Halloween is one of the best times to get together with your friends and have a scary or creepy movie marathon! From Disney Channel Original Movies to 80s classics, our contributors share our favorite movies to watch around Halloween.
Margaux Carmel
Horror movies are my jam. Specifically, 80s and 90s classics, like the A Nightmare on Elm Street franchise, the Scream franchise (which I wrote an article on this year) and the Friday the 13th franchise. I haven’t watched them all, but I love watching them all the same. However, I draw the line at Chucky. Creepy dolls are a hard limit for me. I don’t even know how I got through Annabelle …
Emily Tsoi
Halloween movies have never been my thing. Growing up as a Disney Channel kid, I despised when October rolled around as all they would play were the Halloweentown movies or Twitches. I mean Halloweentown isn’t terrible, but it’s not my favorite. I can’t watch horror or anything paranormal as it gets me paranoid. I watched Scream once, though, and thought it was okay. So, I guess my question is, does Monsters, Inc. count as a Halloween movie since it’s about monsters? If so then that’s my favorite.
Nina Fichera
This is going to sound weird, but Monster High: Ghouls Rule! Okay, yes. I’m not a huge horror fan—I can barely stomach a lot of it—and I’ve been a fan of Monster High since the franchise began years ago. Ghouls Rule! is surprisingly one of, if not the only, Halloween-themed Monster High movies, and I still rewatch it around Halloween to this day … Or I would’ve if I had the DVD and a DVD player with me.
Nicole Kemmett
As somebody who hates horror and loves claymation, my favorites are tied. The Nightmare Before Christmas is a Tim Burton classic and I can sing the songs all October and December, but Coraline ties with it. For months after seeing Coraline, I wanted a doll with button eyes so badly that I tried to make one, but sewing has never been my strong suit …
Mia Serritella
Absolutely, unequivocally, Scream. Not because it’s a “good Halloween movie,” but because it’s absolutely hilarious. One of the biggest names in the movie (Drew Barrymore) gets killed off in the opening scene. They couldn’t get Johnny Depp after literally writing a part for him so they cast a look alike. And oh my god Matthew Lilard aka Shaggy from Scooby-Doo aka Brock Hudson from She’s All That plays *spoiler alert* one the bad guys. He single handedly delivers some of the best lines from the movie, like “I’m feelin’ a little woozy here!,” “my mom and dad are going to be so mad at me” and my personal favorite, when asked what he’s going to say his motive was, he replies, “peer pressure, I’m far too sensitive.” I’m a Mathhew Lilard fan first and a person second.
Lily Connerton
Okay, I can’t argue with the fact that Tim Burton’s The Nightmare Before Christmas is a Halloween classic, but in my opinion, Burton’s Corpse Bride outshines it by a long shot. As a lover of all things spooky, the tragic, not quite romance of Victor and corpse Emily has always spoken to me. Not to mention, the soundtrack of this movie is amazing, and it’s animated in classic Burton fashion, fitting to the melancholy plot line. Definitely worth a mention is another Tim Burton great, Edward Scissorhands, because you can never have too many (spooky) tragic love stories.
Rebecca Williamson
The first and only thing that came to mind is Hocus Pocus which is technically a Disney movie. It’s directed by the amazing Kenny Ortega who has directed or choreographed so many of my favorite Disney movies and my latest TV show obsession, Julie and the Phantoms on Netflix. I guess that’s a bit Halloween-y too because it’s a show about ghosts, but I digress. I hate horror movies because I scare easily, and I can’t remember most of the older Disney originals, though I do plan on re-watching them all. If I had to choose another Disney movie, I also love Girl vs. Monster because of the incredible music. I’ve always been a sucker for movie musicals.
Mira Jaeger
I love horror! It’s probably my favorite genre of film. If you haven’t seen Creep with Mark Duplass, it’s a must-watch. Be sure to check the parents’ guide for content warnings, but it’s one of the most adept films I’ve ever seen at building tension over a period of time. It’s short too, only a little over an hour!
Julia Clancy
My pick isn’t really a movie, but bare with me. In 2005, Disney aired the masterpiece that is “The Ghost of Suite 613” from The Suite Life of Zack & Cody. I was a HUGE Disney kid growing up and I can honestly say that this Halloween special is the best thing that Disney Channel has EVER done. Even watching it back now (I do believe it’s available on Disney+, but the episode can also be found on Youtube), I STILL get scared, and I’ve seen quite a few unsettling horror movies in my day. I always stream the episode at least once during “spooky season” and I definitely recommend that you all do too. Plus, who doesn’t want to watch prepubescent Dylan and Cole Sprouse; they’re adorable!
Emma Belica
My boyfriend and I love to watch random horror movies we’ve found on Netflix. So far the best one we’ve found is Scream. Now standing as my favorite horror movie I’ve seen, it’s one I find myself always wanting to come back to. I also absolutely loved Hereditary. I saw it in theaters with a few of my friends and I actually, physically cried during this one scene because it’s so bone-chilling. If you haven’t seen it, I highly recommend checking it out.
Lucy Laats
I’m not usually one for horror movies, but currently my favorite is Coraline. I watched it in my friend’s apartment while we were (badly) dying shirts for a costume. It was horrifying, but also fascinating, and I loved the animation style.
Grab yourself some popcorn because there’s a lot to choose from!