Best and worst iconic Halloween movies, ranked

It’s that time of year again. I don’t know about you, but the chill in the air, those giant skeletons, and the sudden appearance of Spirit Halloweens in every abandoned storefront just ooze ‘spooky season’. But of course, nothing screams Halloween more than rewatching some of the season’s most iconic movies.

So grab your popcorn, folks, because it’s time to see if Ghostface, the Sanderson Sisters, and more from your favorite spooky films are truly worth their massive following.

1. The Nightmare Before Christmas (1993): 5/5

Directed by Henry Selick, this claymation stop motion film follows Pumpkin King of Halloween Town, Jack Skellington (Chris Sarandon/Danny Elfman), as he discovers Christmas Town and attempts to bring the holiday to his own world with unintended consequences.

This film is like a warm hug. With the soothing voice of Patrick Stewart narrating the movie’s opening, why wouldn’t it be? It effectively combines the weird and spooky vibe of Halloween with the feel-good, yuletide cheer of the holiday season.

What I love most about this movie is that you can watch it several times and still find things you’ve never noticed before. For example, the severed head that speaks from the bass player’s instrument in the film was modeled after the film’s composer and singing voice for Jack Skellington, Danny Elfman. Or, fun facts that make watching the movie a more mind-blowing experience. Did you know that one minute of the movie took about a week to shoot, with the entire project taking three years to complete? Or, that it was the first animated film to be nominated for Best Visual Effects at the Oscars?

Another thing I love about this movie is its use of color. Halloween Town uses a lot of grays and muted tones, giving it a dreary atmosphere. Christmas Town, however, uses light and bright colors such as reds, greens, and blues to be more visually stimulating and emotionally vivid. Once Halloween starts taking over Christmas, the dull colors of Halloween slowly bleed into the bright lights of Christmas, showing the takeover rather than telling.

Besides color, the overall camera angles, such as the one focusing on Jack’s reflection in a doorknob, help make the film seem less claymation-y and more real. In this particular scene, the doorknob looks brassy enough to be stolen from real life, and Jack’s reflection has this wonderful clarity to it. I couldn’t help but be swept away by this film’s utter movie magic.

2. Scream (1996): 4/5

Directed by Wes Craven, “Scream” is a horror-comedy slasher film following a group of high school students (Neve Campbell, Skeet Ulrich, Matthew Lillard, Rose McGowan) terrorized by the masked killer known as Ghostface, who embraces classic horror movie tropes while targeting their victims.

Do you like scary movies? This is the first question Ghostface asks a blonde Drew Barrymore in the memorable opening sequence. Although I wouldn’t call this a horror film due to its more satirical elements, this movie strikes a nice balance between comedy and violent thriller.

At one point in the movie, there’s a party celebrating the school’s closure. Tatum Riley, student and best friend of protagonist Sydney Prescott finds herself isolated in the garage by Ghostface. Before dying by the garage door in typical horror movie fashion, she mocks Ghostface, saying, “No, please don’t kill me, Mr. Ghostface. I wanna be in the sequel!”.

However, a couple things are preventing me from giving this movie five stars. One is a montage of Ghostface stalking Sidney Prescott throughout the afternoon. Why is Ghostface doing it? Does he like grocery shopping? Whatever the answer is, it adds nothing to the plot.

One thing I don’t know how to feel about is the movie’s purposeful heavy trope use. On one hand, it’s funny, because there’s nothing quite as satisfying as horror movie aficionado Randy saying, “There are certain rules one must abide by in order to successfully survive a horror movie” followed by the characters breaking all of them. But, the heavy use of tropes and its predictability also makes the climax less satisfying than it should be. Look, spoilers can make the experience better, but in this case, it doesn’t.

Overall, this movie is still as clever and groundbreaking as it was when it first came out, but the heavy use of cliches are slightly overdone, with weird plot lines preventing it from being as good now as it was back in 1996.

3. Hocus Pocus (1993): 3.5/5

Directed by Kenny Ortega, “Hocus Pocus” follows three resurrected witches (Bette Midler, Sarah Jessica Parker, and Kathy Najimy) from 17th-century Salem as they wreak havoc on modern-day Salem. Three kids: a skeptic, a local, and a child, must stop them to prevent the witches from achieving immortality.

If the vibe of trick-or-treating were captured in a movie, from the excitement of candy to the awkwardness of adolescents feeling too “old” for Halloween, this would be it.

The film uses its iconic location in Salem, Massachusetts as a boon, effectively combining gimmicky Halloween decorations with witchy lore and history. However, despite the town’s dark history, “Hocus Pocus” is often more style than substance, focusing on garish costumes rather than diving into the details.

However, despite the overall flashiness of the costumes, they still shine in this film. Mrs. Dennison’s Madonna costume is positively tubular as is Dani Dennison’s classic witch costume. And the Sanderson sisters? Well, it seems their green, red, and purple costumes remain the pinnacle of every costume aisle. Besides the costumes, the music is surprisingly sweeping and orchestral despite the overall cheesy vibe of the movie. In particular, the opening sequence has dramatic music that twists and turns with the movements of the shadows of the flying Sarah Sanderson across the forest.

With the film’s combination of the 90s and the whimsical spirit of the witches and Salem itself, it’s hard not to feel nostalgic while watching it. However, some of the special effects, from the lightning of spell casting to the way the sisters fly on their broomsticks prevent me from being fully into the movie. While I understand that technology has definitely improved from 1993, the very obviously fake effects are more trick than treat.

Even though “Hocus Pocus” is truly a bunch of hocus pocus at times, the music, costumes, and spooky historical environment add a layer of witchy magic that casts a spell on you.

4. Beetlejuice (1988): 2/5

Directed by Tim Burton, this dark comedy follows a recently deceased couple (Alec Baldwin and Geena Davis) stuck as ghosts in their own home as they enlist the help of mischievous spirit Beetlejuice (Michael Keaton) to scare away the new living occupants, leading to chaotic consequences.

I really wanted to like this film. It inspired a wonderful Broadway musical of the same name and most recently, a movie sequel starring Jenna Ortega. However, I would classify this as a more cult classic film because it’s an acquired taste and to me, it’s drier than a giant sandworm in a desert.

I’m not sure if my sense of humor is broken or not, but this movie wasn’t funny and was more annoying, like a weird cousin who keeps showing up at family gatherings. I know this film isn’t meant to be particularly coherent, but it made me feel like I should blink twice for help because I was getting some severe visual whiplash.

Confusion aside, Michael Keaton does a great job of portraying the demon Beetlejuice. It’s funky, it’s strange, and it’s positively devious, but his acting is one of the main reasons why I think this movie still retains its icon status. Another thing that’s still iconic is the movie’s costumes. I love Beetlejuice’s suit, Lydia’s red dress, and the classic midwestern americana outfits of the deceased Maitland couple.

The cast, besides Keaton, is absolutely stacked, with the likes of Alec Baldwin, Geena Davis, Catherine O’Hara, and a young Winona Ryder. But not even the sheer amount of star power present in each scene could save the movie from being a mess that does not spark joy.

Overall, “Beetlejuice” is Tim Burton at his absolute strangest and messiest. Come for the weird, stay for the nostalgia…and more weird, I suppose.

5. Halloween (1978): 1.5/5

Directed by John Carpenter, Michael Myers spends 15 years locked up in a mental institution after brutally murdering his sister, but escapes and returns to his hometown. Now wearing a mask, he begins a killing spree on Halloween night, targeting a group of teenagers.

In case you’re not aware, the repeated tune you hear at Fright Fest every Halloween season is from this very movie. Home to one of the season’s most well-recognized costumes and a simple but catchy film score, I’m honestly surprised I didn’t watch this film sooner.

However, a single Fright Fest actor could inspire more fear than this movie ever could. Yes, it’s a character-driven film with some undercurrents of tension and there’s a considerable lack of typical horror movie gore, but even with its more modern take, it fails to be anything truly spooky. Honestly, the most interesting part of the movie was the first 10 minutes, where a single camera does a simple point-of-view shot of a young Michael Myers observing and then killing his older sister.

The overall camera work is simple, most of the time to a boring degree. However, there are some cool moments like where the camera zooms in on a pink matchbox early in the film and then calls attention to it later on. Additionally, I like the use of parallels, like when protagonist Laurie enters her friend’s house just like Michael did when he killed his sister, only this time the camera switches from being point of view to facing Laurie straight on.

However, one of the paradoxical elements of the movie is its use of sound. When the audience sees things through Michael’s point of view, everything is silent except for some heavy breathing, which is really cool. However, even when it’s not from Michael’s point of view, the sound is so quiet that necessary lines of the movie can’t really be heard. The only balanced sound is the simple music.

I keep using the word “simple” to describe this movie because that’s exactly what it is. There’s nothing special or entirely groundbreaking, but maybe it was back in the 1970s, who knows? Whatever the case, it’s a little too basic for me to want to waste an hour and a half of my time again. Although I’m glad John Carpenter succeeded in making a blockbuster with $20 and a dream, I don’t need to see this movie again.

So there you have it, my full thoughts on five of Halloween’s most iconic films. Although I loved watching them, some were ghastly enough that I’m not sure I will be summoning the likes of Michael Myers and Beetlejuice ever again.

Any iconic Halloween movies I missed? Have a differing opinion? Let me know in the comments below!