Her Campus Logo Her Campus Logo
Crowd watching drive in movie, sunset in the background, movie is in black and white
Crowd watching drive in movie, sunset in the background, movie is in black and white
Photo by Stephen Mcfadden from Unsplash
Wake Forest | Culture > Entertainment

Must-Watch Halloween Movies

Emma van Ginkel Student Contributor, Wake Forest University
This article is written by a student writer from the Her Campus at Wake Forest chapter and does not reflect the views of Her Campus.

With Halloween right around the corner, here is my list of movies fit to get you in the spooky spirit! While most are mainstream, some might be a little more niche. While I do love a good horror, I kept this list family-friendly! All of them are perfect for right after the sunsets on a long day of pumpkin patches and corn mazes.

  • Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban 

I am a huge Harry Potter nerd (not ashamed), and this movie will never not give me Halloween vibes. It’s the perfect amount of dark and gloomy. 

  • Corpse Bride 

To me, The Nightmare Before Christmas is not a Halloween movie. So, I think Corpse Bride is the perfect fix when you want to delve into the world of Tim Burton.  

  • Coraline 

Despite being a movie many of us watch as kids, this one, honestly, could be considered a psychological thriller. It truly is the perfect amount of creepy.

  • Hocus Pocus 

A good Halloween comedy with a little bit of scary… might as well watch the second one while you’re at it. 

  • Beetlejuice and Beetlejuice Beetlejuice 

A classic and the modernized version of the classic make for the perfect double header. While I do think the first one is better, watch both and decide for yourself.  

  • Goosebumps 

I loved these books growing up, and I vividly remember the first time I watched this movie at my friend’s Halloween party in fourth grade. It has consistently been my favorite Halloween movie since. This is in large part due to the fat crush I had (and still have) on Dylan Minnette, who stars in the film. 

  • Hotel Transylvania 

This is such a good one. Cliché forbidden love story, but with a twist. 

  • It’s the Great Pumpkin, Charlie Brown 

Duh. It is not the fall season without this comfort movie. 

  • The Addams Family 

A great movie to watch after binging Wednesday on Netflix to fully catch up on the lore of the creepiest and kookiest family out there.

  • Scooby-Doo 

Personally, the live-action version of this film freaks me out, but I have seen every cartoon episode and movie, and you cannot go wrong with a little Mystery Inc. in your life. 

So, there you have it. With only a few days left until Halloween, it’s time to get to watching some of the best spooky movies out there!

Emma van Ginkel

Wake Forest '29

Hi!! I'm Emma van Ginkel! I am in my first year at Wake Forest University and loving it so far! I'm from Cleveland, Ohio and I live for a good iced chai, long walks, sunny days, reading and spending time with my friends!