Staff Picks: PantherNOW’s Halloween Movie Guide

Priscilla Pozo | Assistant Entertainment Director

Whether you’re looking for a good scare, psychological thriller, or just cozy fall movies, here are the top Halloween movie picks brought to you by the staff at PantherNOW. 

• Five Nights at Freddy’s (2023) -One of the most anticipated movies for this Halloweekend, the Five Nights at Freddy’s movie adapted from the popular video game instantly became a box office hit.

• Practical Magic (1998) – Starring Sandra Bullock and Nicole Kidman, this iconic movie follows two witch sisters who accidentally inject a corpse with an evil spirit. 

• Hereditary (2018) – Written and directed by Ari Aster as his first work under A24 studios, this chilling film is for fans of graphic horror and killer suspense. Following a family as they try to outrun gruesome family secrets, this movie is best watched with a group of friends and a blanket to hide behind. 

• Psycho (1960) – Heralded as one of the greatest horror movies ever, Psycho is an Alfred Hitchcock classic and a must-watch for any film nerd out there. 

• Corpse Bride (2005) – A childhood favorite for many students out there, the Corpse Bride could very easily be considered a Halloween comfort movie. Beautifully animated and slightly heartbreaking, if you just need a nostalgic classic, this should be your go-to film.

• American Psycho (2000) – In recent years, this film has accumulated quite the cult following on social media. We’ve seen many renditions of Patrick Bateman (Christian Bale), the serial killing star of this movie, over the past few Halloweens. This movie is another film snob classic, but we at PantherNOW love it either way. 

• The Babadook (2014) – Overcoming a low production budget, this Australian movie failed to be a success nationally, but ended up becoming a box office hit in international cinemas. It has developed its own cult following over the years of devoted horror fans.

• Hocus Pocus (1993) – Taking it back to the glory days of Disney, you probably watched Hocus Pocus every Halloween growing up on Disney Channel. It might be time to revisit this movie and relive your childhood years!

• X / Pearl: An X-traordinary Origin Story (2022) – It’s hard to mention X without also mentioning Pearl. A24 delivered the perfect series of slasher movies, casting Mia Goth as the frightening, yet somehow relatable, main character. These films are perfect to watch in anticipation for the final film in the trilogy, MaXXXine, to be released. 

• Jennifer’s Body (2009) – So bad, it’s good. It stars Megan Fox as a teenage demon who preys on boys. While it may not be the scariest or the most well-produced movie, Jennifer’s Body is a comedy horror classic that’s always fun to watch with friends. 

• The Nightmare Before Christmas (1993) – Last, but definitely not least, ring in the transitioning of the seasons from Halloween to the winter holidays with this classic. Few films serve as both a Halloween and Christmas movie, and this one does it just right!