Horror Films to Watch This Halloween, Chosen by the Love Horror Team

Not sure what to watch this Halloween? The Love Horror team has you covered, with eight personal recommendations guaranteed to bring a little extra terror to your October 31st.

Halloween is almost upon us! With the big night falling on a Saturday this year, there’s really no excuse not to settle down with some snacks, something suitably spooky to drink and at least one good horror movie. Or three. Nobody’s judging.

Of course, choosing what to watch can be a nightmare in itself. Do you revisit an old favourite? Take a chance on something you’ve never seen? Go for a traditional slasher, a supernatural chiller or something so outrageously gory that you’ll regret eating beforehand?

Here at Love Horror, we spend a ridiculous amount of time watching horror films, but that doesn’t necessarily make choosing our Halloween viewing any easier. In fact, it probably makes things worse.

So, with October 31st fast approaching, we asked eight members of the Love Horror team to reveal their personal Halloween recommendations. The only rule was to choose something they’d genuinely enjoy watching on the big night.

Here are our picks for Halloween 2026.

Jasmine: The Return of the Living Dead (1985)

For me, Halloween isn’t complete without a bunch of idiots accidentally unleashing a zombie apocalypse, and The Return of the Living Dead delivers that beautifully! It’s got punks, a killer soundtrack, buckets of gore and some seriously awesome practical effects. Plus, these zombies aren’t your usual slow-moving, brainless kind. They’re fast, smart and practically impossible to kill! It’s one of those movies I’ve watched a ridiculous number of times and somehow never get tired of.

[Photo: Me getting into the Halloween spirit with a suitably seasonal drink.]

Alex: Trick ‘r Treat (2008)

Nothing says Halloween like a horror anthology and Trick ‘r Treat is one of the best. Written and directed by Michael Dougherty the 4 shocking stories plus wrap around perfectly play out across 1 Halloween night in the fictional town of Warren Valley. The characters from each pop up across the twisted tales, as well as a small yet sinister looking sack headed figure named Sam who is intent on enforcing the traditions of Halloween on all that break them. Packed with screams and laughs a plenty its the perfect movie to celebrate the spooky season.

[Photo: Alex showing off his Halloween decorations. Clearly someone takes this holiday seriously!]

Luna: Hatchet (2006)

Adam Green’s Hatchet is my ultimate Halloween watch for fans of guts, gore and old-school slashing. Set in the Louisiana bayou during Mardi Gras, a boat full of tourists finds out the hard way that the legend of local monster Victor Crowley is not so fictional, and he is out for blood in the most spectacular fashion. It’s got frat boy humour, incredible practical effects, gratuitous nudity and more horror icons than you can shake a severed limb at. What’s not to love?!

[Photo: Luna’s brilliantly spooky Amityville house pumpkin from a previous Halloween.]

Darren: Dark Night Of The Scarecrow (1981)

It was made for American television but that doesn’t mean Frank De Felitta’s film lacks power. Four self-appointed, small town vigilantes wrongfully execute a man for a crime he didn’t commit but when the court sets the quartet free, they don’t realise that something’s coming after them to settle the score. Brilliantly creepy, deliberately paced and smartly written, with a superb performance from Charles Durning as a particularly evil villain, this is a perfect chiller if you don’t want to be drowned in gore but have a hankering for a memorably eerie time.

[Photo: Darren encountering Frankie Freako in a spooky video shop at Celluloid Screams a couple of years ago.]

Holly: The Craft (1996)

Halloween wouldn’t be the same without a feisty coven of witches, which is exactly what you get in The Craft. Directed by Andrew Fleming and starring a top-tier cast including Neve Campbell, Robin Tunney and Fairuza Balk, this cult classic plunges you into 90s nostalgia and dark magic like no other and helped pave the way for magical favourites like Charmed and Practical Magic. It follows Sarah, a troubled teenager who joins a trio of aspiring witches at her new school, but their newfound powers soon spiral out of control. Fun and spooky, the film explores female empowerment, teenage angst, bullying and the dangers of revenge.

[Photo: Some expertly carved Halloween pumpkins, courtesy of Holly.]

David: Halloween (1978)

It may seem like an obvious choice, but I like to watch the original 1978 Halloween movie around the Halloween season, because it really is one of the best films the horror genre has to offer. With its dedicated direction, great soundtrack, inventive cinematography, strong performances, a script that keeps you guessing until the very end, and an unyielding sense of tension which few other films come close to matching, Halloween really is the perfect horror film to watch on Halloween. John Carpenter knocked it out of the park, and every self-respecting horror fan should watch Halloween at least four times.

Sam: Audition (1999)

My recommendation for a Halloween watch is Takashi Miike’s Audition, one of the most impressionable films I’ve ever seen.

The film follows a widower who stages a fake audition to find a new wife. He becomes captivated by the seemingly shy and gentle Asami, but as their relationship develops, things take a deeply disturbing turn.

I first experienced Audition late at night, after the pub, on Film4. I had the rare privilege of going in completely blind, not realising I was watching a horror film until Asami’s true nature begins to reveal itself.

The “kiri, kiri, kiri” sound as she takes her revenge with needles remains genuinely shocking. It’s a film that burrows into your brain and stays there. I certainly ripped it off in plenty of my early short films, which is probably the highest compliment I can pay it.

I’d give anything to experience Audition for the first time again. Happy Halloween to all who celebrate!

[Photo: Sam at the premiere of Primate.]

Tom: Halloween III: Season of the Witch (1982)

It has to be Halloween III: Season of the Witch for me. If I ever got through an October without hearing that iconic, ridiculously catchy ‘Eight more days till Halloween’ jingle, I’d feel seriously cheated!

I’m a huge Tom Atkins fan, and I just love the idea of a race against the clock to save children across America from an ancient evil lurking inside some of the coolest Halloween masks ever created. It’s such a brilliantly dark and weird concept, and the film has an atmosphere that just screams Halloween.

[Photo: Tom dressed as Michael Myers. Admittedly, not the most obvious costume for someone recommending Halloween III!]

What’s on Your Halloween Watchlist?

Well, there you have it. Eight films, eight very different ways to spend Halloween night, and enough murder, mayhem and questionable decision-making to keep just about any horror fan entertained.

Whatever you choose, we hope you have a fantastic Halloween. Keep the lights down, the volume up and be sure to check that nobody’s standing outside your window wearing a William Shatner mask.

Happy Halloween from everyone at Love Horror!

And don’t forget to tell us what you’ll be watching this October 31st. We’re always looking for an excuse to add another film to our watchlists.