Start Spooky Season Early With 10 Classic Scary Movies Everyone Loves

Start Spooky Season Early With 10 Classic Scary Movies Everyone Loves

Fall is creeping up on us, which means it’s time to embrace the eerie atmosphere before Halloween officially arrives! Nothing sets the mood for spooky season better than curling up with a blanket and watching scary movies that have stood the test of time. Whether you’re a horror fanatic or just dipping your toes into frightening films, these classics offer something for everyone – from supernatural chills to psychological thrills.

1. Hocus Pocus (1993)

The Sanderson sisters burst onto screens with their wicked charm and comedic mischief. Released in 1993, this Disney gem initially flopped at the box office but has since become the ultimate Halloween tradition for families everywhere.

What makes Hocus Pocus special is its perfect blend of light scares and genuine heart. Bette Midler, Sarah Jessica Parker, and Kathy Najimy deliver unforgettable performances as the resurrected witch trio.

The film’s musical numbers (especially “I Put a Spell on You”) and talking black cat Binx create a magical experience that captures Halloween’s playful spirit without traumatizing younger viewers. No wonder it’s earned its place as an annual must-watch!

2. Beetlejuice (1988)

“Beetlejuice, Beetlejuice, Beetlejuice!” Just don’t say it three times unless you’re ready for chaos! Tim Burton’s gothic comedy masterpiece introduced the world to the most mischievous ghost in the afterlife, played brilliantly by Michael Keaton.

Recently deceased couple Adam and Barbara Maitland (Alec Baldwin and Geena Davis) find themselves haunting their own home when an unbearable family moves in. Their desperate attempts at scaring the new residents lead them to summon the unpredictable bio-exorcist Beetlejuice.

With its quirky stop-motion effects, Danny Elfman’s carnival-like score, and unforgettable dinner party possession scene, this film remains the perfect Halloween treat for those who like their scares served with laughter.

3. Friday the 13th (1980)

“Ki-ki-ki, ma-ma-ma” – that iconic sound still sends shivers down spines decades later! The original Friday the 13th revolutionized horror by making summer camps the scariest places on earth. A group of counselors reopening Camp Crystal Lake find themselves picked off one by one by a mysterious killer.

What many forget is that the hockey-masked Jason wasn’t actually the killer in this first installment! The film’s shocking twist ending remains one of cinema’s most memorable reveals.

Tom Savini’s groundbreaking practical effects brought gruesome deaths to life in ways that still hold up today. This low-budget slasher sparked eleven sequels and forever changed how we view isolated lakeside retreats and hockey equipment!

4. Halloween (1978)

John Carpenter created pure terror on a shoestring budget with this slasher masterpiece. The simple premise – an escaped mental patient returning to his hometown on Halloween night – tapped into suburban America’s deepest fears about the safety of their neighborhoods.

Michael Myers, with his expressionless white mask (actually a modified William Shatner face!), became the blueprint for countless movie villains. Jamie Lee Curtis’s performance as babysitter Laurie Strode launched her career and established the “final girl” trope.

Carpenter’s self-composed minimalist piano score might be the most recognizable horror theme ever created. The film’s genius lies in its restraint – showing less while suggesting more, proving that sometimes what lurks in the shadows is scarier than what jumps out from them.

5. Trick ‘r Treat (2007)

Sam, the pint-sized enforcer of Halloween traditions, teaches brutal lessons to those who disrespect the holiday in this anthology masterpiece. Director Michael Dougherty crafted interwoven tales that capture Halloween’s essence – from urban legends to supernatural revenge.

Unlike most anthology films where quality varies between segments, every story here delivers genuine scares and twisted fun. The rock quarry school bus massacre, werewolf revelation party, and cranky old man’s comeuppance all unfold in a single Halloween night.

What makes this film special is how it celebrates Halloween’s folklore and traditions while creating its own iconic character in Sam – the burlap-sacked, lollipop-wielding spirit of the holiday. Though initially released direct-to-video, it’s rightfully earned cult classic status among Halloween enthusiasts.

6. The Others (2001)

“Sometimes the world of the dead gets mixed up with the world of the living.” Alejandro Amenábar’s atmospheric ghost story transports viewers to a fog-enshrouded mansion in post-WWII Jersey where Nicole Kidman’s Grace fiercely protects her photosensitive children from mysterious intruders.

The film’s power comes from its restraint – relying on creaking floorboards, piano notes, and whispers rather than jump scares. Grace’s increasing paranoia as she enforces strict rules about locked doors and drawn curtains creates unbearable tension.

Few films deliver a twist ending as satisfying and emotionally devastating as this one. The Others proves that gothic horror doesn’t need modern settings or excessive gore to terrify audiences. Its old-fashioned approach to supernatural storytelling makes it timeless.

7. 28 Days Later (2002)

Danny Boyle revolutionized zombie cinema by making one crucial change – his infected can run. The film opens with Jim (Cillian Murphy) waking from a coma to find London eerily deserted, captured in haunting scenes of empty landmarks shot guerrilla-style at dawn.

The digital video cinematography gives everything a raw, immediate feel that heightens the nightmare. When the infected appear – sprinting, screaming, blood-spewing maniacs – it’s genuinely terrifying in ways shambling zombies never were.

Beyond its scares, the film offers a powerful examination of how quickly civilization collapses and what remains of humanity when survival becomes paramount. The sequence where a drop of infected blood falls into a character’s eye remains one of horror’s most gut-wrenching moments of inevitable doom.

8. It Follows (2014)

A sexually transmitted curse creates the most relentless movie monster of the 21st century. After a seemingly innocent date, Jay (Maika Monroe) learns she’s being stalked by an entity that can look like anyone, walks straight toward its victim at all times, and never, ever stops.

Director David Robert Mitchell brilliantly uses wide-angle lenses and 360-degree pans that keep viewers anxiously scanning the background of every frame. The deliberately ambiguous time period – modern technology mixed with vintage TVs and cars – creates a dreamlike atmosphere.

Disasterpeace’s synth-heavy score pays homage to John Carpenter while establishing its own unnerving identity. The film’s genius lies in its premise – creating a monster that weaponizes paranoia itself and makes even the most mundane scenes pulse with dread.

9. The Babadook (2014)

“If it’s in a word or in a look, you can’t get rid of the Babadook.” This Australian psychological horror uses a sinister pop-up book to introduce its top-hatted monster, but the real terror comes from within single mother Amelia as she struggles with grief and parenting her troubled son.

Director Jennifer Kent creates a claustrophobic atmosphere through desaturated colors and increasingly unstable camerawork. Essie Davis delivers an unforgettable performance as sleep-deprived Amelia, whose mental state deteriorates alongside the supernatural threat.

The creature design – inspired by silent film figures like Lon Chaney – creates a monster both distinctly old-fashioned and freshly terrifying. Beyond its scares, the film offers a profound meditation on processing grief and the dark thoughts that can consume parents at their lowest moments.

10. The Boogeyman (2023)

Fresh fears meet classic King storytelling in this recent adaptation about sisters Sadie and Sawyer, who are already struggling with their mother’s death when their therapist father accidentally brings a supernatural entity home. The creature feeds on grief and hides in the dark corners of their home.

What makes this film stand out is how it blends traditional monster movie elements with genuine emotional depth. The strained father-daughter relationship provides the emotional core while the boogeyman itself represents the darkness of unprocessed trauma.

Director Rob Savage creates several memorable sequences – particularly the nail-biting laundry room scene where a simple sheet becomes terrifying. While newer than other entries on this list, The Boogeyman earns its place by honoring King’s knack for finding horror in everyday family dynamics.