Her Campus Logo Her Campus Logo
SJSU | Culture > Entertainment

Halloween Movies to Watch Because It’s Officially Spooky Season!

Her Campus Placeholder Avatar
Alexa Cuevas Student Contributor, San Jose State University
This article is written by a student writer from the Her Campus at SJSU chapter and does not reflect the views of Her Campus.

Hey boo! It is officially October, and that means spooky season is finally here! Ah, the beginning of fall, sweater weather, and Halloween movies.

I’ve made a list of my top favorite movies to watch to get in the Halloween spirit. This list is mostly PG since I do not like horror movies.

So fear not! This is a horror safe list for those of you who do not like watching haunted dolls, scary clowns, and not being able to sleep at night.

Cozy up with a warm blanket, some hot chocolate, or a piece of pumpkin pie, and get in the spooky spirit!

“The Nightmare Before Christmas”

eFhw

Jack Skellington’s silhouette in front of the moon. Photo fromo Pastemagazine.com

This is my top favorite Halloween movie of all time. This movie is about Jack Skellington (the Pumpkin King) finding a love for Christmas and deciding it is time for a change from always celebrating Halloween and doing the same thing every year.

However, things take a turn. The soundtrack for this film is one of the greatest, and the vibes are immaculate.

“Corpse Bride”

w58nVzfuyME Irszgwi4gJblzUpskZZAv4UTqBM3npFX6BAj87oZY75J6gsKv23AyhjPIO6CAUFybHVtzcXuuROhyfDECA6GctCT1qM47NIFhAOa oU6j VLK9SzoS7WaHRGA00DdyazRoPevWT E

Victor (left) and Emily (right) getting married. Photo from Tahoedailytribune.com

“Corpse Bride” is about Victor (pictured above left) and Victoria in an arranged marriage due to financial problems in their families. Emily (pictured above right) gets proposed to by Victor accidentally while he’s rehearsing and creates conflict for Victor and Victoria’s arranged wedding. This movie is heartwarming and fun.

“Frankenweenie”

rkery677DXgS mUgw2t bnmQMfesg4GazH7Px2Vccc5MNqoF0AtqWlpyr9cG P 3V2ZsD4

Victor and Sparky together. Photo from Annarbornews.com

“Frankenweenie” is such an endearing movie. It’s about a boy, Victor, and his dog, Sparky. After Sparky dies in a car accident, Victor grieves but tries to find a way to bring him back, and well, things do not go so well. This entire movie is in black and white.

“Halloweentown” series

pfXLeyH3tGMYL RdL43clVXqyHPQgidQHbXhRZx UotLR77RvhvdQS8gUCsmy4IJc8ezlXmvYdDxZnKSf0WllnvG

Aggie and her family at a pumpkin patch. Photo from WordPress.com

“Halloweentown is a classic Disney movie series. It’s about Aggie and her family, and her family’s discovery of their history and where they came from: Halloweentown. There are four movies in this franchise, and each one takes you from saving Halloweentown, to fighting off villains. The aesthetic of these movies are the best.

“Twitches” Franchise

p CsWHmu42Yz3UfZChYgdjNYuBcdcLKyFhe6AKpvKgxcMcqM2rEaknJnzA3aqzl9cKNI1LjaI7CgxT8G0GA1LR CoddbrMdowvnQnCUkya52fmJxjw P0r1 RkB8qbSL7JoBSutzWlQG Jv6alNbh0zHm3HkhM GSBY G0pod82USlNg35vh6UV Ow

Alexandra and Camryn. Photo from Pinterest.com

Another movie franchise: “Twitches”. This franchise consists of two movies. It’s about two twin sisters who are witches and they don’t know it, but they also do not know each other! They grew apart and didn’t know the other one existed. Together, they fight off the villain and go through many ups and downs together.

“Girl vs. Monster”

c4R v8FJ1bQv 4qLoowxNbHAOAws skkAayEf90hAKn 7uw4OZdUwHxUBga1F9iBQT tXnftSKeDlO70xTsHj0HvCTSyPNuTV HpJLMBUnmrtu25B27z jC9Mtxye4O JuN8Gh 0X0 L4QyBWDMzpetfpvu9PU077R 35p1ZwD0tG6pieA76CoVWbQ

Skyler and her friends face off monsters. Photo from Girlslife.com

No surprise here, another Disney Halloween classic! This movie is a must watch of mine every year for the spooky season. “Girl vs. Monster” is about a girl whose parents are monster hunters, and she doesn’t know it. Throughout the movie, she fights off monsters with her friends while they face their fears together. And of course in Disney spirit, there are great songs in this movie. 

“Fear Street” trilogy

NzJp4Bl7FZewxLCfp In6pBuil1NouVI3Dh6qHW eMAhhyTBEBaFCyUXl5Xm3Azh8OBTlzKu5EDC8NdDcbtzkDk7GSIPjdfqghiVnes0onLSZkZwHQBhxSOIr4yxl8OJoIZLOais56oiwlFwjCBChNvGgXaBK5j02A8A Ajmwv rhkbKDQqqX4QSXw

FIlm poster for “Fear Street”. Photo from Nerdist.com

This is where the PG is not there. Nothing extreme of course, or else I wouldn’t have watched them. This movie trilogy is about a town called Shadyside, their curse, and the Shadysiders being murdered.

Throughout the series, you find out why this is happening, who the murderers are, and how they came to be. In between, there’s a lesbian love story, multiple plot twists, and includes some of my favorite actresses, Sadie Sink, and Maya Hawke. (Yes from Stranger Things!)

“Hubie Halloween”

yNy Qz39mTn5dv67QY q8AmIjYHcDnGmHzIL W1MclncP0ZRf0evjqwwojqgv67 I JpFmXonrSqrMeArhZFUW8Q0y3DNDdIkgNxVhS DCF3KbSpjifB1SKmFotbp6GlDJ

Horizontal movie poster for “Hubie Halloween”. Photo from Thehyderabadreview.com

This is a funny, feel-good spooky movie. It stars famous actors and actresses like: Adam Sandler, Noah Schnapp, Karan Bear, and Paris Berelc. This movie is about Hubie (Adam Sandler) and how people from his town make fun of him and do pranks on him. Through these pranks, he finds himself in a real murder investigation and works to find out who the murderer is. 

“Harry Potter” Franchise

fojsSqkniNg 2ikTLBciasZwefHiKhkb3g2nqECE2s 7I72t8XE6o AXMYvnU7UOQm7c7I47AVu04nk3fCWq4VJV92hVy2JFBwqbJwBFWxTSceZEDcpT8EGSifpzkRV557NtQNh m5jMEbtdjS0Khlyiunye9tAAHLtVXDA12PfQ2cz1iCeHcW7P0Q

Harry (middle), Hermione (left) and Ron (right) conversing together. Photo from Wsj.com

You knew this was coming! Of course, you have to watch the “Harry Potter” franchise for spooky season. It has all our favorites with the fall and spooky vibes.

If you haven’t already watched this amazing series, these movies are about a young boy, Harry Potter, and his best friends Hermione Granger and Ron Weasley, and their adventures in Hogwarts, the school of magic. They fight villains, uncover secrets, learn spells, and more. 

“Maleficent”

gPJzv s4gMJsirEr8AhmoWckgQtDtX0vdgsQn5qXNQmj07t3dToo2RZ63Hr7SQ0ZGT DmNQPA Iyh3FO4BwP3lQDKXzCtqob5cJXF2aqB2vAlu3V4NlsokBz9BqHG90HeplCJRQsqwJJqvfRK JkbjOMmtlEXiQMmzEfDtIEunbgsfb3zEnPNhKn6Q

Maleficent in the shadows. Photo from Pinterest.com

“Maleficent” is one of the best villains out there. This movie helps understand her better and learn that things aren’t always what they seem. What led her to become this said villain?

“Monsters, Inc.”

gJcjzD0H meL15Pi

Movie poster for “Monsters Inc.”. Photo from Fanart.tv

One of my absolute favorite Disney Pixar movies, “Monsters Inc”.! This movie will get you in the Halloween spirit. It will have you laughing and crying (tears of SADNESS).

Sully and Mike (pictured above) got a job at “Monsters Inc.” to scare children and fill up scream tanks. What happens when a little girl walks through their door into their world? Watch to find out. Have a scream!

“Hotel Transylvania Series”

aGzsC49dRZlH4bACVHLY2BA7Bs8EV5uwnJI82iYuCJe0NjDx5 xsXcSp5K6j9jEkMKaAax7Z4C7gBjdtztLEamBUO2sCiwOGlovYZ42zfdIQLtx2D8HdFKwOZ2XkqP8Tk7V8lZIvaTCIFjRIM 8hrebyLgt8wjt9 c W0adLHlW Sj5lXXH1bn2 4w

Dracula and the crew together. Photo from Wall.alphacoders.com

These movies are a hit with the kids or with the people who are children at heart, like me!

Halloween is one of the best times of year, and movies are just one part of it. Have a happy Halloween if you celebrate.

Have fun getting in the spooky spirit with some of these movies! What is your favorite Halloween movie? Let us know @HerCampusSJSU!

Hi! My name is Alexa and I’m a first year nursing major at SJSU. I love photography, music, Disney, and Marvel. :)