Grab some candy and popcorn, get the lights and grab a blanket or two, and sit back and relax because it’s movie night with your friends. With a midterm week filled with late-night studying and constant coffee runs, a movie night is one of the best ways to relax and de-stress with friends. Sticking with the Halloween theme this October, here are some films, both young and old, that everyone can enjoy–whether you scare easily or not! Halloween may be over but it’s never too late to watch some of our favorite Halloween movies!
1. Halloweentown (1998)
A Disney classic, what 90’s kid didn’t want to live in the world of Halloweentown? Produced by Disney, the holy-grail studio for producing Halloween hits, Halloweentown follows three (apparently magical) siblings as they discover a mystical town, that, as the name implies, is decked out entirely in a Halloween theme. The film went on to gain three sequels, Halloweentown II: Kalabar’s Revenge (2001) and Halloweentown High (2004), though the original one is still arguably the best.
Who could forget the Sanderson sisters? Perhaps one of the most loved Halloween movies of all time, Hocus Pocus is watched almost religiously during the month of October. In 2013, Hocus Pocus marked 20 years since its release, and the film still frequently ranks highly on lists of popular Halloween movies. Hocus Pocus follows the revival of three witches who were hanged in the 1600’s and their quest to gain revenge and everlasting youth. Of course, their plot is foiled by a group of teenagers!
3. Twitches (2005)Go Twitches! Twitches is a tale of two teen witches separated at birth, who meet on their 21st birthday and then use their magical powers to save their biological mother from evil. A proper Disney classic.
4. The Haunted Mansion (2003)
Based on the well-known Disney attraction, The Haunted Mansion is a film starring Eddie Murphy that follows the story of one family as they battle ghosts in an attempt to rid a house of its treacherous curse.
5. Mom’s Got a Date with a Vampire (2000)
Who doesn’t remember this film as a kid? Two children set their mother up with a mysterious man, not realizing he may be one of the undead! A classic.
6. The Nightmare before Christmas (1993)Who can’t get that catchy, creepy triumph of a song called “This Is Halloween” out of their heads? Every year, debates come up about whether this is a Halloween movie or a Christmas movie, but regardless of when you decide to watch it, Tim Burton’s The Nightmare Before Christmas is undoubtedly fit for both holidays. Featuring ghouls and ghosts of all kinds, this movie is another popular choice for Halloween lovers everywhere. It follows Jack Skellington and his mission to take over Christmas and essentially turn it into a second Halloween.
7. The Craft (1996)The creepier, meaner version of mean girls, this film follows a trio of high-school girls at a Catholic prep school who dabble in witchcraft as they welcome a new girl with actual powers.Think of it as Heathers with spells but instead featuring a one of a kind, sinister performance by Fairuza Balk as Nancy.
8. Practical Magic (1998)
Who could forget the iconic dancing scene in the kitchen, as the aunts and two sisters perform? This is as close to a Halloween-themed rom-com as you’re going to get. Nicole Kidman and Sandra Bullock play the last in their family’s line of witches, who battle the disapproving members of their small town and a curse that dooms any man they fall in love with.
9. Scream (1996)The 1996 slasher film, directed by A Nightmare on Elm Street‘s Wes Craven, follows high school student Sidney Prescott (Neve Campbell), who is terrorized by a killer known as Ghostface one year after the death of her mother.
10. Halloween (1978)The first film in the seemingly never-ending horror franchise is the best of the bunch. The 1978 film tells the story of the evil Michael Myers, who breaks out of prison to return to the same spot where he murdered his sister 15 years prior. We’ve seen numerous adaptations, but John Carpenter’s original endures as an out-and-out classic.
12. The Addams Family (1991)The Addams family are #goals. No, but really this film is a classic must-watch. Come join The Addams Family for a hilarious scare fest of this season or any other! When long-lost Uncle Fester reappears after twenty-five years in the Bermuda Triangle, Gomez and Morticia plan a celebration to wake the dead. Wednesday barely has time to warm up her electric chair before Thing points out Fester’s uncommonly “normal” behavior. Could this Fester be a fake, part of an evil scheme to raid the Addams Family fortune?
13. Ghostbusters (1984) Who you gonna call? This story follows three parapsychologists who are called to investigate some recent paranormal activity. They encounter the ghost of a dead librarian, but are frightened away when she transforms into a horrifying monster. After losing their jobs at Colombia University, the trio establishes an elimination service known as “Ghostbusters”.
14. It’s the Great Pumpkin Charlie Brown (1966)Want a little something more family-friendly and less scary? This holiday version of the beloved Peanuts comic strip is the one for you. Blanket-bearing Linus waits for the mythical Great Pumpkin while Charlie Brown frets about going to a Halloween party. Spoiler alert: everything turns out just fine for everyone.
15. A Nightmare on Elm Street (1984)A Nightmare on Elm Street is Wes Craven’s scary 1980’s tale of Freddy Krueger, a knife-gloved serial killer who murders people in their dreams. Watch this one if you never want to get a good night’s sleep ever again. Plus, Johnny Depp is in it!
16. Sleepy Hollow (1999)Directed by Tim Burton and starring Johnny Depp, Johnny Depp’s character takes on Washington Irving’s famed tale of Ichabod Crane and the Headless Horseman.
17. It (2017 version and 1990)Adapted from American horror legend Stephan King’s 1986 novel, It is a tale about a group of teens who band together to fight a creepy clown called Pennywise, who terrorizes kids in their hometown every 27 years.
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