Halloween might be right around the corner, but per tradition, most Americans have already begun celebrating. Far more than a single night of costumes and candy, Halloween is basically a month-long event, which brings forth an endless bevy of spooky lawn decorations, haunted attractions, and, naturally, scary movie marathons. It’s worth noting that the majority of scary movies don’t tie October’s foremost festivity into the premise. Meanwhile, a slew of other movies feature Halloween as a plot point but don’t necessarily fall under the horror genre.
Of course, no list of Halloween-themed films or scary movies alike is complete without mention of John Carpenter’s 1978 classic, aptly titled “Halloween.” Speaking of which, a new sequel has just arrived in theaters, starring original scream queen Jamie Lee Curtis as Laurie Strode. It takes place in a universe where all the previous sequels and reboots never happened at all, which is probably for the best given how lackluster most of those previous installments were. If early reactions are anything to go by, the new sequel might very well be on this list come next year. Until then, the first one will have to suffice.
As for the list itself, it consists of Halloween movies in the most literal sense. Stacker has compiled the best movies in which Halloween is heavily featured. Some of the films are scary; others are not. For the data, Stacker went to IMDb and looked for movies where Halloween plays a central role in the plot. Only English-language feature films with at least 5,000 user votes were considered eligible, and in the case of a rating tie, the film with more user votes ranked higher on the list. Counting down from 17, here are the best Halloween movies.[/nextpage][nextpage]
#17. Flatliners
Year released: 1990
IMDb rating: 6.6
IMDb votes: 72,680
Genre: Drama, Horror, Sci-Fi
In this psychological thriller from 1990, five medical school students undergo near-death experiences and soon find themselves being haunted by demons from their own respective pasts. Directed by Joel Schumacher, the film stars Julia Roberts, Kiefer Sutherland, and Kevin Bacon. One of its most harrowing scenes takes place on Halloween night, when Dr. Rachel Mannus (Roberts) decides to flatline, almost to the point of being gone for good. In 2017, a subpar remake was released to little fanfare.
[/nextpage][nextpage]
#16. Monster House
Year released: 2006
IMDb rating: 6.6
IMDb votes: 85,386
Genre: Animation, Adventure, Comedy
“Rick and Morty” co-creator Dan Harmon co-wrote the screenplay for this 3D computer-animated adventure comedy, about three teenagers who come up against a living, breathing haunted house. As one might expect, the ultimate showdown between the teens and the house goes down on Halloween night. Featured in the film are the voices of Maggie Gyllenhaal, Kevin James, and Steve Buscemi.
[/nextpage][nextpage]
#15. Lady in White
Year released: 1988
IMDb rating: 6.7
IMDb votes: 5,422
Genre: Fantasy, Horror, Mystery
An overlooked horror film, “The Lady in White” primarily takes place in 1962, and stars Lukas Haas as a young boy named Frankie Scarlatti. On Halloween night, Frankie gets trapped in a classroom closet, where he witnesses the ghostly reenactment of a murder from years ago. Irrevocably haunted by what he saw, Frankie soon finds himself being stalked by the killer, who might be someone he knows.
[/nextpage][nextpage]
#14. May
Year released: 2002
IMDb rating: 6.7
IMDb votes: 29,986
Genre: Drama, Horror
Angela Bettis plays the title character in this independent horror flick from 2002, about a young woman who struggles to connect with other human beings. Instead, she seeks solace in a strange doll. After the doll gets broken, May decides to replace it using real human body parts, and thus embarks on a vicious Halloween killing spree. Made on a shoestring budget, the film endures as a modern-day cult classic. Anna Faris co-stars.
(Excerpt) Read More at: MSN Entertainment
[/nextpage]