What scary movies to watch this year for Halloween? Find your favorite Halloween Horror Movies here.
Updated May 6, 2026
It’s that time of year when almost everybody watches horror movies. For the kids Halloween is all about trick-or-treating, candy, scary or cool costumes, but as an adult, you can go to Halloween parties, visit Haunted House Attractions, handing out candy and of course cuddle up on the couch and watch a bunch of scary movies.
What better way to get into the mood and celebrate Halloween with horror movies that actually are set during Halloween or are heavily Halloween themed.
There are a lot of Halloween themed horror movies to watch. From a silly funny pumpkin that comes to life and starts a killing spree, a gruesome very all too real haunted house attraction, a serial killer roaming the streets or an amusement park, ghostly tales, possessions, dark fairytales, fun witches, fun scary movies for the whole family and much more.
I have put together a list of Halloween Horror Films that I have watched and personally recommend. It’s not a list with all the Halloween horror films out there or the best ones, but this is a selection of movies that I enjoyed watching.
The list is set up by decade and by year. Starting with the most recent films. Each time I have found a new film within this genre that I highly recommend it will be added to the list.
So save this post for more recommendations.
The list consists of 25 films at the moment.
Carved (2024)
Stars: Peyton Elizabeth Lee, Corey Fogelmanis, Sasha Mason, Marc-Sully Saint-Fleur, DJ Qualls. Directed by Justin Hardin. Written by Justin Harding, Cheryl Meyer. (1h 35m)
Genres: slasher, comedy, nineties vibe, halloween
It’s 1993 and in Ceder Creek Village Halloween is a big deal. There’s the reenactment play, pumpkin carving and more. Kira is the director of the play and has to care for her little brother Trevor. When Clint a farmer’s son finds a strange big pumpkin he brings it to the craving contest, with deadly consequences as the pumpkin is sentient and out for revenge. Kira, Trevor and a small group have to survive this fruit.
It’s a silly fun film that knows it’s over the top and uses it with enthusiasm. It has great likable characters, a smart killer pumpkin and a fantastic vibe of Halloween. The kills are very funny, gory and creative and has some fun scenes up its sleeve.
Late Night with the Devil (2023)
Stars: David Dastmalchian, Laura Gordon, Ingrid Torellli. Directed & written by Cameron Cairnes and Colin Cairness. (1h 33m)
Genres: found footage, occult, possession, seventies vibe, halloween
On Halloween 1977 Jack Delroy the host of the late night show Night Owls treats his audience to a performance of a medium, a sceptic and a parapsychologist with her ward Lilly who is possessed by a demon called Mr. Wriggles. When they summon the demon inside Lilly, things get out of control.
The film has a wonderful seventies vibe and atmosphere which gives the movie an authentic feel. It shows the recently discovered master tape of the show and unreleased behind the scenes tapes which are in black-and-white. The film plays with images, the screen and perception in a great way. It has a great build up that relies on a foreboding atmosphere and suspense.
Set on Halloween some of the audience are in Halloween costume and the crew does their best to give it a Halloween vibe. You can Read my Full Review.
Totally Killer (2023)
Stars: Kiernan Shipka, Olivia Holt, Troy Leigh-anne Johnson. Directed by Nahnatchka Khan. Written by David Matalon, Sasha Perl-Raver, Jen D’Angelo. (1h 46m)
Genres: slasher, comedy, eighties vibe, halloween
On Halloween 2023 Jamie’s mother is killed by the Sweet Sixteen Killer who killed three girls 35 years ago. Jamie time-travels back to 1987 to catch the killer, save her mother and the other three girls.
It’s a fun clash between generations and cultures. The eighties gang is fun, as are the eighties vibes. It starts at Halloween 2023 and ends on Halloween 1987 in the Dollhouse of Horrors, that gives off creepy fun haunted house attraction vibes. Not a typical Halloween movie with the typical Halloween ingredients, but it’s a very fun and entertaining slasher set during Halloween, with a nod to the movie Halloween and a new boogyman. You can Read Umask the Killer.
Halloween Party (2019)
Stars: Amy Groenig, T. Thomason. Directed & written by Jay Dahl. (1h 32m)
Genres: supernatural, creepy kids, curse, halloween
It’s almost Halloween when Grace gets a meme on her roommate’s computer. It’s a cursed meme that sends your deepest fear after you to kill you. Grace seeks help from Spencer an IT student and together they try to find out where the meme comes from and how to stop it. It leads them to a horrific past of the campus, where a group of deformed children called the Halloween Party lived there in a palliative hospital.
Is it a great film with great acting and cinematography? No. But is it entertaining? Yes, it certainly can be. The Halloween Party is pretty creepy and so are some of the worst fears that come to life. It has some jump scares and a mystery that Grace and Spencer have to solve.
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Did you know I also make Art & Designs.
This Halloween design of a Pumpkin Mask is made with pen and alcohol markers. You can buy this design on a Unisex Acid Washed T-Shirt and other apparel in my shop at Printify.
Haunt (2019)
Stars: Katie Stevens, Will Brittain, Lauryn Alisa McClain. Directed & written by Scott Beck, Bryan Woods. (1h 32m)
Genres: slasher, halloween
On Halloween night Harper goes to a party with her friends. When they decide to go to a haunted house attraction which they discover by chance they soon discover that they are being hunted. They have to make it out alive, while they are being chased and killed by men in different masks which hide their real even scarier faces.
It starts with some lame attractions like blindly feeling grapes, a maze, and other cheesy stuff. But the further they go, the more scarier and inventive it gets, right up to the little girl’s escape room and the final tunnel. It’s a great Halloween-set horror slasher full of suspense and thrilling chases by deranged killers through a mazed haunted house full of traps that is perfect for Halloween. You can Read my Full Review.
Scary Stories to Tell in the Dark (2019)
Stars: Zoe Collett, Michael Garza. Directed by André Øvredal. Written by Dan Hageman, Kevin hangman, Guillermo del Toro. (1h 48m)
Genres: supernatural, monsters, haunted house, ghosts, sixties vibe, halloween, anthology
It’s Halloween 1968 and Stella and her friends go to a real haunted house. Inside Stella finds a book of horror stories that is beginning to write new stories all by itself, stories that are coming true and the scares of those stories are coming after her friends.
It’s a fun and scary movie based on the short stories written by Alvin Schwartz and drawn by Stephen Gammell. It captures the creepy surreal dark vibe of the drawings and six stories are picked out and used in the film. These stories all have something to do with the biggest fears of the kids. While it starts on Halloween, the stories play out afterwards but it still feels like ghostly stories told during Halloween. You can Read my Full Review.
Halloween (2018)
Stars: Jamie Lee Curtis, Judy Greer, Andi Matichak. Directed by David Gordon Green. Written by John Carpenter, Debra Hill, Jeff Bradley. (1h 46m)
Genres: slasher, horror franchise, halloween
40 Years after the original Halloween film there’s now a second sequel, but very different from the first sequel in 1981. Laurie Strode has since been preparing for Michael’s return and trained her daughter. Now Michael escapes and is after her granddaughter. Laurie fights back with a vengeful plan.
This sequel, just like the first sequel, is more focused on gore and violent kills than suspense, and it takes some time to get to the slasher part. There are a lot of scenes that connect this film to the original, but with a modern touch. And the final girl, now three final girls are prepared and the term final girl will have a whole other meaning after the final scenes. You can Read my Full Review.
Hell Fest (2018)
Stars: Amy Forsyth, Reign Edwards, Bex Taylor-Klaus. Directed by Gregory Plotkin. Written by She M. Sherwood, Blair Butler, Akela Cooper. (1h 29m)
Genres: slasher, halloween
Natalie and her fiends visit a Haunted House amusement park. A killer roams the park and has his eyes set on Natalie and her friends. What starts out as screams of laughter and scary fun, they soon turn into screams of real terror.
The best part about this film is the whole scenery. The amusement park screams Halloween and the vibes are great. Even Tony Todd shows up. The park is divided into two parts, the normal haunted house attraction and the Deadlands where you have to sign to agree to be touched. The killer is called the Other and we never find out who he is and why. But the cat-and-mouse scenes of Natalie and the killer are suspenseful and the kills are brutal but not explicit. It’s a fun Halloween slasher that captures the Halloween atmosphere. You can Read my Full Review.
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Did you know I also make Art & Designs.
This Halloween design of a Pumpkin Cat Skull is made with pen and alcohol markers. You can buy this design on a Unisex Classic T-Shirt and other apparel and on other products in my shop at Redbubble.
Boys in the Trees (2016)
Stars: Tobey Wallace, Gulliver McGrath. Directed & written by Nicholas Verso. (1h 52m)
Genres: coming-of-age, fantasy, surrealism, symbolism, supernatural, ghost stories, anthology, nineties vibe, halloween, queer
In 1997 during Halloween Corey’s friends target Jonah who once was Corey’s best friend. Jonah gets hurt but Corey and Jonah reconnect. Jonah takes Corey on a journey of their childhood games and the veil between reality and fantasy becomes thinner as the night falls.
This magical coming-of-age tale has a very nostalgic feel, and tells a story about change and growing up. The stories Jonah tells are very creative, sometimes scary and sometimes very dreamlike or even nightmarish. In a way this is an anthology horror movie, but it’s much more than that, because each story symbolizes their relationship, or childhood, or a lesson. And they are related to the bigger story arc. The stories blend with reality giving it a surreal vibe. You can Read my Full Review.
Prevenge (2016)
Stars: Alice Lowe. Directed & written by Alice Lowe. (1h 28m)
Genres: revenge, slasher, comedy, art horror, halloween
Ruth is pregnant but there is something off about her unborn child. It tells her to kill people. And baby knows best, so she answers its call and dresses up, puts on some Halloween make-up and goes out on a random killing spree. Encouraged by her cheeky unborn child. And the best part is, we can hear it talk too.
It’s a very funny and original horror comedy. Although this is a real unconventional funny film there’s more to it than just brutal and gory kills. When we get to know Ruth better, the line between comedy and tragedy blurs. It never becomes too cheesy nor too serious. It’s fun, it’s sinister but also moving and it does have a social theme that is intertwined with the story. You can Read my Full Review.
Hell House LLC (2015)
Stars: Gore Abrams, Danny Bellini, Jared Hacker, Ryan Jennifer Jones, Adam Schneider. Directed & written by Stephen Cognetti. (1h 33m)
Genres: halloween, found footage/mockumentary, occult, haunted house, ghosts, cults, creepy doll, creepy clowns, halloween
In 2009 a tragic and deadly incident took place at the Abaddon Hotel. This footage documents what happened before the incident and what happened during when a group of friends turn the Abaddon Hotel into a haunted house attraction for Halloween.
This is a great scary found footage film that feels very natural. The scares are building up, showing creepy scenes but don’t rely on jump scares, but on a very foreboding vibe, although some jump scares are really good and well timed. The clown mannequin is the absolute scare of the film with his movements around the building without seeing him ever move. The atmosphere is very ominous and it gets scarier and weirder until the opening night when everything comes to a horrifying conclusion. You can Read my Full Review. Or you can Read my Full Recap.
Hellions (2015)
Stars: Chloe Rose. Directed by Bruce McDonald. Written by Pascal Trottier. (1h 20m)
Genres: cosmic horror, body horror, fairytales & folklore, symbolism, surrealism, coming-of-age, halloween
17-Year-old Dora finds out at Halloween that she is pregnant. That evening she gets attacked by strange children. They are after her child, thats seems to grow too fast. She has to defend herself and gets help from the doctor and the sheriff but the children are relentless.
It’s a surreal cosmic coming-of-age tale that symbolizes Dora’s pregnancy. The attack of the children, the cinematography, the use of colored filters, exploding pumpkins, they all symbolize her unwanted pregnancy. It creates an unsettling nightmarish fairytale with an imaginative and original style and atmosphere that eventually results into cosmic body horror.
It gives a whole new spin on Halloween and what Halloween actually symbolizes, like change and transition, the veil between worlds getting thinner and mortality, and the end of summer, the end of her childhood.You can Read my Full Review.
Continue reading below this announcement.
Did you know I also make Art & Designs.
This Happy Halloween design of a Pumpkin Eye is made with pen and alcohol markers. You can buy this design on a Unisex Ringer T-Shirt and other apparel in my shop at Threadless.
Tales of Halloween (2015)
Stars: Adrienne Barbeau, Lin Shaye. Directed by Darren Lynn Bousman, Axelle Carolyn, Adam Gierasch. Written by Dave Parker, Clint Sears, Greg Commons. (1h 37m)
Genres: anthology, fantasy, science fiction, supernatural, slasher, ghosts, monsters, demons, witches, creepy kids, halloween
This Halloween anthology has all the ingredients for Halloween. From trick-or-treating, telling ghost stories, carving pumpkins, decorating the front yard, putting on costumes, watching horror movies, eating candy, pulling pranks and much more. With witches, serial killers, evil kids, aliens, monsters, ghosts, demons and more. From slashers, to fairytales, to kidnapping, revenge, creature features, gory campy fun, science fiction and more. These 10 tales have it all. One is better or more creative or more fun than the other, but there’s something for everyone.
The story called Friday the 31st is my personal favorite. It’s original and fun with a big twist that will surprise you and make you laugh. It’s campy fun at its best. You can Read my Full Review.
Trick ‘r Treat (2007)
Stars: Anna Paquin, Dylan Baker. Directed & written by Michael Dougherty. (1h 22m)
Genres: anthology, comedy, supernatural, monsters, ghosts, werwolves, halloween
This is a horror comedy that is set at Halloween. We follow different characters on that special night where all sorts of creatures roam the streets right beside oblivious Halloween partygoers. All the stories are set in the same little town with all characters experiencing all the lore of Halloween and if they aren’t careful, being killed by it.
It’s a great anthology that feels like a normal film where all the stories are intertwined and relate to each other. The paths of multiple characters cross each other during the night and sometimes even share a connection. This movie is great fun and gets that real Halloween vibe with all the ingredients, trick-or-treating, dressing up, eating candy, telling ghost stories, carving pumpkins, pulling pranks and creatures of the night. You can Read my Full Review.
Monster House (2006)
Stars: Mitchel Musso, Sam Lerner, Spencer Locke. Directed by Gil kenan. Written by Dan Harmon, Rob Schrab, Pamela Pettler. (1h 31m)
Genres: animation, haunted house, kid friendly, halloween
In this Halloween haunted house animation for the whole family 12-year-old DJ lives across a haunted house. When during Halloween the owner suffers a heart attack and has to go to the hospital he and his friends Chowder and Jenny go investigate and discover that the house is alive and evil.
It has great characters, a lot of humor, and some scary parts. The conclusion is a bit tragic and terrible a well. It’s a dynamic story, with no boring scenes that is as funny as it is exciting. It’s an adventurous story during Halloween and a great movie for kids and adults. You can Read my Full Review.
Night of the Demons 2 (1994)
Stars: Merle Kennedy, Melai Kinkade, Jennifer Rhodes. Directed by Brian Trenchard-Smith. Written by Joe Augustyn, James Penzi. (1h 36m)
Genres: slasher, possession, occult, comedy, body horror, halloween
Six years later Angela has never left Hull House and is part of it now. Her orphaned sister Melissa lives at a catholic boarding school. A Halloween party is about to start at Hull House and Melissa’s life is in danger. But luckily a strong nun knows how to kick some demon ass. Armed with water balloons and super soakers full of holy water, they go back in to save Melissa and defeat Angela.
Of course to honor the first movie, there’s nudity, sex and alcohol and a teenage party, a lot of gore and violence. It’s all very cheesy and the practical effects are again over the top. It does have its fun moments and if you’re in for a classic campy horror slasher set on Halloween, you must watch it, if only for the nun.
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Did you know I also make Art & Designs.
This Trick or Treat design of a Striped Witchy Hand with a lollipop is made with pen and alcohol markers. You can buy this design on a Women’s Fitted T-Shirt and other (Unisex) apparel and on other products in my shop at Redbubble.
Hocus Pocus (1993)
Stars: Bette Midler, Sarah Jessica Parker, Kathy Najimy, Omri Katz, Thora Birch, Vanessa Shaw. Directed by Kenny Ortega. Written by David kirscHner, Mick Garris, Neil Cuthbert. (1h 36m)
Genres: witchcraft, comedy, fantasy, supernatural, kid-friendly, halloween
Accidentally Max brings the Sanderson sisters, the witch legends of Salem back to life. With the help of his little sister, Dani, his love interest Allison and talking cat Binx he has to stop the witches.
This is a very fun comedy for the whole family, There are a lot of jokes and puns for the adults, and for the kids it’s an exciting adventure about three kids and a cat and a zombie who fight three ancient witches. The Sanderson sisters really steal the show. They are absolutely hilarious, especially their reaction to the new world they suddenly find themselves in. And they experience Halloween for the first time. Of course the parents are totally oblivious about what’s going on, making it a story that is completely focused on the kids. You can Read my Full Review.
The Nightmare Before Christmas (1993)
Stars: Danny Elfman, Chris Sarandon, Catherine O’ Hara. Directed by Henry Selick. Written by Caroline Thompson, Michael McDowell, Tim Burton. (1h 16m)
Genres: animation, stop motion, Christmas, monsters, kids-friendly, halloween, Christmas
Jack Skellington the Pumpkin King lives in Halloween Town, with his dog Zero. It’s a town full of creepy kids, monsters, witches, a Frankenstein, the Oogie Boogie Man and Sally. Jack is happy and Sally is in love with him, until he discovers another world called Christmas Town. There everything is bright and colorful and full of joy. And Jack wants to bring that back to Halloween Town, more specifically, he wants to take over Christmas and wants to be Sandy Claws himself.
This stop-motion animated movie is wonderfully made. The designs, the characters, the songs and story form a magical tale that is both dark and bright. It’s also both a Halloween story and a Christmas story that will entertain both children and adults. You can Read my Full Review.
Ghostwatch (1992)
Stars: Michael Parkinson, Sarah Greene, Gillian Bevan. Directed by Lesley Manning. Written by Stephen Volk. (1h 31m)
Genres: found footage/mockumenatry, supernatural, ghosts, halloween
This is a British supernatural mockumentary horror tv-movie that was broadcast on BBC1 on Halloween night 1992. But the people who watched it didn’t know it was all fake. A crew with the family who lives there went inside a supposedly haunted house with a poltergeist and in the studio the host presented the show with psychologist Dr. Pascoe. At first it all seems a fun thing to do for Halloween but then supernatural phenomena actually begin to occur.
It’s a very fun watch, and a real scary one, because we get some very scary glimpses of the ghost. Even now knowing that it’s not real, it does feel real, the way they edited it, what’s happening and what you see and the acting is perfect. You can Read my Full Review.
Night of the Demons (1988)
Stars: Cathy Podewell, Alvin Alexis, Amelia Kinkade. Directed by Kevin Tenney. Written by Joe Augustyn. (1h 30m)
Genres: slasher, possession, occult, comedy, body horror, halloween.
Angela throws a Halloween party at Hull House that is supposed to be haunted. They accidentally summon a demon who possesses them and kills them off one by one.
It’s very eighties, with nudity, sex, alcohol, sexism, and body horror that is sometimes a bit too much sexist, offensive and gory in a wrong way. The possessions are over the top, as is the whole movie. The film has a lot of practical effects, and makes also good use of lighting. A warning though for those of you who are sensitive to stroboscopic lights, it’s used a lot and for a very long time.
It has a very fun and ironic ending with a grumpy old man who gets what he deserves after he had treated the final girl badly in the beginning.
Continue reading below this announcement.
Did you know I also make Art & Designs.
This Happy Halloween design of a Scarecrow is made with pen and alcohol markers. You can buy this design on a Unisex Ringer T-Shirt and other apparel in my shop at Printify.
Lady in White (1988)
Stars: Lukas Haas. Directed & written by Frank LaLoggia. (1h 53m)
Genres: ghost story, coming-of-age, supernatural, surrealism, social commentary, sixties vibe, halloween
In 1962 on Halloween Frankie is locked inside the coat cabinet at school. There he witnesses a ghostly scene of a girl being murdered by an invisible killer. After that her ghost asks him for help which sets him on a dangerous path of discovering a serial killer.
It’s a very nostalgic story about a loving family, with some humor coming from his grandparents and the tragic tale of a ghost. But it’s not all nostalgia because a black man is too easily accused and his fate is even worse. It is a film that shows that remembering the good old days, isn’t always what it seemed to be. With great style, coloring, lighting and cinematography it creates a dreamlike and nightmares atmosphere. You can Read my Full Review.
Something Wicked This Way Comes (1983)
Stars: Jason Robards, Vidal Peterson, Shawn Carson, Jonathan Pryce. Directed by Jack Clayton. Written by Ray Bradbury. (1h 35m)
Genres: coming-of-age, supernatural, witchcraft, carnival, fantasy, symbolism, halloween
This October, a carnival comes to town led by Mr. Dark and his magical carousel. Will and his best friend Jim and his father Charles have to battle this ancient evil and it will change their lives forever.
It’s a magical tale about coming-of-age, aging and the relationship Will has with his best friend and his father. It is based on the 1962 novel of the same name written by Ray Bradbury. The film stems from a darker period of Disney when the scary movies for kids were in fact actually scary. And a lot more serious. Although not better than the book the film depicts the deepest desires and fears of the people in town and especially the fear of becoming older and even of death itself. The carnival comes to life and is both magical and horrifying. You can Read my Full Review.
Halloween III: Season of the Witch (1982)
Stars: Tom Atkins, Stacey Nelkin, Dan O’Herlihy. Directed by Tommy Lee Wallace. Written by Tommy Lee Wallace, John Carpenter, Nigel Kneale. (1h 38m)
Genres: science fiction, slasher, witchcraft, occult, body horror, folk horror, halloween
A man is brought into the hospital where he tells Dr. Dan Challis about an evil magical halloween mask. Soon his daughter Ellie comes in and together with Dan she goes investigating her father’s strange story. They arrive at a small town Santa Mira and factory Silver Shamrock Novelties that makes among other things masks for Halloween and an evil plan.
It has robots, druid magic, witchcraft, creepy masks, an evil masterplan to dominate the world. It’s a bizarre mashup of horror, body horror, science fiction and occult horror that works well. And it’s a whole lot of fun. And don’t forget the Silver Shamrock song, you will sing it all Halloween. It won’t get out of your head. You can Read my Full Review.
Halloween II (1981)
Stars: Jamie Lee Curtis, Donald Pleasence. Directed by John Carpenter. Written by John Carpenter, Debra Hill. (1h 31m)
Genres: slasher, halloween
A direct sequel to Halloween (1980) that picks up where we left off at Halloween night.
After Laurie and Dr. Loomis have tried to kill Michael Myers he has disappeared into the night. Laurie is hurt and is brought to the hospital. But Michael follows her and starts a killing spree inside the hospital, killing off the orderlies and nurses. Once again Laurie has to run and fight back to get rid of Michael once and for all.
This sequel is far more violent and gory than the first film that mostly relied on suspense and thrilling scenes. The film also provides a backstory why Michael is so determined to kill Laurie. The style and atmosphere are completely different turning this film into an ordinary slasher with blood, gore, nudity and a lot of illogical kills. You can Read my Full Review.
Halloween (1978)
Stars: Jamie Lee Curtis, Donald Pleasence. Directed by John Carpenter. Written by John Carpenter, Debra Hill. (1h 31m)
Genres: slasher, halloween
In 1963 a little boy kills his sister Judith at Halloween. He’s been locked up in the Smith’s Grove mental hospital ever since but now, 1978, just days before Halloween he has escaped. Dr. Loomis is tracking him to Haddonfield, the place where it all began.
This Halloween, 1978, Laurie Strode is babysitting Tommy and her best friend Annie is babysitting Lindsey across the street. They don’t know Laurie is stalked by Michael Myers, the little boy who killed his sister. He’s back and he wants to kill again.
It’s the classic slasher horror that is set at Halloween, with great cinematography and interesting uncanny perspectives and atmosphere. It’s all about the suspense and not about the gore and violent kills. It’s what’s happening around the kills that’s the most frightening. You can Read my Full Review.
Explore more Lists of Horror Films:
- The List of Christmas Horror Films
- The List of Creepy Dolls in Horror Films
- The List of Summer Horror Films
- The List of Winter Horror Films
Did You Know I Also Make Art and Designs?
you can buy my designs on apparel or stationary, mugs and more. You can learn more about it on my art & design shop page or go directly to one of my shops.