10 Halloween movies to watch with friends this October
A simple top 10 for October movie nights: a few real scares, a few laughs, and a couple of classics everyone should see at least once.
Top 10 for OctoberOctober means scary movies. Here are ten that are great with a group: some will make you jump, some will make you laugh, and a few are both.
Every one of them is included with Netflix, Prime Video, HBO Max or Disney+, or free on YouTube, so there's nothing extra to rent. Under each film is where to find it in the US this October. Catalogues change from month to month and from country to country, so if you're somewhere else, search for the title in your own apps.
1. Scream (1996)
A slasher that knows all the rules of slasher films and makes fun of them. Great for guessing who the killer is before the end.
Where to watchFree with ads on YouTube.
2. The Conjuring (2013)
A classic haunted-house story, based on the case files of two real paranormal investigators. The best pick on this list for real jump scares.
Where to watchStreaming on HBO Max.
3. Fear Street: 1994 (2021)
A group of teenagers in a cursed town, a killer in a mask, and a lot of '90s music. It's the first of three films, so it can turn into a three-night plan.
Where to watchStreaming on Netflix.
4. It (2017)
A group of kids in a small town and a clown who lives in the drains. Scary, but also funny and warm, thanks to the kids' friendship.
Where to watchStreaming on HBO Max.
5. Trick 'r Treat (2007)
Four short stories that all happen on the same Halloween night and cross over in clever ways. Short, spooky and made for October.
Where to watchStreaming on HBO Max.
6. Totally Killer (2023)
A teenager ends up back in 1987 and tries to stop a serial killer before his first attack. Part slasher, part time-travel comedy.
Where to watchStreaming on Prime Video.
7. Beetlejuice (1988)
A recently dead couple tries to scare the new family out of their house, and it goes very wrong. Weird, colourful and quotable.
Where to watchStreaming on HBO Max.
8. Wendell & Wild (2022)
A stop-motion story about two demon brothers and a teenager who makes a deal with them. From the director of The Nightmare Before Christmas, with Keegan-Michael Key and Jordan Peele as the demons.
Where to watchStreaming on Netflix.
9. Hocus Pocus (1993)
Three witches come back to life on Halloween night in Salem. Family-friendly, so everyone can join in.
Where to watchStreaming on Disney+.
10. The Nightmare Before Christmas (1993)
Is it a Halloween movie or a Christmas movie? It's both, and it's a good way to end the night.
Where to watchStreaming on Disney+.
Watching with friends who aren't in the same room?
You can still press play together. Start a room, send the link, and everyone's player stays in sync on Netflix, Prime Video, Disney+, HBO Max and YouTube, with voice and chat built in. Every film on this list works.