Halloween is much more than just candy, pumpkins, and costumes from Party City. To many, it includes reserved traditions such as baking cookies, lighting fall-scented candles, and having cozy spooky movie nights.  

On Sunday, October 31, the younger generations will go out in their neighborhood streets and trick-or-treat, in order to collect a year’s supply of candy. But many students at H.B Plant High School will stay in, and spend the night with friends, following the yearly Halloween rituals, including a movie marathon. 

Just like Christmas has its music and Valentine’s Day has its roses, Halloween simply wouldn’t be Halloween without the movies that go along with it. The costumes, pumpkin carving and candy apples are nice, no doubt. But to really set the mood? There’s nothing like a movie night filled with all the greatest chainsaw-wielding, suspenseful acts, and hair-raising flicks to get you in the spooky season spirit. One does not have to be fan of horror to appreciate a good Halloween movie either–some of them are directed by Disney!  

Follow along as the top 10 Halloween movies will guarantee your weekend marathon a success. First off, prepare some popcorn, snatch a cozy blanket, lock every very last door, and settle in for the best Halloween movies.  

1. “Scream” (1996)- Featuring a variety of celebrities, including Courtney Cox and Drew Barrymore, this iconic black humor and horror movie is known by many as the classic Halloween movie.  

2. “The Addams Family”(1991) & “Addams Family Values” (1993)- In the archetypal Addams Family there is a lot to love- the great dialogue, foggy setting, and gothic style.  

3. “Hocus Pocus” (1993)- A comedy apt for everyone; includes great costumes, plot twists, and the guaranteed fall mood transferred.  

4. “A Nightmare on Elm Street” (1984)- Featuring one of the most infamous movie villains: Freddy Krueger, this movie will leave your eyes open in bed. 

5. “The Haunted Mansion” (2003)- A Disney movie apt for everyone that features Eddie Murphy who brings his comedic genius to this spooky but nostalgic story.  

6. “Friday the 13th” (1980)- Starts off as a fun teenage summer camp movie, but on Friday, the 13th Jason Voorhees appears. Hockey masks have never been the same since this 1980 release. 

7. “The Shining” (1980)- Providing a good fright, cinematic prowess, and the masterful acting of the star Jack Nicholson, this movie talks about the ghosts living inside the main character. Full of iconic scenes, it is a marked classic.  

8. “Halloween” (1978)- Features a mental patient who escaped a sanitarium and returns to his hometown to stalk innocent passersby.  

9. “Edward Scissorhands” (1990)- Starring Johnny Depp and Winona Ryder, this forever beloved unlikely love story features a man with scissor blades for hands and a traditional suburban teenager.  

10.  “Child’s Play” (1988)- Like Annabelle, this murderous doll possessed by the spirit of a serial killer will make you laugh, and hide every doll found in the house.  

Bonus for extra chills: 

1. 1. • “The Silence of the Lambs” (1991)- A horror story that shows a young FBI agent trying to track a disturbed a psychiatrist turned cannibal and serial killer.  
   2. • “Ouija” (2014)- A girl makes contact with an evil spirit called DZ while trying to stay goodbye to her friend that passed away using an antique Ouija board.  
   3. • “The Ring” (2002)- The ghost of a young girl in a white dress, with long black hair covering her face, and pale white skin. Sound familiar? 
   4. • “The Exorcist” (1973)- A movie that was banned and does not focus on cliché jump scares but creates a more atmospheric ambiance of terror. In addition, it based on loosely actual events.  
   5. • “Us” (2019) & “Get Out” (2017)- Both directed by Jordan Peele and are fairly new in the horror movie list, but already won a place in the suspenseful cinematic world.