18 best Halloween movies of all time

Halloween has long inspired some of the scariest films of the year; here are 18 best movies ever.

Halloween (1978)

Directed by auteur John Carpenter, Halloween tells the story of child psychopath Michael Myers, who is locked away after murdering his 15-year-old sister at the age of 6. He breaks out 15 years later, hell-bent on murdering his other sister, Laurie.

The Exorcist (1973)

It is Oscar-winning possession parable directed by William Friedkin. This thriller is about a young mother (Ellen Burstyn) who tries to exorcise her young daughter (Linda Blair), is brimming with old-fashioned scare shots and a highly quotable script.

The Nightmare Before Christmas (1993)

Tim Burton’s at times gentle, at times sinister stop-motion musical focuses on Jack Skellington, the king of Halloween Town, whose efforts to bring Christmas Town home produce disastrous results.

Scream (1996)

Written by Kevin Williamson and directed by Wes Craven, Scream is the perfect blend of ’90s pop culture archness with slasher film tropes.

The Witches (1990)

Anjelica Huston is in top form as Ms Eva Ernst, the powerful Grand High Witch, who turns a boy into a mouse. This film, based on the Roald Dahl book, is probably the only scary movie ever to be set at a witches’ convention.

A Nightmare on Elm Street (1984)

A “Nightmare on Elm Street” is Wes Craven’s still-scary ’80s tale of Freddy Krueger, a knife-gloved serial killer who murders people in their dreams.

Hocus Pocus (1993)

Bette Midler, Sarah Jessica Parker, and Kathy Najimy play 300-year-old witches who spend the entire length of the film chasing a teenage virgin, who has stolen their spellbook. Enjoy!

Friday the 13th (1980)

In this horror standard, a group of camp counsellors are stalked by a vengeful serial killer. The “Friday the 13th” series is best known for Jason, a hockey mask-wearing, axe-wielding serial killer, but he doesn’t appear in this first instalment.

Practical Magic (1998)

Nicole Kidman and Sandra Bullock play the last in their family’s line of witches, who battle the disapproving members of their small town and a curse that dooms any man they fall in love with.

Halloween H20: 20 Years Later (1998)

This franchise won’t die. Jamie Lee Curtis returns to the series as the perpetual target of brother Michael Myers’ murderous pursuit. Laurie faked her death and assumed a new name but Myers, who dabbles as a private detective when not on murderous rampages, has tracked her down.

Halloween (2018)

A perfect scary movie for the anxious 2010s, filmmaker David Gordon Green is as interested in thrills and chills in this instalment as he is in investigating the lasting effects of trauma. The events of the 2018 Halloween deem the sequels non-canonical, choosing instead to focus on the hermetic life of a now 60-ish Laurie Strode, her daughter (Judy Greer), and their relentless pursuit by one Michael Myers.

Beetlejuice (1988)

A comedy classic that’s perfect for Halloween, Beetlejuice combines macabre humour about death with sight gags, pratfalls, and Tim Burton’s trademark visual humour. After a couple, played by Geena Davis and Alec Baldwin, die in a car accident, they get trapped haunting a house.

It (2017)

It is a story about Pennywise the Clown and the evil spirit who feeds on children every 27 years. Don’t miss a chance to see it this Halloween eve.

Ghostbusters (1984)

Would it be Halloween without the adventures of Venkman, Stantz, and co. and their battle against phantasms looking to take over New York? Grab a box of Hi-C Ecto-Cooler and enjoy!

The Ring (2002)

Naomi Watts plays a sceptical reporter investigating a videotape that, rumour has it, will kill anyone who watches it seven days after they’ve seen it.

Get Out (2017)

Jordan Peele’s Oscar-winning film concerns a black man who discovers that his girlfriend’s family has a dark secret and a sinister family business. It is a chilling thriller.

Sleepy Hollow (1999)

A blonde Christina Ricci stars in this film, which mixes horror, fantasy, and romance in equal measures.

The Addams Family (1991)

Creepy, kooky, all-together spooky Halloween fun can be found in this ’90s classic based on the ’60s sitcom and the comic that preceded it. This film mixes your typical family comedy with a macabre sensibility, making it perfect Halloween fare.