20 Halloween movies to watch in October

Halloween is a great time of year to plan a movie night! So I am sharing FOUR different lists of 20 movies each, depending on what you want to watch. Below you will find Halloween movies to watch for Family & Little Kids Halloween Movies, Date-Night / Couples Spooky-Romantic or Fun Picks, Straight-Up Scary / Horror Halloween Movies, and Girls’ Night / Fun-Spooky Night Out. I hope you find something to watch that fits your mood, and you have so much fun! If there is something we missed, be sure to leave a comment and let us know so we can add it.

Top 20 Halloween movies to watch in October

Family & Little Kids Halloween Movies to watch

Hocus Pocus (1993)
- Rating: PG
- Length: 96 min
- Starring: Bette Midler, Sarah Jessica Parker, Kathy Najimy
- Plot: A teen accidentally resurrects three 17th-century witches in Salem and must stop them before sunrise.
- Availability: Streaming on Disney+. Available to buy on Amazon Prime Video
Halloweentown (1998)
- Rating: TV-G
- Length: ~84 min
- Starring: Debbie Reynolds, Kimberly J. Brown
- Plot: A young girl discovers she’s a witch and must help save a magical town from evil forces.
- Availability: Streaming on Disney+. Available to buy on Amazon Prime Video
The Nightmare Before Christmas (1993)
- Rating: PG
- Length: 76 min
- Starring: Chris Sarandon, Catherine O’Hara
- Plot: Jack Skellington of Halloween Town discovers Christmas Town and tries to take over the holiday.
- Availability: Streaming on Disney+. Available to buy on Amazon Prime Video
Casper (1995)
- Rating: PG
- Length: 100 min
- Starring: Christina Ricci, Bill Pullman
- Plot: A friendly ghost befriends a young girl when her father moves into a haunted mansion.
- Availability: Streaming on Netflix. Available to buy on Amazon Prime Video
The Addams Family (1991)
- Rating: PG-13
- Length: 99 min
- Starring: Anjelica Huston, Raul Julia, Christopher Lloyd
- Plot: The delightfully macabre Addams clan deals with a scheming imposter posing as Uncle Fester.
- Availability: Streaming on Paramount+. Available to buy on Amazon Prime Video
Monster House (2006)
- Rating: PG
- Length: 91 min
- Starring: Mitchel Musso, Sam Lerner
- Plot: Three kids discover their neighbor’s house is alive and malevolent.
- Availability: Streaming on Peacock. Available to buy on Amazon Prime Video
Coraline (2009)
- Rating: PG
- Length: 100 min
- Starring: Dakota Fanning (voice), Teri Hatcher (voice)
- Plot: A girl enters a parallel world that seems perfect… until dark secrets emerge.
- Availability: Streaming on PlutoTV. Available to buy on Amazon Prime Video
The Haunted Mansion (2003)
- Rating: PG
- Length: 88 min
- Starring: Eddie Murphy, Jennifer Tilly
- Plot: A family becomes trapped in a haunted estate with a mysterious curse.
- Availability: Streaming on Disney+. Available to buy on Amazon Prime Video
Hotel Transylvania (2012)
- Rating: PG
- Length: 91 min
- Starring: Adam Sandler, Selena Gomez
- Plot: Dracula runs a hotel for monsters until a human guest turns things upside-down.
- Availability: Streaming on Disney+. Available to buy on Amazon Prime Video
Goosebumps (2015)
- Rating: PG
- Length: 103 min
- Starring: Jack Black, Dylan Minnette
- Plot: Monsters from R.L. Stine’s notebooks escape and wreak havoc in a small town.
- Availability: Streaming on Peacock. Available to buy on Amazon Prime Video
The Witches (1990)
- Rating: PG
- Length: 91 min
- Starring: Anjelica Huston, Rowan Atkinson
- Plot: A boy and his grandmother uncover a plot by real witches disguised as nice women.
- Availability: Streaming is not available. Available to buy on Amazon Prime Video
  Side note- the 2015 version is streaming on HBO Max and on Amazon Prime Video
Frankenweenie (2012)
- Rating: PG
- Length: 87 min
- Starring: Winona Ryder, Catherine O’Hara
- Plot: A boy brings his beloved dog back to life—with unintended monstrous consequences.
- Availability: Streaming on Disney+. Available to buy on Amazon Prime Video
ParaNorman (2012)
- Rating: PG
- Length: 92 min
- Starring: Kodi Smit-McPhee, Anna Kendrick
- Plot: A boy who can speak to ghosts must save his town from a witch’s curse.
- Availability: Streaming is not streaming. Available to buy on Amazon Prime Video
Scooby-Doo (2002)
- Rating: PG
- Length: 86 min
- Starring: Freddie Prinze Jr., Sarah Michelle Gellar
- Plot: The Mystery Inc. gang investigates a spooky island filled with supernatural occurrences.
- Availability: Streaming on HBO Max. Available to buy on Amazon Prime Video
Spirited Away (2001)
- Rating: PG
- Length: 125 min
- Starring: Daveigh Chase, Jason Marsden
- Plot: A young girl is trapped in a magical spirit world and must find her way home.
- Availability: Streaming on HBO Max. Available to buy on Amazon Prime Video
Corpse Bride (2005)
- Rating: PG
- Length: 77 min
- Starring: Johnny Depp, Helena Bonham Carter
- Plot: A groom accidentally proposes to a ghost bride and is pulled into the land of the dead.
- Availability: Streaming on Peacock and HBO Max. Available to buy on Amazon Prime Video
E.T. the Extra-Terrestrial (1982)
- Rating: PG
- Length: 115 min
- Starring: Henry Thomas, Drew Barrymore
- Plot: A boy befriends an alien and helps him return home in a heartfelt adventure.
- Availability: Streaming on Netflix. Available to buy on Amazon Prime Video
The Goonies (1985)
- Rating: PG
- Length: 114 min
- Starring: Sean Astin, Josh Brolin, Jeff Cohen
- Plot: Young Mikey (Sean Astin) leads his group of friends and his older brother (Josh Brolin) on a quest for a legendary long-lost treasure to stop their homes from being demolished.
- Availability: Streaming on Netflix. Available to buy on Amazon Prime Video
The House with a Clock in Its Walls (2018)
- Rating: PG
- Length: 105 min
- Starring: Jack Black, Cate Blanchett
- Plot: A boy and his uncle hunt for a magical clock hidden in the walls of a mysterious house.
- Availability: Streaming only with Showtime add-on. Available to buy on Amazon Prime Video
The Little Vampire (2000)
- Rating: PG
- Length: 86 min
- Starring: Jonathan Lipnicki, Richard E. Grant
- Plot: A young boy befriends a vampire his age and must help protect him from vampire hunters.
- Availability: Streaming not available. Available to buy on Amazon Prime Video

Date-Night / Couples Spooky-Romantic or Fun Halloween movies to watch

Beetlejuice (1988)
- Rating: PG
- Length: 92 min
- Starring: Michael Keaton, Geena Davis
- Plot: A ghost couple hires Beetlejuice to scare away the new owners of their home.
- Availability: Streaming on Disney+. Available to buy on Amazon Prime Video
The Lost Boys (1987)
- Rating: R
- Length: 97 min
- Starring: Jason Patric, Kiefer Sutherland
- Plot: Teen brothers move to a California town and confront a gang of vampires.
- Availability: Streaming/purchase platforms vary by region.
Warm Bodies (2013)
- Rating: PG-13
- Length: 98 min
- Starring: Nicholas Hoult, Teresa Palmer
- Plot: A zombie falls in love with a human girl in this romantic-horror twist.
- Availability: Streaming/purchase platforms vary by region.
What We Do in the Shadows (2014)
- Rating: R
- Length: 86 min
- Starring: Taika Waititi, Jemaine Clement
- Plot: A mockumentary about vampires sharing a flat — witty, weird, and fun for two.
- Availability: Streaming/purchase platforms vary by region.
The Cabin in the Woods (2011)
- Rating: R
- Length: 95 min
- Starring: Kristen Connolly, Chris Hemsworth
- Plot: Friends at a remote cabin uncover a twisted secret behind their vacation.
- Availability: Streaming/purchase platforms vary by region.
Let the Right One In (2008)
- Rating: R
- Length: 114 min
- Starring: Kåre Hedebrant, Lina Leandersson
- Plot: A lonely boy befriends a vampire girl — haunting, romantic, and dark.
- Availability: Streaming/purchase platforms vary by region.
Only Lovers Left Alive (2013)
- Rating: R
- Length: 123 min
- Starring: Tom Hiddleston, Tilda Swinton
- Plot: Two centuries-old vampire lovers reunite and reflect on life, lov,e and immortality.
- Availability: Streaming/purchase platforms vary by region.
Sleepy Hollow (1999)
- Rating: R
- Length: 105 min
- Starring: Johnny Depp, Christina Ricci
- Plot: Ichabod Crane investigates the Headless Horseman in a gothic, atmospheric adaptation.
- Availability: Streaming/purchase platforms vary by region.
Crimson Peak (2015)
- Rating: R
- Length: 119 min
- Starring: Mia Wasikowska, Tom Hiddleston
- Plot: A young woman uncovers terrifying secrets in her husband’s haunted mansion.
- Availability: Streaming/purchase platforms vary by region.
The Others (2001)
- Rating: PG-13
- Length: 104 min
- Starring: Nicole Kidman
- Plot: After WWII, a woman suspects her house is haunted as strange events unfold.
- Availability: Streaming/purchase platforms vary by region.
Scream (1996)
- Rating: R
- Length: 111 min
- Starring: Neve Campbell, Courteney Cox, David Arquette
- Plot: A masked killer stalks a horror-obsessed town, using movie rules to terrorize his victims.
- Availability: Streaming/purchase platforms vary by region.
Jennifer’s Body (2009)
- Rating: R
- Length: 102 min
- Starring: Megan Fox, Amanda Seyfried
- Plot: A high-school girl becomes possessed and starts consuming her male classmates — campy and feminist-twist horror.
- Availability: Streaming/purchase platforms vary by region.
Edward Scissorhands (1990)
- Rating: PG-13
- Length: 105 min
- Starring: Johnny Depp, Winona Ryder
- Plot: A gentle artificial man with scissors for hands tries to find love and acceptance.
- Availability: Streaming/purchase platforms vary by region.
The Sixth Sense (1999)
- Rating: PG-13
- Length: 107 min
- Starring: Bruce Willis, Haley Joel Osment
- Plot: A boy who can see ghosts seeks help from a psychologist, with a twist that changed horror forever.
- Availability: Streaming/purchase platforms vary by region.
A Ghost Story (2017)
- Rating: R
- Length: 92 min
- Starring: Casey Affleck, Rooney Mara
- Plot: A ghost silently observes his former life from the after-world; haunting, meditative and deeply emotional.
- Availability: Streaming/purchase platforms vary by region.
The Village (2004)
- Rating: PG-13
- Length: 108 min
- Starring: Bryce Dallas Howard, Joaquin Phoenix
- Plot: A secluded village lives in fear of mysterious creatures beyond its borders — atmospheric and unsettling.
- Availability: Streaming/purchase platforms vary by region.
Underworld (2003)
- Rating: R
- Length: 121 min
- Starring: Kate Beckinsale, Scott Speedman
- Plot: A vampire warrior becomes caught in a war between vampires and werewolves — stylish, dark and action-heavy.
- Availability: Streaming/purchase platforms vary by region.
The Shape of Water (2017)
- Rating: R
- Length: 123 min
- Starring: Sally Hawkins, Doug Jones
- Plot: A mute woman falls in love with a mysterious amphibious creature — otherworldly romance with horror undertones.
- Availability: Streaming/purchase platforms vary by region.
Midnight in the Garden of Good and Evil (1997)
- Rating: R
- Length: 156 min
- Starring: Kevin Spacey, John Cusack
- Plot: A Southern gothic mystery/supernatural tale—slow burn but rich in atmosphere.
- Availability: Streaming/purchase platforms vary by region.
Don’t Look Now (1973)
- Rating: R
- Length: 110 min
- Starring: Donald Sutherland, Julie Christie
- Plot: Grieving parents in Venice are haunted by presences and omens – chilling, art-house horror.
- Availability: Streaming/purchase platforms vary by region.

Straight-Up Scary / Horror Halloween Movies to watch

Halloween (1978)
- Rating: R
- Length: 91 min
- Starring: Jamie Lee Curtis
- Plot: Michael Myers returns to his hometown to terrorize the night of Halloween — slasher classic.
- Availability: Streaming/purchase platforms vary by region.
A Nightmare on Elm Street (1984)
- Rating: R
- Length: 91 min
- Starring: Heather Langenkamp, Robert Englund
- Plot: A supernatural killer haunts teenagers’ dreams — deadly if they die in their sleep.
- Availability: Streaming/purchase platforms vary by region.
The Exorcist (1973)
- Rating: R
- Length: 122 min
- Starring: Ellen Burstyn, Linda Blair
- Plot: A young girl is possessed by a demon — intense, shocking horror milestone.
- Availability: Streaming/purchase platforms vary by region.
Hereditary (2018)
- Rating: R
- Length: 127 min
- Starring: Toni Collette, Alex Wolff
- Plot: A family unravels terrifying secrets and supernatural grief after a matriarch’s death.
- Availability: Streaming/purchase platforms vary by region.
The Conjuring (2013)
- Rating: R
- Length: 112 min
- Starring: Vera Farmiga, Patrick Wilson
- Plot: Paranormal investigators help a family terrorized by a dark presence in their home.
- Availability: Streaming/purchase platforms vary by region.
It (2017)
- Rating: R
- Length: 135 min
- Starring: Bill Skarsgård, Finn Wolfhard
- Plot: A shape-shifting clown terrorizes kids in a small town — big modern horror event.
- Availability: Streaming/purchase platforms vary by region.
Get Out (2017)
- Rating: R
- Length: 104 min
- Starring: Daniel Kaluuya, Allison Williams
- Plot: A man visits his girlfriend’s family and uncovers disturbing secrets — smart horror + social commentary.
- Availability: Streaming/purchase platforms vary by region.
The Babadook (2014)
- Rating: PG-13
- Length: 94 min
- Starring: Essie Davis, Noah Wiseman
- Plot: A single mother and her son face a sinister storybook entity — psychological and deeply creepy.
- Availability: Streaming/purchase platforms vary by region.
It Follows (2014)
- Rating: R
- Length: 100 min
- Starring: Maika Monroe
- Plot: A supernatural entity relentlessly pursues its target — minimalistic but very haunting.
- Availability: Streaming/purchase platforms vary by region.
Sinister (2012)
- Rating: R
- Length: 110 min
- Starring: Ethan Hawke
- Plot: A true-crime writer moves into a house tied to gruesome murders and horrifying home movies.
- Availability: Streaming/purchase platforms vary by region.
Scream (1996)
- Rating: R
- Length: 111 min
- Starring: Neve Campbell, Courteney Cox, David Arquette
- Plot: A masked killer stalks a horror-obsessed town, using movie rules to terrorize his victims.
- Availability: Streaming/purchase platforms vary by region.
Midsommar (2019)
- Rating: R
- Length: 147 min
- Starring: Florence Pugh, Jack Reynor
- Plot: A daylight-horror set during a Swedish festival — intense and unsettling.
- Availability: Streaming/purchase platforms vary by region.
The Ring (2002)
- Rating: PG-13
- Length: 115 min
- Starring: Naomi Watts, Martin Henderson
- Plot: A videotape curses viewers — iconic supernatural horror.
- Availability: Streaming/purchase platforms vary by region.
The Descent (2005)
- Rating: R
- Length: 99 min
- Starring: Shauna Macdonald, Natalie Mendoza
- Plot: A group of friends trapped in a cave face terrifying creatures — claustrophobic horror.
- Availability: Streaming/purchase platforms vary by region.
28 Days Later (2002)
- Rating: R
- Length: 113 min
- Starring: Cillian Murphy, Naomie Harris
- Plot: Post-apocalyptic infection horror — fast-paced and brutal.
- Availability: Streaming/purchase platforms vary by region.
The Texas Chain Saw Massacre (1974)
- Rating: R
- Length: 83 min
- Starring: Marilyn Burns
- Plot: A group of friends fall into the hands of a cannibalistic family — an extreme horror classic.
- Availability: Streaming/purchase platforms vary by region.
Paranormal Activity (2007)
- Rating: R
- Length: 86 min
- Starring: Katie Featherston, Micah Sloat
- Plot: Found-footage horror that defined its sub-genre — minimal camera, maximum dread.
- Availability: Streaming/purchase platforms vary by region.
Suspiria (1977)
- Rating: R
- Length: 98 min
- Starring: Jessica Harper
- Plot: Stylish European supernatural horror about a dance academy hiding dark secrets.
- Availability: Streaming/purchase platforms vary by region.
The Shining (1980)
- Rating: R
- Length: 146 min
- Starring: Jack Nicholson, Shelley Duvall
- Plot: A family stays at an isolated hotel where a cosmic evil influences the father, a psychological horror landmark.
- Availability: Streaming/purchase platforms vary by region.
The Witch (2015)
- Rating: R
- Length: 92 min
- Starring: Anya Taylor-Joy
- Plot: A 1630s New England family falls prey to uncanny forces in the woods — atmospheric and chilling.
- Availability: Streaming/purchase platforms vary by region.

Girls’ Night / Fun-Spooky Night Out Halloween movies to watch

The Witch (2015)
- Rating: R
- Length: 92 min
- Starring: Anya Taylor-Joy
- Plot: A Puritan family in the woods faces dark forces — moody, witchy, perfect for a girls’ night in.
- Availability: Streaming/purchase platforms vary by region.
Jennifer’s Body (2009)
- Rating: R
- Length: 102 min
- Starring: Megan Fox, Amanda Seyfried
- Plot: A high-school girl becomes possessed and starts consuming her male classmates — campy and fun.
- Availability: Streaming/purchase platforms vary by region.
The Love Witch (2016)
- Rating: R
- Length: 102 min
- Starring: Samantha Robinson
- Plot: A modern witch uses spells to find love — vintage-style, stylish, and witches-night-out vibe.
- Availability: Streaming/purchase platforms vary by region.
Beetlejuice (1988)
- Rating: PG
- Length: 92 min
- Starring: Michael Keaton, Geena Davis
- Plot: Quirky, spooky, and hilarious — perfect for friends wanting fun and weirdness.
- Availability: Streaming/purchase platforms vary by region.
Practical Magic (1998)
- Rating: PG-13
- Length: 104 min
- Starring: Sandra Bullock, Nicole Kidman
- Plot: Two witch sisters deal with a family curse and love — fun, witchy, and romantic.
- Availability: Streaming/purchase platforms vary by region.
The Craft (1996)
- Rating: R
- Length: 101 min
- Starring: Robin Tunney, Neve Campbell
- Plot: Four high-school girls practice witchcraft and face dark consequences — cult classic.
- Availability: Streaming/purchase platforms vary by region.
Ghostbusters (1984)
- Rating: PG
- Length: 106 min
- Starring: Bill Murray, Sigourney Weaver
- Plot: Ghost-busting fun in NYC — light spooky fun + laughs for a friend group.
- Availability: Streaming/purchase platforms vary by region.
Death Becomes Her (1992)
- Rating: PG-13
- Length: 104 min
- Starring: Meryl Streep, Goldie Hawn
- Plot: Two rival women get a magic potion for immortality — campy, dark comedy with style.
- Availability: Streaming/purchase platforms vary by region.
Warm Bodies (2013)
- Rating: PG-13
- Length: 98 min
- Starring: Nicholas Hoult, Teresa Palmer
- Plot: Zombie romance — quirky and lighter horror-romantic for a fun friend’s night.
- Availability: Streaming/purchase platforms vary by region.
Scary Movie (2000)
- Rating: PG-13
- Length: 88 min
- Starring: Anna Faris, Marlon Wayans
- Plot: A goofy spoof of classic horror movies — great for laughs with friends.
- Availability: Streaming/purchase platforms vary by region.
Scream (1996)
- Rating: R
- Length: 111 min
- Starring: Neve Campbell, Courteney Cox, David Arquette
- Plot: A masked killer stalks a horror-obsessed town, mixing scares and self-aware humor — perfect for a group watch.
- Availability: Streaming/purchase platforms vary by region.
Halloweentown (1998)
- Rating: TV-G
- Length: ~84 min
- Starring: Debbie Reynolds, Kimberly J. Brown
- Plot: A young girl discovers she’s a witch and helps save a magical Halloween town — lighter fun with friends.
- Availability: Streaming/purchase platforms vary by region.
Hubie Halloween (2020)
- Rating: PG-13
- Length: 103 min
- Starring: Adam Sandler, Kevin James
- Plot: A silly comedy about a town’s biggest Halloween enthusiast caught in weird and spooky action.
- Availability: Streaming/purchase platforms vary by region.
Jawbreaker (1999)
- Rating: R
- Length: 94 min
- Starring: Rose McGowan, Rebecca Gayheart
- Plot: Dark teen-comedy involving a prank gone wrong — edgy, stylish for a more grown-up friend night.
- Availability: Streaming/purchase platforms vary by region.
Girl vs. Monster (2012)
- Rating: TV-PG
- Length: 89 min
- Starring: Olivia Holt
- Plot: A young teen witch must navigate monster attacks and her family legacy — fun, light, spooky.
- Availability: Streaming/purchase platforms vary by region.
Little Shop of Horrors (1986)
- Rating: PG-13
- Length: 94 min
- Starring: Rick Moranis, Ellen Greene
- Plot: A musical-horror comedy about a man-eating plant and a down-on-his-luck florist — campy and fun.
- Availability: Streaming/purchase platforms vary by region.
The Witches (1990)
- Rating: PG
- Length: 91 min
- Starring: Anjelica Huston, Rowan Atkinson
- Plot: A boy and his grandmother battle real witches in disguise — spooky but fun.
- Availability: Streaming/purchase platforms vary by region.
Beetlejuice 2 (if available) / or a similar sequel
- Rating: PG-13
- Length: ~100 min (varies)
- Starring: (Varies)
- Plot: The return of the mischievous spirit Beetlejuice in new antics — fun for a group.
- Availability: Streaming/purchase platforms vary by region.
The House with a Clock in Its Walls (2018)
- Rating: PG
- Length: 105 min
- Starring: Jack Black, Cate Blanchett
- Plot: A boy and his uncle hunt for a magical clock hidden in the walls of a mysterious house — accessible, spooky fun for friends.
- Availability: Streaming/purchase platforms vary by region.
The Little Vampire (2000)
- Rating: PG
- Length: 86 min
- Starring: Jonathan Lipnicki, Richard E. Grant
- Plot: A young boy befriends a vampire his age and helps protect him from vampire hunters — lighter gothic fun.
- Availability: Streaming/purchase platforms vary by region.