By: Jordan Dixon
People love to argue about movies all the time, but what Halloween movies are considered the best? Let’s take a look at our Top 10 Halloween Films, and see which ones you should tune in to and decide for yourself which one is considered the best Halloween film.
These movies aren’t in any order, just a few of classics and new favorites we consider for the spooky cozy night that is Halloween and think qualify for being the best.
#10 – Halloween (1978)
Halloween has been a classic for over 40 years now and has had many people dress up as the iconic antagonist Michael Myers almost every Halloween since the film was released. Dive into the small town of Haddonfield, Illinois on October 30th where 21- year-old Michael Myers escapes prison and looks for his next victims. With its simplistic storytelling, Halloween is a film for those who enjoy slasher films and want to embrace the horror aspect of Halloween while watching Laurie Strode try to survive Halloween night.
#9 – Ghostbusters (1984)
Who you gonna call for a Halloween movie recommendation? Ghostbusters! With the iconic ensemble that is Bill Murray, Erie Hudson, Dan Aykrod, and Harold Ramis, Ghostbusters is a downright comedy film that takes you on the adventure of scientists who lose their jobs at a university and become.. You guessed it… Ghostbusters! To get more information on why this is considered one of the top Halloween movies, we asked local NCCC student Dwon Daniels and he mentioned one of his favorites was in fact Ghostbusters, “Ghostbusters was the first movie I could watch on my PSP as a kid and I was automatically hooked and watched it continuously after that. And it just gets me in the spooky spirit.” This film is considered one of the most iconic and funniest movies of all time and not only that, it has a very catchy theme song as we all are aware!
#8 – It (2017)
Based on the novel by Stephen King, the 2017 film is one of the scariest films of its time and has one of the most iconic antagonists, Pennywise the Clown. Following seven young kids in Derry, Maine, they must work together to fight their fears and try to survive the bloodthirsty clown. Would not recommend you watch this movie if you are scared of clowns, but this film has intense jump scares and overall anxiety written scenarios that make a horror movie a horror movie. And compared to the miniseries which was released in 1990, fans who read the tense novel reveal the 2017 film is more accurate to the source material.
#7 – Halloweentown (1998)
Pack your bags you’re visiting your grandma in Halloweentown! Halloweentown is considered one of the most iconic Halloween films and is arguably the best. Join Marnie and her kids as they unlock the truth that they come from a family of witches when they visit the town. Upon arriving you learn that this is the only place where the supernatural folk can have any chance at a ‘normal life’. Daniels also mentioned Halloweentown being one of his favorite films. “When I was a kid, I used to wake up in the middle of the night and Halloweentown would be on TV and I would stay up and watch it. So now it reminds me of childhood memories.” This film is known for being a classic, and is one of the most awesome kid adventure Halloween movies.
#6 – Scream (1996)
We bring in another classic slasher horror film called Scream. With the same energy as Michael Myers, Scream introduces you to Ghostface, a crazed serial killer who phone calls teengers at their local high school seeking revenge. Sidney Presscot becomes the main target and by the end of the night will try to reveal who is behind the mask. Creator and director Wes Craven did an amazing job maintaining the mystery level throughout the film and bringing suspense to every scene. We highly recommend you bring this suspenseful, mysterious and iconic slasher film to your living room television on Halloween night.
#5 – A Nightmare on Elm Street (1984)
Would you look at that, another slasher horror film! This time we introduce A Nightmare on Elm Street, with the same creator and director of Scream, Wes Craven gives us another iconic slasher that lets us meet Nancy Thompson, who must uncover the dark truth when she becomes targets of the spirit of a serial killer Freddy Krueger, who preys on teenagers in their dreams. We also claim this to be one of the classics and suggest it if you are a fan of supernatural slasher films.
#4 – Beetlejuice (1998)
Don’t say it three times! Beetlejuice will attract. In this 1998 iconic Tim Burton film, Barbara and Adam die in a car accident after moving into their new home and find themselves in the afterlife haunting their home. While trying to escape, a new family buys the home. Adam and Barbara must attempt to scare them away and ask Michael Keaton’s Beetlejuice for help. Not only does this film star Michael Keaton, it also stars Winona Ryder, Genna Davis, Alec Baldwin, and Jeffrey Jones. This movie paints death in a positive light with being comical at times as thrilling at others.
#3 – Corpse Bride (2005)
Another Tim Burton classic, after enchanting audiences with The Nightmare Before Christmas and Beetlejuice, Burton brings us another amazing stop-motion film. You really feel the atmosphere throughout the whole film and it is very well-written and made. When a young man and woman’s parents arrange for them to be married, Victor finds himself nervous and ends up in a scary forest practicing his vows, a tree branch becomes a hand and takes him to the land of the dead where he meets Emily, the Corpse Bride. With them now set to be married, Victor must return back to the land of the living and stop Victoria from marrying someone else. It is known as one of the best motion stopping films of its time. And we recommend this film for those who love the spooky energy of Halloween and believe in true love.
#2 – Hocus Pocus (1993)
With great audience reviews, Hocus Pocus is probably considered one of the funnest, classic Halloween movies of our time. Scott Harvey, a student at NCCC mentioned this being one of his favorites. “They just make me feel like a little kid again. I remember always watching it with my family and never getting sick of it.” When moving to Salem, Massachusetts, a few teenagers explore an abandoned house and accidentally unleash a coven of evil witches. The teens now must find a way to stop them by stealing their book of magic spells and becoming immortal. With the sequel now out on Disney Plus, many people are going back to this classic film to watch the sequel and we request you do too!
#1 – The Nightmare Before Christmas (1993)
Now we can argue whether this is a Halloween film or Christmas film, but the Halloween aspect of this other stop motion adventure is so nuanced from others. When the iconic pumpkin leader Jack Skellington becomes tired of the same tradition in his scary Halloween town, he stumbles upon Christmas town. By kidnapping Santa Claus and bringing Christmas to life in a different style, Tim Burton once again gives us top level animation and storytelling. We highly recommend this one because it’s an incredible classic that shaped our childhoods with phenomenal characters and design.
We hope you enjoy both classic and new Halloween favorite films on our list. Now is the time to grab your favorite candy, popcorn, and throw blankets and enjoy these films! Happy Halloween!