Can you feel that chill in the air? Are the trees in your neighborhood shifting shades from verdant greens to crisp reds and oranges? Notice that the sun is setting earlier? Though these are all markers of the beginning of fall AKA the beginning of my seasonal depression, they are also, gratefully, signs of spooky season. Yes, we are entering the period of Halloween, of candy and costumes and creepy things, and the colder temps mean it’s also the perfect time to curl up on the couch with some warm apple cider and a thematically appropriate movie.
This round-up originally ran on September 23, 2024. We are re-publishing it in case you need some last minute recommendations for your Halloween 2025 watchlist.
Elsewhere, we’ve ranked every Tim Burton film, and gathered a few scary sci-fi flicks in our list of the best ones in the last 50 years, so if you don’t see those flicks here, that’s why.
This list has 31 spooky-season movies that are absolute must-sees this Halloween season, from terrifying tales to cutesy capers. Expect some classics, like The Exorcist, the OG Halloween, and The Addams Family, as well as some newer and cult-ier stuff like Jennifer’s Body and Near Dark. Whatever kind of mood you’re in, we’ve got a movie here for you—hell, there’s one for every day in October! You can start early if you want, or wait until the month kicks off and start getting through the list, the choice is yours. Click through for 31 movies to help you celebrate spooky season.
