The best Halloween movies to stream for every kind of scare
The best Halloween movies to stream for every kind of scare
Freddy Krueger, Michael Myers, and the Sanderson sisters are all here, along with a few surprises.
There’s no shortage of great Halloween movies. And that makes narrowing them down to just seven kind of hard. But don’t worry, I did the dirty (bloody) work for you with this list. You’ll find the classics for sure (they are classics for a reason), along with at least one cult hit you may not have seen, and a few newer movies that are absolutely worth spending some precious Halloween time on. They run the terror spectrum too, from funny to spooky to downright scary, so there should be a candy for every taste. Here are my picks for the best Halloween movies to stream right now.
Top 7 Halloween movies on streaming right now
No. 7: ‘Trick ’r Treat’ (2007) | HBO Max
“Trick ’r Treat” is like a (terrifying) love letter to all the different traditions people have for Halloween night. Michael Dougherty’s film follows several interconnected Halloween stories all taking place in a small Ohio town where some seriously messed up stuff is going down. There’s a school principal with a (deadly) secret, a Halloween prank gone really wrong, a young woman looking for romance, and an old man being terrorized by a creepy little trick-or-treater named Sam.
All the stories overlap in surprising ways, and each has a great (dark) twist. It mixes genres too, incorporating slasher, supernatural, and even comedic elements. And the atmosphere is half the fun here, complete with the whole spectrum of jack-o’-lanterns, costumes, autumn leaves, and plenty of blood. This one is a cult classic for a reason and deserves a spot on your Halloween night playlist.
Trick ‘r Treat
Four interwoven stories that occur on Halloween: an everyday high school principal has a secret life as a serial killer; a college virgin might have just met the one guy for her; a group of teenagers pull a mean prank, and a bitter old recluse receives an uninvited guest.
No. 6: ‘A Nightmare on Elm Street’ (1984) | HBO Max
The only thing worse than a nightmare is one that can actually kill you! Thus is the premise of one of the best horror movies of all time in Wes Craven’s “A Nightmare on Elm Street.” It somehow turned something we all have to do every day into something to be terrified of… especially with Freddy Krueger (Robert Englund) and his burned face slinking around you and your friends’ dreams, knocking you off one by one. And guess what? If you get killed in the dream, you die in real life.
Heather Langenkamp plays Nancy, a teenager desperately trying to stay awake while figuring out why Freddy is targeting her friends and how to stop him. And as opposed to something like “Halloween,” the kills are pretty inventive, like a young Johnny Depp getting sucked into his bed. The practical effects are still fun to watch, and you’ll never quite be sure if what you’re watching is real or another nightmare. Now that’s (Halloween) fun.
A Nightmare on Elm Street
Teenagers in a small town are dropping like flies, apparently in the grip of mass hysteria causing their suicides. A cop’s daughter, Nancy Thompson, traces the cause to child molester Fred Krueger, who was burned alive by angry parents many years before. Krueger has now come back in the dreams of his killers’ children, claiming their lives as his revenge. Nancy and her boyfriend, Glen, must devise a plan to lure the monster out of the realm of nightmares and into the real world…
No. 5: ‘Halloween’ (1978) | AMC+
It’s impossible not to include “Halloween” on a Halloween movie list! John Carpenter’s film basically invented the modern slasher. Things start with a six-year-old Michael Myers murdering his older sister on Halloween night in 1963. Then 15 years later, he escapes from a psychiatric hospital and heads back to Haddonfield, Illinois, where he starts stalking Laurie Strode (Jamie Lee Curtis) and her friends.
From there, it’s nothing but terror with his creepy white mask, unnerving silence, and innate ability to appear wherever Laurie goes. But don’t expect buckets of blood or elaborate “Final Destination”-style kills. Instead, Carpenter squeezes the juice out of simple setups — Myers in the background, Myers walking, Myers watching… all with the classic piano theme Carpenter composed himself. If you want a lesson in thriller cinema, AND a great Halloween movie, choose “Halloween.”
Halloween
Fifteen years after murdering his sister on Halloween Night 1963, Michael Myers escapes from a mental hospital and returns to the small town of Haddonfield, Illinois to kill again.
No. 4: ‘Obsession’ (2026) | Peacock
Guess what one of the most searched Halloween costumes of this year is? Nikki Freeman’s now-iconic red zebra-print halter top from “Obsession.” And it’s not even a costume! That gives you a glimpse into the cultural dominance of this movie. And for good reason, because it’s one of the best original thriller/horror movies I’ve seen in ages.
The premise is very simple: a guy is too scared to tell his friend he loves her, so he gets his hands on this weird “One-Wish Willow,” and wishes she’ll love him more than anyone else in the world. Boy oh boy, do things go off the rails from there. Because the wish works… really, really well… so well she becomes totally and completely obsessed with him, turning his life (and hers, it turns out) into a living hell. There are no heavily CGI’d horror scares. There are no big-budget effects. Just a great script, a skilled director (Curry Barker) and grounded performances that will have you screaming “WHY CAN’T YOU LOVE ME?!” at the top of your lungs.
Obsession
After breaking the mysterious “One Wish Willow” to win his crush’s heart, a hopeless romantic finds himself getting exactly what he asked for but soon discovers that some desires come at a dark, sinister price.
No. 3: ‘Scary Movie’ (2026) | Paramount+
I missed the new “Scary Movie” when it was in theaters, but I watched it the first weekend it landed on Paramount+. And it was pretty awesome to see the original gang, including the Wayans Brothers, back together for some new (and old) gags around… you guessed it… horror movies!
Naturally, you’ve got a very loose “Scream”-style plot to keep the movie from being a straight sketch comedy, but the real comedy is in the spoofs. They send up “Weapons,” “Sinners,” “The Substance,” and maybe my favorite bit, the “M3GAN” subway scene, along with dozens more. And it’s a pure nostalgia delight to watch Anna Faris, Regina Hall, Marlon Wayans, and Shawn Wayans all back together. For straight, ridiculous Halloween comedy fun, this is the one.
Scary Movie
Twenty-six years after outrunning a suspiciously familiar masked killer, the Core Four are back in the killer’s crosshairs and no horror movie IP is safe.
No. 2: ‘Beetlejuice’ (1988) | HBO Max
Tim Burton’s “Beetlejuice” is still synonymous with Halloween. And that’s incredible considering it’s almost 40 years old! A big part of that is Michael Keaton, delivering one of his best, most deranged, bizarre, unforgettable performances of his long career as Beetlejuice. Combine that with the practical effects that are still awesome today, and a ridiculous cast of Winona Ryder, Alec Baldwin, Geena Davis, and Catherine O’Hara, and what do you have? One of the most creative, imaginative, wonderfully spooky Halloween movies ever made. Oh, and the sequel isn’t half bad either! Tara and I saw it in theaters when it dropped two years ago, and it’s a worthy successor. Watch both for a spooky season double feature!
Beetlejuice
A newly dead New England couple seeks help from a deranged demon exorcist to scare an affluent New York family out of their home.
No. 1: ‘Hocus Pocus’ (1993) | Disney Plus
There was never any question for me. “Hocus Pocus” is my favorite Halloween movie. When my brother and sister-in-law come over to carve pumpkins, it’ll be “Hocus Pocus” on the TV. And when that’s over, I’ll fire up “Hocus Pocus 2” to keep the party going. Because the Sanderson sisters are too much fun not to watch.
Bette Midler, Kathy Najimy, and Sarah Jessica Parker sing, fly, and witch their way through Salem on Halloween night, sucking the life out of children as they go. “I Put a Spell on You” is still iconic; this movie is still hilarious, and with the remote in one hand and a pumpkin spice latte in the other, there is simply nothing better for Halloween night.
Hocus Pocus
After 300 years of slumber, three sister witches are accidentally resurrected in Salem on Halloween night, and it is up to three kids and their newfound feline friend to put an end to the witches’ reign of terror once and for all.