Halloween season is the spookiest time of the year, and we now have the official list of the top 10 movies you should consume this Halloween season to get yourselves in the mood for some tricks and some treats.

10. Mischief Night (2013)

When you think of mischief night, you think of the night before Halloween when you egg people’s houses and cars, and litter their property with toilet paper before going back to their houses on Halloween night, in costume, to get candy for performing a trick and retrieving a treat.  This film is none the wiser and is the film to set the mood for the spooky season.  The synopsis reads, “Young Emily Walton, who has suffered from psychosomatic blindness ever since the car accident that took her mother’s life, must summon every instinct at her disposal to protect herself and her loved ones from a mysterious intruder.”  The film stars Ian Bamberg, Noell Coet, Adam Edwards, Stephanie Erb, and Charlie O’Connell.

9. Clownhouse (1989)

There is nothing creepier than a scary clown, and a lot of people fear clowns (both good and bad ones).  So, adding a killer clown, or in this case, three of them impersonating good clowns by stealing their identities, is just suitable for your Halloween horror movie consumption.  The synopsis reads, “Just before Halloween, three young brothers alone in a big house are menaced by three escaped mental patients who have murdered some traveling circus clowns and taken their identities.”  The film stars Nathan Forrest Winters, Brian McHugh, Sam Rockwell, Michael Jerome West, Byron Weible, David Reinecker, Timothy Enos, Frank Diamanti, Karl-Heinz Tueber, and Gloria Belsky.

8. Monster House (2006)

A more family-friendly, with some adult humor movie making this list, is Monster House where a house is “alive” and eating people that come onto its property.  It’s a cute, yet frightening animated film that brings the Halloween spirit to the forefront.  The synopsis reads, “Three teens discover that their neighbor’s house is really a living, breathing, scary monster.”  The film stars Mitchell Musso, Sam Lerner, Spencer Locke, Steve Buscemi, Catherine O’Hara, Fred Willard, Maggie Gyllenhaal, Jason Lee, Kevin James, Jon Heder, Nick Cannon, and Cathleen Turner.

7. The Nightmare Before Christmas (1993)

A true classic from Tim Burton that mixes Halloween with Christmas, and brings the best of both worlds.  This is a must-watch for any Halloween and Christmas fanatics and brings joy from both holidays.  The synopsis reads, “Jack Skellington, king of Halloween Town, discovers Christmas Town, but his attempts to bring Christmas to his home causes confusion.”  The film stars Chris Sarandon, Catherine O’Hara, William Hickey, Ken Page, Paul Reubens, Glenn Shadix, Edward Ivory, and Danny Elfman.

6. Terrifier (2016)

Another film to watch (which didn’t make the list) is All Hallows’ Eve, which introduces the sadistic killer clown known as Art.  Branching off that film is Terrifer, which reintroduces Art the Clown, who obsesses over this girl he wants to kill on Halloween night.  The synopsis reads, “On Halloween night, Tara Heyes finds herself as the obsession of a sadistic murderer known as Art the Clown.”  The film stars David Howard Thornton, Jenna Kanell, Samantha Scaffidi, Catherine Corcoran, Michael Leavy, Matt McAllister, Katie McGuire, and Pooya Mohseni.

5. Samhain (2020)

Samhain is a corny horror-comedy film that happens on the days leading up to Halloween and concludes on Halloween night when a mental patient escapes an asylum and becomes drawn to a local man’s clown mask, possessing the imagery of clown, suffering from multiple personality disorder, killing everyone that gets in his way from having him kill his daughter, who he once had an obsession with.  The synopsis reads, “Justin Freed had a mental breakdown on Halloween, which started during the festival of Samhain. He was committed to the Skook Asylum which he escaped on the nights leading up to Halloween to come after his daughter he lost years ago, Sami. Sami’s mom, Kathryn, is back in town to help put a stop to Justin’s antics by getting insight into Justin’s past while locked up in the Skook Asylum. Justin encounters four video game nerds, who go on a mission to protect their “princess” and be real-life video game heroes. Justin obtains an alter ego of sorts to which he uses the mannerisms of an evil, yet comedic clown in this horror-comedy to kill anyone and everyone that gets in his way from reuniting himself with his estranged wife and daughter.”  The film stars Scotty McCoy, Scott Yagielniskie, Tyler Ebert, Shane Opolsky, Brett Harris, Sara Cartwright, Brenda Sachleben, Richard Fessler, Kanyon Fessler, John Daubert, Carl Miller, and Kelly Gradwell.

4. Candy Corn (2019)

A Halloween weekend gone wrong when hazing leads to a death that has this victim resurrect and seek out bloody revenge against his bullies.  Full of tricks, hold the treats!  The synopsis reads, “It’s Halloween weekend and a group of bullies are planning their annual hazing on local outcast, Jacob Atkins. When they take things too far, he’s resurrected to seek revenge against those that wronged him.”  The film stars Courtney Gains, Pancho Moler, Tony Todd, PJ Soles, Nate Chaney, and Madison Russ.

3. Hocus Pocus (1993)

A family-friendly, witchy good time this Halloween brings you Hocus Pocus.  A fun, yet spooky surprise to watch every Halloween.  The synopsis reads, “A teenage boy named Max and his little sister move to Salem, where he struggles to fit in before awakening a trio of diabolical witches that were executed in the 17th century.”  The film stars Bette Midler, Sarah Jessica Parker, Kathy Najimy, Omri Katz, Thora Birch, Vanessa Shaw, Amanda Shepherd, Larry Bagby, Doug Jones, and Charles Rocket.

2. Trick ‘r Treat (2007)

On Halloween, you MUST follow all of the rules and if you don’t, you’ll die thanks to Sam.  This Halloween staple is a must-watch for fans of the classic Halloween rules.  The synopsis reads, “Five interwoven stories that occur on Halloween: an everyday high school principal has a secret life as a serial killer; a college virgin might have just met the guy for her; a group of teenagers pull a mean prank; a woman who loathes the night has to contend with her holiday-obsessed husband; and a mean old man meets his match with a demonic, supernatural trick-or-treater.”  The film stars Quinn Lord, Anna Paquin, Brian Cox, Dylan Baker, Rochelle Aytes, Brett Kelly, Samm Todd, Connor Levins, and Leslie Bibb.

1. Halloween (1978)

Is there any other option for a number 1 spot than the iconic, cult classic, Halloween from John Carpenter?  Halloween follows a young boy who kills his sister on Halloween night and then escapes from the Smith’s Grove Sanitarium 15 years later to go back to the town where he committed this heinous murder and sets his sights on three babysitters.  His doctor tracks him down and tries to put an end to him before he takes any more lives.  The foliage of the autumn season, the Halloween atmosphere, a scary, yet psychological plotline, and an emotionless, evil killer always will make this film a must-watch every Halloween night.  The synopsis reads, “Fifteen years after murdering his sister on Halloween night 1963, Michael Myers escapes from a mental hospital and returns to the small town of Haddonfield, Illinois to kill again.”  The film stars Donald Pleasence, Jamie Lee Curtis, Nancy Kyes, PJ Soles, John Michael Graham, Charles Cyphers, Nick Castle, Kyle Richards, Brian Andrews, Nancy Stephens, and Sandy Johnson.