Perhaps more than any other holiday, Halloween is the one where your routine changes the most with age. When you're a kid, there's no question what you're doing on Halloween night. You're going trick-or-treating and you're going to get that candy. Once you get a little older and trick-or-treating is no longer "cool," you'll probably look for a Halloween party to go to or visit a supposedly haunted place with your friends. And as an adult, you're faced with dressing up in something uncomfortable and going to a bar. Luckily though, there are plenty of movies to watch on Halloween night if you don't feel like going out.
I'm a sucker for nostalgia, especially when it relates to holidays, so you'll find a good number of childhood favorites on this list to make you feel like you just got home from trick-or-treating. I've also included some of the scariest movies of all-time, because if you're going to watch a proper horror movie, there's no better time to do it then on Halloween. And there are a few wild cards tossed in here as well that either take place around Halloween or deal with macabre subject matter. So cozy up on the couch with a couple bags of candy and check out these 23 movies to watch on your Halloween night in.
1. Halloween
All you have to do is look at the title to realize this might be the most iconic Halloween movie there is. Just listen to that theme music.
2. Hocus Pocus
A family classic from Disney, this movie never gets old.
3. The Exorcist
If you want to be scared on Halloween, this is your best bet. The scariest movie ever.
4. The Nightmare Before Christmas
Ease your transition into the next holiday season with this gleefully dark stop motion favorite.
5. It’s The Great Pumpkin, Charlie Brown
Maybe the most-beloved TV special of all-time, the film celebrates its 50th anniversary this year.
6. The Rocky Horror Picture Show
The movie's association with Halloween has grown over the years to the point where theater screenings on the holiday have become a tradition.
7. Ernest Scared Stupid
The scariest kids movie from the '90s you probably forgot about.
8. The Addams Family
The '90s creepiest family are just as fun to watch today as they were 20 years ago.
9. Halloweentown
Considered by many to be the best Disney Channel Original Movie for good reason.
10. Garfield’s Halloween Adventure
This classic no longer airs regularly on TV as it once did, which is a shame because it's bursting with great songs, creepy moments, and funny lines.
11. The Shining
There's nothing scarier than the person you trust most becoming your greatest threat.
12. Universal Monster Movie Marathon
Frankenstein. Dracula. The Wolfman. These classics from the '30s through the '50s are definitely worth binging.
13. The Monster Squad
If you love the Universal Monsters but prefer them in a Goonies-like '80s kids movie setting, then this film was made specifically for you.
14. Beetlejuice
The first real glimpse at the darkness of Tim Burton's work that would later define his career.
15. Scream
Somehow funny and meta while still being scary, you still see those Ghostface masks pop up every year around Halloween.
16. A Nightmare On Elm Street
Freddy Krueger isn't one of the most iconic movie monsters for nothing. See where it all started here.
17. Pet Sematary
A creepy tale from the master of horror, Stephen King.
18. Sleepy Hollow
Tim Burton's not-so-scary version of the Washington Irving story, Disney's animated version is also worth a look.
19. The Blair Witch Project
The peak of '90s horror.
20. Rosemary’s Baby
Disturbing on a number of levels for a variety of reasons, you might not be the same after watching this movie.
21. Ghostbusters
One of the greatest comedies ever made. Also check out the fun and funny 2016 reboot for a more modern take.
22. Mr. Boogedy Doubleheader
Before there was such a thing as a DCOM, there was the Disney Sunday Movie on ABC. 1986's Mr. Boogedy and its sequel, 1987's Bride of Boogedy, perfectly capture that fun yet seriously spooky magic that Disney has become known for.
23. E.T.
E.T. going trick-or-treating is basically the perfect depiction of an ideal Halloween.
Any one of these films will justify your decision to stay in this Halloween, so don't be scared to give them a watch!
Images: Walt Disney Pictures
