Let me clarify that the title of this article is in no way a diss towards Hocus Pocus. I love that movie. I happily watch it each year and I think it’s a perfect encapsulation of 90’s Halloween campiness. My issue is not with the movie itself, but the oversaturation of it in recent years. To be quite honest, I don’t think this is an issue exclusive to Hocus Pocus either. Some of my fondest childhood memories from Halloween include watching all day movie marathons on TV. But nowadays it feels like nostalgia is a brand, and channels want to play only the most popular movies associated with Halloween. Thus, I feel like I’m in an endless cycle of hearing about the same movies over and over.
I wanted to recommend some films that I personally had on repeat as a child. I know that most of them aren’t perfect, but they have a cozy charm to them that can evoke the feeling of being a kid around the holidays. I also wanted to include some films that I’ve added to my October rotation recently (aka I watched them after I turned 12 and the lack of trick-or-treating took away a lot of the magic). Additionally, I’ll be listing them in ascending order of how scary I personally think each of them are. There’s nothing too extreme; you won’t find anything like Terrifier on this list. But some could definitely be considered a little more than “creepy.”
Monster High:Ghouls RUle (2012)
This one is very nostalgic for me. I was obsessed with the Monster High doll line in elementary school. Honestly you could watch any of the direct-to-video Monster High specials during the month of October but I specifically put Ghouls Rule because the plot is tied back to Halloween and I have very cozy memories of watching it with my grandma. She recorded it when it aired on Nickelodeon one year and we watched it together countless times. The animation and dialogue is definitely dated, but I think that’s part of the charm. It just feels like an after-school Halloween special that a children’s TV network would spend the whole month hyping up. If you don’t know much about Monster High beforehand you might be a bit confused, but if my grandma could comprehend it I think the average viewer will be okay. As a kid I loved how fashionable the characters were and I DESPERATELY wanted the tie-in dolls that the movie was made to sell. Ghoul’s Rule is a comforting trip down memory lane and girlhood for me, and I hope there are others out there that feel the same.
GOOSEBUMPS (2015)
Another movie that I have nostalgic Halloween memories for. My parents took my sister and I to see it on Halloween night 2015. I remember feeling so special that they allowed me to wear my costume in the theater. But aside from that, I still think this version of Goosebumps holds up pretty well. Rather than just adapting one or two stories from the 90s book series, the movie takes a meta approach to its source material. It feels like an appreciation of the cheesiness that is so ingrained in both the book series and original TV adaptation. The CGI is done very well and surprisingly aids in making some of the monsters a bit frightening. Another plus to the movie is Jack Black’s performance as a fictionalized version of R.L. Stine, the writer behind the book series. Nowadays I’ve seen lots of complaints about Jack Black regarding him playing the same type of character, but his take on R.L. Stine as an uptight, overprotective mentor figure is very different from the roles he’s associated with now. I also thought that the teenage side characters were going to be a lot more annoying than they actually ended up being. Overall, I consider Goosebumps to be a good family Halloween treat.
Also I pretend the 2018 sequel didn’t happen. There is no Goosebumps 2: Haunted Halloween in Ba Sing Se.
SCOOBY-DOO! ON ZOMBIE ISLAND (1998)
There are so many direct-to-video Scooby-Doo movies to choose from, but Zombie Island absolutely terrified me as a child. Granted, I was a very easily scared kid but this movie being “scarier” than usual was how it was marketed, so you can’t blame me too much. The selling point was that the monsters were real rather than some random bank teller in a mask. It follows the Mystery Inc. gang on a trip to the fictional Moonscar Island of the Louisiana swamps. Unsurprisingly they encounter the undead, and hijinks ensue. I think the movie strikes a good balance between the expected goofiness of Scooby and Shaggy with the darker subject matter. Yes, technically it’s for kids, but the true story of Moonscar Island revealed in the plot twist is quite disturbing when you consider its implications. The music and animation add to the unsettling atmosphere. I definitely admire this movie for doing something ambitious with the Scooby-Doo source material, especially for the time it came out. By now we’re all used to edgy takes on the Scooby-Doo formula, but in 1998 the franchise still had a reputation of being squeaky clean Saturday morning fluff. Zombie Island, as well as its follow-ups The Witch’s Ghost and Alien Invaders, definitely shook things up. I’d even go as far as to argue it laid the groundwork for the live action Scooby-Doo films to be as bold as they were.
LISA FRANKENSTEIN (2024)
A more recent pick that I watched on Peacock, Lisa Frankenstein is a different take on Mary Shelley’s classic novel. The Creature in this film is unknowingly brought to life by 80s teen outcast Lisa Swallows. They begin to form a romantic connection, committing more than a few murders along the way. Kathryn Newton does a great job portraying Lisa’s awkwardness and vulnerability. She’s building a reputation as a modern scream queen, with her performances in other horror projects such as Freaky (2020) and Abigail (2024) drawing praise. I was also pleasantly surprised by Cole Sprouse as The Creature. He’s mainly known nowadays for playing Jughead on the CW drama Riverdale, a show that’s notorious for having its fair share of ridiculous moments. My expectations weren’t exactly low for his acting, but he definitely delivered a lot better than I initially thought. Maybe I like it because he doesn’t talk. He portrays The Creature like a sad, clingy dog, which I think works considering the character is implied to have died young and heartbroken. I also liked how Taffy, Lisa’s stepsister, doesn’t fall into the stereotypical “mean popular cheerleader” trope. She’s a bit ditzy and slightly misguided, but you can tell that she does genuinely care for Lisa at the end of the day. It would’ve been so easy to make her just as nasty towards Lisa as her mother and pile on the misfortune, but I like the unexpected direction they took her in. I also derived some of my enjoyment from how the snappy dialogue and angst-ridden characters reminded me of Jennifer’s Body (2009), one of my favorite cult classics. This is probably because both films share a screenwriter in the form of Diablo Cody, who also wrote the indie hit Juno (2007).
PRACTICAL MAGIC (1998)
If fall were a movie it would be this one. Sandra Bullock and Nicole Kidman star as two witch sisters living in a small seaside town with their aunts in one of the most comforting houses ever put to screen. After accidentally killing Gilly’s abusive boyfriend, the girls scramble to cover it up. Unfortunately, dabbling in that kind of magic seems to create more problems than it solves. It was such a fun watch. Every outfit Gilly (Nicole Kidman) wore I needed in my closet yesterday. I love the two aunt characters, they were delightfully eccentric. As an older sister I grew very attached to Sally (Sandra Bullock), and her tendency to assume responsibility for everything around her was very relatable. I always forget what a good actress Sandra Bullock is and then I watch a movie she’s in and remember why I like her. There’s a legacy sequel that just wrapped production and is expected to be released next year, but I’m a bit concerned. I haven’t enjoyed many legacy sequels to popular fall/Halloween movies, and I was especially disappointed with both Hocus Pocus 2 (2022) and Beetlejuice Beetlejuice (2024). I thought both films lacked a lot of the charm and fun of the original, and I think a lot of that charm comes from when they were released. The 90s and 80s film quality subconsciously adds to my enjoyment of both films, and I’m not sure it translates as well when I can tell that everyone in the sequel has seen an iPhone before. I worry that the sequel to Practical Magic will fall into the same trap that the aforementioned movies did; the original has such a cozy atmosphere already. I’ll admit I’m a little doubtful that the sequel will bring the same sense of comfort and warmth.
Blade: Trinity (2004)
IN NO WAY AM I RECOMMENDING THIS MOVIE BECAUSE IT IS GOOD. IT IS NOT. IT IS VERY NOTORIOUSLY BAD. But I love a movie that is so bad it loops back around to being hilarious. Every single line of dialogue is astoundingly awful. There is not a single good acting performance in the entire 2-hour duration. Ryan Reynolds’ character is one of the most obnoxious ever put to screen. Wesley Snipes doesn’t want to be there in the slightest. Parker Posey wears these comically large fangs on her bottom teeth that make it impossible for her to look intimidating or even deliver her lines clearly (but honestly her dialogue is so bad that I don’t even blame her for struggling to get through it). A fun game to play with friends during your viewing experience would be to take a sip of your drink…
- Whenever a ridiculous line of dialogue is said (bonus points if it’s Ryan Reynolds).
- Whenever Kris Kristofferson acts like he would rather be anywhere else than in this movie.
- Whenever Wesley Snipes (Blade himself) looks and sounds bored out of his mind.
- Whenever there is a bad special effect.
- Whenever someone drops an unnecessary f-bomb (bonus points if it’s Ryan Reynolds).
- Whenever one of the vampire actors can’t deliver their line clearly because of the false fangs.
The legendary Dracula is the main antagonist and he is literally just some guy named Drake. This is very funny to me for some reason. According to multiple cast and crew members it’s honestly a miracle that this movie even got made due to so much drama behind the scenes. Allegedly Wesley Snipes refused to open his eyes during a final scene where Blade awakens from unconsciousness. To supplement this, computer generated eyes were placed over Snipes’ own. It is hysterical. This is a movie so comically bad it must be seen to be believed. It’s kind of upsetting when you consider what an influential role the original Blade (1998) played in establishing legitimacy for comic book movies and making superheroes cool. Arguably it laid the groundwork for the MCU as we know it today. It just sucks that this trilogy ended so badly and I hope that there’s a better cinematic future for the character soon.
THE FACULTY (1998)
I watched this for free with ads on YouTube one random night last October and ended up liking it a lot more than I thought I would. It’s very reminiscent of Scream (1996) when it comes to its characters and dialogue, as it was penned by the same writer Kevin Williamson. I was also surprised to see that the film was directed by the prolific Robert Rodriguez, known for his diverse range of directing credits. The cast was a who’s who of up-and-coming stars of the time, including Josh Hartnett (Trap), Elijah Wood (The Lord of the Rings franchise), and R&B star Usher. The Faculty is more of a science fiction than horror. Alien parasites take over a high school Body Snatchers-style and a small group of the uninfected must figure out how to stop them before the invasion goes worldwide. Unfortunately the special effects are pretty dated and there’s a dumb teacher-student relationship plotline. It goes nowhere and the movie wouldn’t have changed much without it. But the ideas are there, and I think if the special effects were better the alien horror would’ve been a lot more terrifying rather than slightly silly. Despite its shortcomings, I appreciate the movie for trying. It takes on some pretty ambitious science fiction concepts and I can’t fault it for being creative. Another point in the movie’s favor is the main group of teens. Often the characters in these wannabe Scream horror films from the late 90s and early 2000s aren’t very developed and only exist to be fodder for the villain. However, this group is very distinguishable from one another and I rooted for them to succeed outside of stopping the world from being mind-controlled. Elijah Wood specifically is very good in this and the movie even subverted my expectations by having his nerdy character save the day in the end. I fully expected cool guy Zeke (Hartnett) to be the primary protagonist and call all the shots, but each character and their motivations get relatively equal screen time for the most part. Overall, I consider this to be the most underrated movie on this list.
Stephen King’s Cat’s Eye (1985)
This is a special case, as it’s the only film on this list that I haven’t seen in full yet. It’s a horror anthology containing three stories, and I’ve only ever seen one of them. The thing is, nobody ever knows what I’m talking about whenever I mention this movie. In the segment I watched, the cat protagonist is taken in by a young Drew Barrymore, much to the chagrin of her parents. As it turns out, the girl’s room is being haunted by an evil little troll living in the walls that wants to steal her breath…for some reason. The cat must save Drew Barrymore from the troll while trying not to be thrown out onto the streets by her parents.
Yeah, I probably wouldn’t know what I was talking about either.
It’s been a bit since I’ve watched it as it’s pretty hard to find on any streaming services without paying for it. But I do remember being terrified of that stupid troll and for a long time I would sleep with a blanket over my mouth out of fear that he was coming for my breath too. I wouldn’t exactly say to watch this because of its quality, I just have a lot of personal memories tied to it because for the longest time I was convinced it was a weird dream I had. However, if you’re interested in seeing something wacky or you like cats, I’d recommend watching that specific segment. It also takes place here in North Carolina. Who knows, maybe one day I’ll watch the whole thing.
ready or not (2019)
In Ready or Not, we follow Grace as she marries into the generational wealth of the Le Domas family. According to their wedding night traditions (and a deal with a demonic force), a game must be played at midnight to induct new members into the family. Unfortunately for Grace, she pulls the hide-and-seek card, meaning that her new in-laws will hunt her down and she must find a way to survive until dawn. There’s a lot to enjoy here, especially the standout performance of modern scream queen Samara Weaving. She does an excellent job portraying Grace’s development into a capable force against the family both mentally and physically. While there is definitely some horror and gore, Ready or Not is more of a black comedy. The comedic timing is brought to life excellently by the assortment of side characters, with the clueless sister Emilie and her dimwitted husband being standouts. The movie also looks gorgeous. The real-life backdrop for the Le Domas estate was Casa Loma, a gothic revival architecture marvel located in Toronto. It’s utilized for some entertaining action set pieces and helped add to the overall tone of the movie. Grace’s wedding dress is also a core piece of the film’s iconography, showing her character progression as it gets bloodier and more tattered. The costuming in particular is very well done, and it lets us infer about the characters without having to explicitly tell us “Oh, Aunt Helene is frigid and uptight.” Now is also a perfect time to watch Ready or Not, as it has a sequel, Ready or Not 2: Here I Come, set to be released in April of next year. Samara Weaving will be joined by Buffy Summers herself Sarah Michelle Gellar, as well as Elijah Wood and Lisa Frankenstein’s Kathryn Newton. Unlike my feelings regarding Practical Magic 2, I have high hopes for this sequel and it’s one of my most anticipated releases of 2026.
fright night (2011)
This is a horror remake I actually ended up enjoying. While it’s not better than the original, I like that it has its own vibe. Like The Faculty, it has an absurdly stacked cast for no reason. Colin Farrell, Toni Collette, and David Tennant are just some of the talents present. Like the 1985 original, the film follows teenager Charley Brewster as he discovers that his seductive new neighbor is secretly a vampire. When no one believes him, he takes matters into his own hands to save Las Vegas from becoming a vampire hotspot. One leg up that the original has is its use of practical effects. I’ve always considered the lack of computer generated graphics in 80s horror to be the defining factor in why I consider them so much scarier than a lot of modern releases. I think the 2011 remake goes overboard with the CGI on the vampires. The exaggerated teeth and expressions make them look a little goofy to me. But other than that I really liked this movie. Colin Farrell is the obvious standout as the vampire in question. He portrays Jerry Dandridge like a predatory animal, making him a legitimate threat in addition to his alluring nature. Anton Yelchin struck the perfect balance between making Charley “cool”, but also being a dork at the same time. The movie was a lot more comedic than I expected too. A lot of horror remakes around this time took the route of amping up the violence and making everything gritty and dark. While there are definitely scenes of suspense and some genuine scares, I like that the movie doesn’t seem to take itself too seriously. I mean, it has vampire McLovin for crying out loud. This movie didn’t need to exist, but I view it as more of an homage to the original rather than a one-up attempt, a mistake that a lot of remakes fall into. There’s definitely an air of early 2010s humor and writing overall, which I admit doesn’t work for everyone. I enjoy it because I grew up in that specific era and harbor nostalgia for it. You can tell it came out in 2011 and you know what? I’m okay with that.
BONUS: Some Halloween TV Specials for your Viewing Enjoyment
- Goosebumps (1995-1998) Season 1 Episodes 1 & 2, The Haunted Mask
- Community (2009-2015) Season 2 Episode 6, Epidemiology
- Smiling Friends (2022-) Season 1 Episode 4, A Silly Halloween Special
- Gravity Falls (2012-2014) Season 1 Episode 12, Summerween
- Abbott Elementary (2021-) Season 4 Episode 4, Costume Contest
- Freaks and Geeks (1999-2000) Season 1 Episode 3, Tricks and Treats