20 of the Spookiest Movies and TV Shows to Start Setting the Scary Mood for Halloween Weekend

Author image for Giuliana Tiscioni
Giuliana Tiscioni • Writer
Oct 6, 2026 10:30 AM EDT

Who's already eager to have some great fun while getting spooked?

We have to admit it: getting scared every now and then can also be fun. I don't mean the "oh no, I haven't done my taxes yet" kind of scared. I mean the "I think I saw a ghost" type of scared. You know the feeling, right? The adrenaline spiking, your pulse beating like crazy, your legs ready to sprint away if needed, the anticipation of knowing there's something behind that door, but you're not sure what… It's almost intoxicating; a feeling you don't get anywhere else or in any other way. 

What makes it fun is the fact that we know deep down that what we're feeling is not entirely real. We can go to a Haunted House and run away from all the creatures there, but we know that there's no real vampire chasing after us to turn us into one of them. I know one or two people who wouldn't be upset at all if those vampires were real, but that's beside the point. The fun part is that we get to enjoy the adrenaline without ever being in danger. If that were a real monster we were escaping from, trust me, it wouldn't be anywhere near that fun. We would already be crying and calling for our mommy. We're so glad all the props, decorations, and costumes are fake. 

What isn't fake is the fascination we feel for this Spooky Season and all the preparations we do for that weekend. The candies, the decorations for the house, the costumes for ourselves and our families, the whole thing! The previous days are as fun as the proper date. 

Even if you're a bit of an introvert, and the whole trick-or-treating thing is not your cup of tea, you can still enjoy the scary spirit around you. Here we bring you 20 recommendations for movies and TV shows perfect for this time of year. No matter if you plan to stay inside the house or if you have a lineup of a hundred parties to go to, these productions work for everybody! 

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  • 01

    Monster House

    THERE GOES THE NEIGHBORHOOD. ROBERT ZEMECKIS AND STEVEN SPIELBERG PRESENT MONSTER HOUSE COLUMBIA PICTURES PRESENTS IN ASSOCIATION WITH RELATIVITY MEDIA AN IMAGEMOVERS/AMBLIN PRODUCTION MONSTER HOUSE STEVE BUSCEMI NICK CANNON MAGGIE GYLLENHAAL KEVIN JAMES JASON LEE CATHERINE O'HARA KATHLEEN TURNER FRED WILLARD DOUGLAS PIPES RUTH MYERS JAY REDD SONY PICTURES MAGEWORKS INC. ADAM P. SCOTT FABIENNE RAINLEYED VERREAUX XAVIER PEREZ GROBET ROBERT ZEMECKIS STEVEN SPIELBERG JASON CLARK DAN HARMON & ROB SC
    via IMDb
  • 02

    Stranger Things

    ABC S NETFLIX STRANGER THINGS A NETFLIX ORIGINAL SERIES ALL EPISODES July 15
    via IMDb
  • 03

    Girl vs. Monster

    STARRING OLIVIA HOLT DISNEY GIRLS MONSTER A DISNEY CHANNEL ORIGINAL MONSTOBER MOVIE
    via IMDb
  • 04

    Goosebumps

    THE PAST NEVER STAYS BURIED Goosebumps THE VANISHING January 10 hulu DISNEY+ Sony Pictures Television
    via IMDb
  • 05

    A Series of Unfortunate Events

    A NETFLIX ORIGINAL SERIES Lemony Snicket's A SERIES OF UNFORTUNATE EVENTS JANUARY 13 | NETFLIX
    via IMDb
  • 06

    Coraline

    Be careful what you wish for Coralline FROM THE DIRECTOR SE THE NIGHTMARE BEFORE CHRISTMAS LAIKIN ZIRLINE BUSH TEACHER DUTENER LANCIA BEGGINE
    via IMDb
  • 07

    Haunted Mansion

    LAKEITH TIFFANY OWEN STANFIELD HADDISH WILSON DANNY DEVITO ROSARIO DAWSON DISNEY PRES FAIMED MANSION PG-13 DISNEY HAUNTED, MANSION
    via IMDb
  • 08

    Locke and Key

    A NETFLIX SERIES & 8 OCKE KEY AUG 10 | NETFLIX
    via IMDb
  • 09

    Buffy: The Vampire Slayer

    Buffy vampire slayer
    via IMDb
  • 10

    Beetlejuice Beetlejuice

    MICHAEL WINONA CATHERINE JUSTIN MONICA JENNA WILLEM KEATON RYDER O'HARA THEROUX BELLUCCI ORTEGA DAFOE www TM BURTON ed BEETLEJUICE BEETLEJUICE 2024 A.D. THE GHOST WITH THE MOST IS BACK VICHAEL MEDEWELL & LARRY SON ALFRED GOUGH MILES MILLARSETH GAME SMITH ALFRED GOUGH & MILES ILLAR TIM BURTON B08
    via IMDb
  • 11

    Frankenweenie

    FROM THE DIRECTOR OF ALICE IN WONDERLAND A FILM BY TIM BURTON DISNEY FRANKENWEENIE DISNEY PRESENTS & FILM IN TIM BURTON "FRANTENNEENIE CATHERINE HAPA MARTIN SHORT MARTIN LANDAU CHARLIE TAFAN ATTICUS SHAPPORT IN WINONA RYDER DANNY BLEMAN MCKINNON & SAUNDERS CARIS LOBENOON, ARE MARK SELEMONIC HENRICESTER SERG TIM BURTON JORNALIST OCTOBER 5 BURTON ALLISON ABATE SEE IT IN SPECTACULAR 3D. realD 3D AND IMAX 3D
    via IMDb
  • 12

    The Nightmare Before Christmas

    TIM BURTON'S THE NIGHTMARE BEFORE CHRISTMAS
    via IMDb
  • 13

    Wednesday

    FROM THE IMAGINATION OF TIM BURTON A NETFLIX SERIES WEDNESDAY NOV 23 NETFLIX
    via IMDb
  • 14

    Halloweentown

    DISNEY HALLOWEENTOWN CITY HALL
    via IMDb
  • 15

    Hocus Pocus

    WALT DISNEY PICTURES PRESENTS BETTE MIDLER SARAH JESSICA PARKER KATHY NAJIMY Hocus Pocus MORCIOS WALT DISNEY PICTURES BETTEMIDLER HOCUS POCUS, DAVID KIRSCHNER/STEVEN HAFT KENNY ORTEGA SARAH JESSICA PARKER KATHY NAJIMY OMRI KATZ THORA BIRCH VINESSA SHAW JOHN DEBNEY PETERE BERGER, WILLIAM SANDELL HIRO NARITA RALPH WINTER DAVID KIRSCHNERMICK GARRIS MICK GARRIS NEIL CUTHBERT DAVID KIRSCHNER STEVEN HAFT KENNY ORTEGA
    via IMDb
  • 16

    Halloweentown High

    DISNEY HALLOWEENTOWN HIGH
    via IMDb
  • 17

    Twitches

    DISNEY WITCHES
    via IMDb
  • 18

    Mosterville: Cabinet of Souls

    FROM THE CREATOR OF GOOSEBUMPS R.L. STINE'S MONSTERVILLE CABINET OF SOULS
    via IMDb
  • 19

    Into the Woods

    MERYL EMILY JAMES ANNA CHRIS JOHNNY STREEP BLUNT CORDEN KENDRICK PINE DEPP AND DISNEY INTO THE WOODS BE CAREFUL WHAT YOU WISH FOR THE WOLF
    via IMDb
  • 20

    The Witches

    max ORIGINAL THIS HALLOWEEN BRING THE BIG SCREEN HOME ANNE OCTAVIA STANLEY HATHAWAY SPENCER TUCCI ROALD DAHL WITCHES THE BASED ROALD DAHL SCREENPL NPL ROBERT ZEMECKIS & KENYA BARRIS AND GUILLERMO DEL TORO DIRECTE ROBERT ZEMECKIS ROALD PG DAHL STREAMING ONLY ON OCTOBER 22 HBOMAX WARNER BROS.
    via IMDb

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halloween costumes spooky season scary movies halloween tv shows halloween tv shows halloween movies movies spooky tv shows funny
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