As the air turns crisp and the leaves begin to fall, it’s time to embrace the spookiest season of the year. Forget the long, dark wait — the fun starts now! Whether you’re a connoisseur of classic scares, a fan of family-friendly frights, or seeking something new and terrifying, this ultimate countdown to Halloween caters to all your needs.
From Freeform’s annual “31 Nights of Halloween” to AMC’s “FearFest” and a terrifying lineup of new movies on streaming, there’s something for every ghoul, ghost, and goblin.
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### “28 Days Later” — AMC
A group of animal rights activists breaks into a research laboratory to free chimpanzees. Despite a warning from a scientist that the chimps are infected with a virus causing unstoppable rage, one is released. The activist is immediately infected, and the virus spreads rapidly, bringing societal collapse within days.
### “Candyman” (1992) — AMC
While researching urban legends for her thesis in Chicago, graduate student Helen Lyle (Virginia Madsen) and her colleague Bernadette (Kasi Lemmons) discover the legend of the Candyman. Residents of the Cabrini-Green housing project fear the hook-handed killer, said to appear and murder anyone who says his name five times while looking into a mirror.
### “The Sorcerer’s Apprentice” — Freeform
A young apprentice of a powerful sorcerer, tired of his mundane chores, decides to use magic in his master’s absence to make a broomstick do the work for him.
### “Hocus Pocus” — Freeform and Disney+
The film begins in 1693, with the Sanderson sisters — Winifred (Bette Midler), Mary (Kathy Najimy), and Sarah (Sarah Jessica Parker) — executing a spell that drains the life force from a young girl named Emily. In doing so, they curse her brother, Thackery Binx, to live forever as an immortal black cat.
The townsfolk later capture and hang the sisters. As they are executed, Winifred casts a final curse: they will return when a virgin lights the Black Flame Candle during a full moon on Halloween night.
### “Jason Goes to Hell: The Final Friday” — AMC
Jason Voorhees is killed, and his spirit begins to possess other people to continue his rampage. His evil can only be permanently destroyed by a member of his own bloodline, which leads to a search for his long-lost half-sister and her family.
### “101 Dalmatians” (1996) — Freeform and Disney+
The wicked, fur-obsessed fashion designer Cruella De Vil (Glenn Close) plots to kidnap a litter of Dalmatian puppies to turn them into a luxurious fur coat. The puppies’ parents, Pongo and Perdita, along with their human owners, must work with the animal kingdom to thwart Cruella’s scheme and rescue all 99 stolen puppies.
### “Scariest House in America” — HGTV
Comedian Retta tours some of the most bizarre, dilapidated, and genuinely terrifying homes in the country. The homeowners present their frightening properties, highlighting features like alleged ghost sightings, creepy basements, and unsettling history.
### “Maleficent: Mistress of Evil” — Disney+
Aurora’s upcoming marriage to Prince Philip creates a rift between Maleficent and her goddaughter, as the wedding is used by Philip’s mother, the conniving Queen Ingrith, to ignite a war between humans and fairies. The film explores themes of family, prejudice, and the struggle to protect the magical land of the Moors.
### “Monsters, Inc.” — Disney+
The monster world, Monstropolis, is powered by the screams of human children. When a little girl named Boo accidentally enters the factory, two top scarers, Sulley and Mike, discover that children are not toxic and that laughter is a much more powerful energy source than screams.
### “Tim Burton’s The Nightmare Before Christmas” — Freeform and Disney+
Jack Skellington, the “Pumpkin King” of Halloween Town, becomes bored with his annual routine of scaring people. He discovers and decides to take over Christmas. His attempts to put a spooky, Halloween-style twist on the cheerful holiday ultimately cause chaos and nearly ruin both holidays.
### “The Hand that Rocks the Cradle” — Hulu
A new nanny with a sinister motive, Polly, is hired by a suburban family and systematically works to destroy her employer, Caitlin, from within her own home. Unlike the original, the 2025 version will not be a series but a Hulu-exclusive film, offering a modernized update to the classic psychological thriller. Out Oct. 21.
### “Get Out” — HBO Max
Written and directed by Jordan Peele, this psychological horror follows a young Black man (Daniel Kaluuya) on a weekend trip to meet his white girlfriend’s parents. He soon uncovers a sinister secret involving the family.
### “The Blackening” — Netflix
In this horror-comedy, a group of Black friends staying in a cabin in the woods is forced to play a game with a killer who uses their knowledge of horror film tropes against them.
### “Blacula” — Tubi
This Blaxploitation-era classic follows an 18th-century African prince who is turned into a vampire by Count Dracula and awakens in 1970s Los Angeles.
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Happy Halloween season!
https://www.phillytrib.com/entertainment/movies/a-guide-to-spooky-and-cooky-movies-to-get-you-in-the-halloween-spirit/article_dae76e07-8c87-46bd-9563-66a70b94d0bd.html