As we all know, Tim Burton is a notorious director, and many of his movies are perfect for getting into the Halloween spirit! I’m here to provide you with my personal list of his 10 best movies to watch during the fall.
10. Miss Peregrine’s Home for Peculiar Children
Starting in tenth place, Miss Peregrine’s Home for Peculiar Children is a stunning movie with mysterious themes and a spooky undertone. While this is not a Halloween or fall centered movie, it gets the job done when you’re looking for a comfy movie to watch on a lazy fall afternoon.
9. Edward Scissorhands
Next, in ninth place, Edward Scissorhands does not have any themes I would consider to be relevant to the Halloween season, but that being said, Edward Scissorhands is a classic, and a comfort movie to many. If you need a movie to throw on in the background while baking fall goodies, this is the one for you.
8. Beetlejuice Beetlejuice
Eighth place is home to Beetlejuice Beetlejuice, a movie that would be higher if it weren’t a sequel. I can’t in good conscience place this higher when it benefits heavily off of knowing the original. However, on a day where you have time to watch both the original and the sequel, Beetlejuice Beetlejuice is a great movie to keep the Halloween vibes going.
7. Sweeney Todd: The Demon Barber of Fleet Street
In seventh place is another movie that is not quite centered around Halloween or fall, but Sweeney Todd: The Demon Barber of Fleet Street has dark themes accompanied by humor and musicality that is perfect for a fall night. Especially if you’re a fan of musicals.
6. Charlie and the Chocolate Factory
Coming in at sixth, Charlie and the Chocolate Factory is the perfect addition to your Halloween watchlist. Hear me out on this one, it’s spooky and centered around candy. To me, that makes for a great movie to watch on Halloween if you miss trick-or-treating.
5. Beetlejuice
We’ve made it to the midway point, and fifth place goes to Beetlejuice. This classic is a nice watch all year round, but its themes are highlighted best during Halloween time. It’s not scary per se, which makes it a great movie to watch with the whole family. Beetlejuice is a solid watch to get into the spooky vibes, and its iconic influence can be spotted everywhere during the fall season.
4. Frankenweenie
In fourth place is Frankenweenie, the first stop-motion movie I have mentioned so far. Frankenweenie has notable Halloween features, the most important being the reanimation of Frankenweenie himself. This movie is perfect for a Halloween movie marathon or even just to play in the background while carving pumpkins or baking cookies.
3. Sleepy Hollow
Now we’ve made it to my top three, and third place goes to Sleepy Hollow. This movie is based on the traditional tale of The Headless Horseman, making it an ideal watch during fall, considering the jack-o-lantern imagery, incredibly spooky themes, and dark lighting. A chilly October night would be made perfect with this movie.
2. Corpse Bride
Coming in at second place is my personal favorite Tim Burton movie of all time, Corpse Bride. Even though Corpse Bride isn’t set during Halloween, it’s a classic watch for the season, and the second stop-motion film on this list. It’s a beautiful movie that everyone should watch at least once during the fall season.
1. The Nightmare Before CHRISTMAS
We’ve finally made it to the number one spot, and that rightfully goes to The Nightmare Before Christmas. This movie is not only perfect for Halloween, but also for Christmas, and is a go-to for me every year without fail. The Nightmare Before Christmas is an iconic movie that everyone in the family can watch over and over again without getting tired of it.
All of these Tim Burton movies are impeccable choices for a Halloween movie marathon, but my personal tradition is to watch at least one spooky movie a day for the entire month of October. I would love to see that tradition spread and carry on the Halloween spirit.
Happy October!