With the October release date of Halloween Ends approaching, horror fans are looking forward to the fall season as the next few months are a popular time to watch some scary films. The Halloween franchise is always a favorite thanks to the images that it evokes of colorful leaves, the thrill of trick-or-treating and the feeling of something strange happening that is always in the air on October 31st.
From some '70s and '80s releases that feel as chilling as that first cold September day to a favorite anthology film that makes Halloween night feel horrifying, Redditors have recommended the best horror films to watch when summer is officially finished for another year.
Lady In White (1988)
Stream on HBO Now and Tubi
Redditor SpookyGeek asked "How about Lady in White?" and added that it's "Not super scary but scratches that autumnal itch for me." The 1988 horror movie opens on Halloween night of 1962 as a child named Frankie Scarlatti is attacked in a school closet and sees a ghost.
The movie is based on folklore and inspired by the story of "The White Lady" from Rochester, New York, the ghost of a mother who is said to haunt a building as she searches for her daughter, according to Atlas Obscura. The film is perfect to watch around Halloween as it's all about creepy spirits.
The House Of The Devil (2009)
Stream on Peacock and Shudder
Ti West's slasher film The House of the Devil evokes the feeling of fall, as the main character, Samantha Hughes, is attending college. She agrees to babysit for a family but can tell that something is wrong right away. For Redditor echelon1230, "House of the Devil is easily my favorite movie to get into the Fall/Halloween spirit."
As the title says, Samantha becomes caught up in people who follow the occult, which makes it a good watch in September and October when movie fans are enjoying the falling leaves and want to get cozy at home.
Scary Stories To Tell In The Dark (2019)
Stream on Netflix
Redditor wrmonastrng said Scary Stories To Tell In The Dark is a good movie that feels like the Autumn months. The fan wrote, "It's not really that scary (and is also probably more enjoyable if you have nostalgia for the books). It does have great fall vibes though."
Since the movie is based on Alvin Schwartz's book of dark tales, it will remind fans of sitting around a campfire and hearing eerie stories that are definitely not true but are scary enough that they feel like they could happen at any moment.
Let's Scare Jessica To Death (1971)
Stream on PlutoTV and rent on AppleTV
With a title like Let's Scare Jessica To Death, this feels like a good film to watch during fall, and Redditor FuturistMoon loves the movie for its "dreary, foggy, autumnal New England mood!" Jessica leaves a hospital and goes home to her husband Duncan, who wants them to stay at a house in the country. The setting will get anyone in the mood to carve pumpkins and drink apple cider.
A woman named Emily has taken up residence at the home, which is confusing but also terrifying as she seems a bit odd. As Jessica wonders about the truth about this mysterious figure and the familiar trope of a character seeming unstable is used, horror fans can appreciate the eerie nature of the farmhouse.
Trick 'r Treat (2009)
Rent on AppleTV
Trick 'r Treat focuses on Halloween night and tells several creepy tales of young adults dressing up and walking through the town square, a woman who dislikes October 31st getting murdered on her lawn, a principal who is a killer, memories of a terrible bus massacre, and the villain Sam who wears a beige sack over his head.
Redditor loud_sneezer mentioned this underrated horror anthology movie as a great pick for the fall months. The fan wrote, "Definitely Trick r Treat. That movie just embodies the season." It's hard to watch this story and not want to decorate a front porch or buy some candy.
Something Wicked This Way Comes (1983)
Unavailable to stream
Something Wicked This Way Comes was released in 1983 and based on the book by Ray Bradbury, who also wrote the script. Set in Green Town, Illinois, the movie follows two young friends whose birthdays are both October 31st, which is a great way to start off the film.
Redditor viken1976 called the movie "One of the first horror flicks I ever saw and still one of my favorites." Since it revolves around a carnival, it's best to watch Something Wicked This Way Comes in October or November. It's easy to imagine the characters going on rides and hoping to have some fun while there's a chill in the air. In this case, there's an odd magic attached to the carnival.
The Blair Witch Project (1999)
Stream on Hulu and HBO Max
One of the best found footage horror movies, watching The Blair Witch Project will remind audiences of going for a crisp, chilly hike in October and feeling like something sinister might be waiting in the woods, even if everything seems perfectly safe. While the storyline would still feel fairly scary if the college students stayed overnight in the forest in July or August, the fact that the movie takes place during fall just makes more sense.
Redditor BMhorror wrote, "The first two Blair Witch movies are VERY Autumny. The first one is even set around Halloween." When Mike, Josh and Heather go into the forest, it's October of 1994 and it's the perfect, scariest time of the year to check out the legend of the Blair Witch and see if it's real. The film includes plenty of trees and even a cemetery.
Ginger Snaps (2001)
Stream on Peacock and Shudder
Focusing on sisters Brigitte and Ginger Fitzgerald who are obsessed with death and talk about incredibly dark subjects, Ginger Snaps fits into the time of the year when the weather has a chill and long, lazy summer days of ice cream and reading outside are long gone. Redditor skulloflugos wrote, "Ginger Snaps is my go-to fall movie."
When Brigitte has to live without her sister Ginger who becomes a werewolf, the movie becomes a heartfelt story about family, although it still has many eerie scenes as Ginger attacks people and becomes a creature unlike anything her sister has ever imagined.
Candy Corn (2019)
Stream on Prime Video
With a name like Candy Corn, it's no wonder that this film is a perfect one to check out during falls. Redditor yooadrian posted that the movie has a "great autumn vibe." The title is a play on words as the story is the opposite of sweet.
When a group of boys torment Jacob Atkins on October 31st, he comes back to life and haunts them. It's a good horror movie for fans of Halloween (1978) as it takes place on this holiday as well. This fits into the category of slasher films where a main character is able to fight back against those who have harmed them.
Sleepy Hollow (1999)
Stream on Fubo and DirecTV
The image from Sleepy Hollow of the Headless Horseman would feel out of place during the summertime when the heat is on and all people want is to cool down. Redditor PaperGabriel posted that this is a movie that will "encapsulate autumn pretty well" and it's definitely true that the setting of a small town in New York State brings fall to mind.
It's fascinating watching Ichabod Crane look into the murders that have happened in this town as he doesn't think that spirits are real. Sleepy Hollow deserves to be watched with a pumpkin spice latte and a warm, cozy sweater as the location and storyline just feel like fall.