Spooky season is upon us, and as we all know there are a couple designated movies for those who have no plans for Halloween night, or the weeks leading up to it.

For many, the beloved holiday is spent going to parties, or maybe taking younger siblings trick or treating. 

But for the people who don’t have any parties to attend, or anyone to take trick or treating, movies are often turned to for some sort of entertainment. There are thousands of movies to choose from, so the question “What should I watch?” arises.

There are, of course, the classics, and there is the newer stuff – but if you are indecisive, like many, you may have a hard time choosing one. So hopefully this list will help you.

Along with listing 10 movies (five classics, five new), three student recommendations will also be included to make a total of 13 recommendations, in honor of Friday the 13th. 

Classics

1.) Hocus Pocus 

“Liar! But I shall be a sprig forever, once I suck the life out of all the children in Salem!”  

Hocus Pocus is a classic among many families and the well known movie is about two siblings and their friend exploring an abandoned house only to awaken ancient witches. Now with the help of a magical cat, the three must steal the witch’s magical spell book before they steal the life force of children in Salem and become immortal forever.

The rating on this movie is PG and it’s run time is 1 hour 36 minutes. 

2.) Beetlejuice

“I’ve read through that handbook for the recently deceased. It says: ‘Live people ignore the strange and unusual.’ I myself am strange and unusual.”

Beetlejuice is a classic made in 1988 about a dead couple trying to get a family of three out of their house. Desperate, they receive the help of Beetlejuice, an unhinged spirit whose “help” quickly turns dangerous and unmanageable.

The rating on this movie is PG– its recommend it to families with older kids (8+) and the run time is 1 hour and 32 minutes. 

3.) Scream

“Do you like scary movies?”

Scream is a movie on the more violent spectrum of the “classics” list and is about a girl and her friends receiving many calls from who they learn to be a serial killer in a black robe and a white ghost mask looking for revenge. Following a hunch that the murders committed by the killer are connected, a group of individuals try to find the killer. 

The rating for this movie is rated R and the run time is 1 hour and 40 minutes.

4.) The Nightmare Before Christmas

“I, Jack, the Pumpkin King, have grown so tired of the same old thing.”

Although many argue whether The Nightmare Before Christmas is a halloween movie or a christmas movie, many think of it as a movie for both holidays. It tells the story of Jack, the pumpkin king, sick of Halloween so he decides to take over a new holiday– Christmas, giving it his own nightmarish twist.

The rating on this movie is PG and the runtime is 1 hour and 16 minutes.

5.) Ghostbusters

“Back off, man. I’m a scientist.”

Ghostbusters is one of the most popular Halloween movies of its time and about four scientists who lose their job, and decide to become “Ghostbusters” for money. They end up finding an interdimensional doorway that will release evil into New York unless they stop it in time. 

The rating on this movie is PG and the runtime is 1 hour and 45 minutes.

Newer Movies

6.) Scream VI

“Saw that in a scary movie once.”

Scream VI is a movie part of the “Scream” franchise that came out earlier this year. Although you can watch this movie without watching the five previous movies, watching the others before is recommended. After surviving the murderous Ghostface, the survivors hope to gain a new start in New York City, only to be followed and terrorized even more.

The rating on this movie is rated R and the runtime is 2 hours and 2 minutes.

7.) Renfield

“Renfield, bring me innocent victims!”

Also released this year, Renfield is a new spin on the classic Dracula tale. After hundreds of years of being Dracula’s servant, Renfield is ready to live life as a normal human being. But the problem is, Dracula isn’t ready to give him away.

The rating on this movie is rated R and the runtime is 1 hour and 33 minutes.

8.) Malevolent

“I’m not alone.”

Much like a modern Ghostbusters, two siblings open a fake ghost busting business to get money– despite having an actual past with the paranormal. They visit a home that in the past had been a foster home and start to actually encounter spirits, getting more than they bargained for.

The rating on this movie is rated R and the runtime is 1 hour and 29 minutes.

9.) M3GAN

“I’m afraid that won’t work anymore, Cady. I have a new primary user now: me.”

M3GAN is a movie released 2022 about a toy company that develops a life sized doll named Megan, designed to be a child’s best friend. When test running it with a real child, Megan develops a mind of her own and a goal to protect the child at all costs– even if it’s at the expense of others.

The rating on this movie is PG-13 and the runtime is 1 hour and 42 minutes.

10.) Witches

“What would you do if there were mice running all around in this hotel?”

This is a remake of the classic 1990s movie about an orphaned boy going to live with his grandmother, but not before running into some witches. The two get away to visit a resort only to encounter the Grand High Witch. No one is safe– especially the children.

The rating on this movie is PG and the runtime is 1 hour and 46 minutes.

Student Recommendations

11.) Kiki’s Delivery Service

“My favorite Halloween movie of all time, Kiki’s Delivery Service because of the story. It’s about maturing and growing up, and dealing with burnout,” Sebastian Concepción (10) said. “The animation is of a very high standard and the characters have lots of complex personalities.” 

Kiki’s Delivery Service is about a girl moving to another town with her cat alone, and learning the village’s traditions for witches in training. After doubting her abilities, she has to find a way to overcome her uncertainty and regain her powers.

The rating on this movie is G and the runtime is 1 hour and 43 minutes.

12.) The Poughkeepsie Tapes

“I liked The Poughkeepsie Tapes because it was really scary,” Riley Victorio (10) said. It’s a collection of tapes of serial killers and just really disturbing and scary.”

The Poughkeepsie Tapes is perfect for people who want a good scare and is about an investigator finding an abandoned house in Poughkeepsie, New York, and in it, finding hundreds of tapes showing years of a famous serial killer’s work.

The rating on this movie is rated R and the runtime is 1 hour and 21 minutes.

13.) The Exorcist

“I like The Exorcist because of the story. It’s interesting and it’s really scary,” Emmanuel Garcia (10) said. “It made me think about what were to happen if [the events in The Exorcist] were to happen in real life.”

The Exorcist is a classic horror movie about a girl who is possessed by an entity, so her mother turns to two priests in order to help save her daughter’s life.

The rating on this movie is also rated R and the runtime is 2 hours and 2 minutes.

Hopefully this list finds you well and keeps you busy for some time. Happy Halloween and happy watching!