From costume parties to a night of trick or treating, Halloween offers no shortage of potential set pieces for cinematic drama. It’s then no surprise that the holiday plays different roles in different films and pops up across a slew of genres. John Carpenter’s 1978 seminal slasher (we all know the name) makes for an obvious example, but what about the recent rom-com “When We First Met” or the Old Hollywood musical “Meet Me in St. Louis,” both of which also incorporate Halloween? (These are the most played Halloween songs of all time.)
To determine the best Halloween movies of all time, 24/7 Tempo developed an index using average ratings on IMDb, an online movie database owned by Amazon, and a combination of audience scores and Tomatometer scores on Rotten Tomatoes, an online movie and TV review aggregator, weighting all ratings equally. Only movies whose plots revolve around Halloween, or whose mise-en-scène directly relate to Halloween themes, were considered. Data on directorial credits comes from IMDb.
Our list includes films that feature Halloween in one way or another but don’t automatically strive for scares. The only real asterisks we need to place are next to 2015’s “Goosebumps” and a handful of Tim Burton movies – namely “Sleepy Hollow,” “The Corpse Bride,” and “Frankenweenie”. While they don’t specifically call upon Halloween, they feel almost purposefully crafted in honor of the occasion. Unsurprisingly, they were all released during the holiday season. (Halloween-themed or not, these are the best horror movies of all time.)
Then there’s the animated classic that we didn’t include. Released in 1966, “It’s the Great Pumpkin, Charlie Brown” is technically a TV movie and a highly rated one at that. However, its 25-minute runtime makes it more of a TV special, and so you won’t find it on the following list.
40. Casper (1995)
> IMDb user rating: 6.1/10 (126,809 votes)
> Rotten Tomatoes audience score: 49% (381,182 votes)
> Rotten Tomatoes Tomatometer score: 50% (40 reviews)
> Directed by: Brad Silberling
Adapted from the beloved theatrical cartoon short and comic book series “Casper the Friendly Ghost,”, this supernatural dramedy was the first live-action feature film to star a CGI character in the lead role. He goes by the name of Casper and forges a unique bond with a teenage girl (Christina Ricci). The story concludes with an event-packed Halloween party at the haunted Whipstaff Manor.
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39. Halloween II (1981)
> IMDb user rating: 6.5/10 (79,397 votes)
> Rotten Tomatoes audience score: 63% (77,151 votes)
> Rotten Tomatoes Tomatometer score: 32% (41 reviews)
> Directed by: Rick Rosenthal
This popular sequel takes place on the same night as its groundbreaking predecessor and follows Laurie Strode (Jamie Lee Curtis) to a local hospital. It’s only a matter of time before The Shape – aka Michael Myers – shows up to cause his next bloodbath. John Carpenter and collaborator Debra Hill wrote the screenplay.
38. When We First Met (2018)
> IMDb user rating: 6.4/10 (45,549 votes)
> Rotten Tomatoes audience score: 57% (898 votes)
> Rotten Tomatoes Tomatometer score: 43% (23 reviews)
> Directed by: Ari Sandel
With help from a time machine, a man (Adam Devine) tries to get the same girl (Alexandra Daddario) over and over again. Both characters first meet on Halloween in 2014, a day that gets revisited throughout the story.
37. Diary of a Wimpy Kid (2010)
> IMDb user rating: 6.2/10 (45,848 votes)
> Rotten Tomatoes audience score: 49% (103,546 votes)
> Rotten Tomatoes Tomatometer score: 54% (106 reviews)
> Directed by: Thor Freudenthal
Greg Heffley (Zachary Gordon) navigates the social minefield of middle school in this blockbuster dramedy based on the book series of the same name by Jeff Kinney. An early sequence takes place on Halloween and sets the stage for an important throughline. Three sequels would follow, all of which similarly were culled from the books.
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36. Terrifier (2016)
> IMDb user rating: 5.7/10 (15,995 votes)
> Rotten Tomatoes audience score: 54% (896 votes)
> Rotten Tomatoes Tomatometer score: 60% (15 reviews)
> Directed by: Damien Leone
A serial-killing clown pursues a young woman on Halloween night in this gory splatterfest. Director Damien Leone previously helmed the direct-to-video anthology movie “All Hallows’ Eve,” featuring the same creepy antagonist. The sequel “Terrifier 2” recently opened to better reviews and audience ratings.
35. The House with a Clock in Its Walls (2018)
> IMDb user rating: 6.1/10 (48,735 votes)
> Rotten Tomatoes audience score: 45% (3,549 votes)
> Rotten Tomatoes Tomatometer score: 65% (219 reviews)
> Directed by: Eli Roth
Horror director Eli Roth tried his hand at family-friendly fare with this comedy fantasy, based on a top-selling juvenile novel. After the death of his parents, a young boy moves into the mysterious house of his eccentric uncle (Jack Black). On Halloween night, the boy conjures the dead by way of a magic spell.
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34. Tales of Halloween (2015)
> IMDb user rating: 5.5/10 (12,452 votes)
> Rotten Tomatoes audience score: 41% (1,281 votes)
> Rotten Tomatoes Tomatometer score: 79% (52 reviews)
> Directed by: Darren Lynn Bousman & others
This Halloween-themed anthology film interweaves 10 segments from 10 different directors, including a few well-known names. Expect a somewhat uneven blend of horror and comedy along with all kinds of classic creatures. Variety critic Dennis Harvey called it “ââdisposably diverting at best and execrable at worst.”
33. Flatliners (1990)
> IMDb user rating: 6.6/10 (83,367 votes)
> Rotten Tomatoes audience score: 59% (62,932 votes)
> Rotten Tomatoes Tomatometer score: 48% (46 reviews)
> Directed by: Joel Schumacher
A group of medical students temporarily die so as to explore the beyond in this psychological thriller. It features a lively Halloween party and pivotal near-death experience on the very same night. Kiefer Sutherland, Kevin Bacon, and Julia Roberts all star.
32. Hocus Pocus 2 (2022)
> IMDb user rating: 6.2/10 (22,208 votes)
> Rotten Tomatoes audience score: 54% (2,500 votes)
> Rotten Tomatoes Tomatometer score: 62% (132 reviews)
> Directed by: Anne Fletcher
Released 29 years after its predecessor, this Disney sequel lights a magic flame and resurrects the wicked Sanderson Sisters. Against a Halloween backdrop, the trio of witches unleash chaos across Salem while hunting for fresh prey. Original stars Bette Midler, Sarah Jessica Parker, and Kathy Najimy all reprise their roles.
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31. Hocus Pocus (1993)
> IMDb user rating: 6.9/10 (107,645 votes)
> Rotten Tomatoes audience score: 71% (347,068 votes)
> Rotten Tomatoes Tomatometer score: 38% (56 reviews)
> Directed by: Kenny Ortega
Three 17th-century witches return to present-day Salem in this fantasy comedy, set during Halloween. A box office disappointment upon its theatrical release, the film has become a holiday cult classic through repeat airings on television.
30. Hotel Transylvania 2 (2015)
> IMDb user rating: 6.7/10 (115,469 votes)
> Rotten Tomatoes audience score: 63% (89,897 votes)
> Rotten Tomatoes Tomatometer score: 55% (110 reviews)
> Directed by: Genndy Tartakovsky
The second installment of this animated film series puts a fantasy twist on traditional family themes. Hotel owner Dracula (voiced by Adam Sandler) must bring out the monster in his grandson while dealing with his human-hating Dad (voiced by Mel Brooks). Over in California, daughter Mavis (voiced by Selena Gomez) partakes in some Halloween traditions.
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29. Something Wicked This Way Comes (1983)
> IMDb user rating: 6.8/10 (8,856 votes)
> Rotten Tomatoes audience score: 64% (9,321 votes)
> Rotten Tomatoes Tomatometer score: 61% (31 reviews)
> Directed by: Jack Clayton
This dark fantasy adapts a novel from sci-fi author Ray Bradbury, who also penned the script. Born just one minute apart on Halloween, Will (Vidal Peterson) and Jim (Shawn Carson) are now best friends and neighbors. With the arrival of a carnival comes a series of sinister events, plunging them both into the heart of a mystery.
28. Trick or Treat (1986)
> IMDb user rating: 5.9/10 (6,380 votes)
> Rotten Tomatoes audience score: 62% (6,771 votes)
> Rotten Tomatoes Tomatometer score: 75% (8 reviews)
> Directed by: Charles Martin Smith
A backward-playing record brings an idol back from the dead in this heavy-metal-themed horror flick. The story builds toward Halloween night and a catastrophic high school dance. Rock legends Ozzy Osbourne and Gene Simmons appear in supporting roles.
27. Goosebumps (2015)
> IMDb user rating: 6.3/10 (84,292 votes)
> Rotten Tomatoes audience score: 62% (52,064 votes)
> Rotten Tomatoes Tomatometer score: 78% (165 reviews)
> Directed by: Rob Letterman
R.L. Stine’s popular book series laid the groundwork for both a children’s TV show and this horror comedy feature. Jack Black plays the author himself, who must save a small town after various monsters escape from his works. It was released mid-October and followed by the stand-alone sequel “Goosebumps 2: Haunted Halloween.”
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26. Monster House (2006)
> IMDb user rating: 6.6/10 (108,140 votes)
> Rotten Tomatoes audience score: 63% (199,701 votes)
> Rotten Tomatoes Tomatometer score: 75% (163 reviews)
> Directed by: Gil Kenan
TV creative legend Dan Harmon co-wrote the screenplay for this computer-animated horror comedy. It centers around a sentient haunted house, which comes to life and wreaks all kinds of havoc every Halloween. Pay close attention and you’ll find clever references to the works of Stephen King.
25. Lady in White (1988)
> IMDb user rating: 6.7/10 (6,564 votes)
> Rotten Tomatoes audience score: 69% (5,757 votes)
> Rotten Tomatoes Tomatometer score: 69% (16 reviews)
> Directed by: Frank LaLoggia
This overlooked gothic mystery, which takes place in 1962, opens on the day of Halloween. While locked in the classroom closet, a young boy (Lukas Haas) experiences a supernatural event with real-life consequences. “We have been this way before in countless other movies, but not often with so much style, atmosphere and believable human nature,” wrote critic Roger Ebert in his three-star review.
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24. May (2002)
> IMDb user rating: 6.6/10 (35,698 votes)
> Rotten Tomatoes audience score: 75% (30,163 votes)
> Rotten Tomatoes Tomatometer score: 69% (68 reviews)
> Directed by: Lucky McKee
Bullied as a child, May Canady (Angela Bettis) is an awkward 20-something by the time this gruesome slasher kicks off. Her psychological state is rendered all the more unstable by romantic entanglements, paving the way for a bloody Halloween night. The film is often described as a modern-day retelling of “Frankenstein.”
23. Hell House LLC (2015)
> IMDb user rating: 6.4/10 (12,133 votes)
> Rotten Tomatoes audience score: 72% (394 votes)
> Rotten Tomatoes Tomatometer score: 75% (12 reviews)
> Directed by: Stephen Cognetti
This found-footage movie presents itself as a documentary surrounding the horrific events at a haunted house. Recovered tapes bring viewers inside the opening on Halloween night, which resulted in multiple deaths. Two sequels would follow.
22. Scary Stories to Tell in the Dark (2019)
> IMDb user rating: 6.2/10 (67,787 votes)
> Rotten Tomatoes audience score: 72% (8,248 votes)
> Rotten Tomatoes Tomatometer score: 78% (232 reviews)
> Directed by: André Øvredal
Three friends venture inside an abandoned house on Halloween night and find a book full of scary stories. Little do they realize that the book has the power to bring its shocking narratives to life. So goes this adaptation of Alvin Schwartz’s iconic anthologies, with Guillermo del Toro co-producing.
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21. Murder Party (2007)
> IMDb user rating: 5.8/10 (11,191 votes)
> Rotten Tomatoes audience score: 57% (3,398 votes)
> Rotten Tomatoes Tomatometer score: 100% (6 reviews)
> Directed by: Jeremy Saulnier
Jeremy Saulnier’s directorial feature debut makes deft use of its small budget, taking place primarily in one location. A lonely man arrives at what he thinks is a Halloween party only to become the target of a heinous – and hilarious – murder plan. It won the Audience Award for Best Narrative Feature at the 2007 Slamdance Film Festival.
20. Halloween (2018)
> IMDb user rating: 6.5/10 (129,434 votes)
> Rotten Tomatoes audience score: 70% (10,209 votes)
> Rotten Tomatoes Tomatometer score: 79% (381 reviews)
> Directed by: David Gordon Green
The 11th installment of this iconic franchise rewrites the mythology by ignoring all predecessors except for the original classic. Four decades after their fateful encounter, Laurie Strode (Jamie Lee Curtis) and Michael Myers square off once again. It makes up part of a trilogy that concludes this year with “Halloween Ends.”
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19. Halloweentown (1998)
> IMDb user rating: 6.6/10 (17,791 votes)
> Rotten Tomatoes audience score: 71% (25,000 votes)
> Rotten Tomatoes Tomatometer score: 80% (5 reviews)
> Directed by: Duwayen Dunham
This Disney Channel Original Movie launched a four-part franchise about the titular municipality, in which various Halloween creatures and characters exist. After learning she’s a witch, a young girl visits the alternate world to save it from an evil entity. Rumors of an upcoming fifth installment persist.
18. Trick ‘r Treat (2007)
> IMDb user rating: 6.8/10 (84,732 votes)
> Rotten Tomatoes audience score: 71% (31,637 votes)
> Rotten Tomatoes Tomatometer score: 83% (29 reviews)
> Directed by: Michael Dougherty
This Halloween-themed anthology film has taken on the status of a cult classic in the time since its limited theatrical release. Loosely interweaving five tales of terror, it punctuates genuine scares with frequent comic relief. A sequel is reportedly in development.
17. Sleepy Hollow (1999)
> IMDb user rating: 7.3/10 (343,401 votes)
> Rotten Tomatoes audience score: 80% (607,212 votes)
> Rotten Tomatoes Tomatometer score: 69% (122 reviews)
> Directed by: Tim Burton
Director Tim Burton adapts Washington Irving’s famous short story, most often told during Halloween. While investigating a series of decapitations, Ichabod Crane (Johnny Depp) comes up against the mythic Headless Horseman. It won an Academy Award for Best Art Direction.
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16. Frankenweenie (2012)
> IMDb user rating: 6.9/10 (102,021 votes)
> Rotten Tomatoes audience score: 70% (67,740 votes)
> Rotten Tomatoes Tomatometer score: 87% (222 reviews)
> Directed by: Tim Burton
Tim Burton’s stop-motion sci-fi comedy horror is a feature-length adaptation of his own previous short film. As with much of the director’s work, this one cultivates a perennial Halloween vibe even if the holiday doesn’t play a direct role. Witness the story of young Victor Frankenstein, who brings his pet dog back from the dead.
15. The Guest (2014)
> IMDb user rating: 6.7/10 (96,172 votes)
> Rotten Tomatoes audience score: 69% (23,177 votes)
> Rotten Tomatoes Tomatometer score: 91% (116 reviews)
> Directed by: Adam Wingard
A handsome soldier (Dan Stevens) rolls into town and chaos ensues in this gripping thriller. Screenwriter Simon Barrett was reportedly inspired to pen the film after watching a double feature of “Halloween” and “The Terminator.” Key events accordingly take place on Halloween during a local party and dance.
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14. Affliction (1997)
> IMDb user rating: 6.9/10 (16,487 votes)
> Rotten Tomatoes audience score: 72% (5,604 votes)
> Rotten Tomatoes Tomatometer score: 88% (50 reviews)
> Directed by: Paul Schrader
This harrowing drama doesn’t exactly scream “Halloween movie” in the traditional sense, but nevertheless features the holiday during an early sequence. It tells the story of small-town cop Wade Whitehouse (Nick Nolte), who grapples with various personal issues during an investigation. James Coburn won an Academy Award for the supporting role of Wade’s alcoholic father.
13. Haunt (2019)
> IMDb user rating: 6.3/10 (24,396 votes)
> Rotten Tomatoes audience score: 100% (08 votes)
> Rotten Tomatoes Tomatometer score: 69% (48 reviews)
> Directed by: Scott Beck & Bryan Woods
From the co-writers behind “A Quiet Place” comes this modern-day slasher film. It takes place on Halloween night and follows a group of friends to an “extreme” haunted house. On Rotten Tomatoes, it holds a rare Audience Score of 100%.
12. ParaNorman (2012)
> IMDb user rating: 7.0/10 (97,791 votes)
> Rotten Tomatoes audience score: 72% (83,157 votes)
> Rotten Tomatoes Tomatometer score: 89% (185 reviews)
> Directed by: Chris Butler & Sam Fell
The theme music from John Carpenter’s “Halloween” makes a brief appearance in this stop-motion horror comedy. It tells the story of gifted outsider Norman Babcock, who must save his small town from a witch’s curse.
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11. Corpse Bride (2005)
> IMDb user rating: 7.3/10 (254,567 votes)
> Rotten Tomatoes audience score: 77% (553,528 votes)
> Rotten Tomatoes Tomatometer score: 84% (196 reviews)
> Directed by: Tim Burton & Mike Johnson
“There’s a happy Halloween in store even for children who aren’t allowed to trick or treat,” wrote critic Detroit Free Press Terry Lawson of this stop-motion animated musical fantasy. It chronicles the atypical relationship between a Victorian man (voiced by Johnny Depp) and a woman brought back from the dead (Helena Bonham Carter).
10. The Adventures of Ichabod and Mr. Toad (1949)
> IMDb user rating: 7.0/10 (14,357 votes)
> Rotten Tomatoes audience score: 71% (10,700 votes)
> Rotten Tomatoes Tomatometer score: 94% (16 reviews)
> Directed by: Jack Kinney, Clyde Geronimi, James Algar
This Disney anthology film divides into two different segments and features both live-action hosts and animated stories. The second segment adapts “The Legend of Sleepy Hollow” by Washington Irving and includes a Halloween party. On his way home later that night, Ichabod encounters the infamous Headless Horseman.
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9. Cowboy Bebop: The Movie (2001)
> IMDb user rating: 7.9/10 (45,153 votes)
> Rotten Tomatoes audience score: 90% (52,295 votes)
> Rotten Tomatoes Tomatometer score: 64% (73 reviews)
> Directed by: Shin’ichirō Watanabe
This Japanese anime adventure takes place between episodes 22 and 23 of the TV series that preceded it. A biological terrorist is threatening to unleash deadly nano-bots if his demands aren’t met by the night before Halloween. Will the bounty-hunting crew of spaceship Bebop catch their target in time?
8. Donnie Darko (2001)
> IMDb user rating: 8.0/10 (763,860 votes)
> Rotten Tomatoes audience score: 80% (30,984,568 votes)
> Rotten Tomatoes Tomatometer score: 86% (118 reviews)
> Directed by: Richard Kelly
Few films tease their climax like this indie cult classic from director Richard Kelly, starring Jake Gyllenhaal as the title character. As a haunting rabbit counts down to the end of the world, young Donnie loses his grip on reality. Everything comes to a head on Halloween night.
7. E.T. the Extra-Terrestrial (1982)
> IMDb user rating: 7.8/10 (387,268 votes)
> Rotten Tomatoes audience score: 72% (32,314,349 votes)
> Rotten Tomatoes Tomatometer score: 98% (133 reviews)
> Directed by: Steven Spielberg
This timeless blockbuster chronicles the symbiotic bond between a young boy (Henry Thomas) and a quirky alien. Evading government agents, they famously fly a bicycle across the moon on Halloween night. The iconic image became part of the logo for Spielberg’s production company, Amblin Entertainment.
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6. The Crow (1994)
> IMDb user rating: 7.6/10 (173,146 votes)
> Rotten Tomatoes audience score: 90% (377,367 votes)
> Rotten Tomatoes Tomatometer score: 83% (59 reviews)
> Directed by: Alex Proyas
This gothic thriller sets the bulk of its story on the night before Halloween, better known as Devil’s Night. A year after his death, the titular hero (Brandon Lee) emerges from the grave to seek vengeance on his killers. Keep your eyes peeled for an upcoming remake.
5. Arsenic and Old Lace (1942)
> IMDb user rating: 8.0/10 (68,452 votes)
> Rotten Tomatoes audience score: 92% (45,566 votes)
> Rotten Tomatoes Tomatometer score: 81% (27 reviews)
> Directed by: Frank Capra
Director Frank Capra’s black comedy, which adapts a popular play of the same name, unfolds over the course of Halloween night. Married earlier that day, a Brooklyn writer (Cary Grant) discovers that his two aunts are serial killers. Capra released the Christmas classic “It’s a Wonderful Life” the same year.
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4. Terrifier 2 (2022)
> IMDb user rating: 6.9/10 (432 votes)
> Rotten Tomatoes audience score: 94% (50 votes)
> Rotten Tomatoes Tomatometer score: 100% (14 reviews)
> Directed by: Damien Leone
Art the Clown is back and deadlier than ever in this grotesque sequel to Damien Leone’s original cult slasher. The film’s two-hour-and-18-minute runtime brings a whole new meaning to the word “overkill.” Most critics and audiences still consider it an improvement over its predecessor.
3. Halloween (1978)
> IMDb user rating: 7.7/10 (244,066 votes)
> Rotten Tomatoes audience score: 89% (303,558 votes)
> Rotten Tomatoes Tomatometer score: 96% (73 reviews)
> Directed by: John Carpenter
If John Carpenter’s game-changing classic isn’t the best Halloween movie of all time, it’s certainly the most quintessential. Welcome to Haddonfield, Illinois, where escaped mental patient Michael Myers terrorizes teens on All Hallows’ Eve. So begins both a long-running franchise and the modern era of horror itself.
2. Meet Me in St. Louis (1944)
> IMDb user rating: 7.6/10 (22,263 votes)
> Rotten Tomatoes audience score: 87% (37,079 votes)
> Rotten Tomatoes Tomatometer score: 100% (33 reviews)
> Directed by: Vincente Minnelli
This acclaimed Christmas musical takes place in 1904 and chronicles the romantic adventures of four sisters. An extended sequence occurs during Halloween and features a number of historic customs.
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1. The Nightmare Before Christmas (1993)
> IMDb user rating: 8.0/10 (309,910 votes)
> Rotten Tomatoes audience score: 91% (968,895 votes)
> Rotten Tomatoes Tomatometer score: 95% (97 reviews)
> Directed by: Henry Selick
This stop-motion musical fantasy went wide in domestic theaters just before Halloween and doubles as a Christmas classic. Follow “Pumpkin King” Jack Skellington as he brings Santa Clause into Halloween Town to disastrous results. The film’s legacy has only grown in the time since its initial release.
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