Get Ready for Spooky Season: The Ultimate List of Horror Movies You Can’t Miss This Halloween

Spooky season is right around the corner, and nothing spells Halloween fun like horror movies. 

The genre dates back to the late 1800s and has blossomed throughout the years to include several sub-genres, such as slasher, supernatural, monster, and more.  With the help of horror icons such as Wes Craven and new-age directors James Wan and Jordan Peele, the genre has given us some of the most memorable films and jump scares.  As we prepare for Halloween and its many festivities, we must also prepare for those cozy movie nights with some of our favorite horror flicks.  Be warned, you may not sleep for a few nights.

Halloween (1978)

The original “Halloween” shows how horror villain Michael Myers brutally murders his sister and is institutionalized as a child, beginning his heinous reign.  Fifteen years later, he escapes and returns to his hometown of Haddonfield, Illinois.  Now a masked and silent killer, Michael stalks teenager Laurie Strode and her friends.  As he goes on a killing spree, psychiatrist Dr. Loomis, who has been pursuing Michael for years, races against time to stop him.

The Conjuring (2013)

Based in the early 1970s on a case studied by paranormal investigators Ed and Lorraine Warren, “The Conjuring” focuses on the Perron family.  They begin experiencing terrifying hauntings in their new Rhode Island farmhouse.  The Warrens uncover a dark and dangerous presence linked to a witch’s curse that attaches itself to Mrs. Perron.

The Shining (1980)

“The Shining” follows Jack Torrance, who becomes the winter caretaker of the isolated Overlook Hotel, bringing along his wife and psychic son, Danny.  Jack descends into madness as the hotel’s sinister influence takes hold, and Danny’s paranormal abilities reveal the hotel’s dark history.

Us (2019)

“Us” was a unique turning point in the horror genre.  It followed Adelaide Wilson as she returned to her childhood beach home with her family for a summer getaway.  However, their vacation takes an extreme turn when they are confronted by a group of violent doppelgängers who look exactly like them and have sinister intentions. 

The Exorcist (1973)

One of the most iconic horror movies of all time, “The Exorcist,” is deemed a classic in the genre.  When a young girl, Regan, begins exhibiting bizarre activity, her mother seeks the help of two priests to perform an exorcism. They soon realize they are battling a powerful demonic entity. 

The Strangers (2008)

A young couple, Kristen and James, are the victims of “The Strangers.” After they retreat to a secluded vacation home following a wedding, they are terrorized by three masked strangers who begin tormenting them without any apparent motive. As the night progresses, the couple finds themselves trapped in a deadly game of cat and mouse, struggling to survive.

Scream (1996)

The birth child of Wes Craven, “Scream,” is the beginning of the lengthy slasher franchise. It kicks off in the quiet town of Woodsboro. High school student Sidney Prescott becomes the target of a masked killer known as Ghostface, who begins terrorizing her and her friends with a series of brutal murders.