Editorials
The Ultimate Guide to Over 100 Horror Movies Set Around Halloween!
This Halloween season, we’re making it insanely easy to assemble your own curated watchlists with this massive guide to horror set on or over Halloween. That’s it. Horror of all types, including beloved holiday staples. If it doesn’t take place around Halloween, it’s not on the list (Sorry, Pumpkinhead, we still love you).
There are over 100 titles to pour over and create your own customized October viewing schedule, if you so choose, or you can watch them all!
Either way, you might want to bookmark this and save for next year too…
31 (2016)
Rob Zombie’s most polarizing yet is set during Halloween 1976. Five carnival workers are kidnapped and held in a compound where they’re then tasked with playing a violent game. The goal of that game, 31, is to survive the next 12 hours against a gang of violent, homicidal clowns. 31 stars Sheri Moon Zombie, Jeff Daniel Phillips, Meg Foster, Malcolm McDowell, and Richard Brake as scene-stealing Doom-Head.
The Addams Family (1991)
Con artists attempt to con the eccentric and macabre Addams family by using an accomplice that claims to be their long lost relative. The family’s persona exudes Halloween spirit, but the film also takes a bow on the holiday.
All Hallows’ Eve (2013)
After a night of trick or treating, a babysitter finds an unmarked VHS tape in one of her two wards’ trick or treat bags. The trio decide to watch it, and find it contains three tales of terror featuring a creepy clown named Art. As the night wears on, strange things start happening in the house. This anthology by Damien Leone marks the feature introduction to Art the Clown.
The Amityville Horror (1979)
The Lutz family thinks they’ve received the bargain of the century when they purchase their dream home, but they had no idea a mass murder had been committed on the property just a year prior. The house also happens to be extremely haunted, putting their lives at risk. Clearly, the Lutz family has bigger things to worry about than Halloween, which doesn’t factor into the story at all. But it is set pretty close to Halloween time.
The Amityville Horror (2005)
This remake of the 1979 haunted house classic adheres pretty closely to the original, at least in characters and setting, but makes modern adjustments with pacing and backstory. Meaning if you want more blood, chills, and danger then this is for you. This one stars Melissa George and Ryan Reynolds.
Among the Living (2014)
Three kids skip school to play and goof off. When they explore an abandoned film studio lot, they witness a captive woman being dragged by a masked man. A masked man who wants to eliminate any witnesses. Halloween plays a major factor in the film’s prologue, and a Halloween mask from the opening carries over in the main narrative.
Bad Reputation (2005)
A high school tale of revenge, Michelle has had enough bullying and decides to take matters into her own hands. Think slasher/revenge thriller lite. The film’s climax takes place at a Halloween party.
The Barn (2016)
It’s 1989. Seniors Sam and Josh just want to enjoy their final Halloween before graduating, and decide to spend Devil’s Night at a rock concert. But they decide to take a detour on the way there, and their group of friends ends up awakening an evil from an abandoned barn. Look for horror vets Linnea Quigley and Ari Lehman.
Beetlejuice (1988)
After an accident, the spirits of a deceased couple are annoyed by the family that has moved into their home. They seek outside help removing them from a malevolent spirit. It’s showtime!
The Blair Witch Project (1999)
In October 1994, a trio of film students set off into the woods near Burkittsville, Maryland to film a documentary about the local urban legend of the Blair Witch. Only their found footage is left to tell their tale of horror. This formative horror movie is a perfect spooky Halloween tale.
Boo (2005)
Before directing Sharknado, writer/director Anthony C. Ferrante helmed a Halloween set horror movie that saw a group of college kids sneaking into an abandoned hospital on Halloween. What could go wrong? Everything. They get trapped inside, and it’s haunted.
Boo! (2018)
A suburban family is barely keeping it together; the parents are struggling with their marriage, and the kids suffer depression. An innocent prank played on them on Halloween night unleashes a supernatural force that wreaks havoc upon the family.
Boys in the Trees (2016)
On Halloween 1997, two estranged teens embark on a surreal journey through dark fantasy, horror, dreams, and fears in this bittersweet coming of age story. Look for ‘90s nostalgia, an earworm soundtrack, and loads of Halloween atmosphere.
Candy Corn (2019)
Over Halloween weekend, a group of bullies take their hazing too far on poor Jacob Atkins. Jacob will have the last laugh, though, when he’s resurrected to enact revenge. Look for notable horror stars like P.J. Soles, Coutney Gains, and Tony Todd.
Cemetery of Terror (Cementerio del terror) (1985)
Halloween pranks in horror are always a really bad idea. Here, a group of teens think it’d be hilarious to steal a corpse from a morgue. A corpse of a serial killer, no less. When the teens read an incantation from an old book over the corpse, it returns to life. Along with all the other dead bodies in a nearby cemetery. Nice going, guys.
The Changeling (1980)
John Russell (George C. Scott) has just lost his wife and child in a tragic accident. In his grief, he moves across the country and into a historical mansion that’s still harboring the ghosts of its past. An eerie fall chiller that is set over Halloween, though that doesn’t factor into the story in any way. John Russell understandably has other things on his mind.
The Child (1977)
Alicianne has just been hired on as housekeeper and caretaker to young Rosalie Nordon, who recently lost her mother. Alicianne soon realizes that Rosalie has a supernatural gift, including zombies at her disposal, and uses it to seek revenge on those who piss her off. This one is set, of course, over Halloween and makes creepy use of a jack o’ lantern.
C.H.U.D. II: Bud the C.H.U.D. (1989)
A sequel in name only, C.H.U.D. II is a zombie comedy starring Gerrit Graham as Bud, the zombie remnant of a military experiment to create super soldiers. Leave it to teens to let Bud loose in their neighborhood, causing a horde of new zombies. Being that it’s Halloween, Bud and his new zombie friends blend right in, and make an appearance at the Halloween dance.
The Clown Murders (1976)
Four men kidnap an old girlfriend on Halloween night as a prank to ruin a real estate deal. Halloween pranks are bad news, and the group learns the hard way when a clown-masked killer stalks them. A rare horror movie to star John Candy.
The Collection (2012)
Arkin faces off against the deadly Collector once more when he’s forced to help rescue a girl from the killer’s booby-trapped lair. More gore, bloodshed, and creative deaths. Arkin doesn’t have time for Halloween if he wants to survive, but this does take place over the holiday.
The Collingswood Story (2006)
When Rebecca leaves home to attend college in Collingswood, New Jersey, her boyfriend gifts her with a webcam so they can maintain their long-distance relationship. Told through the webcam over the days leading up to Halloween, it becomes clear something is seriously wrong with the house Rebecca has moved into.
Creepshow (1982)
Directed by George A. Romero with screenplay by Stephen King, this classic anthology spins five tales of terror based on EC horror comics. It’s only the wraparound segment that’s set on Halloween, though its revenge plot means that the connection to the holiday is a bit slim.
Creepshow 2 (1987)
Just like its predecessor, the Halloween ties are minimal. Co-written by Romero with Michael Gornick in the director’s chair, this anthology contains another wraparound tale of revenge, and three spooky segments.
The Crow (1994)
On October 30, Eric Draven and his fiancée are brutally murdered. One year later, Eric is resurrected to avenge that tragedy. Based on the comic book, this dark fantasy is a horror adjacent story set on Devil’s Night.
Cry Wolf (2005)
A group of eight prep school students gather to play a game of Cry Wolf, where one of them is marked as a Wolf and the group has to figure out who it is. But their mystery game is complicated when a killer is on the loose. This mystery slasher is, of course, set over Halloween.
Dark Night of the Scarecrow (1981)
In a small Southern town over the Halloween season, a mentally challenged man is wrongfully murdered for a crime he didn’t commit. Even worse, a crime that didn’t even actually happen. A creepy, mysterious scarecrow enacts vengeance. A supernatural story set in a small town full of Halloween nostalgia.
Deadly Friend (1986)
Directed by Wes Craven, the plot sees a teen attempting to save his braindead friend by implanting a microchip after her abusive father puts her in the hospital. Instead of getting his friend back, though, he gets something much worse. Spanning the fall season, past Thanksgiving, Halloween factors into the plot in a major way.
Demonic Toys (1992)
This Full Moon feature sees a pregnant cop pursuing a gun dealer into a toy warehouse…one that happens to have evil origins dating back to Halloween night of 1925. That evil is looking to be reborn, and unleashes demonic toys upon them.
Donnie Darko (2001)
A psychological thriller that follows a troubled teen plagued by visions of a man in a rabbit suit after narrowly escaping a freak accident. The visions spurn him into committing a series of crimes. Set in October of 1988, the surreal cult classic’s climax kicks off on the night of a Halloween party.
Ernest Scared Stupid (1991)
The night before Halloween, Ernest Worrell accidentally releases an ugly troll that turns children into wooden dolls. It’s up to Ernest and his middle school friends to stop the troll.
The Exorcist (1973)
In this definitive horror classic, teen Regan is possessed by an evil entity after playing with a Ouija board. Her desperate mother seeks out the help of two priests when medical assistance fails to yield any progress. The possession horror movie that defined a subgenre spans the fall season, including Halloween. But don’t look for the holiday to factor into the story much.
Flatliners (1990)
Five medical students decide to experiment with near death experiences, in the hopes of discovering if there’s life after death. That is, they each take turns flatlining while the others resuscitate them. But their actions have consequences, and their past mistakes begin to haunt them. The lone female of the group (Julia Roberts) decides to take a turn on Halloween, with nearly catastrophic results.
FleshEater (1988)
A low budget zombie flick that sees a group of teens taking a nighttime Halloween hayride, and they come across flesh eating zombies. It’s a fight for their lives as the zombie infection spreads. Written/directed by/starring Bill Hinzman, who played small roles in a number of George A. Romero movies, including Night of the Living Dead.
Flick (2008)
An oddball hybrid that mixes rockabilly, comic books, and zombies. The plot sees a Memphis cop investigating a series of strange deaths in the wake of the resurrection of a 1950s murder victim. A victim who happens to be in search of his teenage sweetheart. Faye Dunaway plays the cop. Halloween theming can be found in the dance scene and music numbers.
The Funhouse Massacre (2015)
A group of psychopaths escape their asylum and terrorize unsuspecting patrons of a Halloween funhouse. It just so happens that the funhouse mazes are a perfect complement to the psychopaths varying personalities. This one features horror stars Robert Englund, Courtney Gains, and Clint Howard.
Ghostwatch (1992)
On Halloween night, the BBC dedicates their programming to a supernatural investigation of the most haunted house in Britain. What seems like a night of irreverent laughs turns into something more harrowing for BBC, the investigators, and viewers at home. This mockumentary style TV special stirred up controversy for its realism, and scared the pants off those watching.
Ginger Snaps (2000)
A pair of sisters obsessed with the macabre, therefore social outcasts, deal with puberty and death when one of them is bitten by a werewolf. This beloved werewolf favorite stars Emily Perkins and Katharine Isabelle, and its climax falls on Halloween.
Goosebumps 2: Haunted Halloween (2018)
Two young friends find a magic book that brings a ventriloquist dummy, Slappy, to life. On Halloween, Slappy brings costumes and decorations to life, wreaking havoc on the town in an attempt to take over.
Grave Halloween (2013)
On Halloween, Maiko travels to the Aokigahara Forest -aka Suicide Forest- to search for her birth mother, who has recently committed suicide. Three of her friends travel with her, hoping to turn the trip into a documentary. Haunted forests are bad news, especially on Halloween.
Gravy (2015)
A trio of costumed misfits take an entire Mexican cantina hostage on All Hallow’s Eve. They force their hostages to engage in games, food, and libations, but the catch is that this trio has very specific dietary needs. The hostages don’t know they’re on the menu in this horror comedy.
The Guest (2014)
David shows up one day at the Peterson residence, claiming to be a friend of their son who died in action. But David’s behavior is a little off, and people start dying around him. Adam Wingard and Simon Barrett’s action hybrid is a Halloween set favorite.
Hack-O-Lantern (1988)
A low budget slasher where a seemingly standard grandpa reveals himself to be a leader of a satanic cult that sacrifices people on Halloween. Pure ‘80s insanity.
Halloween (1978)
15 years after murdering his sister on Halloween night, Michael Myers escapes from his mental hospital and returns to Haddonfield to kill again. John Carpenter’s seminal slasher sparked an entire franchise as well as the Golden Age of slashers.
Halloween (2007)
Rob Zombie’s remake sees Michael Myers escaping from his mental institution and returning to Haddonfield to find his sister, Laurie Strode. A Halloween set massacre ensues.
Halloween (2018)
Michael Myers escapes once more to kill again on Halloween night, four decades after the events of the first film. Laurie Strode is ready to confront her boogeyman this time. This sequel ignores all sequels after the original.
Halloween II (1981)
Picking up directly after the first film, Sheriff Bracket and Dr. Loomis are searching for Michael Myers while Laurie in transported to the hospital. No one is aware that the killer is hot on her trails.
Halloween II (2009)
Laurie Strode is coping with the trauma and aftermath of the previous film’s events, while Michael Myers prepares for another fateful reunion with his sister. Rob Zombie’s follow up doubles down on the bloodshed.
Halloween III: Season of the Witch (1982)
Silver Shamrock masks are the hot ticket item of the Halloween season. Too bad there’s a sinister and deadly plot attached. Only Daniel Challis (Tom Atkins) can stop it. The first and only Halloween film without Michael Myers.
Halloween 4: The Return of Michael Myers (1988)
Ten years after the events of the first film, Michael Myers returns to Haddonfield once more to slay on Halloween. This time he’s targeting his young niece Jamie. Only Dr. Loomis stands in the way.
Halloween 5: The Revenge of Michael Myers (1989)
A year later, after the events of part 4, Michael Myers returns to Haddonfield for a rematch against his niece Jamie, now mute and traumatized from her first encounter.
Halloween 6: The Curse of Michael Myers (1995)
Six years later, Michael Myers continues his pursuit of Jamie, now grown and with a newborn. It’s the newborn that Myers, and the mysterious cult behind him, desperately wants. It’s up to Dr. Loomis and a grown Tommy Doyle to thwart their nefarious plans.
Halloween H20: 20 Years Later (1998)
Laurie Strode has relocated and changed her name as a means to hide from her past. But Michael Myers finds her anyway. Laurie must once again battle for her life, as well as her son’s, against the boogeyman.
Halloween: Resurrection (2002)
Michael Myers confronts his sister once more, then returns home to Haddonfield. Too bad there’s a group of erstwhile reality tv stars currently filming in his house on Halloween.
Halloween Hell (2014)
From the director of The Brain comes a low budget horror comedy that sees reality show contestants trapped on set with a Devil Doll and a bizarre horror host that thinks he’s Dracula.
HalloweeNight (2009)
A bullied college student creates a Frankenstein like creature to enact revenge on those who wronged him. He plots a Halloween massacre at a college bash, and only one other student stands in his way.
Haunt (2019)
On Halloween night, a group of college kids attend an “extreme” haunted attraction that promises to use their fears against them. They soon realize that the stakes are much higher when the body count starts piling up.
Hellbent (2004)
Four friends roam the streets of West Hollywood for a Halloween festival on Halloween night, and soon find themselves stalked by a serial killer dressed as Satan.
Hell House LLC (2015)
Five years after a strange event leaves 15 staff members and attendees dead on opening night of a Halloween haunted attraction, a documentary crew travels back to the scene to find out what happened. Really bad things, that’s what.
Hell House LLC II: The Abaddon Hotel
Eight years after the Hell House tragedy, investigative journalist Jessica Fox assembles a team and enters the hotel in search of answers thanks to an anonymous tip. They find much more than they bargained for, of course.
Hell Fest (2018)
A horror themed amusement park over Halloween becomes the playground for a masked serial killer. The killer terrorizes a group of friends, picking them off one by one, but the park’s patrons think it’s all part of the show.
Hell Night (1981)
Four college kids are forced to leave the comfort of their costumed Halloween party and spend the night at a deserted old mansion, rigged with tricks to spook them. No one realized that the place is still inhabited by the monstrous survivor of a family massacre many years prior.
Hellions (2015)
A group of creepy trick or treaters with evil intent come knocking at the door of a teen dealing with a personal crisis. It turns her Halloween night into a harrowing fight for survival.
Hocus Pocus (1993)
The new teen in town struggles to fit in, and as a result he inadvertently awakens a trio of witches on Halloween. Now he has Halloween night to stop them before they drain all of the souls from the town’s children. Requisite holiday viewing.
Holidays – “Halloween” (2016)
A horror anthology that celebrates the most notable and beloved holidays. Kevin Smith takes on Halloween, which sees the tables turned on an abusive Internet sex service employer.
The Hollow (2004)
The last blood relative of Ichabod Crane is lured back to Sleepy Hollow, where he must face off against the Headless Horsemen if he wants to save his girlfriend, friends, and the town.
Hollow Gate (1988)
A young boy is nearly drowned by his alcoholic father at a Halloween party. An incident that has driven him completely insane. Cut to ten years later, the boy embarks on a killing spree. Happy Halloween!
Home Movie (2008)
A POV movie that documents the Poe family’s descent into psychological terror, relayed over their home video footage. Home videos of major holidays, including Halloween, introduce us to the idyllic lives of mom, dad, and 10-year-old twins. But it doesn’t take long to notice that something is very, very wrong with the twins. Can mom and dad save them from their inner darkness, or is it too late?
House II: The Second Story (1987)
Jesse has just inherited his family home, a sprawling mansion with a ton of hidden secrets. Secrets that include a mummy grandpa, baby dinosaurs, demons, and Aztec warriors, all of whom are looking for a powerful crystal skull. Luckily Halloween and a costume party helps Jesse cover up what’s going on.
House of 1,000 Corpses (2003)
Two young couples combing the backwoods of Texas for urban legends find themselves caught in the cross hairs of one sadistic, serial killing family on Halloween night. Rob Zombie’s feature debut was initially conceived while he was designing a haunted attraction for Universal Studios.
House of Fears (2007)
The night before a Halloween haunt opens up for the season, a group of friends sneak in for a night of fun. They find themselves trapped with no way out, and it becomes unclear what’s real and what’s not as the death toll rises.
The House with a Clock in Its Walls (2018)
When Lewis Barnavelt is orphaned and sent to live with his uncle, he discovers his uncle and neighbor are wielders of magic. But the house harbors a clock with the ability to bring about the end of the world. Directed by Eli Roth, this one is based on a children’s book of the same name by John Bellairs.
The Houses October Built (2014)
In the days leading up to Halloween, five friends set out to visit America’s scariest haunted houses. Their intent is to record their experiences and interview the scare actors, which leads to disturbing discoveries. The friends find themselves stalked by strange people as a result.
The Houses October Built 2 (2017)
After surviving their ordeal from the first film, the friends decide to face their fears head on by embarking on another haunted house filled road trip. But the mysterious people who stalked them may not be through with them after all.
I Am Not a Serial Killer (2016)
John Wayne Cleaver is a diagnosed sociopath with homicidal tendencies. In addition to keeping his own dark impulses at bay, he must track down and kill a supernatural killer on the loose. Set over the fall, look for a high school Halloween dance to factor into the plot.
I Was a Teenage Werewolf (1957)
A troubled teenager is used as a guinea pig by a hypnotherapist that has developed a serum. A serum that turns the teen into a werewolf, of course. The teen gets particularly vicious at a Halloween bash.
Idle Hands (1999)
A teen slacker’s parents wind up dead. When a couple of his friends are found slaughtered too, he realizes the murderer behind it is his possessed right hand. This horror comedy is the ultimate Halloween set slacker movie.
The Invasion (2007)
A fungus-like alien lifeform controls people who come into contact with it when they enter REM sleep. It quickly becomes an epidemic. A psychiatrist unearths the origin, and discovers her son might be the key to stopping it. The narrative takes place around Halloween, with a key scene at a Halloween party.
Jack-O (1995)
On Halloween, an evil pumpkin-headed demon known as Jack-O is accidentally resurrected. It seeks to destroy the descendants of the family who buried him in the first place. Linnea Quigley stars.
Lady in White (1988)
On Halloween day in the 1960s, a young boy is bullied and locked in his classroom closet overnight, where he witnesses the murder of a little girl. It kickstarts a haunting, and a murder mystery that tears his small town apart.
Livid (2011)
When Lucie and her friends learn that the former owner of a prestigious dance academy has hidden treasure somewhere inside her sprawling home, they sneak in on Halloween night to find it. But that treasure might be nothing more than a deadly trap. Julien Maury and Alexandre Bustillo’s follow-up to Inside still hasn’t made its way stateside.
The Little Girl Who Lives Down the Lane(1976)
13-year-old Rynn is celebrating her birthday alone on Halloween when a nosy landlady and her perverted son come knocking. Atmosphere and thrilling mystery unfolds when it becomes clear Rynn is hiding something in the basement; and she’s determined to keep it a secret.
May (2002)
May is a shy, lonely woman desperate to connect with people around her. When her attempts are rebuffed one time too many, May is sent into a tailspin that results in murder. Halloween plays a major role in this one.
The Midnight Hour (1985)
A lighthearted Halloween movie that sees a group of teens unwittingly raising the dead when they perform a ritual. But it’s not just zombies that have come to crash their Halloween dance; vampires, werewolves, and all things bump in the night have come to party as well.
Mischief Night (2013)
Emily suffers from psychosomatic blindness after a car accident that took her mother’s life. On Halloween, she must dig deep to protect herself and her loved ones from a creepy intruder.
Mischief Night (2014)
The night before Halloween, a babysitter is stalked by a masked killer. A tale as old as time (or 1978), right? Except this time, the babysitter and killer might be developing romantic feelings for one another.
The Monster Squad (1987)
You can bet the group of young monster fanatics at the center of this childhood favorite would be gearing up to trick-or-treat if they weren’t too busy saving town from Count Dracula and his monsters. This fall-set horror movie is the perfect Halloween treat for the young and old alike.
Murder Party (2007)
A lonely man finds an invitation to a Halloween shindig and decides to attend, not knowing that it’s a ruse by art students looking to commit murder in the name of art. What transpires is more comedy of errors, though, resulting in a hilarious and bloody wave of mishaps and deadly mistakes.
Neon Maniacs (1986)
There’s a group of murderous monsters living beneath Golden Gate Bridge. They go on the prowl at night, looking for victims to slaughter. When one teen escapes their wrath, no one believes her that monsters are on the loose. All of that changes at her high school’s Halloween dance.
Night of the Demons (1988)
Teens decide to set up their Halloween party at an abandoned funeral parlor. An old evil is awakened in the process, locking the teens in and turning their night of fun into a demonic hell. Angela sure knows how to throw a party.
Night of the Demons 2 (1994)
Six years after the events of the first film, Angela’s body was never found. Her parents commit suicide, leaving Angela’s sister Melissa alone at a boarding school. When her bullies are banned from the school’s Halloween party, they drag a group with them back to Hull House, where the demons are awakened once more.
Night of the Demons 3 (1997)
A group of delinquents run afoul of some cops, and hide out in a nearby abandoned house to avoid arrest. What they don’t know is that they’ve entered Hull House, and it just so happens to be Halloween. Which means the demonic Angela is ready to host a new party.
Night of the Demons (2009)
In this remake of the Halloween horror favorite, a new group of Halloween party goers find themselves fighting for their lives against demons. This update gets a brand new mythology behind the demonic presence, but look for a cameo by original ballerina gal Linnea Quigley.
Once Bitten (1985)
A 400-year-old vampire Countess must drink the blood of virgin males three times before Halloween each year to retain her immortality. By mid-1980 in Los Angeles, hopes of maintaining that immortality seem impossible. Until she meets Mark Kendall (Jim Carrey).
ParaNorman (2012)
A boy with the ability to see and talk to ghosts takes on ghosts, zombies, and even adults in his quest to save his town from a 300-hundred-year-old curse. Set in a New England town around Halloween.
Pay the Ghost (2015)
Professor Mike Lawford (Nicolas Cage) takes his young son to a local carnival on Halloween night. While distracted, Mike’s son goes missing. Cut to a year later and his life is in shambles, but he feels as if his son might be communicating with him from the spirit realm.
Pet Sematary (1989)
Based on Stephen King’s novel of the same name, a father discovers a mystical burial ground behind his house with the ability to resurrect the dead. When tragedy strikes, the father makes one fateful decision out of grief. Set over the fall, Halloween doesn’t factor in as much as it does in the novel.
Pet Sematary (2019)
A new adaptation of King’s classic that sees the Creed family altered in very different, horrifying ways by the burial ground behind their new home. Halloween plays a bigger part in this take, namely in a pivotal scene involving Ellie’s cat Church.
Pet Sematary Two (1992)
A teen and his father, still grieving over the sudden loss of his mother, move to her hometown. They too encounter the burial ground that destroyed the Creed family, and the horror begins anew. Halloween permeates this sequel.
The Pit (1981)
A creepy and solitary boy makes an equally creepy discovery in the woods, and then uses it to seek revenge on those who make him angry. Seriously disturbed boy aside, this small town tale is set over the fall. Corn fields, football, and of course Halloween parties.
Poltergeist (1982)
The Freeling family has just moved into a brand new neighborhood. They soon discover that their shiny new home is haunted by multiple spirits, and they’re most interested in youngest daughter Carol Anne. Even though the movie is set over the Halloween season, you can’t tell at first glance- the sunny Southern California sun doesn’t scream “fall.”
The Predator (2018)
Young Rory, a bullied autistic boy, finds Predator armor tucked away in the basement and decides to use it as a Halloween costume. It attracts the attention of more Predators, and Rory’s father must band together with a group of misfit ex-soldiers to prevent the destruction of humankind.
Primal Rage (1988)
A scientist experimenting on baboons accidentally creates a rage virus. When a journalist breaks into the lab, he’s bitten and infected, and spreads the infection. Anyone bitten turns homicidal. Look for a Halloween dance gathering to factor into the equation.
The Pumpkin Karver (2006)
On Halloween night, a prank involving a pumpkin face mask results in death. A year later, the trauma still fresh, someone wearing a pumpkin face mask terrorizes a group at a party.
The Rage: Carrie 2 (1999)
This sequel follows Rachel, a teen dealing with a traumatic past and the treacherous social interactions of high school. Her recent discovery of telekinetic powers turns to full blown homicidal rage when the high school jocks push her too far. The film is set over fall, including Halloween, though it doesn’t have much of a presence at all.
The Return of Count Yorga (1971)
A sequel to Count Yorga, Vampire, the vampiric count continues to feed off of the local community. He’s taken up residence in the nearby orphanage and is in search of a new vampire wife. This vampire also makes appearances at the school’s Halloween shindig.
Return of the Living Dead: Rave to the Grave (2005)
Part 5 of this franchise is likely for completists only. It follows a college student in possession of a drug, “Z”, to sell at the Halloween rave. Instead, he creates a ton of zombies.
Satan’s Little Helper (2005)
Dougie is a boy obsessed with a video game that has him playing as Satan’s helper. While out trick or treating, he comes across someone in costume arranging a dead body and assumes the costumed person is actually Satan, and asks Satan to send his sister’s boyfriend to Hell. He then becomes the unwitting pawn of a serial killer.
The Scarehouse (2014)
Two years after a freak accident, six college gals are invited to a Halloween haunted attraction. They don’t realize until they’re inside and trapped that their hosts might have something much more sinister planned.
Scary Movie (1991)
A paranoid young man comes to strongly believe that a psychopath has taken up residence in the local Halloween haunted house. Look for a cameo by Eddie Munster actor Butch Patrick.
Scary Stories to Tell in the Dark (2019)
A Halloween night prank in 1968 results in the discovery of a book containing spooky tales that brings your worst fears to life. Based on the popular children’s book series by author Alvin Schwartz and illustrator Stephen Gammell.
Silver Bullet (1985)
Paraplegic young boy Marty, his sister, and his uncle must deal with a werewolf terrorizing their small town, beginning in the spring of 1976. Based on Stephen King’s novella Cycle of the Werewolf, the monthly full moon appearances of the werewolf mean the narrative passes over multiple holidays. Our favorite one included.
Sinister (2012)
True crime writer Ellison Oswalt moves his family into a new home, where he discovers a box of super 8 home movies filled with horrific murders dating back to the ‘60s. The more he researches the murders, the more strange things begin to happen around him.
Sleepy Hollow (1999)
Tim Burton’s big budget take on the Legend of Sleepy Hollow has a skittish Ichabod Crane sent to Sleepy Hollow to investigate a series of murders where the victims have lost their heads. The culprit, of course, is the Headless Horseman. And witchcraft.
Slugs (1988)
Toxic waste turns a town’s garden variety slugs into carnivorous, deadly creatures on a rampage. Being that this is directed Juan Picquer Simon (Pieces), the deaths are delightfully gory. The slug rampage happens to coincide with Halloween.
Tales of Halloween (2015)
A horror anthology dedicated solely to Halloween, featuring ten segments set in one suburb that spin spooky tales of murderers, boogeymen, trick or treating revenge, ghoulish pumpkins, and more.
Terrifier (2016)
Art the clown is back. He terrorizes three women on Halloween, along with anyone else who stands in his way. This one is for gore-hounds.
Tormented (2014)
Aka Berkshire County. A bullied teen reluctantly agrees to babysit at an isolated rural home on Halloween. When a boy in a pig mask knocks on the door to trick or treat, the teen enters into a harrowing cat and mouse game that holds no promise of survival.
Trick or Treat (1986)
Teen Eddie is devastated at the news of his metal idol Sammi Curr’s passing. But Sammi had a pact with the devil, with plans to return from the grave on Halloween night at the expense of those around Eddie. Metal, horror, and Halloween. Enough said.
Trick or Treats (1982)
A poor babysitter is stuck babysitting the brat from hell on Halloween night. One that won’t stop playing mean pranks on her. As if that isn’t bad enough, his deranged father has escaped from the mental hospital and wants to visit.
Trick ‘r Treat (2007)
A unique anthology that interweaves five tales of Halloween based horror set on Halloween night. All of which take aim at the rules of the holiday. Keeping an ever watchful eye is little Sam, the most adorable and vicious holiday mascot of all time.
V/H/S – “10/31/98” (2012)
The final segment of this horror anthology is, obviously, set on Halloween. Four friends in costume head out to a Halloween bash, only they wind up at the wrong address. The house they’ve stumbled into happens to be dealing with a very real haunting.
Volumes of Blood (2015)
A horror anthology with a wraparound segment that sees a college student gathering friends at the library on Halloween night to help him create a new urban legend.
Wacko (1982)
This slasher parody is set on Halloween and sees the cops trying to track down and solve the case of the notorious Lawnmower Killer. Emphasis on the comedy. This one stars George Kennedy and Andrew Dice Clay.
We Need to Talk About Kevin (2011)
In this psychological thriller, Kevin’s increasingly bizarre and dangerous behavior terrifies his mother, who tries to love him despite of it. But Kevin’s behavior is only getting worse, and no one could prepare for his horrific final act. Spanning time, Halloween plays a small part.
WNUF Halloween Special (2013)
An off-air recording of faux TV station WNUF’s 1987 Halloween special, which sees a TV personality and paranormal investigators exploring the infamous Webber house, a site of ghastly murders. They find much more than they bargained for. This stylized nostalgic treat comes with commercials, too.
Wrong Turn 5: Bloodlines (2012)
In the fifth entry of this franchise, college students set off on a trip to the Mountain Man Festival on Halloween. If you guessed they encounter a deadly clan of cannibals, well, you’d be correct.
Soon after the New Hollywood generation took over the entertainment industry, they started having children. And more than any filmmakers that came before—they were terrified. Rosemary’s Baby (1968), The Exorcist (1973), The Omen (1976), Eraserhead (1977), The Brood (1979), The Shining (1980), Possession (1981), and many others all deal, at least in part, with the fears of becoming or being a parent. What if my child turns out to be a monster? is corrupted by some evil force? or turns out to be the fucking Antichrist? What if I screw them up somehow, or can’t help them, or even go insane and try to kill them? Horror has always been at its best when exploring relatable fears through extreme circumstances. A prime example of this is Larry Cohen’s 1974 monster-baby movie It’s Alive, which explores the not only the rollercoaster of emotions that any parent experiences when confronted with the difficulties of raising a child, but long-standing questions of who or what is at fault when something goes horribly wrong.
Cohen begins making his underlying points early in the film as Frank Davis (John P. Ryan) discusses the state of the world with a group of expectant fathers in a hospital waiting room. They discuss the “overabundance of lead” in foods and the environment, smog, and pesticides that only serve to produce roaches that are “bigger, stronger, and harder to kill.” Frank comments that this is “quite a world to bring a kid into.” This has long been a discussion point among people when trying to decide whether to have kids or not. I’ve had many conversations with friends who have said they feel it’s irresponsible to bring children into such a violent, broken, and dangerous world, and I certainly don’t begrudge them this. My wife and I did decide to have children but that doesn’t mean that it’s been easy.
Immediately following this scene comes It’s Alive’s most famous sequence in which Frank’s wife Lenore (Sharon Farrell) is the only person left alive in her delivery room, the doctors clawed and bitten to death by her mutant baby, which has escaped. “What does my baby look like!? What’s wrong with my baby!?” she screams as nurses wheel her frantically into a recovery room. The evening that had begun with such joy and excitement at the birth of their second child turned into a nightmare. This is tough for me to write, but on some level, I can relate to this whiplash of emotion. When my second child was born, they came about five weeks early. I’ll use the pronouns “they/them” for privacy reasons when referring to my kids. Our oldest was still very young and went to stay with my parents and we sped off to the hospital where my wife was taken into an operating room for an emergency c-section. I was able to carry our newborn into the NICU (natal intensive care unit) where I was assured that this was routine for all premature births. The nurses assured me there was nothing to worry about and the baby looked big and healthy. I headed to where my wife was taken to recover to grab a few winks assuming that everything was fine. Well, when I awoke, I headed back over to the NICU to find that my child was not where I left them. The nurse found me and told me that the baby’s lungs were underdeveloped, and they had to put them in a special room connected to oxygen tubes and wires to monitor their vitals.
It’s difficult to express the fear that overwhelmed me in those moments. Everything turned out okay, but it took a while and I’m convinced to this day that their anxiety struggles spring from these first weeks of life. As our children grew, we learned that two of the three were on the spectrum and that anxiety, depression, ADHD, and OCD were also playing a part in their lives. Parents, at least speaking for myself, can’t help but blame themselves for the struggles their children face. The “if only” questions creep in and easily overcome the voices that assure us that it really has nothing to do with us. In the film, Lenore says, “maybe it’s all the pills I’ve been taking that brought this on.” Frank muses aloud about how he used to think that Frankenstein was the monster, but when he got older realized he was the one that made the monster. The aptly named Frank is wondering if his baby’s mutation is his fault, if he created the monster that is terrorizing Los Angeles. I have made plenty of “if only” statements about myself over the years. “If only I hadn’t had to work so much, if only I had been around more when they were little.” Mothers may ask themselves, “did I have a drink, too much coffee, or a cigarette before I knew I was pregnant? Was I too stressed out during the pregnancy?” In other words, most parents can’t help but wonder if it’s all their fault.
At one point in the film, Frank goes to the elementary school where his baby has been sighted and is escorted through the halls by police. He overhears someone comment about “screwed up genes,” which brings about age-old questions of nature vs. nurture. Despite the voices around him from doctors and detectives that say, “we know this isn’t your fault,” Frank can’t help but think it is, and that the people who try to tell him it isn’t really think it’s his fault too. There is no doubt that there is a hereditary element to the kinds of mental illness struggles that my children and I deal with. But, and it’s a bit but, good parenting goes a long way in helping children deal with these struggles. Kids need to know they’re not alone, a good parent can provide that, perhaps especially parents that can relate to the same kinds of struggles. The question of nature vs. nurture will likely never be entirely answered but I think there’s more than a good chance that “both/and” is the case. Around the midpoint of the film, Frank agrees to disown the child and sign it over for medical experimentation if caught or killed. Lenore and the older son Chris (Daniel Holzman) seek to nurture and teach the baby, feeling that it is not a monster, but a member of the family.
It’s Alive takes these ideas to an even greater degree in the fact that the Davis Baby really is a monster, a mutant with claws and fangs that murders and eats people. The late ’60s and early ’70s also saw the rise in mass murderers and serial killers which heightened the nature vs. nurture debate. Obviously, these people were not literal monsters but human beings that came from human parents, but something had gone horribly wrong. Often the upbringing of these killers clearly led in part to their antisocial behavior, but this isn’t always the case. It’s Alive asks “what if a ‘monster’ comes from a good home?” In this case is it society, environmental factors, or is it the lead, smog, and pesticides? It is almost impossible to know, but the ending of the film underscores an uncomfortable truth—even monsters have parents.
As the film enters its third act, Frank joins the hunt for his child through the Los Angeles sewers and into the L.A. River. He is armed with a rifle and ready to kill on sight, having divorced himself from any relationship to the child. Then Frank finds his baby crying in the sewers and his fatherly instincts take over. With tears in his eyes, he speaks words of comfort and wraps his son in his coat. He holds him close, pats and rocks him, and whispers that everything is going to be okay. People often wonder how the parents of those who perform heinous acts can sit in court, shed tears, and defend them. I think it’s a complex issue. I’m sure that these parents know that their child has done something evil, but that doesn’t change the fact that they are still their baby. Your child is a piece of yourself formed into a whole new human being. Disowning them would be like cutting off a limb, no matter what they may have done. It doesn’t erase an evil act, far from it, but I can understand the pain of a parent in that situation. I think It’s Alive does an exceptional job placing its audience in that situation.
Despite the serious issues and ideas being examined in the film, It’s Alive is far from a dour affair. At heart, it is still a monster movie and filled with a sense of fun and a great deal of pitch-black humor. In one of its more memorable moments, a milkman is sucked into the rear compartment of his truck as red blood mingles with the white milk from smashed bottles leaking out the back of the truck and streaming down the street. Just after Frank agrees to join the hunt for his baby, the film cuts to the back of an ice cream truck with the words “STOP CHILDREN” emblazoned on it. It’s a movie filled with great kills, a mutant baby—created by make-up effects master Rick Baker early in his career, and plenty of action—and all in a PG rated movie! I’m telling you, the ’70s were wild. It just also happens to have some thoughtful ideas behind it as well.
Which was Larry Cohen’s specialty. Cohen made all kinds of movies, but his most enduring have been his horror films and all of them tackle the social issues and fears of the time they were made. God Told Me To (1976), Q: The Winged Serpent (1982), and The Stuff (1985) are all great examples of his socially aware, low-budget, exploitation filmmaking with a brain and It’s Alive certainly fits right in with that group. Cohen would go on to write and direct two sequels, It Lives Again (aka It’s Alive 2) in 1978 and It’s Alive III: Island of the Alive in 1987 and is credited as a co-writer on the 2008 remake. All these films explore the ideas of parental responsibility in light of the various concerns of the times they were made including abortion rights and AIDS.
Fifty years after It’s Alive was initially released, it has only become more relevant in the ensuing years. Fears surrounding parenthood have been with us since the beginning of time but as the years pass the reasons for these fears only seem to become more and more profound. In today’s world the conversation of the fathers in the waiting room could be expanded to hormones and genetic modifications in food, terrorism, climate change, school and other mass shootings, and other threats that were unknown or at least less of a concern fifty years ago. Perhaps the fearmongering conspiracy theories about chemtrails and vaccines would be mentioned as well, though in a more satirical fashion, as fears some expectant parents encounter while endlessly doomscrolling Facebook or Twitter. Speaking for myself, despite the struggles, the fears, and the sadness that sometimes comes with having children, it’s been worth it. The joys ultimately outweigh all of that, but I understand the terror too. Becoming a parent is no easy choice, nor should it be. But as I look back, I can say that I’m glad we made the choice we did.
I wonder if Frank and Lenore can say the same thing.
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