be anybody…
5. Casper (1995)
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This one will warm your heart and make you want to find a ghost best friend! Uplifting and friendly with a few fun spooks, Casper’s a perfect feel-good Halloween vibe. Helpful tip: Pop this one in after an extremely scary horror film to ensure a good night’s sleep.
6. Friday the 13th (1980)
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Calling all camp counselors! This horror flick will give you the creeps as a group of counselors are stalked and tortured by an unknown killer that haunts the campground. Could it be Jason who drowned in the lake 30 years before? See for yourself.
7. Beetle Juice (1988)
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After a couple dies in a car accident, Barbara and Adam Maitland become stuck to their residence and are unable to leave their house for 150 years. When an obnoxious family moves in, the couple’s attempt to scare them off fails. A rowdy spirit named Beetlejuice offers his help to the Maitlands, which ends up putting the couple and the new family in danger.
8. The Nightmare Before Christmas (1993)
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The Pumpkin King of Halloween Town becomes tired of the city’s traditional holiday that everyone prepares for each year. He soon finds himself in Christmas Town taking over the holiday and kidnapping Santa. A Halloween story with a hint of Christmas… what could be better?
9. The Amityville Horror (2005)
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This remake starring Ryan Reynolds tells the tale about a family that’s forced to relocate into a new home, completely unaware of a mass murder that took place in the house the year before. They begin to uncover demonic forces in the home, and have to face the music. You’ll want to leave the lights on tonight…
10. Nightmare on Elm Street (1984)
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Saving one of the best for last, this Wes Craven classic is for my fellow horror movie lovers! I think we can all relate to fighting the urge to fall asleep (hello, college) and dozing off at the wrong times. Midwestern teenagers fall into to Freddy Krueger’s hands, and disfigured Krueger preys on the teenagers in their dreams. What kills them in their dreams kills them in reality. Try not to pull the covers over your eyes for this slasher film… it’s pretty much impossible.