It’s that time of year again, folks! The time when the leaves crunch underfoot, the time to wear cardigans, the time to eat candy corn, and the time to watch Halloween movies!
Personally, I’m not the biggest fan of ~horror~ movies. Jump-scares are something that my nightmares feed on, so I try to avoid them. But I do still enjoy some spooky tales, so I’ve compiled my favorites for you to enjoy!
- Halloweentown (1998)
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This Disney Channel original is a classic! It follows the story of 13-year-old Marnie as she discovers that her bloodline is full of witches and warlocks and that they all live in a magical place––Halloweentown. Marnie, her brother, and younger sister follow their grandma to Halloweentown and discover that all the creatures are under some sort of spell that are making them truly wicked. They go on a wacky adventure to create a magic potion while meeting some of Halloweentown’s residents.
With an all-star cast consisting of Debbie Reynold, Kimberly J. Brown, and Judith Hoag, this family-friendly classic is available to stream on Disney+ and Hulu with a premium subscription. It will also air the morning of Halloween on Freeform’s 31 Nights of Halloween.
- Corpse Bride (2005)
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Nothing says Halloween like good old-fashioned Tim Burton stop-motion, right? This movie tells the tale of nervous Victor, a man in an arranged marriage with his love Victoria. While practicing his vows in the forest, he thinks he places the wedding ring on an old tree branch. He actually places it on the skeletal finger of Emily, a woman who was killed after eloping with her love. Convinced that it was a real marriage proposal, Emily drags Victor to the underworld so they can get married. Victor has to use his wit to race against the clock to try to escape before he becomes a resident of the underworld.
This spooktacular film has an outstanding cast, including Johnny Depp,
- E.T. the Extra-Terrestrial (1982)
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This Steven Spielberg classic is loved by all, and takes place in October and on Halloween night, so of course, it’s a Halloween film! It tells the story of Eliot, a little boy who finds a stranded alien. Eliot decides to keep the alien, name it E.T., and to introduce him to his siblings. They keep him safe, until one-day E.T. gets very sick. The government intervenes, which leads to unfortunate events for Eliot and E.T.
This beloved classic has stars including Dee Wallace, Peter Coyote, Drew Barrymore, and Henry Thomas, and is available to stream on Netflix, Hulu, and Amazon Prime.
- Literally any of the Harry Potter series.
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Now, I know these aren’t technically Halloween movies… but, there are witches, wizards, trolls, magic, and they’re just quintessential films! No matter where you start in the series, there’s going to be spooky things that just feel right at this time of year. I would recommend the first movie, Harry Potter and the Sorcerer’s Stone (2001), as it introduces you to the magical world, and there is a Halloween scene.
The series is available to stream on Amazon Prime, and Peacock (a free NBC streaming platform).
- Hocus Pocus (1993)
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This list would simply be incomplete if I didn’t mention this movie at least once. Hocus Pocus is a film that was underappreciated when it was first released, but since its release, it has gained a passionate fan base. In case you’ve never seen it, the story follows Max as he takes his little sister Dani out trick-or-treating. They run into Max’s crush, Allison, and as an attempt to impress her, Max suggests they go to a famous witches’ house. While sneaking around, Max lights the infamous black-flame candle, which resurrects the three notorious Sanderson Sister witches. Max, Allison, Dani, and a talking cat named Binx, race against the rising sun to steal the witches’ spell book so they will die at sunrise.
This classic has a cast just as iconic, including Bette Midler, Sarah Jessica Parker, Kathy Najimy, Thora Birch, Vinessa Shaw, and Omri Katz. It is available to stream on Disney+ and is airing twice on Freeform’s 31 Nights of Halloween on Halloween night.
I hope you enjoy these laid-back spooky classics. Happy Halloween!