Halloween, spooky season, all hallows’ eve, and just another day to some. To me, however, it is the best day ever. I am the type to celebrate spooky season, emphasis on season, with a season to begin at least a year in advance. Seriously, I have the next three years of costumes mapped out. This being said, I consider myself a Halloween expert. With the vast variety of Halloween movies to choose from, finding the perfect spooky film can be an overwhelming task. Not to worry friends, I have gathered the top seven Halloween films for a variety of moods and age ranges.

Scream (1996)
This classic 90s slasher will have you on the edge of your seat. I wouldn’t dream of removing this from my Halloween movie rotation, and while there are hundreds of must-watch classic Halloween films, this is one you truly should not live without. Accredited actors Skeet Ulrich and Neve Campbell star as the main characters and love interests, Sidney and Billy. Throughout the film, the pair and the rest of their friend group witness classmates and friends get killed off one by one. The group conspires as to who the culprit could be while making light of the situation through taunting jokes. Thickening the plot, Sidney’s mother was the victim of a similar slasher a few years prior, subjecting her trauma to resurface as the new killer arrives; out of all the characters, she appears most paranoid, suspecting the killer could be back for unfinished business.

Spooky Ratings
-10/10 Rewatchability

-10000/10 Concerningly Attractive Psychopaths (or what I refer to as, “The Tate Langdon Effect”)

-⅗ Spookiness

A Nightmare On Elm Street (1984)
Wes Craven’s infamous Freddy Kreuger makes his big-screen debut, and shortly after, his nightmare debut in the sleeping consciousness of American children. Robert Englund takes on the terrifying role as Freddy, who haunts the dreams of his victims. These nightmares usually involve physical altercations, leaving the victims waking up with the same lesions they acquired during these “dreams”. The main character, Nancy Thompson, a high school girl played by Heather Lamgenkamp, is pictured alongside a doe-eyed Johnny Depp in his film debut as love interests. Nancy is the primary victim and in her dreams, she must fight Kreuger off, while fighting off her sleep outside of nocturnal hours. Her lack of sleep causes her to question reality and her peers suspect she has gone insane.

Spooky Ratings
-8/10 Rewatchability (mostly for Johnny)

-⅘ for spookiness (will give you nightmares, but there is some cliche “I should totally go where the highest danger is“ acting here and there)

-Bechdel Test: Passed! Nancy is arguably the best final girl in horror.

Edward Scissorhands (1990)
Back at it with another film featuring Johnny Depp and sharp hands; “Edward Scissorhands” is “the story of an uncommon gentleman”. Similar to the life of Frankenstein’s monster – especially the beginning, when a mad scientist brings Edward to life, only to suffer from a fatal stroke prior to completing or raising the unfortunately handless Edward. Instead, Eddie had (you guessed it) scissors in place of human hands, while the rest of his body functioned normally, aside from the awkward moments and sad victorian-like paleness in his face. As a result of his inability to rid himself of the sharp hands, he often cuts himself accidentally, leaving his face scar-ridden. Taking this into account, it can be assumed his social status suffered. Edward was a sweet guy, but in the perky pastel town of Lutz, Florida, the townspeople weren’t exactly thrilled by this strange character – nor were they a fan of his all-black wardrobe. There is one kind soul, however: Kim Boggs, the angelic and fully human love interest of Edward. This love story is creepy, heartwarming, and hilarious all in one.

Spooky Ratings
-⅖ Spookiness (it’s more creepy than spooky, and even then it’s just a love story with a classic creepy Tim Burtonesque facade )

-9/10 Rewatchability

Hocus Pocus (1993)
Come, little children! This movie will take you away to a land of witches, death, and teenage hormones. 16-year-old Max Sanderson and his sister, Dani, have just made the move to Salem, Massachusetts. Max is rather upset about the move and finds the town’s history of witches to be foolish, or as he would say, “a bunch of hocus pocus” (don’t you love a little innuendo). There is a love interest, Allison, who Max makes multiple attempts to win over. Allison joins Max and Dani on a trip to the Sanderson Sisters’ House, which soon turns into chaos as they unintentionally revive the witchy trio. The witches ensue madness over the town on this Halloween night, leaving the three kids and the help of immortal cat Binx to save Salem.

Spooky Ratings
-Spookiness ⅘, for the first time you watch it at least because typically this is a seven to ten-year-old kid movie)

-100/10 rewatchability, I can’t go one spooky season without watching it

-10/10 Incentive to watch your freaking kids on Halloween

Fear Street (2021)
Probably the most modern example on this list, “Fear Street” (2021), is arguably the best Netflix horror movie series. The story of a county divided: Sunnyvale – the all-American, white picket fence, suburban, upper-middle-class utopia – and Shadyside. Much like its descriptive name, Shadyside is seen as less than, slums, working-class, outcast, impoverished – some may even say cursed. The two towns rival, making conditions perfect for the star-crossed lover’s trope with couple Sam and Deena. Deena is the main character, a Shady-Sider, fed up with the curse on her town that causes brutal murders every few years. Through the three movies, Deena and her friends try to bring justice to the town.

Spooky Ratings
-Spookiness 5/5, this one hits all the marks.

-8/10 Rewatchability, Part two is 1000 percent rewatchable by itself, but to get the full story you’d have to set aside around five hours, and who has that time?!

The Craft (1996)
Goth has been resurfacing in popularity, so if you happen to be in need of clothing inspo, look no further. Just kidding! Although the costume director of this film did an impeccable job, this movie is amazing for reasons other than perfecting the grunge aesthetic. The main character, Sarah, transfers to a Los Angeles school after her mother dies. Soon, Sarah develops telekinetic powers from her late mother who she finds out was a witch. A group of spookily clad girls, who also are witches, seek out a fourth member to help perform rituals that require such. Sarah makes the perfect fit, and the group forms a close bond instantaneously. This turns sour quickly, and Sarah fights a hard battle between choosing good magic or dark.

Spooky Ratings
-Spookiness – 5/5, it doesn’t seem scary but some of those witchy scenes will give you the heebie-jeebies.

-Rewatchability- 7/10, I enjoyed it but the scariest movies are the ones that feel kind of real and witchcraft freaks me out, so it depends on where you stand with that.

It’s The Great Pumpkin, Charlie Brown (1966)
Ahhh, nostalgia at its finest. If you’re anything like me and have adored Halloween from the start, I’m sure you have your token Halloween favorite (if you can’t tell, this is mine). Peanuts cartoons are my favorite for any and all holidays; they really just keep my inner child happy. If you are one of the few people who were not graced with this cinematic masterpiece as a youngster and wish to know more, the Peanuts gang (Charlie, Linus, Lucy, Peppermint Patty, Snoopy, Woodstock, etc.) go out to find the best pumpkin for their Halloween celebrations. Charlie Brown and Linus search for, you guessed it, The Great Pumpkin. Linus is taunted for his belief in the elusive creature, yet his faith remains unshaken as he waits patiently. This is the best movie on this list for younger kiddos to watch, and a timeless one at that.

Spooky Ratings
-Spookiness- 1/10, the scariest thing about it is how GOOD it is

-Rewatchability- 10/10

-Inner child fulfillment- 100000/10