Halloween is not only my favorite time of year but also one of my favorite types of horror movies. There are many scary movies about Halloween. It’s the second-most popular type of horror movie after those with a Christmas theme. On the list below are some of the most famous scary movies ever made for Halloween. These are great for people who don’t have much time or want something to watch quickly.
Halloween (1978)
It helps to start with the first Halloween horror film ever made. This is the first movie that everyone thinks of when they hear the word “Halloween,” and it’s likely the first thing that comes up on Google when you search for “Halloween.” Even though it is the most well-known, that doesn’t mean it shouldn’t be on the list.
For the three of you who don’t know, the original movie was about Michael Myers, a young boy who goes crazy and kills his sister. Years later, he escapes from a mental hospital and terrorizes the town of Haddonfield, Illinois. It is a classic slasher movie that set the standard for the genre for a long time and gave rise to many other classics.
Halloween III: Season Of The Witch (1982)
So soon, another Halloween movie is on the list? Halloween 3 is its own thing. Michael Myers doesn’t even appear in it. When the studio asked, John Carpenter agreed to make another Halloween movie. Still, he didn’t want to make another Michael Myers movie because he thought the franchise should go in a different direction.
Instead, Carpenter made one of the most controversial horror movies. Fans hated this movie for a long time because it was a Halloween movie without Michael Myers. But recently, it has had a renaissance, and people’s opinions have changed greatly.
Haunt (2019)
Haunt is a sub-genre-bending movie that not many people know about but would be an absolute classic if more people did. It’s a mix of a haunted house, a slasher movie, and whatever you like and to call the thing that made the Saw movies so popular.
A group of friends decides to check out an extreme haunt, but they don’t know how scary it is. They give up their phones and go into a haunted house they think will be fun. Instead, they start to die one by one, and the people who run the haunted house might not be as beneficial as they seem.
The Houses October Built 1 and 2 (2014, 2017)
The Houses October Built came out at a really bad time, in my opinion. It’s a good found footage movie with a lot of suspense and an uneasy feeling, but it came out when every movie was a found footage movie, so people were getting tired of the genre.
In the show Houses, a group of friends travels across the country to film the scariest Halloween haunts. They hear about an extreme haunt called Blue Skeleton, where the actors are allowed to touch thrill-seekers, a strict no-no in the world of commercial haunted houses.
Night of the Demons (1988)
Night of the Demons is one of my favorite scary movies, and it might even be in my top 100. The best thing about Night of the Demons is that it has real-world effects that are much better than digital effects. A group of kids has a Halloween party in an old, supposedly haunted mortuary.
Sadly, a Halloween party quickly turns deadly as people die and get possessed one by one. This is the perfect 80s horror movie. There’s a lot of blood, but it’s not too much. It had two follow-ups, but Night of the Demons 3 has nothing to do with Halloween and is very hard to find.
Tales of Halloween (2015)
I love anthology movies, so I might be biased, but I believe Tales of Halloween is among the best Halloween films, period. Since it is a compilation of short stories, there is something for everyone, from the intellectual to the adrenaline-inducing and, of course, the bloody.
All of the stories are great, but Ding Dong, which ought to have won some awards, is the one that stays with me the most. It is a masterly allegory about abuse in the home, and the idea behind it is scarier than the story itself. On the other hand, Friday the 31st makes fun of the slasher style of music and ends with a funny twist.
Hell House LLC (2016)
Hell House LLC is among the best found-footage movies ever made. This is a slow-burning series of three films that should be watched all at once, like The Houses October Built, which is also on this list. But this Halloween-themed horror film has a little more action than The Houses October Built.
Strange things start as a group of friends set up their own Haunted House in an old hotel. People disappear, things move independently, and strange noises can be heard in empty spaces. Hell House LLC is very scary and will make you rest with the lights on for the rest of your life.
Trick (2019)
The Trick is a lot better than it should be, and even though it stars Omar Epps, Jamie Kennedy, and Tom Atkins, it didn’t get as much attention as it should have. This movie is a mix of the slasher genre we all love and a psychological mystery that will shock most people who see it.
The movie keeps paying off as you go back to and from cool kills and a better story than it seems. I don’t want to start making Trick sound like it should win an Oscar because it’s still a B-movie, but it’s a great deal better than many other Halloween movies you’ll find in your search.
Trick ‘r Treat (2007)
Trick ‘r Treat is a classic Halloween movie that doesn’t get nearly enough attention. First, it took a long time to make this movie; since then, sequels have been stuck in development hell. The problem is that this extensive list is based on a series of comic books with the same title, so there is a lot of source material.
The movie is a brilliant collection of short stories that all connect. It’s the perfect mix of gore and storytelling. Some actors are well-known, but the movie is a low-budget masterpiece. Trick ‘r Treat is a great choice for a movie night with a group of different people.
All Hallow’s Eve (2013)
I saved this film for last because only real horror fans will enjoy it. All Hallow’s Eve is gross, scary, and brilliant all at the same time. First, this movie gave us Art the Clown, who did well in the Terrifier movies and is now the best bad guy in a slasher franchise from the 2010s.
You’ll be very upset by Art, but he’s only a small part of the movie. Two kids bring an unmarked VHS home from Halloween and beg their childminder to let them watch it. The tape has gruesome videos that look and feel too real. After putting the kids on a mattress, the babysitter can’t stop watching the collection of short films, and it could kill her.