One of the most important weekends in a college student’s year is Halloween weekend—or Halloweekend, if you’re feeling festive.
It’s not only the weekend of the year to go out and party with friends, but also a time to let your personality and interests shine through in a new and exciting way. Some people love a funny or nostalgic costume, while others go all-out with glamorous or hyper-realistic looks. And while I’ve enjoyed costumes of all kinds, there’s one genre that will always have a special place in my heart: horror.
As a horror movie buff and lifelong Halloween enthusiast, there’s nothing I love more than dressing for the occasion in a costume inspired by a thrilling character in an easy and affordable way.
So whether you’ve been planning your Halloween look since July or you just realized October 31st is around the corner, this comprehensive list might just inspire your next spooky outfit.
Vampire
While it may sound basic, the classic vampire costume has the potential to take on any style! You and a partner could be Edward and Bella from Twilight, Lestat and Louis from the Interview with a Vampire show; or you could even be any variation of Dracula or Nosferatu.
The beauty of the classic vampire costume isn’t just that you can dress it up sexy or take a modest twist on the monster, but also that you can choose from a multitude of vampires to take on that night – as long as you promise not to drink anyone’s blood.
Jennifer Check – Jennifer’s Body
Jennifer’s Body was a global success beyond comprehension in 2009 as Megan Fox and Amanda Seyfried stunned audiences for their friends to enemies arc (which may have been a little more than just friends…). Similarly to a Vampire and other costumes coming up on this list, Jennifer Check is a great example of an easy costume that can be versatile!
From her cheerleader uniform to her iconic heart-print zip-up or formal dress, there is no feasible shortage of inspiration that one can pull from Jennifer’s Body.
Patrick Bateman – American Psycho
American Psycho’s Patrick Bateman is a psychologically terrifying character at his core, but for the purposes of this Halloween, he is one of the easiest costumes to throw together last-minute!
As long as you have basic business formal on hand, you have the ability to dress as Patrick Bateman with a white button down, suit jacket, black skirt or pants, and even a clear raincoat if you have one on-hand. Even more, some smudged red lipstick can give your costume a feminine twist if that is something you are looking for!
Maxine – X
Maxine Minx from X was the star of a perfect trilogy, but you can have the perfect night out with only some blue eye shadow and your favorite pair of overalls.
Pennywise – IT
It’s easy to say that since his big screen debut in 1990, and again in 2016, Pennywise the Clown from IT has been one of the scariest clowns in cinema; but with a simple white dress, some red face makeup, a bow, and a balloon – you can completely copy his style!
Emily – Corpse Bride
A Tim Burton classic and an iconic animation, Emily from The Corpse Bride is not only a pillar of the spooky season in her own right, but a perfect character to take on for this Halloween. With a simple white or blue dress, you already have the base layer of the costume.
If you really want to go the extra mile, bring some dead and wilted flowers to get further into the character. Even with a little bit of makeup to make you really look like the undead Emily, everyone will be saying: “always the bridesmaid, never the bride”.
Carrie – Carrie
Carrie from Carrie is a classic scream queen known as being her own monster, but she is also the perfect example of an easy and fun Halloween costume. With a pink dress, a tiara, and maybe some fake blood, even I may be scared you’re gonna use your psychic abilities!
Sidney Prescott – Scream
We all know Scream for its iconic Ghostface mask, even if you haven’t seen the film. The iconic 1996 cult classic is not only responsible for that iconic scene of Drew Barrymore on the phone, but also has yielded six spin-offs!
For a film as iconic as Scream, what better way to honor its first final girl, Sidney Prescott, than to dress as her for this Halloween? All you need for this costume is a jean jacket, some fake blood for your forehead, and a classic 90s blowout!
Sophie, Bee, Emma, Jordan – Bodies, Bodies, Bodies
Bodies, Bodies, Bodies was an immediate hit in 2022 with a star-studded cast and a quirky twist on a hilarious murder-mystery. Easy to throw together, all you need is some casual, layered clothes and glow stick necklaces; and if you and your friends really want to go all out, wet your hair and throw on some makeup to make yourselves look worn out from a long night of accusing your friends of murder.
This costume is also perfect for all groups, individuals, or couples to execute – just choose your character and commit! Even better, this is a more unique costume, so I can promise that almost no one will be copying you this Halloween if you pop out as one of these Gen Z pop-culture icons.
Jack and Wendy Torrance – The Shining
This cult classic is well known on Halloween for the “Shining Twins” costume, regularly worn by twins or best friends, but one couples costume that I would love to see more is Jack and Wendy Torrance. Easy to execute, all you and your partner need is a red plaid shirt for one individual and a blue robe layered on top of a turtleneck for the other.
Halloween is a fun time for everyone of all ages and interests to show off their style! I hope that if you were in a pinch and needed a last-minute costume, I may have inspired you to try something new or throw together a fire costume from your own closet!