With October fast approaching, it's time to prepare for the evening of doorbell ringing, knocking, and the all-familiar expression, "Trick or treat!" The Halloween movie and television genre have plenty of homes that would offer a variety of tricks and treats to its guests. We know Jack Skellington (Chris Sarandon) or Morticia Addams would welcome candy-seekers with open arms.
There are a few houses we know we'd drive past or avoid the neighborhood altogether, like The Amityville Horror house or any dwelling on Elm Street. If you were to map out your October 31st route hypothetically, we'd suggest hitting these five houses for the best experience and skipping these five to save yourself a horrifying evening.
Adam & Barbara's — 'Beetlejuice' (1988)
The perfect small-town home to visit on Halloween, we'd gladly ring this doorbell to see the ghostly hosts Adam (Alec Baldwin) and Barbara (Gina Davis) alongside Lydia (Winona Ryder). During their lifetime and after, Adam and Barbara's house was in high demand for its beautiful location and architectural style.
Despite being dead, the couple is still a warm and welcoming pair, especially to the misunderstood Lydia. Together, this trio would provide the most positive Halloween trick-or-treat experience for anyone knocking, as long as you didn't mention Beetlegeuse (Michael Keaton).
The McCallister House — 'Home Alone' (1990)
While this famous home is from another holiday season, we bet the McCallisters have a decent set of Halloween decorations and candy. From Home Alone, this multi-bedroom, two-story is home to five kids, including the protagonist, Kevin (Macaulay Calkin). A winter season favorite, the Home Alone house is symbolic of Christmastime.
While the film is not part of the spooky genre, it features a Halloween favorite star Catherine O'Hara (Beetlejuice and The Nightmare Before Christmas), as Kevin's mother. We all wondered what Kevin's dad Peter (John Heard), did for a living to pay for 15 people for a holiday vacation to Paris. Chances are, the candy stash at this house would be a hotspot for all trick-or-treaters.
The Dennison's — 'Hocus Pocus' (1993)
Maxi's (Omri Katz) and Dani's (Thora Birch) house would be a great spot to score sweets on Halloween. Okay, maybe not when a trio of witches burst through the top floor. While Max is not the holiday fanatic Dani is, their parents seem to enjoy the season based on their Halloween costumes. Their encouragement of keeping with trick-or-treat tradition makes us believe they'd welcome Salem's children with a hearty bucket of sweets.
We'd count on Dani to make sure her parents handed out the best candy. As Hocus Pocus 2 hits streaming the spooky season, audiences hope to catch a glimpse of the Dennison house as viewers return to Salem decades after the film's initial release.
Peg & Bill's — 'Edward Scissorhands' (1990)
Another multi-holiday film from Tim Burton, Edward Scissorhands, is a Christmas and Halloween favorite. Burton infuses his whimsical style into suburbia. We'd take our candy bags to Peg's (Dianne Wiest) door any day. Her kind-hearted nature and accepting personality ensure that trick-or-treaters would be welcome in all shapes and sizes.
Edward (Johnny Depp) would be a master at pumpkin carving, decorating Peg and Bill's (Alan Arkin) lawn with the iconic Burton pumpkin. While we'd probably avoid the Inventor's (Vincent Price) mansion, Peg's front door is always open.
The Mansion — 'The Haunted Mansion' (2003)
We'd bring our candy bags to this house just for the experience. With a blend of the original Disney theme park ride and the 2003 movie, trick-or-treating here would be a memorable spooky encounter we'd sign up for. While some spirits haunting the ground are unfriendly, others are most welcoming.
There'd be nothing like entering the grand doors of this mansion and hearing the "Welcome, foolish mortals" from the ghostly host. If you avoid the mausoleum and its cryptic characters, visiting this mansion for some Halloween treats would be at the top of our list.
The Stevenson House — 'Sinister' (2012)
One of the many horror movie homes where terrible things have happened, we'll skip the Stevenson House, leaving the haunted film reels in the attic where they belong. While the horrifying house is the subject of interest for mystery writer Ellison Oswalt (Ethan Hawke), this house gives off an aura to everyone else to stay away.
The site of many horrific murders, Ellison is intrigued by the home's history despite his family wishing to move away. The rural nature of the home allows for distance for those wishing to avoid it. To avoid witnessing the terrifying image of Bughuul (Nicholas King), it's best not to ring the doorbell at this home.
The Lambert's — 'Insidious' (2010)
Not that Renai (Rose Byrne) would be up for visitors or trick-or-treaters, but we'd steer clear of this house to avoid the terrifying use of "Tiptoe Through the Tulips" by Tiny Tim. Insidious still holds its reputation as one of the scariest movies of the 2000s. While the house itself isn't haunted, its homeowners are subject to significant interest from spirits beyond.
With so many spirits causing things to go bump-in-the-night inside their house, Renai and Josh (Patrick Wilson) would not be able to handle a barrage of kids ringing the doorbell. While they might welcome the distraction from the ordeal taking over their lives, we'd keep walking past their steps to avoid attracting unwanted spirits.
Stu's House — 'Scream' (1996)
There are several deterring factors here; mainly, it's in the middle of nowhere. However, if we received a trick-or-treat or Halloween party invitation from Stu (Matthew Lillard), we'd RSVP with a "no." Location aside, we'd avoid Stu's because teens throwing underage parties tend not to have the best selection of refreshments and snacks. We'd skip out on a Halloween invitation to avoid being caught in and managed by the garage door.
Putting the Ghostface killings aside, we'd pass on ringing Stu's doorbell to avoid his slasher movie lecture and speech about what happens when you trick-or-treat on Halloween while a killer is on the loose. Scream created a new horror genre with its '90s release, establishing Stu's house as an iconic staple in Halloween movies.
Dr. Finklestein's — 'The Nightmare Before Christmas' (1993)
In The Nightmare Before Christmas's Halloween world, we'd trick-or-treat to our heart's content; however, avoiding perhaps only one house on the block. Dr. Finklestein (William Hickey) is the brilliant scientist responsible for bringing Sally (Catherine O'Hara) and many other spooky creations to life. His demeanor and stubborn personality make us believe he would not take kindly to kids riding his scream-bell constantly throughout the night.
Being a mad scientist, if he did open to door, it'd be a gamble to see what you ended up in your bag. If Sally were in charge, we'd expect a sweet treat, but we know Finklestein's opinion on Sally immersing herself in society, especially children. Instead, we'll knock on Jack Skellington's door.
The Grabber's — 'The Black Phone' (2022)
One of those films that cautions us to beware of strangers lurking around the corner, The Black Phone provides another movie house we'd avoid. While The Grabber's (Ethan Hawke) home is unknown to police for a majority of the film, its curb appeal doesn't scream "child-friendly" or "trick-or-treater friendly." The dead tree is perfect for the Halloween season, but the man with black balloons out front is a major deterrent.
With children of the town consistently going missing, knocking on strangers' houses is probably not the first priority for parents to celebrate the season with. This is another movie house we'll skip come Halloween.