10 Best Horror Movies To Watch This Halloween

Looking for the perfect spooky flick to watch on Halloween? Check out this list of the best horror movies to get you in the Halloween spirit!

If you need some suggestions for horror movies, this list is for you. Nothing screams Halloween more than horror movies. Suppose you’re a huge Halloween fan like I am. In that case, you probably enjoy indulging in slasher, monster, psychological, supernatural, or gothic horror films. I love all forms of horror. I always look forward to watching the best horror movies around the Halloween season. 

Yet, over the past few years, I felt slightly disappointed in the quality of released horror movies. By definition, horror movies should terrify, creep, and scare you into not sleeping for at least one night. Yet, I am yawning or laughing at most of the newer Halloween movies and remakes. So, I’m sharing a list of the best horror movies to watch during Halloween. 

Best Horror Movies To Watch

Nightmare On Elm Street Franchise

Nothing is creepier than a deceased older man who kills young teenagers in their dreams. I love Wes Craven’s classic slasher film Freddy Kruger, which features the deranged child murderer Freddy Kruger. Freddy is one of the most iconic characters in horror and slasher films because of its classic cheap slasher tropes and lame sexual innuendos. His character is famous in the Halloween, goth, horror, and cosplay communities. 

Of all the horror movie characters, Freddy is the funniest and most creative regarding commentary and murder. If you enjoy watching and listening to someone who knows what they want and can torture and kill, then Freddy is your person. 

Halloween Franchise

The Halloween movies are classics. But, of course, everyone knows or has heard of the story of Micheal Myers, the evilest horror character of them all. Halloween follows the story of the knife-wielding serial killer Micheal Myers and his endless pursuit of Laurie Strode, his sister. 

Micheal is known as the evilest and most horrific character in the horror genre. His silence is equally as deafening as his murder tactics and the terrorization of his sister. I love Michael Myers, and he’s my favorite horror movie character. Halloween is also pretty timely, considering this killer only murders around this holiday. 

Each new installment of this classic horror movie character has not always been the best. Still, it’s interesting to see where Micheal’s murders may land him next. Two new remakes are coming out this year and in 2022 in theaters. 

Candyman

Growing up, I was terrified and creeped out by Candyman. The idea of a Blackman covered in honey coming to kill me in the middle of the night with a hook was not something I was fond of. Yet, I would endure all the fear again if it meant rewatching this fantastic trilogy. 

Candyman is essentially the male version of Bloody Mary. Characters who don’t believe in the urban legend test the limits and are later murdered. Shocking! Not really. But, the Candyman folklore does have other elements, which makes it creepy. For example, each film uses a forbidden love story to spread fear. 

Cabin In The Woods

The Cabin In The Woods is a meta-horror movie that makes fun of all the classic horror tropes. It makes fun of everything we came to love and know about horror movies, yet it still has some elements of surprises in it. It also pays homage to some creepiest or funniest horror films, such as Evil Dead and Scream. 

I’d recommend this film to someone who wants to get into the Halloween spirit without watching Murder or Gore. 

Scream Franchise

Scream is the most entertaining slasher film in the horror genre. While most of the murders are predictable and cheesy, I cannot help but love this movie franchise. Slasher is a satire that pokes jokes at the horror cliches popularized in movies such as Halloween and Friday the 13th. 

Scream follows the typical “whodunit” format. The protagonist always finds herself in situations where she must use clues, evidence, and murders to uncover the identity behind the Ghostface mask. However, she’s not very good at it. 

You might also enjoy the TV show version if you enjoy the movies. It’s fascinating and does a great job following the satirical tropes in the films. 

Friday The 13th

Ironically enough, the title works well for the Halloween season. Friday the 13th is one of the most popular horror movie franchises next to Halloween. Jason’s murders are the goriest and most brutal and can be a bit scary for younger audiences. Out of all the horror movie murders, Jason has the most significant number of kills under his belt. 

Next to Michael Myers, Jason is also known as one of the monstrous horror movie characters due to his silent presence and personality. He’s most known for wielding a bloodied machete. However, he’s not afraid to use other killing methods such as drowning, impalement, slamming, slashing, crushing, or sawing his victims. 

There are so many versions of Jason that it’s interesting to see how his origin story will get twisted at the next campfire. 

The Texas Chainsaw Massacre

This is probably one of the only horror movie franchises loosely based on a true story. The Texas Chainsaw Massacre was inspired by Ed Gein, a convicted murderer and body snatcher who used human body parts horrendously. When he was arrested, police found chairs, clothing, and household items made from human bones, skins, and other factors. 

Due to his crimes, I don’t recommend anyone under 18 to watch these movies. I’m also against popularizing his crimes and how Hollywood profits from actual life events. But I cannot lie and say I haven’t seen the films. 

I’d recommend this movie to anyone who can sit through Gore and blood without blinking an eye. 

Insidious 

For a supernatural horror, this movie is good. I typically steer clear from bizarre horror films because the jump scenes are too predictable or the film isn’t frightening enough. But I cannot say that about Insidious. Every time I’ve watched Insidious, the movie has never failed. I love the creepiness, horror, and story that follows this couple in the trilogy. 

This movie also shows every parent’s fear of being powerless as their child is harmed. The trilogy makes sense and does an excellent job of combining the pieces, allowing viewers to think of their mini-stories between the origin. I thought nothing was scarier than The Nun until I saw this film. 

The Nun

Speaking of which, you must watch The Nun. After watching the third Conjuring movie, all people could talk about was that creepy Nun that appeared literally from nowhere. Since then, people have been obsessed with this ghost, so a movie was made about her. 

I’m obsessed with the Nun. The movie serves as a prequel to The Conjuring. It explains the origin stories of Valak, the demon frequently appearing in the Conjuring trilogy. The most considerable criticism the movie received was for many jump scares. However, I found that jump scares are effective as a horror element. 

The Conjuring

You should watch The Conjuring for many reasons, and it’s hard to name them all. The Conjuring is based on the stories from the Amityville Horror, another great movie I’d recommend to supernatural lovers. It focuses on the real-life experiences of paranormal investigators, which makes it more frightening. 

Like The Nun, This film uses many jump scares as its main horror element. There is no gore, blood, or death (except for animals and demons). The Conjuring does an excellent job with the storytelling and dragging the viewers along for an emotional rollercoaster. 

My Thoughts On Remakes & New Horror Films

I hope you enjoyed my list of horror movie recommendations. I didn’t mention this in the horror movie sections. Still, I don’t think you’ll want most of the remakes for these films, especially if you’re a horror geek. Most remakes fail at being scary or terrifying, which sucks. The entire point of a horror film is to tell a horrific story that will make you pee your pants, jump from the bed, or even keep you up at night. There’s no point in remaking a film if it does not have the same quality as the original film. 

I cannot judge many newer horror films because I haven’t seen most of them. Judging from the trailers, I didn’t consider them scary enough to watch. However, some excellent horror movies are newer that I can recommend, such as Escape Room, Don’t Breathe, and US. 

Do you enjoy watching horror movies? Are there any horror movies on your watch list? Let me know in the comments.