Welcome to Day 10 of Spooky Season!! Today, I’m sharing my top 15 favorite movies set on Halloween! I was originally going to make it a top 10, but there were so many that I didn’t want to leave out, so I made it 15 instead. I also omitted the films in the Halloween franchise because I’m debating on giving them their own ranking. I hope you enjoy and let me know your favorite film set on Halloween!

15. Monster House

Synopsis (provided by IMDb.com): Three teens discover that their neighbor’s house is really a living, breathing, scary monster.

When I was a kid, I was so scared of this movie, that I had my eyes covered during the trailer. Now, it’s such a classic to me. I love how funny it is, every character did a fantastic job at leaving their own imprint. The story is so sad, it was one that I never saw coming in a movie like this and it makes me emotional just thinking about it. This is a very underrated Halloween film with a lot of laughs and a lot of heart.

14. Tales Of Halloween

Synopsis (provided by IMDb.com): Ten stories are woven together by their shared theme of Halloween night in an American suburb, where ghouls, imps, aliens, and axe murderers appear for one night only to terrorize unsuspecting residents.

As I’ve said before, it took a while for this film to grow on me. Now, it’s starting to become one of my go-tos. I love how each story is their own, BUT they have small yet noticeable connections. Each tale brings that special Halloween vibe I love so much. It has a great variety of laughs and genuine frights, a little something for everyone!

13. Hocus Pocus

Synopsis (provided by IMDb.com): A teenage boy named Max and his little sister move to Salem, where he struggles to fit in before awakening a trio of diabolical witches who were executed in the 17th century.

This always was and always will be a favorite of mine. I fell in love with it when I was a kid and that love hasn’t wavered yet. The Sanderson sisters are just so hilarious and devious. I always like to make this film the very last one I watch on Halloween every year. The legend, the music, and the jokes were the perfect mixture for this Halloween potion of fun!

12. Ginger Snaps

Synopsis (provided by IMDb.com): Two death-obsessed sisters, outcasts in their suburban neighborhood, must deal with the tragic consequences when one of them is bitten by a deadly werewolf.

I knew immediately that I was going to love this movie once I saw the slideshow of all the fake deaths the sisters did in the beginning. I’m a huge fan of werewolf films and this one was so unique and outstanding. I love the slow descent, the dynamics change, and the fact that the big finale was set on my favorite holiday was fantastic.

11. Beetlejuice Beetlejuice

Synopsis (provided by IMDb.com): After a family tragedy, three generations of the Deetz family return home to Winter River. Still haunted by Betelgeuse, Lydia’s life is turned upside down when her teenage daughter, Astrid accidentally opens a portal to the Afterlife.

This one became an instant favorite as soon as I saw it on the big screen. 36 years after the original film, this sequel certainly didn’t lose its whimsy, nor its creep factor. We got to see the same characters we loved so much in an all new adventure with all new obstacles. This filmmakers did a wonderful job at providing another Halloween favorite for me!

10. Cry Wolf

Synopsis (provided by IMDb.com): Eight unsuspecting high school seniors at a posh boarding school, who delight themselves on playing games of lies, come face-to-face with terror and learn that nobody believes a liar – even when they’re telling the truth.

This film is a great Halloween whodunit. When a simple prank gets out of hand and no one can be trusted about anything, it can be a real recipe for disaster. This film was all about creating a killer and deciding his next move. The way it all comes to a head on Halloween is so brilliant, and I never get tired of it!

9. Night Of The Demons (2009)

Synopsis (provided by IMDb.com): A group of kids go to a Halloween party, only to have to face down a group of demons.

I don’t know what it is about this movie that made me fall in love with it so fast. For one, I found the characters very entertaining. I also love that this film goes from 0 to 100 real quick on the crazy scale. This was a great Halloween film with plenty of high stakes, jump scares, and protagonists worth rooting for!

8. Stan Helsing

Synopsis (provided by IMDb.com): A spoof of many horror movie series. Ending his shift at the video rental store, Stan is picked up by his BFF and 2 cute girls, all going to a Halloween party. Will they even get there?

This movie is the very definition of “ridiculous” and I love every minute of it! We get the Temu versions of our favorite horror killers and a hero who’s trying to avoid all responsibilities. This is one you can just sit back and have a good time. Not to mention it has parody king, Leslie Nielsen in one of his final roles. This is just a goofy good time with a lot of holiday spirit.

7. Ernest Scared Stupid

Synopsis (provided by IMDb.com): Ernest accidentally unleashes an ugly troll that plots to transform children into wooden dolls in the town of Briarville, Missouri.

Ernest P. Worrell WAS my childhood! This film was my introduction to him and his shenanigans. I love that here, we get an antagonist we don’t usually see, especially in a Halloween movie. I’m surprised it didn’t completely traumatize me as a kid because it has some genuinely creepy moments in it. This one is just always lots of fun to watch.

6. Late Night With The Devil

Synopsis (provided by IMDb.com): A live television broadcast in 1977 goes horribly wrong, unleashing evil into the nation’s living rooms.

I became obsessed with this film when I first saw it. It was really cool seeing the horrors through the eyes of a talk show audience. The discussions of cults and hypnosis were utterly fascinating. The talk show setting was superb and very realistic, and it made me want to see more Halloween-themed episodes. It was jaw-dropping and I couldn’t take my eyes off it for even a second.

5. Night Of The Demons (1988)

Synopsis (provided by IMDb.com): Ten teenagers party in an abandoned funeral parlor on Halloween night. When an evil force awakens, demonic spirits keep them from leaving and turn their gathering into a living situation.

The best way to describe this film is to say that it’s a perfect combination of ‘80s goofiness and genuine horror. The story is great and the special effects were really well done. It’s definitely not a film to be taken seriously. This is just a great film to have on at a Halloween party because it is a master of those two elements. Not to mention, it has a fantastic ending you can’t miss!

4. 31

Synopsis (provided by IMDb.com): Five carnival workers are kidnapped and held hostage in an abandoned, hellish compound where they are forced to participate in a violent game, the goal of which is to survive twelve hours against a gang of sadistic clowns.

Rob Zombie and Halloween are just two peas in a pod. This was such an interesting concept with a brutal and bloody execution. I’d say the vibes of this film are a combination of Saw, House Of 1000 Corpses, and anything Stanley Kubrick. This is honestly one I can throw on any time of the year, but it’s especially fun to watch during Spooky Season.

3. House Of 1000 Corpses

Synopsis (provided by IMDb.com): Two young couples traveling across the backwoods of Texas searching for urban legends of murder end up as prisoners of a bizarre and sadistic backwater family of serial killers.

This film was our introduction to the psychotic Firefly family and it’s perfect that we got to see them in their element on Halloween of all days. I love how random the film is, and I love that we’re shown what their idea of All Hallows Eve fun is. There are certainly monsters and madmen galore in this film!

2. Idle Hands

Synopsis (provided by IMDb.com): A teenage slacker’s right hand becomes possessed with murderous intent.

There is not a single dull moment in this film. The concept is so unique and the fact that they made it a horror comedy was sheer genius. All of the characters were so hilarious and the kills were epic, and even the music was killer. This film is just a blast full of ‘90s nostalgia and a gory good time!

1. Trick ‘R Treat

Synopsis (provided by IMDb.com): Five Halloween stories: A principal has a secret life, a virgin is looking for Mr. Right, a group of kids pull a prank, a woman who loathes Halloween does not respect the rules, and a mean old man meets a demonic trick-or-treater.

Come on, it’s no surprise that this is and always will be my number one choice! This movie screams Halloween to me and it’s almost a sin for me to not watch it on the day. I absolutely love anthology films, especially when they all intertwine, telling one big story. We get monsters, entities, and psychopaths all in one little town, and it’s a must for all to see!

Honorable Mentions:

Missing Halloween

Hocus Pocus 2

Once Bitten