Pulse logo
Pulse Region

The 30 Best Halloween Movies of All Time

2) Coco (2017) Coco was inspired by the Mexican holiday "Day of the Dead," which begins November 1. About memory, death, tradition, and family, Coco is just about as Halloween as a movie can possibly be. WATCH HERE Disney

3) Halloween (1978) The classic 1978 slasher film introduces one of the most iconic figures of cinema and the holiday: Michael Myers. WATCH HERE Compass International Pictures

4) The Halloween Tree (1993) Based on Ray Bradbury's novel, the made-for-TV film follows four children across culture and time as they quest to save the soul of their dying friend. It's might be said Bradbury did for Halloween what Charles Dickens did for Christmas. We agree. WATCH HERE Cartoon Network

5) The Vvitch (2016) The Vvitch chronicles all the harvest-time horror of colonial New England. The cinematography looks like a series of oil paintings and the film's supernatural storyline will make you thank the gods for electricity. And science. WATCH HERE Netflix

6) A Ghost Story (2017) While A Ghost Story doesn't take place on Halloween, it's basic concept (a man wearing the lamest Halloween costume of all time) explores all the themes of death and loss and time that makes Halloween Halloween. WATCH HERE A24

7) Sleepy Hollow (1999) Based on maybe the most famous New England folk tale ever, this Tim Burton adaptation expands the story in ways somehow creepier than the original tale. WATCH HERE Paramount

8) The Exorcist (1973) The story is based on a series of apparent demonic possessions in 1949. While not explicitly a Halloween story, The Exorcist more than qualifies as the Super Scary Classic Movie That Must Be Watched In October. WATCH HERE Warner Bros.

9) The Silence of the Lambs (1991) In the same spirit is The Silence of the Lambs, which is just a Halloween must watch. WATCH HERE Orion Pictures

10) Scream (1996) Inspired by the Gainesville Ripper, a serial killer who killed five Florida students in August 1990, Scream is essential fright night viewing, and the iconic mask worn by the killer is maybe the most famous American Halloween image there is. WATCH HERE Dimension Films

11) Donnie Darko (2001) Halloween means doomsday in the classic cult film, which we never get tired of watching. WATCH HERE Pandora Cinema

12) A Girl Walks Home Alone at Night (2014) The Persian vampire western horror epic features just enough costume parties and horror for us to call it a Halloween movie. And just enough social and sexual subtext for us to call it a modern classic. WATCH HERE Vice

13) Poltergeist (1982) The 1982 horror classic features just the sort of realm crossing beings the Celtics feared during ancient times. The new threshold is TV. WATCH HERE MGM

14) Ghostbusters (1984) And when the ghosts do come out ... WATCH HERE Columbia Pictures

15) The Blair Witch Project (1999) The found-footage horror touchstone shows events after a group of students who go missing in October. It'll make you keep your costume party indoors. WATCH HERE Artisan Entertainment

16) Scary Movie (2000) The spoof horror film turned into a massive franchise and pop culture classic. Beware of middle school humor. WATCH HERE Dimension Films

17) E.T. the Extra-Terrestrial (1982) The Halloween flight of Elliott and E.T. makes the film not only a cinema but also an October classic WATCH HERE Universal

18) A Nightmare on Elm Street (1984) The film features the birth of Freddy Krueger and the most overused Halloween costume ever. WATCH HERE New Line Cinema

19) The Crow (1994) It's a superhero film all about death and Halloween and revenge was also the last performance for star Brandon Lee. WATCH HERE Miramax

20) The Little Girl Who Lives Down the Lane (1976) After turning 13 on Halloween, Rynn Jacobs must protect a family secret. WATCH HERE Astral Films

21) Song of the Sea (2014) The fantasy film follows Saoirse and Ben who are caught up in a supernatural battle one Halloween. WATCH HERE StudioCanal

22) Corpse Bride (2005) Another necessary Tim Burton entry. And a good one. WATCH HERE Warner Bros.

23) It's the Great Pumpkin, Charlie Brown (1966) An absolute classic full of tricks and rocks. WATCH HERE CBS

24) Trick 'r Treat (2009) Trick 'r Treat is a Halloween horror anthology that pays tribute to some of the holiday's many legends. WATCH HERE Warner Bros. Pictures

25) Frankenweenie (2012) Another necessary Tim Burton addition. C'mon does anyone capture the spirit of costumed childhood better? WATCH HERE Disney

26) Pet Sematary (1989) Not every Stephen King work takes place around Halloween (it's too easy a setting). Pet Sematary is one of the few. WATCH HERE Paramount

27) The Adams Family (1991) When every day is Halloween ... WATCH HERE Paramount

28) Casper (1995) It's the cutest and most wholesome of Halloween tales. WATCH HERE Universal

29) Hocus Pocus (1993) Three witches return to comedic life after a teenager resurrects them on Halloween. Now a cult classic. But not as culty as our last pick .... WATCH HERE Walt Disney Pictures

30) The Rocky Horror Picture Show (1975) The film that will forever be associated with Halloween even if it's hard to tell just what the hell is actually happening on screen. WATCH HERE 20th Century Fox

Next Article