Five classic Halloween movies to get you in the spooky spirit
Get into the Halloween spirit watching some spooky classics.
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The calendar says it’s Friday, and the vibe says Halloween, which means it's time to trade the serious stuff for something spooky, silly, or just plain strange.
Forget the tired old formula of blood and guts because the real magic of this spooky holiday is in the atmospheric, the whimsical, and the brilliantly bizarre.
To help you get into the mood, we've brewed up a potion of five must-watch movies.
These cinematic classics are guaranteed to spark your fright-night mojo, no matter where you are.
Top 5 must-watch Halloween-inspired movies
Hocus Pocus (1993)
Let’s kick things off with a dose of pure, unadulterated witchcraft.
This beloved cult classic stars Bette Midler, Sarah Jessica Parker, and Kathy Najimy as the Sanderson Sisters, a trio of hilarious 17th-century witches accidentally resurrected to wreak havoc.
It’s funny, charming, and just spooky enough for the whole family.
Beetlejuice (1988)
Nobody does gothic eccentricity quite like Tim Burton, and “Beetlejuice” is his quintessential Halloween-adjacent masterpiece.
A recently deceased couple (Alec Baldwin and Geena Davis) hires the crass, mischievous "bio-exorcist" Beetlejuice (Michael Keaton) to scare the new, obnoxious occupants out of their home.
It's wildly imaginative, darkly comedic, and visually stunning.
This original film is a perfect setup to watch the 2024 sequel, “Beetlejuice Beetlejuice,” which sees Keaton, Winona Ryder, and Catherine O’Hara all return.
The Nightmare Before Christmas (1993)
Is it a Halloween movie or a Christmas movie? The great debate lives on, but one thing is certain: Jack Skellington, the Pumpkin King of Halloween Town, is the ultimate spooky season icon.
This stop-motion marvel from the mind of Tim Burton is a delightfully macabre and heartwarming musical about Jack's quest for something new.
Its unique aesthetic perfectly captures the fun, inventive spirit of Halloween.
The Conjuring (2013)
Replacing the ageing slasher film, we recommend a modern classic that delivers genuine, unsettling scares: “The Conjuring.”
This haunted-house film kick-started a massive franchise by bringing a retro, suspenseful style back to horror.
Based on the "true" files of paranormal investigators Ed and Lorraine Warren, the movie about a family tormented by a dark presence is packed with jump scares and deep atmospheric dread.
It's a gold standard for modern supernatural horror.
The Addams Family (1991)
Forget the ghost-hunting comedy, and instead join the family that celebrates the macabre every single day.
The 1991 film is a stylish, hilarious, and perfectly gothic adventure that proves you don't have to be scary to be perfectly spooky.
With Anjelica Huston's iconic Morticia and Raul Julia's passionate Gomez, the Addamses are the ultimate inspiration for getting into the bizarre, sophisticated fun of Halloween.
So dim the lights, gather your favourite spooky snacks, and let these cinematic gems transport you to a world of ghouls, ghosts, and Halloween fun.