During the Halloween season, people partake in timeless traditions such as pumpkin carving, haunted houses/hay rides, and of course, Halloween movie binges. There are hundreds of amazingly rated movies and everyone has their preferred watches. But for me, the best Halloween movies are those centered on Halloween and the following are just that!
1. Hocus Pocus Series
Hocus Pocus is the perfect movie for those who enjoy nostalgic, Halloween classics. It tells the story of teenager Max Dennison, who moves to Salem and explores an abandoned house with his younger sister and friend. On Halloween night, they accidentally free the three dangerous witches who used to live in the house and must stop them from becoming immortal.
While watching, I was drawn in by the realism of the town. It’s very similar to our own, making the movie slightly relatable. In the beginning, there is a jump back in time to when the witches were alive and why they were killed. Doing this added such an enticing touch and really pulled the storyline together. Once the witches take over, the CGI used really gives it such a creepy effect. The small amounts of music, such as the hit song I Put a Spell On You, add perfectly to the overall composition of the movie.
Whenever I watch Hocus Pocus, I feel so nostalgic. Fond memories of being curled up with my family always flood my brain making the movie an even more enjoyable experience. Of course, I’m not the only one who feels this way. Right before its 30-year anniversary this year, a sequel to the movie came out in 2022. Hocus Pocus 2 was so popular that it had 2.7 billion minutes (45,000,000 million hours) of streaming in the first week.
2. The Nightmare Before Christmas
The Nightmare Before Christmas is the perfect mix of comedy, Halloween horror, and Christmas cheer. Written by crowd favorite, Tim Burton, it follows the adventures of “Halloweentown’s” (unrelated to the above movie) beloved pumpkin king, Jack Skellington. He has become bored with the same routine of frightening people in the “real world.” When Jack accidentally finds Christmastown he finds a new passion and plots to bring Christmas under his control by kidnapping Santa Claus and taking over the role.
It’s labeled as a musical that follows multiple themes of being yourself and has a slight romance plot. The soundtrack, which features over 20 songs such as the classic “This is Halloween”, makes the movie memorable across generations. I watched this movie for the first time this year and fell in love with it, the stop motion/claymation style was so different from other animations and I really enjoyed it. The development of characters is so simple yet important, which I look for in movies.
Burton has made many other Halloween classics such as Corpse Bride, Coraline, and Beetlejuice. When the movie first premiered in 1993, it made $91.5 million box office (ticket sales in one weekend). It’s so popular that it will be returning to theaters this year, Oct. 20-30th, for its 30-year anniversary.
3. Halloweentown Series
Halloweentown is centered around 13-year-old Marnie and her brother who follow their grandma home one day and discover “Halloweentown”. They soon find out that they come from a family of witches in this place where supernaturals can live freely.
It’s the perfect Halloween binge-series and great to watch alone or with others. The four movies follow a journey of ups and downs as the siblings grow up. It’s nice to see the characters develop as the series progresses, you are able to relate to each stage of their life.
The movie includes SFX, CGI, and a wonderful soundtrack accompanied by heavy themes of family and sticking together. Seeing the connection between the siblings and the individual relationships with their grandma definitely adds to the warmth of the movie. Many people seem to agree considering the series received 4 parts. The average Disney movie in the 1990s had at most a sequel, meaning the series gained enough popularity to sustain the cost. It really is an amazing storyline, perfect for those who love monsters and fantasy.
