These Movies Will Get You In The Mood For Halloween

October is here and the spooky season is upon us. There is nothing better than cozying up with your favorite people and watching a scary movie. 

Whether you’re a horror movie fanatic or just love a good scare, there are many movies to pick from.

Here are my top five Halloween movies that will scare the BOO out of you:

Edward Scissorhands (1990)

Although this Tim Burton classic is not a scary movie, its main character is viewed as dangerous because his hands are scissors. 

In the movie, we are introduced to Peg (Dianne Wiest) who is a cosmetics employee. In an attempt to sell her merchandise, she comes along the tallest hill in the town that occupies a “haunted” mansion. 

Peg then encounters Edward (Johnny Depp) who is a creation made by a scientist who previously occupied the mansion. The scientist wanted to build a human out of mechanical parts, but he experienced a heart attack before he was able to complete Edward.

Eventually, Peg befriends Edward and takes him in as her own. As the story progresses, Edward becomes famous for his ghoulish features and is beloved by everyone except Kim’s boyfriend Jim (Anthony Michael Hall). 

In time, Edward is forced to go back to his mansion on the hill. At the end of the movie, we see an older Kim (Winona Ryder) telling her granddaughter about Edward.  

HalloweenTown (1998)

You or someone you know must have seen this Disney Channel movie at least once as a kid. 

The movie is based on Marnie Piper (Kimberly J. Brown), a 13-year-old witch, and her siblings Sophie (Emily Roeske) and Dylan (Joey Zimmerman) who go and visit their grandmother Aggie (Debbie Reynolds) in HalloweenTown. 

Marnie soon realizes that she has to develop her powers to save HalloweenTown from an evil entity that is taking control of all the town’s residents.

The movie introduces us to the many creatures that inhabit HalloweenTown, throwing in tiny monster-themed puns and teaching us not to fear the werewolves, witches, and goblins—they’re just like us, more or less.

Monster House (2006)

During the Halloween season, three friends come across a mysterious looking house on their block they believe is possessed. 

The history behind the house is unknown and the owner Horrace Nebbercracker (Steve Buscemi) is a grumpy old man who hates kids and things on his lawn. 

When Nebbercracker suffers a heart attack after fighting with DJ (Michel Musso), he and his friends Chowder (Sam Lerner) and Jenny (Spencer Locke) decide to investigate the house and find out why things disappear when they go past the front lawn. 

The story behind the house and its strange, mysterious appearance is a sad one. It explains why Nebbercracker became the person he is.

Even though this film was made for children, the creepy storyline, the unique animation, and the upsetting twist toward the end are enough to make it a haunting experience. 

Rewatching the movie is the perfect way to awaken the kid inside of you and bring back those childhood memories.

Scary Stories To Tell In The Dark (2019) 

Based on the original children’s book series, it begins when a group of friends come across a spooky mansion and inside find an old book that contains handwritten horror stories. 

After reading a few of the stories out loud, Stella (Zoe Margaret Colletti) discovers that the book isn’t any regular book. 

The consequences of reading a ghost’s book are anything but small. Stella and her friends soon regret messing around with it and find out that the stories are more than just tales.

This movie is perfect for those who aren’t a fan of gory and terrifying horror movies but are still looking for a good scare.

Scooby-Doo: The Movie (2002)

Many have heard of the show What’s New Scooby-Doo? (2002) and adore his mystery solving gang and the lovable brown dog. 

In the live-action version of the show, Scooby and his gang are individually summoned to Spooky Island after two years of no mystery work. They are brought to the island to investigate a series of paranormal activities that are occurring during spring break while the site is packed with people. 

Scooby (Neil Fanning), Shaggy (Matthew Lillard), Vilma (Linda Cardellini), Daphne (Sarah Michelle Gellar) and Fred (Freddie Prinze Jr.) must put away their differences to solve the mystery of Spooky Island before it’s too late.

Although the movie is not centered around Halloween, it will still put you in the spooky spirit. 

It’s also a great place to draw costume inspiration, whether you’re dressing up like a monster or a member of the Mystery Inc. gang.