Best Fall/Halloween Movies
by mackenzie-mancell | created - 02 Oct 2014 | updated - 12 Sep 2021 | PublicMovies to watch during the fall/Halloween season.
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1. Sleepy Hollow (1999)
R | 105 min | Fantasy, Horror, Mystery
Ichabod Crane is sent to Sleepy Hollow to investigate the decapitations of three people; the culprit is legendary apparition The Headless Horseman.
Director: Tim Burton | Stars: Johnny Depp, Christina Ricci, Miranda Richardson, Michael Gambon
Votes: 383,815 | Gross: $101.07M
2. Scary Movie (2000)
R | 88 min | Comedy
A year after disposing of the body of a man they accidentally killed, a group of dumb teenagers are stalked by a bumbling serial killer.
Director: Keenen Ivory Wayans | Stars: Anna Faris, Jon Abrahams, Marlon Wayans, Carmen Electra
Votes: 286,566 | Gross: $157.02M
3. Scary Movie 2 (2001)
R | 83 min | Comedy, Horror
Four teens are tricked by a professor into visiting a haunted house for a school project.
Director: Keenen Ivory Wayans | Stars: Anna Faris, Marlon Wayans, Antony Acker, Mark Barrett
Votes: 175,078 | Gross: $71.31M
4. Zombieland (2009)
R | 88 min | Action, Comedy, Horror
A shy student trying to reach his family in Ohio, a gun-toting bruiser in search of the last Twinkie and a pair of sisters striving to get to an amusement park join forces in a trek across a zombie-filled America.
Director: Ruben Fleischer | Stars: Jesse Eisenberg, Emma Stone, Woody Harrelson, Abigail Breslin
Votes: 621,095 | Gross: $75.59M
5. Shaun of the Dead (2004)
R | 99 min | Comedy, Horror
The uneventful, aimless lives of a London electronics salesman and his layabout roommate are disrupted by the zombie apocalypse.
Director: Edgar Wright | Stars: Simon Pegg, Nick Frost, Kate Ashfield, Lucy Davis
Votes: 593,775 | Gross: $13.54M
6. Scooby-Doo on Zombie Island (1998 Video)
TV-G | 77 min | Animation, Adventure, Comedy
The Mystery Gang reunite and visit Moonscar Island, a remote island with a dark secret. Daphne wants more than just a villain in a costume, and they get more than they ever expected.
Director: Jim Stenstrum | Stars: Scott Innes, Billy West, Mary Kay Bergman, Frank Welker
Votes: 18,024
7. A Haunted House (2013)
R | 86 min | Comedy, Fantasy, Horror
Malcolm and Kisha move into their dream home, then learn that a demon also resides there. When Kisha becomes possessed, Malcolm--determined to keep his sex life on track--turns to a priest, a psychic, and a ghostbusting team for help.
Director: Michael Tiddes | Stars: Marlon Wayans, Essence Atkins, Marlene Forte, David Koechner
Votes: 49,879 | Gross: $40.04M
8. The Conjuring (2013)
R | 112 min | Horror, Mystery, Thriller
Paranormal investigators Ed and Lorraine Warren work to help a family terrorized by a dark presence in their farmhouse.
Director: James Wan | Stars: Patrick Wilson, Vera Farmiga, Ron Livingston, Lili Taylor
Votes: 554,628 | Gross: $137.40M
9. Hocus Pocus (1993)
PG | 96 min | Comedy, Family, Fantasy
A teenage boy named Max and his little sister move to Salem, where he struggles to fit in before awakening a trio of diabolical witches that were executed in the 17th century.
Director: Kenny Ortega | Stars: Bette Midler, Sarah Jessica Parker, Kathy Najimy, Omri Katz
Votes: 155,893 | Gross: $44.34M
10. The Wolfman (2010)
R | 103 min | Drama, Fantasy, Horror
Upon his return to his ancestral homeland, an American man is bitten and subsequently cursed by a werewolf.
Director: Joe Johnston | Stars: Benicio Del Toro, Anthony Hopkins, Emily Blunt, Simon Merrells
Votes: 111,721 | Gross: $61.98M
11. Dracula (1931)
Passed | 75 min | Drama, Fantasy, Horror
Transylvanian vampire Count Dracula bends a naive real estate agent to his will, then takes up residence at a London estate where he sleeps in his coffin by day and searches for potential victims by night.
Directors: Tod Browning, Karl Freund | Stars: Bela Lugosi, Helen Chandler, David Manners, Dwight Frye
Votes: 58,610
12. Frankenstein (1931)
Passed | 70 min | Drama, Horror, Sci-Fi
Dr Henry Frankenstein is obsessed with assembling a living being from parts of several exhumed corpses.
Director: James Whale | Stars: Colin Clive, Mae Clarke, Boris Karloff, John Boles
Votes: 79,685
13. Scream (1996)
R | 111 min | Horror, Mystery
A year after the murder of her mother, a teenage girl is terrorized by a masked killer who targets her and her friends by using scary movies as part of a deadly game.
Director: Wes Craven | Stars: Neve Campbell, Courteney Cox, David Arquette, Skeet Ulrich
Votes: 388,298 | Gross: $103.05M
14. Scream 2 (1997)
R | 120 min | Horror, Mystery
Two years after the first series of murders, as Sidney acclimates to college life, someone donning the Ghostface costume begins a new string of killings.
Director: Wes Craven | Stars: Neve Campbell, Courteney Cox, David Arquette, Jada Pinkett Smith
Votes: 209,657 | Gross: $101.36M
15. Paranormal Activity (2007)
R | 86 min | Horror, Mystery
After moving into a suburban home, a couple becomes increasingly disturbed by a nightly demonic presence.
Director: Oren Peli | Stars: Katie Featherston, Micah Sloat, Mark Fredrichs, Amber Armstrong
Votes: 256,131 | Gross: $107.92M
16. The Crucible (1996)
PG-13 | 124 min | Drama, History
A Salem resident attempts to frame her ex-lover's wife for being a witch in the middle of the 1692 witchcraft trials.
Director: Nicholas Hytner | Stars: Daniel Day-Lewis, Winona Ryder, Paul Scofield, Joan Allen
Votes: 40,167 | Gross: $7.34M
17. Tucker and Dale vs Evil (2010)
R | 89 min | Comedy, Horror
Affable hillbillies Tucker and Dale are on vacation at their dilapidated mountain cabin when they are mistaken for murderers by a group of preppy college students.
Director: Eli Craig | Stars: Tyler Labine, Alan Tudyk, Katrina Bowden, Jesse Moss
Votes: 193,472 | Gross: $0.22M
18. Casper (1995)
PG | 100 min | Comedy, Family, Fantasy
An afterlife therapist and his daughter meet a friendly young ghost when they move into a crumbling mansion in order to rid the premises of wicked spirits.
Director: Brad Silberling | Stars: Bill Pullman, Christina Ricci, Cathy Moriarty, Eric Idle
Votes: 146,817 | Gross: $100.33M
19. The Cabin in the Woods (2011)
R | 95 min | Horror, Mystery, Thriller
Five college friends head out to a remote cabin for a getaway, but things don't go as planned when they start getting killed. They soon discover that there is more to the cabin than it seems.
Director: Drew Goddard | Stars: Kristen Connolly, Chris Hemsworth, Anna Hutchison, Fran Kranz
Votes: 450,543 | Gross: $42.07M
20. Bates Motel (2013–2017)
TV-MA | 45 min | Drama, Horror, Mystery
A contemporary prequel to Psycho, giving a portrayal of how Norman Bates' psyche unravels through his teenage years, and how deeply intricate his relationship with his mother, Norma, truly is.
Stars: Vera Farmiga, Freddie Highmore, Max Thieriot, Nicola Peltz Beckham
Votes: 116,925
21. Paranormal State (2007– )
TV-14 | 30 min | Reality-TV
Story follows members of the famous Penn State Paranormal Research Society as they investigate strange and unusual phenomena across the country. Story also features their hectic lives as college students and faculty.
Stars: Ryan Buell, Chip Coffey, Heather Taddy, Eilfie Music
Votes: 2,652
22. Ghost Hunters (2004– )
TV-PG | 60 min | Reality-TV, Thriller
In each episode, Jason Hawes and his team of paranormal investigators, TAPS (The Atlantic Paranormal Society) investigate paranormal activity across the country and search for answers in the nation's most haunted locations.
Stars: Jason Hawes, Steve Gonsalves, Dave Tango, Grant Wilson
Votes: 7,232
23. Paranormal Witness (2011– )
60 min | Documentary, Horror, Mystery
A true horror documentary series which brings to life the stories of people who have lived through paranormal experiences that defy explanation.
Stars: Gillian English, Frances Townend, Daniel Cannis, Colin Murphy
Votes: 2,794
24.
The Simpsons (1989– )
Episode:
Treehouse of Horror
(1990)
TV-14 | 30 min | Animation, Comedy
The Simpsons move into a cursed house, then are abducted by aliens, before Homer is ensconced in a tale by Edgar Allen Poe.
Directors: Wesley Archer, Rich Moore, David Silverman | Stars: Dan Castellaneta, Julie Kavner, Nancy Cartwright, Yeardley Smith
Votes: 5,355
25. Insidious (I) (2010)
PG-13 | 103 min | Horror, Mystery, Thriller
A family looks to prevent evil spirits from trapping their comatose child in a realm called The Further.
Director: James Wan | Stars: Patrick Wilson, Rose Byrne, Ty Simpkins, Lin Shaye
Votes: 338,943 | Gross: $54.01M
26. Halloweentown (1998 TV Movie)
TV-G | 84 min | Adventure, Comedy, Family
When a young girl living with her secret witch mother learns she too is a witch, she must help her witch grandmother save Halloweentown from evil forces.
Director: Duwayne Dunham | Stars: Debbie Reynolds, Kimberly J. Brown, Judith Hoag, Joey Zimmerman
Votes: 21,255
27. Ghostbusters (1984)
PG | 105 min | Action, Comedy, Fantasy
Three parapsychologists forced out of their university funding set up shop as a unique ghost removal service in New York City, attracting frightened yet skeptical customers.
Director: Ivan Reitman | Stars: Bill Murray, Dan Aykroyd, Sigourney Weaver, Harold Ramis
Votes: 449,856 | Gross: $238.63M
28. Trick 'r Treat (2007)
R | 82 min | Comedy, Horror
Five 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 guy for her; a group of teenagers pull a mean prank; a woman who loathes the night has to contend with her holiday-obsessed husband; and a mean old man meets his match with a demonic, supernatural trick-or-treater.
Director: Michael Dougherty | Stars: Anna Paquin, Brian Cox, Dylan Baker, Rochelle Aytes
Votes: 104,610
29. Friday the 13th (1980)
R | 95 min | Horror, Mystery, Thriller
A group of teenage camp counselors attempt to re-open an abandoned summer camp with a tragic past, but they are stalked by a mysterious, relentless killer.
Director: Sean S. Cunningham | Stars: Betsy Palmer, Adrienne King, Jeannine Taylor, Robbi Morgan
Votes: 157,390 | Gross: $39.75M
30. A Nightmare on Elm Street (1984)
R | 91 min | Horror
Teenager Nancy Thompson must uncover the dark truth concealed by her parents after she and her friends become targets of the spirit of a serial killer with a bladed glove in their dreams, in which if they die, it kills them in real life.
Director: Wes Craven | Stars: Heather Langenkamp, Johnny Depp, Robert Englund, John Saxon
Votes: 262,384 | Gross: $25.50M
31. House of Wax (2005)
R | 113 min | Horror, Thriller
A group of teens are unwittingly stranded near a strange wax museum and soon must fight to survive and keep from becoming the next exhibit.
Director: Jaume Collet-Serra | Stars: Chad Michael Murray, Paris Hilton, Elisha Cuthbert, Brian Van Holt
Votes: 133,956 | Gross: $32.06M
32. The Ring (2002)
PG-13 | 115 min | Horror, Mystery
A journalist must investigate a mysterious videotape which seems to cause the death of anyone one week to the day after they view it.
Director: Gore Verbinski | Stars: Naomi Watts, Martin Henderson, Brian Cox, David Dorfman
Votes: 374,907 | Gross: $129.13M
33. BuzzFeed Unsolved: True Crime (2016–2021)
TV-MA | Documentary, Comedy, Crime
Conspiracy theory enthusiast Ryan deep-dives into mysteries surrounding notorious unsolved crimes, in order to convince his dubious friend Shane that, sometimes, the evidence isn't always as it seems.
Stars: Ryan Bergara, Shane Madej, Brent Bennett, Daysha Edewi
Votes: 1,913
34. BuzzFeed Unsolved: Supernatural (2016–2021)
Not Rated | Adventure, Comedy, Horror
Ryan, ever the believer, embarks on a quest to convince his skeptical friend Shane that the paranormal exists by investigating the evidence around the most notorious supernatural folklore.
Stars: Ryan Bergara, Shane Madej, Gary Thomas, Brent Bennett
Votes: 1,778
35. Halloween (I) (2018)
R | 106 min | Crime, Horror, Thriller
Laurie Strode confronts her long-time foe, Michael Myers, the masked figure who has haunted her since she narrowly escaped his killing spree on Halloween night four decades ago.
Director: David Gordon Green | Stars: Jamie Lee Curtis, Judy Greer, Andi Matichak, James Jude Courtney
Votes: 169,054 | Gross: $159.34M
36. Halloween Kills (2021)
R | 105 min | Action, Drama, Horror
Surviving victims of Michael Myers form a vigilante mob and vow to end his reign of terror.
Director: David Gordon Green | Stars: Jamie Lee Curtis, Judy Greer, Andi Matichak, James Jude Courtney
Votes: 98,284 | Gross: $92.00M
37. The Conjuring: The Devil Made Me Do It (2021)
R | 112 min | Horror, Mystery, Thriller
Arne Cheyenne Johnson stabs and murders his landlord, claiming to be under demonic possession while Ed and Lorraine Warren investigate the case and try to prove his innocence.
Director: Michael Chaves | Stars: Patrick Wilson, Vera Farmiga, Ruairi O'Connor, Sarah Catherine Hook
Votes: 138,867 | Gross: $65.63M
38. Us (II) (2019)
R | 116 min | Horror, Mystery, Thriller
Adelaide Wilson and her family are attacked by mysterious figures dressed in red. Upon closer inspection, the Wilsons realize that the intruders are exact lookalikes of them.
Director: Jordan Peele | Stars: Lupita Nyong'o, Winston Duke, Elisabeth Moss, Tim Heidecker
Votes: 340,925 | Gross: $175.08M
39. Get Out (I) (2017)
R | 104 min | Horror, Mystery, Thriller
A young African-American visits his white girlfriend's parents for the weekend, where his simmering uneasiness about their reception of him eventually reaches a boiling point.
Director: Jordan Peele | Stars: Daniel Kaluuya, Allison Williams, Bradley Whitford, Catherine Keener
Votes: 696,328 | Gross: $176.04M
40. Practical Magic (1998)
PG-13 | 104 min | Comedy, Drama, Fantasy
Two witch sisters, raised by their eccentric aunts in a small town, face closed-minded prejudice and a curse which threatens to prevent them ever finding lasting love.
Director: Griffin Dunne | Stars: Sandra Bullock, Nicole Kidman, Stockard Channing, Dianne Wiest
Votes: 93,034 | Gross: $46.68M
41. Paranormal Activity: The Marked Ones (2014)
R | 84 min | Horror, Mystery
When a young man becomes the target of a malevolent entity, he must uncover its true intentions before it takes complete control of him.
Director: Christopher Landon | Stars: Andrew Jacobs, Jorge Diaz, Gabrielle Walsh, Gloria Sandoval
Votes: 45,449 | Gross: $32.46M
42. The Curse of La Llorona (2019)
R | 93 min | Horror, Mystery, Thriller
Ignoring the eerie warning of a troubled mother suspected of child endangerment, a social worker and her own small kids are soon drawn into a frightening supernatural realm.
Director: Michael Chaves | Stars: Linda Cardellini, Raymond Cruz, Patricia Velasquez, Marisol Ramirez
Votes: 57,652 | Gross: $54.73M
43. Knives Out (2019)
PG-13 | 130 min | Comedy, Crime, Drama
A detective investigates the death of the patriarch of an eccentric, combative family.
Director: Rian Johnson | Stars: Daniel Craig, Chris Evans, Ana de Armas, Jamie Lee Curtis
Votes: 773,418 | Gross: $165.36M
44. It (I) (2017)
R | 135 min | Fantasy, Horror
In the summer of 1989, a group of bullied kids band together to destroy a shape-shifting monster, which disguises itself as a clown and preys on the children of Derry, their small Maine town.
Director: Andy Muschietti | Stars: Bill Skarsgård, Jaeden Martell, Finn Wolfhard, Sophia Lillis
Votes: 605,961 | Gross: $327.48M
45. Coco (I) (2017)
PG | 105 min | Animation, Adventure, Drama
Aspiring musician Miguel, confronted with his family's ancestral ban on music, enters the Land of the Dead to find his great-great-grandfather, a legendary singer.
Directors: Lee Unkrich, Adrian Molina | Stars: Anthony Gonzalez, Gael García Bernal, Benjamin Bratt, Alanna Ubach
Votes: 590,075 | Gross: $209.73M
46. House of the Witch (2017 TV Movie)
Unrated | 90 min | Fantasy, Horror, Mystery
A group of high-school kids set out to play a Halloween prank at an abandoned house, but once they enter they become victims of a demonic witch who has set her wrath upon them.
Director: Alex Merkin | Stars: Emily Bader, Darren Mann, Michelle Randolph, Arden Belle
Votes: 3,933
47. Ma (I) (2019)
R | 99 min | Horror, Mystery, Thriller
A lonely woman befriends a group of teenagers and decides to let them party at her house. Just when the kids think their luck couldn't get any better, things start happening that make them question the intention of their host.
Director: Tate Taylor | Stars: Octavia Spencer, Diana Silvers, Juliette Lewis, McKaley Miller
Votes: 59,622 | Gross: $45.37M
48. Ouija (II) (2014)
PG-13 | 89 min | Horror, Mystery, Thriller
A group of friends must confront their most terrifying fears when they awaken the dark powers of an ancient spirit board.
Director: Stiles White | Stars: Olivia Cooke, Ana Coto, Daren Kagasoff, Bianca A. Santos
Votes: 56,939 | Gross: $50.86M
49. October Sky (1999)
PG | 108 min | Biography, Drama, Family
The true story of Homer Hickam, a coal miner's son who was inspired by the first Sputnik launch to take up rocketry against his father's wishes.
Director: Joe Johnston | Stars: Jake Gyllenhaal, Chris Cooper, Laura Dern, Chris Owen
Votes: 97,993 | Gross: $32.48M
50. Remember the Titans (2000)
PG | 113 min | Biography, Drama, Sport
In 1971 Virginia high school football was everything to the people of Alexandria. But when the school board was forced to integrate an all-black school with an all-white one, the very foundation of football's tradition was put to the test.
Director: Boaz Yakin | Stars: Denzel Washington, Will Patton, Wood Harris, Ryan Hurst
Votes: 231,853 | Gross: $115.65M
51. Practical Magic (1998)
PG-13 | 104 min | Comedy, Drama, Fantasy
Two witch sisters, raised by their eccentric aunts in a small town, face closed-minded prejudice and a curse which threatens to prevent them ever finding lasting love.
Director: Griffin Dunne | Stars: Sandra Bullock, Nicole Kidman, Stockard Channing, Dianne Wiest
Votes: 93,034 | Gross: $46.68M
52. Mona Lisa Smile (2003)
PG-13 | 117 min | Drama
A free-thinking art professor teaches conservative 1950s Wellesley girls to question their traditional social roles.
Director: Mike Newell | Stars: Julia Roberts, Kirsten Dunst, Julia Stiles, Maggie Gyllenhaal
Votes: 90,911 | Gross: $63.86M
53. When Harry Met Sally... (1989)
R | 95 min | Comedy, Drama, Romance
Harry and Sally have known each other for years, and are very good friends, but they fear sex would ruin the friendship.
Director: Rob Reiner | Stars: Billy Crystal, Meg Ryan, Carrie Fisher, Bruno Kirby
Votes: 242,631 | Gross: $92.82M
54. Halloweentown (1998 TV Movie)
TV-G | 84 min | Adventure, Comedy, Family
When a young girl living with her secret witch mother learns she too is a witch, she must help her witch grandmother save Halloweentown from evil forces.
Director: Duwayne Dunham | Stars: Debbie Reynolds, Kimberly J. Brown, Judith Hoag, Joey Zimmerman
Votes: 21,255
55. The Haunted Mansion (2003)
PG | 88 min | Comedy, Family, Fantasy
A realtor and his wife and children are summoned to a mansion, which they soon discover is haunted, and while they attempt to escape, he learns an important lesson about the family he has neglected.
Director: Rob Minkoff | Stars: Eddie Murphy, Marsha Thomason, Jennifer Tilly, Terence Stamp
Votes: 56,894 | Gross: $75.85M
56. Hotel Transylvania: Transformania (2022)
PG | 87 min | Animation, Adventure, Comedy
After one experiment, Johnny turns into a monster and everyone else becomes human. Now it has to be seen whether they will be able to reverse this experiment.
Directors: Derek Drymon, Jennifer Kluska | Stars: Andy Samberg, Selena Gomez, Kathryn Hahn, Jim Gaffigan
Votes: 38,942
57. The Shining (1980)
R | 146 min | Drama, Horror
A family heads to an isolated hotel for the winter where a sinister presence influences the father into violence, while his psychic son sees horrific forebodings from both past and future.
Director: Stanley Kubrick | Stars: Jack Nicholson, Shelley Duvall, Danny Lloyd, Scatman Crothers
Votes: 1,106,138 | Gross: $44.02M
58. Scooby-Doo and the Witch's Ghost (1999 Video)
Unrated | 66 min | Animation, Comedy, Family
Scooby-Doo and the Mystery Gang visit Oakhaven, Massachusetts to seek strange goings on involving a famous horror novelist and his ancestor who is rumored be a witch.
Director: Jim Stenstrum | Stars: Scott Innes, Mary Kay Bergman, Frank Welker, B.J. Ward
Votes: 9,311
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