Best Halloween Movies to Watch on Netflix Right Now. Halloween is just around the corner, but why bother going out this weekend when you can curl up with a good movie instead? Rather than frightening fare, we have collected our favourite Halloween-themed movies that Netflix Canada has to offer right now – horror comedy and children’s tales alike are included in this list of ten great picks for October 31st viewing. Enjoy!
The Nightmare Before Christmas (1993)
Tim Burton’s classic ‘The Nightmare Before Christmas’ follows Jack Skellington, the Pumpkin King of Halloween Town who discovers a portal that leads to Christmastown. Surprised by the existence of another holiday with wholly different traditions, Jack is dismayed to find that no one in Christmastown seems to understand his passion for scaring people. Together with his friends he plots to hijack Christmas entirely… but will anyone in either town be able to help stop them? Film fans have long debated whether or not this should be considered a “Christmas film” or a “Halloween film”, and it is perhaps best enjoyed on both holidays!
Sleepy Hollow (1999)
Johnny Depp and Christina Ricci star as a new school teacher and a young lady in nineteenth century New York, who team up to investigate a series of beheadings that seem to have been carried out by some kind of headless horseman. In this film based on Washington Irving’s famous tale ‘The Legend of Sleepy Hollow’, the pair make for an unusual detective duo as they seek answers from residents of the town… some helpful, some less so! While Tim Burton usually directs Johnny Depp in their collaborations, it is director/producer/writer Tim Burton himself who helms this dark adaptation.
The Addams Family (1991)
Before there was ‘Lone Ranger’ (2013), there was ‘The Addams Family’! Based on the macabre characters created by cartoonist Charles Addams, this live-action comedy featured a wonderful cast including Anjelica Huston, Raul Julia and Christina Ricci as Wednesday. The family moves from their home in California to a Gothic mansion in New York City so that they can be closer to their other relatives – but will the new digs add to their unhappiness?
Sleepwalk With Me (2012)
This 2012 comedy is not exactly a “scary” movie, but it does have some creepy elements that make it great for late October. The story follows best friends Matt (played by creator Mike Birbiglia) and Abby (Lauren Ambrose), who fall in love and decide to move in together – but not all goes as planned. Matt loses his job, begins a relationship with a fellow comic (played by ‘The Daily Show’s’ John Hodgman) and his sleepwalking starts causing problems for those he shares his bed with. The film was written by Birbiglia himself and it provides some funny insights into the life of an up-and-coming comedian – which can be pretty harrowing as well.
Hocus Pocus (1993)
This 1993 Disney comedy features great special effects and wonderful witchy characters played by Bette Midler, Sarah Jessica Parker and Kathy Najimy. After 300 years three witches are resurrected in Salem on Halloween night, and they’re hungry for the town’s children. A young boy who loves magic must team up with his sister and a white witch to save the day and send the Sanderson sisters back to their grave! While this is not exactly a “traditionally scary” movie, it does have some dark moments that will appeal to horror fans.
Beetlejuice (1988)
This 1988 comedy/horror film stars Alec Baldwin and Geena Davis as a couple who die in a car accident only to come back as ghosts haunting their own home. Their presence is unwanted by buyers however, so when Betelgeuse (played by Michael Keaton) shows up they hire him to scare away all potential inhabitants of the house but Betelgeuse has other ideas. The film is based on the book “The Handbook for the Recently Deceased” and also stars Winona Ryder, Catherine O’Hara, Jeffrey Jones and Sylvia Sidney.
Cats & Dogs (2001)
A family comedy that has nothing to do with Christmas, but it does have some Halloween-themed scenes amidst an otherwise lighthearted story about pets trying to take over the world. Yes, you heard me right – cats are trying to rid the planet of humans so that they can dominate once more! One cat in particular named Mr Tinkles intends to brainwash all the dogs of the world into believing cats are worth following… but a brave band of canines will fight back against this feline evil.
The Witches (1990)
This live-action adaptation of Roald Dahl’s book features an all-star cast including Anjelica Huston, Jane Horrocks and Rowan Atkinson. The movie follows a young boy who stumbles into the lair of an evil witch who intends to turn all of England’s children into mice – but can he trust his family? This fun film is directed by Nicolas Roeg with special effects by Jim Henson, but it does have some dark moments that make it perfect for October viewing!
Best Halloween Movies to Watch Final Thought
It’s not a date, it’s a season. There’s no better way to keep the thrills, chills, and scares coming than to put up a Halloween movie marathon that lasts the entire month. If you have Netflix, all you have to do is press Play. The films on Netflix provide all the frights you could want in one place.
The Haunted Library is an excellent choice for fans of halloween hits like Friday the 13th or Child’s Play. Extreme blood and guts are popular with Netflix horror flicks. Fans that want to be terrified but do not wish to see any blood, thank you very much, may opt for artier psychological scares. The horror comedies are also available so you can watch something before going to bed without dreading nightmares.
Taking a weekend to watch a bunch of them in a row can make for an entertaining Halloween game, with the number of demonic possessions, phony-out jump scares, and frightening kids counting as your score. It’s Halloween!
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