31 Days of Halloween Movies List

Fall is not complete without watching your favorite Halloween scary movies. Even if you don’t love a good jump scare, there is a Halloween movie for you. Here is my 31 days of Halloween movies list, on a scale of Disney to pee your pants scary.

A few years ago, my daughter and I tried to watch a Halloween movie every day leading up to the holiday. We failed after about movie #8. Be sure to let me know if you succeed this year!

31 Days of Halloween Movies List

Hocus Pocus

Let’s kick off this list with one of the all-time best Halloween movies. Hocus Pocus is a family favorite that mixes humor with the right amount of Halloween, yet not so scary, vibes.

I personally love the original, but found Hocus Pocus 2 greatly exceeded my expectations. My favorite moment is the beloved broomies scene.

Hocus Pocus is said to be returning for a third installment, likely in the fall of 2025. Both the original and sequel can be found on Disney+.

Halloweentown

As a child from the ’90s, I lived off of Disney Channel Original Movies. Halloweentown was a favorite of mine and probably any other ’90s kid. It follows the story of a family of witches as evil starts to take over Halloweentown.

I can still remember this exact promo playing on television as the Halloween season approached. Halloweentown is a great movie for kids, though it might have its scarier moments for younger ones.

Monster House

This animated movie is about a group of friends who start to discover creepy occurrences and disappearances surrounding their neighbor’s seemingly haunted house. They later discover the house is in fact a living monster and they do what they can to stop it.

This is a fun, yet spooky movie that makes it a perfect family friendly Halloween movie.

Corpse Bride

Corpse Bride is another stop motion movie, which showcases Tim Burton’s style at its best. It tells the story of a young man, voiced by Johnny Depp, who accidentally proposes to a deceased woman.

He is then taken to the Land of the Dead where his affection begins to grow for the young woman. It is hardly a scary movie, but definitely fulfills the Halloween aesthetic.

Hot Tip: Looking for another movie that balances in the world between the living and the dead? Check out Coco on Disney+.

Coraline

Coraline is a young girl, who finds her life boring and dull. She, therefore, escapes to another world through a small door in her new home. In this parallel world, Coraline discovers her “Other” parents, who aren’t quite as perfect as they originally seem.

Coraline has similar themes to Hansel & Gretel, so it can definitely be scary for young children. Overall, however, Coraline makes for a great family Halloween movie.

Haunted Mansion

As an avid Disney fan, I love the Haunted Mansion ride and the movies, based off the ride, don’t disappoint.

Some people don’t love the Eddie Murphy version, but I personally don’t mind it. I think it is a great movie for kids that is spooky, but not so scary that they will have nightmares.

The newer version, starring Jamie Lee Curtis and Owen Wilson, is available on Disney+ starting October 4th.

The Addams Family

The Addams Family is a humorous movie with all the spooky vibes. It is more funny than scary, which makes it a cult classic.

If you are a fan of the Netflix’s series, Wednesday, then enjoy Christina Ricci in her original role as Wednesday Addams.

If you like the first movie, then don’t miss the sequel, Addams Family Values, which is just as good.

Young Frankenstein

Young Frankenstein is Mel Brooks’ funny take on reinventing the classic Frankenstein movie. It follows a young scientist, played by Gene Wilder, as he looks to continue his late grandfather’s experiments.

This movie is more humorous than scary, but plays perfect homage to the classic monster movies.

Scary Movie

Scary Movie is a parody of many different scary movies, such as Scream, Halloween, and The Sixth Sense.

I remember not being able to watch this movie when I was younger and it was probably for good reason. It definitely isn’t child appropriate, though it is extremely funny.

Ghostbusters

Who you gonna call? Ghostbusters!

My kids love this classic as we prefer the original Ghostbusters over the remakes. It follows a crew of friends as they track down and eliminate ghosts terrorizing New York City.

Again, this movie is more funny than scary making it a perfect Halloween movie for family movie night.

Clue

Based off of the board game by the same name, Clue is a hysterical murder mystery comedy. With an all-star cast led by Tim Curry, this is an instant cult classic.

If you liked Clue, be sure to check out Knives Out and the sequel, Glass Onion, which are more of the modern day versions of Clue.

Practical Magic

This is another 1990s classic starring the beloved Sandra Bullock and Nicole Kidman. It is a story of two sisters whose family is seemingly cursed, where any man they date dies.

Practical Magic offers the perfect witchy, fall vibes, which makes it a perfect Halloween movie.

Beetlejuice

Starring Michael Keaton, Beetlejuice is a perfect mix of creepy and humor. You cannot walk away from this movie without singing “Day-O” at the top of your lungs.

I love this movie more now as an adult more than I ever did as a kid. There is a lot of inappropriate humor that goes over kids’ heads.

If you are a fan of the movie, then be sure to check out the musical as well, which captures the same sense of humor. With the success of the musical, Beetlejuice is now coming back with a new sequel set to release in 2024.

Jaws

Dunnnnn dunn… dunnnn dunn…. dun dun dun dun dun dun dun.

With one of the most recognizable movie soundtracks, Jaws is a classic that you cannot miss this Halloween season. This movie is only scary because of the music and anticipation of the shark attacks.

If you have kids, then I advise caution especially if you have any beach trips coming up in the spring. If you find it too scary, then I recommend watching with the sound off for a hilariously different movie experience.

Scream

Scream threw audiences for a loop when it first released in 1996. From the very first scene with Drew Barrymore answering the phone, it had audiences on the edge of their seats.

With the infamous Ghostface, Scream is a classic that should be on the top of you Halloween movie list.

Psycho

I am an absolute sucker for classic Alfred Hitchcock movies. As the master of suspense, Hitchcock’s movies keep you guessing the whole way through.

I wrote a paper on him in college and have had an appreciation for his movies ever since. What I love about Psycho is the implied violence, without actually showing any gore.

For those who have seen this movie before, pay close attention to the camerawork when Norman Bates gets his mother from upstairs and carries her down the stairs.

Hot Tip: If you love Psycho, check out Alfred Hitchcock’s other classics such as The Birds, North by Northwest, Vertigo, or Rear Window.

The Purge

The Purge explores what life would be like if society was allowed one day to act out on any grievances they have without the chance of consequence. It is essentially a bunch of angry people out on a killing spree.

I avoided these movies for the longest time because I am not one for a lot of violence and I didn’t like the concept. While there definitely is some gore, this movie was way better than I thought it would be.

I did actually find myself connected and rooting for certain characters. If you enjoyed this movie, then be sure to check out the number of sequels made with the same concept.

The Sixth Sense

This movie was everything when I was growing up with the ultimate twist ending. “I see dead people” instantly became a classic movie line.

The scare factor is definitely starting to increase on this 31 days of Halloween movies list. The Sixth Sense has a number of jump scares including one that still makes me jump off the bed instead of gracefully stepping down.

The Shining

I have a love/hate relationship with this movie. It is certainly a classic with creepy moments, but the scene with Shelly Duvall on the staircase makes me laugh, and not in a good way.

Still, it holds a special place in my heart. Stephen King based his book off of stories told about the Stanley Hotel in Estes Park, Colorado. My husband and I went on a ghost tour at the Stanley Hotel moments after getting engaged so I have always loved this movie for that reason.

Poltergeist

Poltergeist is the creepy tale of a family, who tries to rescue their daughter from ghosts in their home. The ghosts communicate with the young girl through the static on the television and then try to abduct her through her closet.

I don’t recommend this movie for kids as it will make them afraid of clowns and their closet. I, therefore, don’t recommend it for some adults too.

A Quiet Place

This movie takes place in a world where monsters have taken over and attack any sound. A young family survives by learning to adapt and live in a quiet place.

When I saw this in the movie theater, it was so quiet that it made you afraid to crunch on popcorn. There are a number of jump scares but Emily Blunt and John Krasinski working together is what really makes this movie great.

Carrie

Carrie is another Stephen King classic starring Sissy Spasek. In this movie, Carrie has supernatural powers and struggles with bullying from her peers.

While it is very creepy throughout, there is only one jump scare in the movie. It is more unsettling than anything.

The Exorcist

The Exorcist follows the story of a mother who does everything in her power to save her daughter, who is possessed by demonic spirits. She enlists the help of a priest to perform an exorcism.

This is a classic horror film that is scary the first time you watch it. Once you know what to expect though, you can find humor in a lot of the absurdity of it.

The Omen

The Omen is scary for one reason only: Damien. He is an extremely creepy and unsettling devil child.

The story follows his adoptive parents as they try to protect him from destroying everything in his path. There are a number of jump scares that will keep you on edge throughout the entire movie.

Halloween

Halloween is another classic that has a recent revitalization with numerous sequels. It follows the story of Michael Myers, who escapes from a mental institution, and begins to terrorize a babysitter in the neighborhood.

It took me a longer than I care to admit to realize that Michael Myers wasn’t played by Mike Myers, aka the voice of Shrek. Jamie Lee Curtis, however, is amazing in all of these movies and worth seeing just for her performance.

The Grudge

This was one of the first movies I saw growing up that truly left me traumatized after watching it. The Grudge stars Sarah Michelle Gellar as she becomes a caretaker for a lady living in a cursed house in Toyko.

I hate the little meowing child in this movie and there are a bunch of jump scares throughout. I also was terrified to take a shower for months after seeing this movie.

The Strangers

I saw this movie in theaters and still have nightmares about this movie. It is about a couple whose home is invaded by masked strangers.

It is truly terrifying, especially if you live on your own. It will definitely have you triple checking all the locks on your door.

It

It follows a group of young friends as they deal with a terrifying supernatural entity, named Pennywise, that can shape shift into some of their worst fears. The team later come back as adults to confront “It” when it starts to attack again.

I love the remakes, but am also a fan of the original television mini series with Tim Curry and John Ritter. This was yet another movie that made me terrified to take a shower for a while.

The Ring

The Ring is about a cursed videotape that causes people to die seven days after watching it. Admittedly, I was too scared to watch this movie for a long time. I only watched if after I knew my friends, who had seen it, had survived the seven day cut off.

If you are looking for an even more terrifying movie, check out the Japanese movie Ringu, which was the inspiration for The Ring. I watched this movie in college as part of a horror film class and it makes The Ring seem very tame by comparison.

Tale of Two Sisters

A Tale of Two Sisters is another favorite scary film that I watched as part of my horror film class in college. It is the story of two sisters who return home after being instutitionalized and have to face troubles from their past.

This is a foreign film, but worth it even if you don’t like subtitles. It is truly terrifying and has stuck with me ever since I originally watched it.

They made an American version based on this movie, called The Uninvited, but it is hardly the same movie and not even close to as scary.

The Conjuring

I’m not going to lie, this movie was too scary for me to even finish. Therefore, The Conjuring takes my #1 spot for scariest Halloween movie.

It is based on the true story of paranormal investigators Ed & Lorraine Warren. It first introduces the character of Annabelle, a creepy possessed doll, which continues to haunt my dreams.

Bonus: Nightmare Before Christmas

I do not include Nightmare Before Christmas on my Halloween list because it has such a Christmas storyline included in it. Still, Tim Burton’s style is the epitome of everything Halloween.

For me, this movie helps transition from Halloween to the Christmas holidays, making it perfect to watch on November 1st.

There were so many movies that didn’t make this list. Tell me your favorite Halloween movies below!