Edited by Ann Marie Elpa
Looking for some spooky movies and TV shows to watch to get into the Halloween spirit? Well, look no further, for here are 25 movie and show recommendations from a wannabe cinephile:
- Corpse Bride (2005)
-
Victor is nervous about his upcoming wedding to Victoria. He practices his vows in the woods and accidentally gets married to Emily, a corpse bride! She takes him to the land of the dead to celebrate their marriage.
- Sweeny Todd: The Demon Barber of Fleet Street (2007)
-
Gory, gruesome, and squeamish. This Tim Burton musical starring Johnny Depp and Helena Bonham Carter follows a barber who goes on a murderous rampage after he was blamed for a crime he did not commit. The ultimate goal? Revenge on the judge who framed him.
- Frankenweenie (2012)
-
Filled with grief after the death of his beloved dog, Sparky, Victor brings him back to life. With a terrifying new look, this innocent dog scares Victor’s neighbours.
- The Nightmare Before Christmas (1993)
-
The perfect film to watch before the holiday season, Tim Burton’s The Nightmare Before Christmas is the perfect family film to watch in order to get that spooky feeling. Some even speculate that Frankenweenie, Corpse Bride, and The Nighmare Before Christmas are about the same person and different points in their life. That is certainly something interesting to think about.
- Edward Scissorhands (1990)
-
Another Tim Burton classic starring Johnny Depp and Winona Ryder is the perfect gothic fairy tale that would make you feel all the feels this spooky season.
- The Addams Family (1991)
-
This movie follows the peculiar Addams family who, despite loving all things scary and abnormal, have a strong family bond that allows them to overcome anything.
- Ghostbusters (1984)
-
Three parapsychologists become the Ghostbusters when they lose their jobs as scientists at a university. The Ghostbusters respond to paranormal activity that occurs in the city in order to fight ghosts using their proton packs. So, who are you gonna call? GHOSTBUSTERS!
- The Conjuring (2013)
-
Based on a true story, The Conjuring follows paranormal investigators Ed and Lorraine Warren, who assist a family in ridding their home of demonic activity.
- Hotel Transylvania (2012)
-
This delightful family movie follows Dracula, voiced by Adam Sandler, and his daughter, Mavis, who is voiced by Selena Gomez. In a world where monsters don’t associate with humans because of humanity’s lack of acceptance, Mavis falls in love with a human to Dracula’s horror.
- Get Out (2017)
-
When Chris, an African-American male, visits his Caucasian girlfriend’s family for the weekend, everything seems perfectly normal. Soon strange occurrences lead to unexpected horrors. Will he be able to get out?
- Us (2019)
-
While on vacation, a family gets attacked by a group of people. They soon find out that the people attacking them are… themselves?
- Beetlejuice (1988)
-
When Adam and Barbara die in a car accident, they fail to scare away a family who moved into their home. Tired of failing, they seek the help of the infamous bio-exorcist – Betelgeuse.
- Halloweentown (1998)
-
When the Piper children see their grandmother using magic during a visit on Halloween, the kids follow her back to her hometown – Halloweentown. They discover who their mom really is and soon get attacked by a dark force.
- Hocus Pocus (1993)
-
This classic Halloween movie follows the three Sanderson sisters who are wicked witches resurrected on the night of Halloween. The sisters wreak havoc all night in order to remain in the land of the living where if they do not accomplish their goal before the sunrises, they will vanish forever.
- The Haunting of Hill House (2018)
-
This show is definitely binge worthy. I know I was hooked from episode one regardless of how terrifying it was. This show follows the life of a family who had traumatic childhood experiences at Hill House and how it affects them as adults.
- The Haunting of Bly Manor (2020)
-
After bingeing The Haunting of Hill House, your next binge worthy series is The Haunting of Bly Manor. I binged the whole show in one day because I just needed to know what was happening. Less scary than its predecessor, The Haunting of Bly Manor still has a few scares up its sleeve.
- Chilling Adventures of Sabrina (2018)
-
Witches, covens, and demons. This show has it all. This show follows Sabrina, a half-witch and half-human, who embarks on a journey of balancing her supernatural duties as well as being a normal human teenager.
- Black Mirror (2011)
-
Where each episode has a different storyline, Black Mirror provides a frightening insight to our future with technology. While there is nothing supernatural about the show, a look into our future that will be heavily influenced by technology is quite scary to think about.
- The Shining (1980)
-
This movie is based on the Stephen King novel of the same name and portrays the consequences of extended isolation in the most horrifying way. After all, “all work and no play makes Jack a dull boy.”
- IT (2017)
-
Another movie adaptation of a Stephen King novel follows children being tormented by the notorious Pennywise, a dancing clown.
- Midsommar (2019)
-
When all things go south in life for Dani (Florence Pugh), she accompanies her boyfriend to one of their friend’s hometown for the midsummer festival. At first, everyone is having a good time, but soon the groups find themselves in the middle of horrifying activities done by the hands of a pagan cult.
- Hereditary (2018)
-
This film about grief and family inheritance will keep you on the edge of your seat. This movie is both unsettling and terrifying. The clucking sound her daughter makes will live rent free in my head forever.
- A Quiet Place (2018)
-
In this post-apocalyptic world, noise-sensitive monsters will attack you if you make a sound. A family tries to survive by making virtually no noise at all and communicating through sign language. The lack of sound and dialogue only increases the suspense and makes you feel quite unsettled.
- Stranger Things (2016)
-
This supernatural series set in a small town during the 1980s is the perfect show to watch this spooky season. Starring Millie Bobby Brown as Eleven, a character with psychokinetic and telepathic abilities, you can watch her defeat monsters from The Upside Down along with her team of friends.
- Coraline (2009)
-
After moving to a new home, Coraline finds a secret doorway. When she crawls through it, she finds that she is still in her own house. But, is she? Everything certainly seems the same, but she will soon wish she never opened that door.
Hopefully, these movies and shows bring you all the spooky feels for this Halloween season. Happy Halloween and remember to stay safe!