Best Horror Movies to Watch on Halloween That Aren't 'Halloween'

Halloween season is all double, double toil and trouble; fire burn, and caldron bubble. It's bats and spiders and monsters. Haunted houses, haystack rides, and corn mazes. It’s horror. It's fantasy. Trick and treat. It's revelry and terror all mixed up in one delightful day. And naturally, it's everybody's favorite time to watch a good horror film.

The perfect Halloween horror movie needs just the right tone to match that Halloween mix of thrills, chills and festivity. It can't be too dour or outright horrifying, and it's best if it's something you can watch in a group. John Carpenter's classic slasher film Halloween is the reigning mac daddy of the holiday, and rightfully so. It’s alternately thrilling and terrifying with an iconic soundtrack that has become almost inseparable from the holiday itself. But sometimes you want to mix it up. If you're looking for something different to watch that captures that singular Halloween spirit check out the recommendations below.

The Fog

At the bottom of the sea, lay the Elizabeth Dane, with her crew, their lungs filled with salt water, their eyes open, staring to the darkness.

John CarpenterThe Fog is a good old-fashioned ghost story and it makes no bones about it. The film opens on John Houseman's grizzled Mr. Machen spinning a campfire yarn about the local legend of a wrecked ship, the Elizabeth Dane, which washed up on the rocky shores of Antonio Bay 100 years ago, dragging the ship's crew to the bottom of the sea. On the town Centennial, the sinister truth about the Elizabeth Dane emerges along with the souls of its crewmen, and a neon blue fog rolls into town with some very pissed off pirate ghosts in tow. Carpenter's Halloween follow-up feels similar in a lot of ways: a slow-moving, unstoppable force coming to wreak havoc on a quiet town, shot by Dean Cundey set to a pulsing synth score, and hey, Jamie Lee Curtis is there too (though in an inconsequential supporting role). It's a sleepy, atmospheric film that embodies the spirit of a campfire ghost story – a perfect spirit for any Halloween night.

Sleepy Hollow

You're just in time to have your head cut off.

Tim Burton's twist on the classic Washington Irving tale follows Ichabod Crane (Johnny Depp), a city detective sent to the remote town of Sleepy Hollow to investigate a bizarre series of decapitations attributed to the local legend of the headless horseman. Sleepy Hollow is one of the finest uses of Burton's trademark gothic visuals; a gorgeous and macabre fairy tale. Narratively, the film invests too much in the whimsical romance between Ichabod and the local beauty Katrina Van Tassel (Christina Ricci) to be truly frightening, but Christopher Walken has never been more terrifying as the fanged Hessian warrior behind the legendary apparition. Set against an eternally foggy backdrop bedecked with flame-lit jack-o'-lanters and twisted skeletal trees, Sleepy Hollow is a visually immersive journey into a classic Halloween legend.

The Conjuring

When the music stops, you'll see him in the mirror standing behind you.

If you like your Halloween thrills downright scary, this one's for you. Before James Wan became Hollywood's man of the hour with Furious 7, he established himself as a foremost voice in modern horror with mega-hits Saw and Insidious. With The Conjuring, Wan took all the technical skill he refined in his earlier films and put it to impeccable use, leading to a classical haunted house tale. Inspired by real life paranormal investigators Ed and Lorraine Warren, brought to life with humanity and warmth by Patrick Wilson and Vera Farmiga, The Conjuring follows the married couple as they attempt to help a family besieged by malicious spirits at their remote farmhouse. Backed by a studio-sized budget and an excellent cast of dramatic actors, Wan delivers a well-crafted, decidedly mature horror film that understands sometimes the scariest thing of all is the invisible presence lurking in a dark corner.

The Cabinet of Dr. Caligari

You fools, this man is plotting our doom! We die at dawn! He is Caligari!

Robert Weine's legendary 1920 masterpiece is considered by many the greatest horror film of all time, and has the pervasive genre influence to match that label. Even if you've never watch the film, you've no doubt seen images of its famous imagery – sharp, jagged landscapes of skewed walls and diagonal staircases in a chiaroscuro wash of shadows and light. The film follows a somnambulist under the control of a maniacal hypnotist, who uses his avatar as a means of murder. Despite being nearly a century old, The Cabinet of Dr. Caligari's chills hold up to this day. As a bonus, its unrivaled imagery makes a perfect backdrop to class up any Halloween party.

Planet Terror

I'm gonna eat your brains and gain your knowledge.

Robert Rodriguez's half of the debauched double feature Grindhouse is a ridiculous and delightful homage to the splattery exploitation flicks of yore. Set in the midst of a zombie-like mutant scourge, Planet Terror goes full-throttle on the goofy and the gross with mad doctors, exploding humanoids, an abundance of flying body parts, and a ragtag team of heroes fronted by Cherry Darling (Rose McGowan), a go-go dancer with a machine gun for a leg. It's shlocky, over-the-top B-movie madness of the so-bad-it's-good lineage, and it wears its trashy, pustule-covered heart on its sleeve.

Fright Night

What's the matter, Charley? Afraid I'd never come over without being invited first? You're quite right. Of course, now that I've been made welcome I'll probably drop by quite a bit.

Writer-director Tom Holland's spin on the vampire tale is a little bit Alfred Hitchcock, a little bit John Hughes, and a whole lot of ‘80s B-movie fun. The film follows young Charley Brewster (William Ragsdale), a prototypical 1980s protagonist with a beautiful girlfriend, Amy (Amanda Bearse), and a quirky sidekick, “Evil” Ed (Stephen Geoffreys). When a seductive and mysterious man (Christopher Sarandon) moves in next door, Charley becomes convinced that his new neighbor is a murderous vampire and enlists the help of a has-been horror host, Peter Vincent, vampire hunter (Roddy McDowall), to help him dispatch of the new neighborhood menace. The teen gang is serviceable in their roles, especially Geoffreys, who is absolutely unhinged, but it's Sarandon and McDowall who own the film, hamming it up with glee. With truly demented creature designs and cheeky self-awareness, Fright Night is more fun than scares, but boy is it a blast.

The Guest

My name is David, Mrs. Peterson. I knew your son. I was with him when he died. One of the things he asked was for me to check on y'all, you and your whole family here. I said that and so here I am.

The Guest is an action-horror hybrid of the highest order, and it's gleefully set during the Halloween season for seemingly no reason other than it can be. The whole film is a palette of black and orange, purple and green with Jack-o-Lanterns, skulls and autumn leaves ever-lingering in the background. The action of the film even visits a few holiday parties, with the climactic showdown set in a fog-machine, laser-light obstructed Halloween party at the end of a good old-fashioned haunted house. As the titular houseguest, envisioned as a cross between Michael Myers and The Terminator, who turns a peaceful domicile into a war zone, Dan Stevens is so charismatic it should be illegal. The strongest collaboration between director Adam Wingard and writer Simon Barrett to date (and yes, I've seen You're Next), The Guest sports a deeply sick sense of humor and a pulsing, Carpenter-inspired electronic score making for a peculiar, but extremely entertaining Halloween film that lives at the exact spot where horror meets guns-a-blazing action.

The Cabin in the Woods

cabin-in-the-woods-richard-jenkins-bradley-whitford — Image via Lionsgate

These fucking zombies. Remember when you could just throw a girl in a volcano?

Joss Whedon's love letter to horror films is a mishmash clusterfuck of genre awesomeness. Deeply self-aware and packed with in-jokes for the seasoned horror lover, Cabin in the Woods starts off with an all too familiar set-up: a group of beautiful, young innocents head to a remote cabin for a little boozin' and sexin' where they run into a force of evil to punish their every moral transgression. Aside from the logline, Cabin in the Woods is meta-horror comedy unlike any other. That evil, it turns out, is unleashed by a nameless corporation that operates in secret, offering regular, archetypal sacrifices to ancient gods who will scorch the earth if their bloodthirst is not quenched. What starts out as an inversion of genre tropes becomes a fully unhinged horrorgasm bloodbath in the final act, which redefines the phrase "monster mash". Drew Goddard directs the irreverent script (which he co-wrote with Joss Whedon) and the excellent ensemble cast (including a pre-Thor Chris Hemsworth) to perfection, resulting in a film that is funny, scary, and wickedly clever.

The Monster Squad

Wolfman's got nards!

Alright, this one is for the kiddos. Monster Squad doesn't offer a ton of scares as an adult, but the PG-13 rating was a lot more hardcore in the '80s (which is probably why it's the decade responsible for the best coming-of-age adventure films). Monster Squad is a delightful spin on the trappings of the iconic monsters that it's an absolute blast to watch around Halloween season. When Count Dracula assembles an army of monsters, including The Creature from the Black Lagoon, The Wolfman, The Mummy, and Frankenstein, the self-appointed Monster Squad – a group of monster fanatic kids – unites to stop them from destroying their quiet suburban town and taking over the world. It's basically Goonies for horror fans. Backed by wonderful monster designs from iconic effects artist Stan Winston, and a snappy script from Shane Black and director Fred Dekker, Monster Squad is a hell of a Halloween romp for all ages of the horror-inclined.

Return of the Living Dead

Braaaaainnnnssss…

After a pair of fumbling medical warehouse employees accidentally unleash a toxic gas on a nearby cemetery, the dead return to life in ghoulish, grizzly fashion with an insatiable hunger for brains. Dan O'Bannon's directorial debut, Return of the Living Dead is a zombie film and a party rolled into one mud-smeared, punk rock romp. Long before the meta horror trend, Return of the Living dead name-dropped its inspiration openly, casually referencing Night of the Living Dead without abandon. It's an outrageous film from start to finish, featuring nude grave dancing, talking zombies, and slimy, gory creature effects that make you want to take a shower. Do you want to party? If the answers yes, Return of the Living Dead is probably the right Halloween horror flick for you.

Drag Me to Hell

I beg you and you shame me?

Evil Dead fans will finally get their wish for more Deadite madness when Ash vs Evil Dead debuts this Halloween, but in the time between his Spider-Man trilogy and the further exploits of Ash, Sam Raimi turned out another perfect horror movie. Drag Me to Hell follows an unassuming, generally kind young woman, Christine (Alison Lohman), who chooses the exact wrong moment to act in her own self-interest when she denies a wretched old woman (Lorna Raver) a bank loan, effectively evicting her from her home. That woman turns out to be a powerful gypsy who can lay down one hell of a curse, and sics a Lamia demon on Christine that will torment her for three days before dragging her alive into the pits of hell. Raimi's return to the horror genre is some of the finest work in his career, his trademark oozing gags and skewed cinematography perfected by his years of experience behind the camera. As a result, Drag Me to Hell is an oozing, ass-kicking thrill ride that's silly, gruesome, visceral, and raucously entertaining.

Suspiria

Witch, witch, witch...

Dario Argento's giallo masterpiece is a technicolor fever dream of lavish violence and operatic production design. The film follows a young American ballet dancer abroad at a prestigious German dance academy where she uncovers an ancient, sinister coven of witches. Suspiria is famous for its baroque and wildly violent kill set-pieces and Goblin's clamorous, chanting prog-rock score, which offers some of the most Halloween-esque pieces of music ever composed. As elegant as it is salacious, it's a movie you experience more than watch; a visually and aurally immersive trip down a red and blue-tinged rabbit hole where intricately orchestrated murders are as common as the sunrise.

Trick r Treat

Always check your candy.

Michael Dougherty's Trick 'r Treat is perhaps the finest ode to Halloween spirit ever created. An anthology film consisting of four expertly interwoven stories, Trick 'r Treat follows the residents of a small town where no one is quite what they seem; the local principle is a child-murdering sociopath and the nubile virgin, a wolf in sheep's clothing. Along with the flawless autumnal production design, Trick 'r Treat's greatest strength is Dougherty's obvious love and expert knowledge of the holiday's lore, tradition, and superstition, which saturates every moment of the film. That spirit is perfectly embodied in the impish menace, Sam, a pint-size terror in a burlap sack who pops up throughout the segments, exacting punishment on those who fail to honor the rules of Halloween. With all due respect to John Carpenter's slasher masterpiece, Trick 'r Treat is perhaps the quintessential Halloween film that perfectly encapsulates the holiday's dark magic.

Honorable Mentions

These are just a few of my favorites, but there's no shortage of great horror out there that hits the right note between scary and fun for your Halloween viewing delight. If none of these do if for you, check out some honorable mentions below, and sound off in the comments with your must-watch Halloween movie.