30 Best Halloween Movies to Watch in 2024

Halloween is a time of year when people celebrate scary truths and fiction. Some people throw parties, go out for events with the name tag, or stay home. Some families celebrate together by taking their children out for trick-or-treats or staying home to watch scary Halloween movies together.

The best films to watch during the season are scary, spooky movies depicting the reason for the festive day. Some scary movies you can watch during such periods are Shaun of the Dead, Tucker and Dale vs. Evil, and more. As most people will say, the best ones are the old ones.

In this article, we list out thirty interesting creepy shows that you can watch on Halloween. We also added a brief review of each one for your satisfaction. Are you ready? Let us take a ride through Creepy Lane, then.

Top 10 Halloween Movies – Quick List

1. The Shining: The movie is a psychological horror classic in which a writer’s descent into madness turns a remote hotel into a terrifying maze of danger.
2. Pan’s Labyrinth: The dark fantasy blends a young girl’s magical journey with the grim realities of post-Civil War Spain.
3. Donnie Darko: A mind-bending tale of a troubled teen who grapples with time travel, hallucinations, and a mysterious giant rabbit.
4. The Nightmare Before Christmas: A stop-motion masterpiece where Jack Skellington, the Pumpkin King, tries to bring Christmas to Halloween Town with chaotic results.
5. Edward Scissorhands: A heartwarming gothic fairy tale about an artificial man with scissor hands who struggles to find his place in a suburban world.
6. Shaun of the Dead: A hilarious blend of horror and comedy where an ordinary man must save his loved ones during a zombie apocalypse.
7. Night of the Living Dead: This groundbreaking horror film sparked the modern zombie genre. It depicts a group trapped in a farmhouse as the undead rise.
8. Get Out: A gripping psychological horror that delves into racial tensions as a young Black man uncovers dark secrets about his girlfriend’s seemingly perfect family.
9. Coraline: A dark fantasy animation where a young girl discovers a parallel world that seems better than her own—until its sinister secrets emerge.
10. Halloween: The slasher film that launched a franchise, where a masked killer named Michael Myers returns to his hometown to wreak havoc on Halloween night.

Best Halloween Movies – Detailed List

1. The Shining

The Shining is an old creepy picture that you need to see. It is a 1980 classic that took its basses from the Stephen King novel. Stanley Kubrick directed the story, making it one of a family that stayed in an isolated hotel. As the event played out, the family reached the verge of insanity.

Shelley Duvall played the mother alongside Jack Nicholson in this terrifying classic. More events unfold, and you don’t want to miss out on them. You can catch the action on HBO Max and even more.

Stanley Kubrick’s adaptation of Stephen King’s novel is a psychological horror that delves into the unraveling mind of Jack Torrance, a writer who takes on the caretaker job for the isolated Overlook Hotel. As winter sets in and supernatural forces begin to manipulate Jack, his wife, Wendy, and son, Danny, must survive his descent into madness and the terrifying apparitions haunting the hotel.

2. Pan’s Labyrinth

Pan’s Labyrinth aired for the first time back in 2006, and the storyline is still fresh in many people’s heads. The main character, Ofelia, meets a mystical faun. The faun told her that her destiny was for her to be the princess of the underworld. Before she could attain her position, she had to perform some complex tasks for the creature.

Her life was smooth, but the encounter messed it up, along with the lives of the people around her. Pan’s Labyrinth is available on Netflix.

Guillermo del Toro’s dark fantasy intertwines the real-world horrors of fascist Spain with the magical journey of young Ofelia, who discovers a labyrinth filled with mythical creatures. As she navigates both worlds, Pan’s Labyrinth explores the themes of innocence, cruelty, and the power of imagination in the face of suffering.

3. Donnie Darko

Donnie Darko is a 2021 film that put everyone who saw it on their toes. It is in two genres: sci-fi, psychological thriller, and horror. It features Jake Gyllenhaal, who plays the lead character, Donnie. He was a teenager with troubling visions of a man with a giant rabbit suit.

The visions convinced him that the world would end in 28 days. This revelation drove him to a life of crime for the man in his dream. It gets more interesting as the watch continues. Donnie Darko is available for free on Pluto TV.

In this surreal blend of science fiction and psychological thriller, Donnie, a troubled teen, is haunted by visions of a man in a sinister rabbit costume who leads him to uncover time travel and the dark secrets of his town. As Donnie’s mental state deteriorates, he grapples with the concepts of fate, free will, and parallel universes, leaving audiences questioning the nature of reality.

4. The Nightmare Before Christmas

The Nightmare Before Christmas is an old classic from 1993. Its watch time is 1 hour 19 minutes. Its genres are family, musical, fantasy, animation, and horror. In the animation, Pumpkin King Jack Skellington was tired of the same routine of scaring and screaming. 

So, he thought to spread Christmas joy, which, in a way, jeopardized Santa. It also created a nightmare for good children. The Nightmare Before Christmas is available on Disney+.

Jack Skellington, the Pumpkin King of Halloween Town, stumbles upon Christmas Town and decides to take over the holiday with chaotic consequences. This stop-motion musical is a visually stunning celebration of Halloween and Christmas, filled with memorable characters and songs.

5. Edward Scissorhands

Edward Scissorhands aired for the first time in 1990 in genres like fantasy, sci-fi, drama, and horror. It starred Johnny Depp and Winona Ryder as the main characters. The play is about a humanoid who has scissors instead of hands.

After he had stayed isolated for a long time, a family took him to a new community. This was when tragedy met the community. You can watch what happens on Disney+; Edward Scissorhands is available there.

In Tim Burton’s gothic fairy tale, Edward, an unfinished man with scissors for hands, is taken in by a suburban family. Edward’s gentle nature is celebrated and misunderstood as he tries to fit into their world, creating a poignant story about loneliness, acceptance, and love.

6. Shaun of the Dead

Another horrific picture to watch on Halloween is Shaun of the Dead. It is a 2004 play about an over-30-year-old man. He was a salesman who had a completely uneventful and dull life. He was staying with his friend, so his life was shitty as well.

Everything changed swiftly when zombies suddenly hit the town in their numbers. The run for life for Shaun was one he had to do. He most likely survived; you will know if you watch it on Prime Video.

This zombie comedy, or “Zom-Com,” follows Shaun as he attempts to win back his girlfriend while surviving a zombie outbreak with his best friend, Ed. Combining witty humor with gory zombie action, Shaun of the Dead is a fresh take on romantic comedies and apocalyptic horror.

7. Night of the Living Dead

Night of the Living Dead is another Halloween movie that we recommend. It aired in 1968 and is categorized as horror, fantasy, and sci-fi because of its story. In it, an army of dead bodies comes to life and starts terrorizing a group of strangers who are trapped in a farmhouse with hardly any way out.

They had to fight to stay alive. The fight was worth it for some, but it wasn’t for others. The zombies were relentless. Watch the whole movie Night of the Living Dead on HBO Max.

George A. Romero’s seminal zombie film follows a group of survivors trapped in a farmhouse as hordes of the undead approach. Blending social commentary with horror, Night of the Living Dead is considered a pioneering work that laid the foundation for the modern zombie genre.

8. Get Out

Get Out was released in 2017 and has become memorable for the thousands of people who have seen it. In this scary picture, Chris meets Rose’s parents, Missy and Dean, for a weekend getaway. They were in a relationship, and meeting her parents felt like the right thing to do.

It was a smooth experience for everyone, including Chris, even though he suspected that his girlfriend’s parents had an issue with his race. As the weekend went along, other things started unfolding when Chris met the most frightening moments of his life. If you want to know what happens next, watch Get Out on Fubo.

Jordan Peele’s critically acclaimed social horror-thriller follows Chris, a young Black man, as he visits his white girlfriend’s seemingly idyllic family estate. What begins as subtle racial tension soon spirals into a horrifying revelation about the family’s dark intentions, turning Get Out into a terrifying commentary on race and privilege in America.

9. Coraline

Coraline is a 2009 must-watch for Halloween. It is best for animation lovers. This creepy movie tells the tale of an 11-year-old girl who stumbled into another version of her life where she had a different father and mother. It was scary, even to her, in the animation.

The initial veil of perfection that her new home had started scratching off an evil unveiled gradually. It was an eye-saw for her like it will be for you. You can easily watch it on Netflix.

In this beautifully animated dark fantasy, Coraline Jones discovers a hidden door in her new home that leads to a parallel world where everything seems perfect—until she uncovers its sinister reality. Coraline is captivated by the rich visuals and eerie atmosphere as she battles to escape the clutches of the ‘Other Mother.

10. Halloween

An actual Halloween also goes with the best movie of its kind – Halloween. The film first aired in 1978. It tells the story of a 1963 Halloween night when a six-year-old boy brutally murdered his elder sister. Judith was 17 years old when Michael Myers ended her life and served his 15-year sentence.

He escaped on his court date day and returned to his former home, where he stayed to plot his next attack. Many other people died brutally in his hands after that. You can watch this classic on Fubo.

The iconic slasher film that introduced the world to Michael Myers, Halloween follows babysitter Laurie Strode as she fights to survive Halloween night while being stalked by the masked killer. John Carpenter’s use of suspense, a chilling score, and minimalist violence helped solidify this film as a landmark in horror cinema.

11. A Quiet Place

A Quiet Place is one heart-stopping watch. One minute, you, the heroes, are safe; the next, they are at the mercy of death with a narrow escape. A Quiet Place has grown popular and has had two parts since airing in 2018.

The story is about a family trying to survive an invasion that killed nearly the entire town. All they had to do was stay out of sight and quiet. That was a challenging task for many people. Do you want to know if they survived? Watch A Quiet Place on Paramount+.

In this tense thriller, a family must survive in a world overrun by creatures that hunt by sound, living in near silence to avoid detection. With its innovative use of sound and suspense, A Quiet Place delivers an emotionally charged and terrifying experience.

12. The Conjuring

The Conjuring is a popular movie that has taken the world by storm since it broke into the market in 2013. Since then, more sequels have entered the market with even scarier storylines. In horror, a family calls two investigators of supernatural things to drive a terrifying spirit off their house.

The story climaxes, and things turn drastic. The investigators almost had their lives snatched, or maybe they did. You cannot never know unless you watch this movie on HBO Max.

Based on actual events, The Conjuring follows paranormal investigators Ed and Lorraine Warren as they help a family haunted by an evil spirit. The film’s chilling atmosphere, expertly crafted scares, and strong performances make it a standout in the supernatural horror genre.

13. An American Werewolf in London

An American Werewolf in London is a must-watch, even if it dates back to 1981. The classic features David Kessler and Jack Goodman, who go to Northern England for a walking tour. One of the nights they spend there, a beast attacks them and kills Jack.

A few weeks passed, and Jack returned to David with a warning. He told him their assailant was a werewolf and had turned into one; he was the last of the kind. An American Werewolf in London was so good that it won the first Academy Award for Best Makeup and is available on Prime Video.

This cult classic blends horror and humor. It follows David, an American tourist in England who is bitten by a werewolf and begins to undergo a terrifying transformation. Known for its groundbreaking practical effects and darkly comedic tone, the film remains a standout in the werewolf genre.

14. Tucker and Dale vs. Evil

In Tucker and Dale vs. Evil, viewers can experience fun and horror at its peak. The 2010 film features two hillbillies, Tucker and Dale. A group of college students, by mistake, identified the innocent two as murderers. Their story took a funny and terrific move after the incident.

Tucker and Dale vs. Evil will make you laugh and frightened in one go. It is available on Prime Video for every interested user.

A clever horror-comedy, Tucker and Dale vs. Evil flips the script on backwoods slasher tropes by making two kind-hearted rural men the accidental villains. A series of misunderstandings leads a group of college kids to believe Tucker and Dale are killers, leading to a blend of comedy and chaos.

15. The Lighthouse

Compared to many others, The Lighthouse is not old. The 2019 movie portrays 1890 scenes of Robert Pattinson and Willem Dafoe as they kept the lighthouse. Every scene represented something scary to be watchful of, gluing viewers to their screens even if it creeped them out.

Keeping the lighthouse was not as easy as they thought it to be. They could only do so much with their strength and skills, and their lives were always at risk. Don’t let us be the spoiler for you; use Netflix to watch The Lighthouse for yourself.

A visually striking and intense psychological horror, The Lighthouse follows two lighthouse keepers, played by Willem Dafoe and Robert Pattinson, trapped on a lonely island; they succumb to madness. The film’s claustrophobic atmosphere, haunting black-and-white cinematography, and disturbing imagery make it a unique descent into insanity.

16. IT

The movie “IT” is a 2017 content that features a 1989 story. In Derry, children went missing in large numbers. Without explanation, parents lost their children to what they were not aware of. All this went on until a group of children decided not to be victims. They squared off against the evil clown responsible for the consistent mishaps.

They knew it was Pennywise, and the children probably didn’t have a chance, but they didn’t care. As more scenes came to light, it seemed the children didn’t have much of a win. You can watch it on HBO Max.

In the first chapter of this Stephen King adaptation, a group of children known as the Losers’ Club must confront their deepest fears in the form of Pennywise, a terrifying shape-shifting clown. “IT” balances coming-of-age nostalgia with genuine terror, making it both a heartfelt and horrifying journey.

17. Hereditary

Some people, indeed, have to die for some truths to uncover. Hereditary is a 2018 film that features Toni Collette as the lead actor, who plays Annie Graham. When the mother died, some dark family secrets surfaced and started drowning the rest of the family in tragedy.

Some demonic entity took pleasure in tormenting the rest of the family. HBO Max has the complete movie. You can watch it along with many others for a monthly fee as low as $9.99.

A modern horror masterpiece, Hereditary explores the devastating effects of grief as a family uncovers terrifying secrets about their ancestry. As supernatural forces grow more potent, the family’s unraveling becomes a haunting exploration of trauma, mental illness, and generational curses, anchored by an award-winning performance of Toni Collette.

18. Midsommar

Midsommar came out in 2019. Unlike most horrors, it started like a calm love story with bright nights and even brighter days. Then, the main characters, Florence Pugh and Jack Reynor, a loving couple, decided to travel to the rural part of Sweden.

They went to celebrate the mid-summer festival. The celebrations soon started tilting toward danger that they could not run from. The unexpected happened, and tragedy became the order of the day. Midsommar is available on Netflix for your entertainment.

Ari Aster’s visually stunning horror-thriller, with its bright, dreamlike setting and unsettling rituals, Midsommar explores grief, cult dynamics, and the horrifying allure of communal traditions.

19. The Ring

The Ring is a typical scary movie with demons and possessions. It has been online since 2002 and is PG-13. The one-hour, 55-minute film is about four teenagers who meet their deaths individually in mysterious manners.

The event started one week after they watched a videotape. The investigation of their death led the reporter Rachel Keller to the video, and she watched it. The likelihood of her dying is high, but did she die? The Ring is accessible on Prime Video.

After watching a cursed videotape that foretells the viewer’s death in seven days, journalist Rachel Keller must unravel the mystery behind the tape before time runs out. With its eerie visuals and slow-building tension, The Ring is a modern horror classic that redefined supernatural horror.

20. The Witch

The Witch went online in 2015 with a 1630s England setting. In the horrific play, a family suffers from the disappearance of their son. Samuel was the youngest, and his disappearance caught everyone off-guard. As the tale unfolds, Thomasin, the eldest daughter, becomes a suspect for witchcraft.

Could it be true that she caused her younger brother to go missing mysteriously? Netflix has the complete movie; you can watch it there.

Set in 17th-century New England, The Witch is a slow-burning horror about a Puritan family who descends into paranoia and religious fanaticism after the youngest child mysteriously disappears. As supernatural forces threaten their survival, the family’s fragile bonds fray in this unnerving exploration of isolation and faith.

21. Hellraiser

As the name implies, Hellraiser is one of the must-watch movies that will drive fear into viewers and make them clutch their couch tight. Although it dates back to 1987, it is still intriguing and eye-catching. It features a family that moved into an ancient home, unaware of the dark secrets hidden there.

Evil awaits them—the resurrected corpse of the man character’s uncle. It fed on human flesh to stay alive. It became a fight for survival. You can watch Hellraiser and find out who survived on Prime Video.

Clive Barker’s cult horror film introduces the Cenobites, otherworldly beings who deliver extreme pleasure and pain to those who open a mysterious puzzle box. Hellraiser is a twisted, horrifying exploration of desire, punishment, and the consequences of meddling with dark forces.

22. Hocus Pocus

Hocus Pocus was famous for its intriguing storyline in the 1990s. It lasts for 1 hour 36 minutes and is a Disney product. Here, some pranksters unexpectedly conjured a tricky trio of 300-year-old witches. The witches got on a mission to cast a spell on the entire community and regain their youthfulness.

They started plotting and searching for the three kids they needed for the ritual. This search drove them to do many things. Hocus Pocus is available on Disney+.

A Halloween family favorite, Hocus Pocus follows three witch sisters resurrected in modern-day Salem who wreaks havoc on the town. With a mix of humor, magic, and fun performances, it has become a cult classic for spooky seasons.

23. Insidious

Insidious is one of the most possessive movies online. Its production company released it in 2010. The movie is about a family that tries to prevent evil spirits from trapping their child in another realm. The child is in an unconscious state, and demons possess him for their wills.

Did they succeed in saving him? Did the demons and evil spirits trap him and use his body forever? Watch Insidious on Netflix to find out.

A family’s peaceful life is shattered when their son falls into a mysterious coma, leading them to confront evil spirits from a dark dimension. Insidious combines jump scares with psychological horror, creating a terrifying exploration of the supernatural.

24. The Babadook

The Babadook is a 2014 film that is an excellent choice for a bone-chilling Halloween. It features a paranoid mother and son who suspect a monster lurking in their house. Their suspicion starts after they read a children’s book together. The character in the book, Mister Babadook, seems to come to life.

When this happened, the woman’s and her son’s lives took an awful turn. The Babadook is available on Netflix. You can see it for a low subscription fee.

This psychological horror blends parental grief and supernatural terror. Widow Amelia and her son Samuel are haunted by the Babadook, a sinister figure from a children’s book. The film’s deep exploration of trauma, mental illness, and motherhood elevates it beyond typical horror, creating a chilling and emotionally rich experience.

25. X

X is a 1-hour, 45-minute-long horror play that went online in 2022. In this eye-catching film, a group of adults set out to a rural part of Texas to make adult-rated content. Their hosts were in the safe yard, and they caught the filmmakers in the act.

It provoked the old hosts. So, their guests had to struggle to leave the place alive. Blood spillage became the order of the night. Watch X on Fubo and enjoy it.

In this stylish horror, a group of filmmakers set out to make an adult film in rural Texas, only to face off against the elderly couple hosting them on their farm. X mixes slasher thrills with commentary on aging, beauty, and exploitation, delivering gore and tension in equal measure.

26. Pet Sematary

Pet Sematary is a must-watch that can frighten you to your bone, but you won’t look away, or you will miss an action. It hit the internet in 2019. The tale starts with a family relocating to a rural area for peace. Many other things they had in mind that they didn’t relocate to meet them after they found a burial ground for pets.

Next, they found the one with sinister powers. Then, their lives took a dangerous turn. When evil visited them, there was or wasn’t an escape route. You can only find out when you watch the movie on Tubi.

In this chilling adaptation of Stephen King’s novel, a family’s peaceful rural life turns nightmarish after discovering a mysterious burial ground with the power to resurrect the dead. When tragedy strikes, grief drives them to test the ground’s powers, unleashing horrifying consequences that question the boundaries between life and death.

27. The Blair Witch Project

Since 1999, when this movie came out, people haven’t gotten over it yet. In the horror, a simple walk in the woods that three filmmakers decided to make was a long story of tragedy. The terror that followed was heart-stopping.

Whether they saw another light of the day or their stories ended in the woods, you can only imagine it. However, you can watch The Blair Witch Project on Netflix along with other content.

This found-footage horror phenomenon follows three film students who get lost in the woods while documenting the local legend of the Blair Witch. As they descend into fear and paranoia, the film blurs the lines between reality and pioneers a new style of horror that uses suggestion over explicit scares.

28. Friday the 13th

Another excellent movie to watch on Halloween is Friday the 13th. It is 1980s content with a great storyline, exciting scenes, and scary events. Over time, about 11 sequels have followed it. It is about the reopening of Camp Crystal many years after news of many deaths shut it down.

The deaths returned to the Camp, and people started to fear for their lives. The tale continues even when they nearly catch the killer. Friday the 13th is accessible on Hulu.

The slasher classic that introduced Camp Crystal Lake to horror fans, Friday the 13th, follows a group of camp counselors as an unseen killer picks them off. The film’s suspenseful atmosphere and shocking finale have made it a mainstay of the horror genre.

29. Haunted Mansion

Haunted Mansion was released in 2023. The team in charge of the film didn’t make it too scary for some people who don’t like excessive creepy content. It has a mixture of fun, adventure, and more.

It is about a woman and her son who suspected weird movements in their homes. They called a motley crew who claimed to be experts on spiritual matters to get rid of the supernatural things in the house. The story goes even further, and you can see it on Disney+.

A lighthearted supernatural adventure, Haunted Mansion follows a realtor and his family as they become trapped in a creepy mansion filled with ghosts and spirits. While trying to escape, they uncover the Mansion’s history and break a curse, with humor and spooky fun sprinkled throughout.

30. Children of the Corn

Another movie that will spike your Halloween adrenaline is Children of the Corn. This 1984 picture shows a young person stranded in a rural area. The town was Gatlin, in Nebraska. There, they met some religious yet mysterious children. This encounter birthed secrets, learning scenes, and blood spillage.

Will they live to tell the story to the outside world? Would one of the couple sacrifice their lives to save the other? Well, there is only one way to find out. Watch what happens to them in Prime Video, a streaming service with this and more movies.

Based on a Stephen King short story, this horror classic unfolds in a rural town where children, led by the enigmatic Isaac, kill off all the adults to appease a sinister deity. When a young couple stumbles upon the city, they must confront the cult and its dark leader in a chilling tale about the dangers of blind faith.

Watching Your Best Halloween Movies Anywhere with NordVPN

Some of the streaming services for watching creepy content have geo-restrictions. This deprives people in certain arrears of the liberty to access their horror genres. Also, some sites are unsafe as they don’t handle user’s data correctly. This is why you need a VPN for them. One virtual private network we trust to deliver correctly out of the thousands available online is NordVPN.

The platform has proven its worth, and companies like Business Insider, BuzzFeed, TEDx, Wired, Forbes, and HuffPost trust it. NordVPN is a fast VPN that you can use to stream movies, load pages, download, and navigate the internet quickly. The VPN servers can reach up to 10Gbps, which makes it one of the fastest online.

NordVPN has tools that help it protect its users from cyber dangers, one of which is the Threat Protection tool. This online gear shields your device from all threats, including malware, viruses, and spyware. NordVPN also protects you from data breaches, hack attacks, information theft, and more. With NordVPN, you can remotely access your files and other accounts’ devices. With Meshnet, remote file access is possible.

Final Thoughts

There are thousands of scary content available on different streaming apps. Some date as far back as the 1890s, and some are recent. Not every one of them is as thrilling and exciting as you would like. But the 30 that include The Conjuring and Hellraiser will give you all the adrenaline surge you need to feel the Halloween spirit.

They tell good tales enough to creep your skin like you would want from any good horror film and keep you glued to your screen until the final scenes. However, some streaming sites have online risks or have geo-restrictions. So, you would need a virtual private network to unlock site access. One of the best VPNs that we recommend for this purpose is NordVPN.

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