It's tradition to watch a scary movie around Halloween. Some people devote the entire month of October to horror, while others prefer to leave it for Halloween itself. Either way, horror is the go-to genre for the season.
But the surprising thing is, very few scary movies actually take place on Halloween. It's a popular holiday/holiday season, but it doesn't make for a popular movie setting. Of course, that isn't always the case, as many solid horror movies do take place on Halloween in order to up the spook factor and to make for a more authentic "Halloween movie" viewing experience.
Halloween (1978)
Of course, Halloween is the big one here and the go-to classic for Halloween night. Famously directed by John Carpenter, Halloween concerns an escaped psychopath named Michael Myers who stalks and kills babysitters on Halloween night. Of course, that is common knowledge, as Halloween is an undeniable horror classic.
While the violence is surprisingly tame by today's standards (very little violence and absolutely no blood or gore), Halloween certainly stands up in the tension and filmmaking departments. Slashers don't get better than this.
Halloween III: Season Of The Witch (1982)
It'd be cheating to put Halloween throughout this list, but the third movie in the franchise is different enough to warrant its own entry.
Halloween III: Season of the Witch famously excludes Michael Myers from the proceedings (much to the detriment of its box office returns). Instead, this one involves an old Celtic ritual that a deranged toymaker plans to utilize to kill as many children as possible on Halloween night. It's not a great movie by any means, but it's just different and experimental enough to warrant a mention.
The Changeling (1980)
The Changeling doesn't have much to do with Halloween plot-wise, but it's a nice little detail that it takes place on October 31st regardless. Often regarded as an influential film within the "haunted house" subgenre, The Changeling is a Canadian horror movie that sees a composer occupying a haunted mansion after the deaths of his wife and daughter.
It's a very personal sort of haunted house story, with characterization and theme taking center stage over the scares. But scares there are, and they greatly influenced future films like The Conjuring and Insidious.
Pet Sematary Two (1992)
Pet Sematary Two certainly didn't receive a lot of recognition in 1992. The first was a mediocre adaptation of Stephen King's novel, which many consider his darkest and most depraved work— and that's saying something. Pet Sematary Two was largely ignored, but it certainly has its strong qualities.
The special effects are rather commendable, and Clancy Brown's performance as Gus Gilbert earned particular attention from movie critics. It's not perfect by any means, but it's a decent-enough Halloween flick.
Trick 'R Treat (2007)
Released to a general shrug in 2007, Trick 'r Treat is now considered a cult classic. The movie is an anthology covering four separate stories set on Halloween. At the core of each story is a mysterious trick or treating child donned in a creepy burlap sack. The child appears whenever a character goes against Halloween tradition.
It's a wonderful ode to the very tradition of Halloween, its history, and its many culturally ingrained traditions. It's a celebration of the season itself and is a must watch for any Halloween lover.
Donnie Darko (2001)
Donnie Darko isn't really a horror movie in the traditional sense, serving as more of a psychological drama with a sci-fi twist. But it certainly contains some frightening elements, particularly regarding Donnie Darko's disturbing, apocalyptic visions.
The movie underperformed at the box office (making little more than $7 million), but it's now regarded as a cult classic. It has continuously received acclaim for its writing, imaginative and complex story, and Jake Gyllenhaal's incredible lead performance— although some find it more than a little confusing.
Sleepy Hollow (1999)
Based on Washington Irving's classic The Legend of Sleepy Hollow, Sleepy Hollow stars Johnny Depp and Christina Ricci in the roles of Ichabod Crane and Katrina Van Tassel, respectively. The movie was widely acclaimed for its gothic atmosphere, leading to an Academy Award win for Best Art Direction.
It also received technical nominations for Cinematography and Costume Design. It may be a case of style over substance, but when the style is as good as this, no one seems to care.
The Nightmare Before Christmas (1993)
The debate may rage forever: is The Nightmare Before Christmas a Halloween movie or a Christmas movie? Whatever it is, it's an undeniable classic.
The stop motion work remains impeccable, gorgeous, and deeply disturbing to this day, and Danny Elfman's score and songs are understandably excellent. But unlike Sleepy Hollow, this is not a case of style over substance. The Nightmare Before Christmas is richly imaginative in its storytelling, and the characters are all entertaining and magnetic. It's a classic movie, and maybe the best piece of stop motion animation ever put to film.
Tales Of Halloween (2015)
As can be surmised from the title, Tales of Halloween is an anthology movie concerning various tales of Halloween. Much like Trick r' Treat, each of its ten interlocking segments center around Halloween in some capacity. Unlike Trick r' Treat, Tales of Halloween incorporates elements of comedy.
As a result, the movie isn't nearly as scary as it could have been, and it may prove disappointing to those looking for straight-up scares on the titular holiday. But it's highly entertaining and surprisingly consistent, which is more than most anthologies can say.
Ginger Snaps (2000)
Starring Emily Perkins and Katharine Isabelle, Ginger Snaps is one of the all time great werewolf movies. Another Canadian movie, Ginger Snaps is about two teenaged goth sisters, Brigitte and Ginger, who must deal with Ginger's recent werewolf bite.
In many ways, Ginger Snaps is a supernatural allegory for puberty and womanhood, adding some unexpected but welcome social commentary and satire to the creepy proceedings. It's funny, it's scary, it's impeccably acted, and it's wonderfully disgusting as well. It's a werewolf movie for the ages.