It’s finally spooky season! And with Disney+ streaming all of their Disney Channel Original Movies (fondly known as DCOMs), it’s a perfect time to watch those ‘90s-early 2000s Halloween movies. Here are the top 6 Halloween DCOMs to watch this month:
6. Mom’s Got a Date with a Vampire (2000)
Sabrina the Teenage Witch’s Carolina Rhea stars in this horror-comedy as a recently divorced mom going out on a date with encouragement from her kids. The only problem is, her kids realize that her date is really a charming vampire looking to put her under her spell.
5. Phantom of the Megaplex (2000)
A very loose adaptation of The Phantom of the Opera, this film follows movie theater employees that encounter some strange happenings on the night of a major movie premiere. Rumor has it that the megaplex is haunted, but it is up to the kids to investigate.
4. Now You See It… (2005)
While not technically a “Halloween Movie” Now You See It… follows budding producer Allyson (played by Alyson Michalka, yes that Alyson from Aly & AJ) as she signs up to produce a reality show searching for the best kid magician. When she stumbles upon Danny Sinclair (Johnny Pacar) she realizes that his magic may be more than just smoke and mirrors.
3. Don’t Look Under the Bed (1999)
This terrifying flick, the first PG-rated DCOM to premiere on television, follows Frances as she hunts to find who is framing her for pranks all around her town. She teams up with Larry Houdini, her invisible friend, to fight a Boogeyman with some ghastly-looking, creepy hands. This was by far the scariest Disney Channel Halloween movie, and the channel actually stopped airing it after receiving complaints from parents that it was just too scary.
2. Twitches
Tia and Tamara Mowry of Sister, Sister fame star in this iconic Halloween DCOM about twins who were separated at birth, reuniting on their 21st birthday only to discover they’re witches (twins + witches = twitches). Not only that, but they suddenly have to fight the terrifying “Darkness” to save their homeland of Coventry. The 2005 original was followed by a sequel, Twitches Too, in 2007 that was arguably even better than the original.
1. Halloweentown
This Halloween staple follows Marnie and her younger siblings, Dylan and Sophie, when they discover that they are witches. They sneak away following their Grandma Aggie (the legendary Debbie Reynolds) back home to Halloweentown where they find that magical beings – witches, warlocks, ghosts, zombies, and even skeletons – are real and all live in a secret world. The series of films include Halloweentown (1998), Halloweentown II: Kalabar’s Revenge (2001), Halloweentown High (2004), and Return to Halloweentown (2006). Note: Halloweentown’s original Marnie (Kimberly J. Brown) and co-star from the second movie Kal (Daniel Kountz) are dating IRL, as seen all over her TikTok!
While they may not be the scariest, best written, or even realistic Halloween movies, nothing beats the nostalgia factor of a good Disney Channel movie. Enjoy your movie marathon and Happy Halloween!