Halloween has inspired so many great movies. I can’t list all of those movies, but I can tell you my top 10 favorite Halloween movies.
10. Casper (1995)
At the bottom of my top-10 list is Casper. This movie holds a special place in my childhood memories. The movie follows the story of the ghost Casper and three hectic ghouls named Fatso, Stretch and Stinkie. Casper immediately falls in love with Christina Ricci’s character, Kat, who is living in his house due to her father’s employment as a paranormal therapist to remove the ghosts. This movie is the origin of the popular quote, “Can I keep you?”
9. ParaNorman
ParaNorman surpassed all my expectations that I made before this movie hit theaters. The story follows Norman, a young boy who can see ghosts and who struggles with being bullied. Norman’s father condescendingly asks him at the start of the movie, “Can’t you be like other kids your age?” Norman has to save the town from a witch’s curse which takes him on an amazing, zombie-filled adventure. The story has so much depth for a children’s movie that you forget you’re watching something that’s not for adults. It does not disappoint artistically.
8. The Witch
The Witch is a Halloween staple if you’re looking to be creeped out. Set in New England in the 1630s, the movie follows a family who is kicked out of their village due to a religious disagreement and forced to live in the woods. Soon after settling in their new environment, eerie events begin to transpire. Slowly but surely, the family descends into madness as the children begin to go missing. What, or who, is the reason behind the disappearances? The movie successfully combines specifically chosen audio and visuals to create an unsettling and almost superstitious product. The movie brings out the question of who can you really trust.0
7. The Blair Witch Project (1999)
The Blair Witch Project took three people and stretched them to the limit mentally. The film was released as a found footage film, which uses the characters to film events and uses off-camera commentary. Three college students entered the woods in search of a witch that the locals believed haunted them. Something was following the group, and slowly the trio began to question if they could believe anything happening around them. After multiple days of dehydration, accusations of theft and disorientation, they stumble upon something in the woods. None of them were ever found again.
6. House On Haunted Hill (1999)
House On Haunted Hill is the perfect scary movie. A small group of strangers are requested to meet at a mansion by the wishes of the evil spirits that haunt it. The mansion was previously an insane asylum that went on lockdown after all the patients were released and went on a murdering spree. If the guests can survive one night in the asylum without dying, they will win $1 million. There are so many different styles of cinematography in this movie that anyone can get a jump out of it. It’s my favorite scary movie, and if this was a list of only scary movies it would be at the top.
5. Sleepy Hollow (1999)
Tim Burton’s take on the classic story of Ichabod Crane and the Headless Horseman is dark and bloody. Crane comes to the small village of Sleepy Hollow to investigate the decapitations of multiple people. Things are not as they seem in the village, and witchcraft is at play. Crane must face his demons to defeat the monster plaguing the people of Sleepy Hollow. Burton knows how to create a dark story that can leave you wondering how much more blood he could possibly spray on Johnny Depp.
4. Halloweentown
Number four takes it a step back into the G rating from the dark world of Burton’s Sleepy Hollow. Halloweentown immediately became a personal household favorite when it was released. The movie is the coming-of-age story of a young girl who discovers she is a witch. Against her mother’s wishes, she follows her grandmother to the magic world of Halloweentown where she falls into an adventure to save all of the magic realm from the evil warlock Kalabar. While on the lighter side, this movie is purely Halloween. It’s funny and has a good story.
3. Beetlejuice
When I started to compose this list, I didn’t originally include this movie. To me, Beetlejuice is a year round movie, but alas, no Halloween movie list would be complete without it. Alec Baldwin and Geena Davis play a deceased couple who are trapped in their home after their accidental death. A big-city, artistic couple buy their home and the deceased look to solutions on how to scare the new couple away. The couple’s daughter Lydia, Winona Ryder, summons Beetlejuice, an evil ghost. Beetlejuice causes all kinds of trouble for both Lydia and the deceased couple. Again, Tim Burton produces a dark and slightly twisted movie that tells a creative story from beginning to end.
2. Hocus Pocus
Hocus Pocus is everything a good Halloween movie should be. The moment you start the movie, it screams Halloween all around. Protagonist Max and his family have just moved to Salem from California. He hears the story of three witches, the Sanderson sisters, that used to terrorize the area. In a turn of events, Max lights a candle that summons the three evil witches. Bette Midler delivers an outstanding performance as Winifred, the head witch. It is up to Max and his friends to stop the witches from coming back for longer than just Halloween night, and from consuming the souls of innocent children. It isn’t October if you don’t watch Hocus Pocus.
1. The Nightmare Before Christmas
The Nightmare Before Christmas is by far one of the best holiday movies ever made. Jack Skellington is the Pumpkin King, but, despite that role, something is still missing in his life. As every Halloween passes, he no longer gains joy from hearing screams. After a late night walk in the woods he discovers Christmas Town, and hatches a plan to take over Christmas. You can’t help but sing along to every line of this dark movie. The visuals in this film are amazing, the voice actors are extremely talented, and the music perfectly captures the spookiness that comes with Halloween. This is the perfect Halloween movie, hands down. If you haven’t seen it, do yourself a favor and take the time to experience this classic.
October is a time to watch movies that frighten us and tell a good story. Don’t let this season pass you by without doing something for yourself to celebrate. Go carve a pumpkin, drink some apple cider or run from Jason Voorhees down by Pacer Pond. Whatever you do, I hope this list of movies inspired you to be your spookiest this fall.
