The Ultimate Halloween Classic Watchlist

Let’s be real: A movie literally titled Halloween coming in at the top of of a Halloween watchlist poll is no surprise to anyone. Of course, it helps that John Carpenter’s seminal slasher also happens to be an incredible film that introduced the world to one of the most iconic horror villains ever and spawned a media franchise that includes books, video games, comics, and a dozen more films. Of all the movies polled, Halloween was the resounding favorite, racking up 88% of the votes.

Speaking of iconic villains, Wes Craven gave us one of his own in A Nightmare on Elm Street’s Freddy Krueger, famously inspired by Craven’s own childhood bully. Though Freddy would go on to become a wisecracking diva in later installments, the original film is — ahem — pure nightmare fuel, and fans deemed it a Halloween classic with 79% of the votes.

The Exorcist is famous for the dramatic audience reactions it inspired, from people vomiting in the restrooms to being carted out on stretchers, but it also saw curious moviegoers lining up at ungodly hours in severe weather conditions when it was released the day after Christmas in 1973. It was a cultural phenomenon that made boatloads of cash and left a massive imprint on the supernatural horror genre, but it’s also terrifying, which makes it a fantastic Halloween watch.

The Shining is one of the few entries in the top 10 that didn’t lead to a massive franchise (the TV miniseries and Doctor Sleep notwithstanding) but whose pop culture influence endures to this day, which offers some idea exactly how singular an achievement Stanley Kubrick’s film is. Stephen King, who wrote the source novel, may not have been a fan, but plenty of those who have seen it are, and 72% of you are definitely throwing it on this spooky season.

If the top four movies here are classic frightfests, No. 5 belongs to our first “fun” entry. Tim Burton’s Beetlejuice may not be intended to terrify you, but it perfectly embodies the kind of cozy, spooky atmosphere some are looking for. It’s not specifically a Halloween movie, but its creature designs, supernatural themes, and ever-so-slightly sinister vibes are very much Halloween-coded, and there were almost as many folks who felt it was a Halloween classic as those who voted “Yes” to The Shining.

Unlike Halloween, Friday the 13th actually has nothing to do with its namesake “holiday,” but maybe that’s why it has endured as a spooky season staple. Though the film wasn’t a critical darling (and its many sequels are all worse, by most accounts), it helped popularize the teens-dying-at-summer-camp trope, and its inventive kills and central mystery gave fans of Halloween exactly what they wanted. Sure — spoiler alert — Jason Voorhees wasn’t the killer, and he wouldn’t even don his iconic hockey mask until the third film of the franchise, but this was the movie that started it all.

Poltergeist would belong on this list even if being a supremely effective supernatural thriller was all it had going for it, but the infamous “Poltergeist Curse” (the rumors surrounding the deaths of multiple stars associated with the franchise) lend it a certain eerie je ne sais quoi that makes it perfect Halloween viewing. Thanks to its relatable characters, remarkable set pieces, and memorable lines (“They’re heeeere…”), 69% of those who voted deemed it a Halloween classic.

Yeah, we get it, The Nightmare Before Christmas is just as much a Christmas movie as it is a Halloween movie (and to some, more so). But there’s no denying the film’s aesthetic and atmosphere sit comfortably in spooky territory, and Jack Skellington’s efforts to adopt the Christmas holiday for his own people is infused by Halloween themes and iconography. If you need something to watch with the little ones on October 31, this is a perfect choice.

The instantly recognizable score. The iconic kill. The groundbreaking mid-movie twist. The groundbreaking final twist. Psycho may have predated the slasher heyday of the 1970s and 1980s, but it laid the foundation for Jason, Freddy, and Michael Myers, and there are plenty of chills to be had, thanks to the Master of Suspense himself, Alfred Hitchcock. It’s not the bloodiest entry on the list, but it sets the perfect mood for the season.

Our final entry in the top 10 delivers yet another legendary horror villain in the form of Leatherface, the human skin-wearing, chainsaw-wielding juggernaut who terrorizes the unfortunate group of teens who wander onto his family’s property. But he wasn’t the only reason The Texas Chain Saw Massacre was terrifying. The film’s gritty, grimy aesthetic, anxiety-inducing sound design, and real-world horror gave it a sense of authenticity, and it’s all the more terrifying for it. Many have tried to copy the formula, but only few have done it well.