Like most other celebrations, the days leading up to Halloween are almost as exciting as the actual holiday itself. You can do many things leading up to the holiday that will get you in the mood for the season, from carving pumpkins to going on drives through autumn foliage. However, a night of scary movies might be the most fun option.
No matter what kind of spooky flick you're in the mood, Netflix has you covered. Netflix's Halloween films cover the entire spectrum, from those suitable for kids to those more appropriate for adults. A few of the Netflix Originals available on the service are genuinely terrifying.
5 Best Halloween Movies on Netflix
We've compiled some of the best if you want to build a watch list of essential Halloween films. The world can be depressing, but a good scare can help you forget about it for a while.
1. Scary Stories to Tell in the Dark
Even though it's aimed at a younger audience and adapted from a children's book, this is one of the scarier entries on the list (and this is coming from a horror buff), so don't say I didn't warn you. The disturbing images include a girl with a spider sticking out of her cheek, a teen boy transforming into a scarecrow, and a deformed woman pursuing you down a dark hallway.
2. It Follows
Rather than relying on jump scares or ominous music cues, the terrifying parts of horror come from a gradual buildup of dread. That sums up the best sensation you'll have while watching this film. The story is about a plague that spreads. Still, it has a very original premise: The curse is transmitted through sexual contact and manifests as a humanoid creature that slowly follows its victim around (talk about a terrible STD). I don't want to spoil anything, but the image of a naked man on a suburban rooftop has stuck with me since I saw it.
3. Crimson Peak
If there's one thing that horror films have taught us, we should always say "no" when a dashing aristo wants to elope quickly and whisk us away to a haunted ancestral home. In this gothic ghost story, Edith (Mia Wasikowska) doesn't seem to get the memo; after moving in with her new beau to a dilapidated mansion on top of a mountain of blood-red clay, she finds that life isn't nearly as ideal as she hoped.
4. There's Someone in Your House
When it comes to getting into the Halloween spirit, nothing beats a good slasher film set in a high school. This one is from the point of a Hawaiian student who transfers to the University of Nebraska and finds herself during a string of grisly murders. The worst thing is that people are murdered in this movie, and the best part is that the victims are rather vile, so I suppose that's a plus.
5. Enola Holmes
It is a Halloween movie in the sense that it is mysterious. Millie Bobby Brown plays the main character, and Henry Cavill and Sam Claflin play her famous Holmes brothers. This Netflix Original Movie is about a murder that seems suspicious and a person who goes missing. It has fun costume changes, a classic fall setting, and a little Victorian creepiness to round out the scary feel. It's a great Halloween movie for families with older children or people who don't like scary movies.
