It's the Great Pumpkin, Charlie Brown (1966)
This is a true classic the whole family can enjoy. For more than 50 years, Snoopy and the gang have been getting us into the Halloween spirit. The animation might even make you nostalgic for childhood memories of trick-or-treating.
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Rocky Horror Picture Show (1975)
The cult-favorite musical is the longest running theatrical release in history, because of its frequent, interactive showings around Halloween. So watch it solo or, even better, grab some friends and do the Time Warp again.
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Hocus Pocus (1993)
You can't go wrong with Hocus Pocus. The family-friendly comedy stars Bette Midler, Sarah Jessica Parker, and Kathy Najimy star as three Salem, Massachusetts witches, resurrected just in time for Halloween.
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Harry Potter
It's been argued that the Harry Potter films are all Christmas movies, as the festive season often features, but it's also safe to call them Halloween flicks—after all, the story is about witches and wizards. Each of the films is currently available to stream on HBO Max.
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Scream (1996)
This clever-yet-scary slasher movie/black comedy stars a variety of big names, from Courtney Cox to Drew Barrymore, and continues to be a fan-favorite year after year.
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The Addams Family (1991) & Addams Family Values (1993)
When it comes to the Addams Family movies–that’s right, not just the first but the second, too!–there’s a lot to love. Great jokes, campiness, and gothic style? Plus, Angelica Huston is a total vision as Morticia. Consider these perfect viewing for anyone who loves the Halloween mood, but could do without actual scares.
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Scooby Doo & The Ghoul School
Another more kid-friendly (but still festive) film is this cartoon mystery where the Scooby Squad finds themselves in a boarding school for monsters and ghosts. It's perfect for your tween's Halloween party.
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Mean Girls
Now, Mean Girls isn't exactly a horror movie, but it does feature one of the most iconic Halloween scenes in recent memory, earning it a prime spot on this list.
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The Omen (1976)
“It’s all for you, Damien!” You’re not a real horror buff if you haven’t seen this ‘70s classic. Gregory Peck and Lee Remick star in the demonic film, which is remembered as one of the most cursed movies of all time.
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Rosemary's Baby (1968)
Roman Polanski’s Rosemary’s Baby is a cornerstone of the horror movie genre, making it a must-see this spooky season. In the film, Mia Farrow plays a young woman whose husband makes a deal with the devil without her knowing.
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A Nightmare on Elm Street
Almost a decade before Scream, Wes Craven gifted the world with one of the most infamous movie villains: Freddy Krueger. But it’s not just a slasher flick with a gruesome lead, the movie is held up by a compelling premise and storyline that will definitely leave you scared to go to sleep. Did we mention this was Johnny Depp’s acting debut?
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The Haunted Mansion
Disney doesn’t do a whole lot of scary, but when they do, they sure do it right. Eddie Murphy brings his comedic genius to this spooky story of a family that ends up trapped in a (you guessed it) haunted mansion due to a case of mistaken identity. While we’d still classify this as family friendly, note that it might be on the scarier side for some young viewers.
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Friday the 13th
What starts off as a fun movie about teenagers working at a summer camp quickly turns sour as Jason Voorhees appears on one Friday the 13th. Hockey masks have never been the same since this flick’s 1980 release, featuring Kevin Bacon.
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The Shining (1980)
If you're looking for a good fright with a side of cinematic prowess, turn on The Shining. The Stanley Kubrick-directed film has become a horror classic, tracing the tale of an innkeeper who goes off the psychological deep end.
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Halloween (1978)
Few movies are as appropriate for Halloween as, well, Halloween. The slasher movie stars Jamie Lee Curtis and follows a mental patient and murderer who escapes a sanitarium and returns to his hometown to stalk innocent passersby.
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Halloweentown (1998)
A movie perfect for the whole family, Halloweentown follows a young witch named Marnie, torn between her normal life and her grandmother's home in an enchanted place where it's always Halloween.
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Labryinth
This film was a collaborative effort by Jim Henson, George Lucas, and David Bowie. We’re not sure how such a star-studded project came to happen, but we’re sure glad it did. The plot: one girl (Jennifer Connelly) has 13 hours to save her brother from being turned into a goblin by Bowie, the Goblin King.
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Beetlejuice (1988)
This Tim Burton horror/comedy follows a ghost couple who haunt their prior home, alongside, of course, a devious poltergeist named Beetlejuice. Watch for the laughs, the star-studded cast, and THE famed striped suit.
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Get Out (2017)
This movie has quickly become a horror classic. The Jordan Peele-written and directed feature follows a Black photographer going home with his white girlfriend for the first time. Shrouded by casual racism, the dynamics get eerier and eerier as the film progresses.
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