Like any sane person, I consider Halloween to be the best holiday. It is in the best season, you get to dress up as anything you want, and nobody can forget the vast amounts of candy that come with this holiday.

What also makes this holiday the greatest one out there is the movies. From The Shining to Hotel Transylvania, there is a Halloween movie for everybody. I’m going to be completely honest and let you all know something scandalous: I have never seen a horror movie before.

The closest I’ve come to a horror movie is The Shining Scene in Ready Player One, and I think that will be the closest I will ever get. My favorite Halloween movies will really be for almost all ages to enjoy!

The first thing I have to get off my chest will be a bit controversial, the Nightmare Before Christmas is NOT a Halloween movie. It is and will always be a Christmas movie. I had to get that out of the way, sorry.  

My list begins with a classic: It’s the Great Pumpkin, Charlie Brown. This movie is the essence of elementary school Halloween class parties with Lofthouse sugar cookies and plastic pumpkin candy buckets. This movie is about Linus, our lovable protagonist with attachment issues to his powder blue blanket. He waits in the pumpkin patch for the Great Pumpkin, which never arrives. This movie is made for really any age and filled with nostalgia as we follow around the Peanuts gang.

The next movie on my list is Beetlejuice.  Michael Keaton’s unnerving portrayal of Beetlejuice that looked just a bit too easy for him was special, and  Mambo No. 5 at the end was just silly. This movie is a top tier Halloween classic. 

Speaking of Halloween classics, another movie that is sure to be on this list is Coraline. This movie from beginning to end just awakens something disturbing in you. Maybe it’s the stop action jerky movements of the characters, or maybe it’s the dreary weather. It could even be the mommy issues you relate to Coraline with. This movie is truly meant to make you not feel at peace.

A movie that will make you feel at peace, yet still has a little spooky in it, is Casper. This is the greatest Halloween film of all time. The movie follows a dad/daughter duo assigned to remove poltergeists from an abandoned mansion. They end up finding our beloved neighborhood ghost, Casper who befriends the daughter. With his help they try to get rid of Casper’s mean uncle ghosts. This movie will always hold a special place in my heart. 

Now with the list that I have compiled, and the spooky season upon us, it is time to get to work on watching the best movies for the best holiday.