Let’s celebrate Halloween 2026 with a list of movies to watch this year! Our writers recommend 10 must-watch films to keep you company on the spookiest night of the year!
Halloween 2026 is here and you know what that means: it’s time to pick some movies to watch on October 31st! Which films will you pick this year? The Loud And Clear Reviews writers have you covered with a list of 10 must-watch gems, from new releases to all-time classics, genre favorites and more! Read our list of 10 movies to watch on Halloween this year, listed in alphabetical order!
1. Exit 8
Genki Kawamura
A young man (Kazunari Ninomiya) is on the underground in Tokyo when he receives a phone call from his partner (Nana Komatsu), who tells him she’s pregnant. Unsure of how to react, our “Lost Man” starts looking for the exit, but soon realizes that something is wrong. Somehow, he’s stuck in a loop, forced to walk through the same corridor over and over again, with no way out. Eventually, he notices a set of instructions: if he spots an anomaly, he has to turn back immediately; otherwise, he should keep walking until he reaches Exit 8. It sounds simple enough, except it isn’t.
Adapted from the 2023 video game of the same name, Genki Kawamura’s Exit 8 is a psychological horror that will have you gripping your seat just as often as it will make you laugh out loud in delight. More than that, you’ll soon start to really care about Lost Man, and you’ll find yourself cheering him on, trying to spot anomalies before he does, and getting increasingly invested in his fate. Just like him, you’re in for some scares and some wonderfully absurd surprises, but there’s more to this haunting film than meets the eye, in a story that ultimately explores what it means to be human, and why making choices matters even when we can’t predict their outcome. Watch it with a crowd! (Serena Seghedoni)
2. Funny Games (1997)
Michael Haneke
If a film called Funny Games sounds like a good vibe, I hate to disappoint you but this movie is one of the worst vibes ever, which is exactly why it is so terrifying. Acclaimed arthouse director Michael Haneke shows us that the scariest thing in the world is the pain another human being can inflict on you. In Funny Games, two psychotic young men ambush a wealthy family in their lakeside holiday home, torturing them for seemingly no reason at all. This is a truly brutal movie, with some of the most wince-inducing scenes of violence I have ever seen. Haneke does all of this while making the lead villain look directly down the lens and wink at us, knowing full well how celebrated violence in cinema normally is.
It is an unbelievably effective horror-thriller, simply because you have no idea where the plot will go next. Shock factor plays a big part in my enjoyment on the first watch, but only on the second viewing could I see how the boys systematically neutralised this rich family and created a situation where they had all the power. Amazing lead performances all around make this a must-watch, but maybe make sure your doors are locked first. (Jordon Searle)
3. Get Out
Jordan Peele
When it was announced that Jordan Peele was stepping into the horror genre, the reaction was largely positive. And it was well-earned, as his debut feature, Get Out, was a masterpiece in psychological horror, while also exposing the often hidden racism of “nice” white people.
Daniel Kaluuya and Allison Williams play Chris and Rose, a seemingly sweet interracial couple, heading to meet Rose’s family for the first time. When they arrive and meet Dean (Bradley Whitford) and Misty Armitage (Catherine Keener), the situation seems awkward, but ultimately harmless. However, as time passes, Chris begins to recognize that something is off with the entire family. By the time he starts to see all of the red flags, he might be in too deep, unable to escape their evil machinations.
If Get Out were strictly a horror film, it would already be incredibly effective. The score is fantastic, the use of the “sunken place” is unsettling, and the tension ratchets up at a near-perfect level. It also has a surprising amount of humor, for a story that is quite ugly in its thesis. But it is the impressive way that Peele weaves in a story about race, and the ways that even white liberals who would have voted for Obama for a third term if they could, can participate in racist activities. It is a brilliant piece of horror wrapped in a brilliant piece of social commentary. (Alise Chaffins)
4. Halloween III: Season of the Witch
Tommy Lee Wallace
“A Halloween movie without Michael Myers” might feel like a strange selling point for the third film in the popular horror franchise, and indeed, Halloween III: Season of the Witch was met with its fair share of criticism when it was first released in 1982. Audiences who thought they knew what they were getting after two films largely lambasted this entry involving halloween masks, factory towns, and a plot to take over the world. And I think they were wrong to do so.
This is not to say Season of the Witch is a great movie, or even a satisfying horror film. It carries the same schlockiness that other horror sequels carry, but director Tommy Lee Wallace uses that schlock to his advantage here. The characters, including Doctor Daniel Challis, Ellie Grimbridge, and the mysterious Conal Cochran, all feel like amped-up caricatures, but in a way that drives the movie’s surprisingly effective themes about consumerism and the power of propaganda. It may not be “scary’ by today’s standards, but Halloween III certainly entertains and actually leaves us thinking about some things once the credits start to roll. I can’t say many other horror franchise sequels make me do the same. You mean to tell me the soulless men in suits working for the sleazy businessman taking over rural small towns are the bad guys?! Somebody maybe tell America. (Joshua Stevens)
5. Ken Russell’s The Devils
Ken Russell
Based on Aldous Huxley’s historical novel “The Devils of Loudun,” and John Whiting’s stage adaptation, The Devils recounts the accusations Father Urbain Grandier (Oliver Reed) faced in 17th-century France at the hands of sexually oppressed Sister Agnes (Vanessa Redgrave), which church and state were more than happy to exploit to undermine Urbain’s influence over the city of Loudun.
There are no demons or manifestations of the devil in Ken Russell’s religious spectacle. What you will find here instead are the real efforts of fragile egos in priests and kings—afraid someone will point out the holes in their oppressive systems—to keep people from having full control over their minds and bodies. The real devils are those unwilling to let power slip through their fingers, and using women’s desires against them to maintain the status quo. While The Devil’s imagery and themes might not shock as much today as they did in 1971, the film retains a provocative tone that feels both relevant and heavy, gluing your eyes to the screen.
Derek Jarman’s futuristic depiction of Loudun gives the movie a timeless look that should make any modern production embarrassed that they can’t match it. Oliver Reed is charming yet despicable, commanding authority while showing so much vulnerability opposite Gemma Jones’ Madeleine. No words could do justice to what Vanessa Redgrave brings to Sister Agnes. Her laugh and frantic physicality will surely haunt your dreams this Halloween season, if you let The Devils into your home. (Edgar Ortega)
6. The Innkeepers
Ti West
It’s the Yankee Pedlar Inn’s last weekend in business and the two employees working the front desk are spending its final days investigating the hotel’s dark history. Madeline O’Malley, the Widow of Yankee Pedlar, is said to haunt the place. She hanged herself after her husband-to-be stood her up at the wedding. Buried in the wood cellar for days after her death, Madeline’s ghost has been spotted by guests ever since the hotel reopened in the 1960s, supposedly waiting for her lover to join her.
For Claire (Sara Paxton), life as an amateur paranormal sleuth is just something to do while she counts down the days until she’s out of a job. One of the hotel’s final guests asks her what she does. She just ‘works at the hotel’, she’s ‘in between stuff’. This is recession-era America where ghosts are being created every day.
Along with her jaded colleague Luke (Pat Healy), Claire listens out for things going bump in the night. Director Ti West can’t help inject some levity into the film through Claire and Luke’s banter and some ‘gotcha!’ jump-scares caused by entirely everyday occurrences, but The Innkeepers is an atmospheric delight. It unfurls like a slow-burn ghost story, familiarising you with the hotel’s rooms and corridors, its legends and folklore, before letting the spirits do the talking. With its dilapidated aesthetic and nightmarish ghouls, it is perfect to throw on while hosting a Halloween party or if you are craving a ghost story on a dark and stormy night. (Scott Wilson)
7. The Descent
Neil Marshall
After only ten minutes of The Descent, main character Sarah (Shauna Macdonald) has lost her husband Paul and daughter Jessica in a fatal car crash. How do you deal with such an event and the all-consuming grief that follows? There is no easy or right answer, but even Sarah’s choice—a spelunking expedition with her friend in the Appalachian Mountains—still seems an odd one. Nevertheless, the setup gives us what would become one of the best horrors of the 21st century; a dark, doom-ridden ride that offers severe thrills and chills alongside some extreme emotional catharsis.
After the group gets stuck in the dense caving system, they discover they’re not alone. In the darkness are cavepeople or Crawlers who have adapted to their environment with ruthless efficiency, and who see the group of women as their next meal. What follows is an expert creature feature, where director/writer Neil Marshall shows incredible control in creating tension before unleashing riotous hell on the characters, accompanied by Paul Hyett’s excellent creature design.
The Descent has some wobbly scriptwriting—corny lines are in abundance here—and yet the pure terror on show shakes off those shortcomings to create an unforgettable reflection on grief. To get the full effect, you need to watch The Descent as it was originally intended by Marshall, with its original British ending as opposed to the slightly altered American cut. (William Stottor)
8. Teenage Sex and Death at Camp Miasma
Jane Schoenbrun
Teenage Sex and Death at Camp Miasma won’t be what you’re expecting. Written and directed by Jane Schoenbrun (I Saw the TV Glow), the film centers on a promising young filmmaker named Kris Williams (Hannah Einbinder), who has just been hired to direct a new installment of the fictional slasher franchise Camp Miasma. A lifelong fan of these films, Kris sets up a meeting with actress Billy Presley (Gillian Anderson), a mysterious actress who portrayed the final girl of the original Camp Miasma and retired shortly after. What starts out as a simple conversation about Billy returning to acting becomes something else entirely.
Schoenbrun not only cleverly deconstructs the slasher genre, but they create this amazing film that’s sure to have different meanings for everyone who watches it. Teenage Sex and Death at Camp Miasma makes viewers consider several things about the impact of films, what it means to love, be loved by another, and be happy in your own body. Watching Einbinder and Anderson work is absolutely beautiful. Both are determined to make you feel exactly what they’re characters are feeling at any given moment and succeed because what we see from Kris and Billy is raw, real, and passionate. Make a date with these two this Halloween, but keep an eye out for Little Death. (Branyan Towe)
9. The Witch
Robert Eggers
Robert Eggers’ The Witch is a unique film. Centring on a British family that has just migrated to Massachusetts in 1630, it tries to be as realistic as possible in its portrayal of a very specific time and place. Every line of dialogue is in Old English, every character acts and looks like someone from the time, and the narrative is clearly influenced by myths, legends, superstitions, and behaviours of the late seventeenth century.
It might not be for everyone —most people will have to watch it with subtitles, I fear — but I will always prefer an original, ambitious movie with a few flaws over a run-of-the-mill chiller packed with clichés and stereotypical characters. Watching The Witch is like experiencing a nightmare come to life, filled with chilling imagery and unsettling situations —and featuring Anya Taylor-Joy’s first well-known performance! Which is why it’s the perfect film to watch on Halloween, especially if you’re into supernatural horror and the unknown. (Sebastian Zavala Kahn)
10. Undertone
Ian Tuason
Who says you need to see something scary to give you the tingles this Halloween? Maybe all you need is to hear it. That’s the mindset of undertone, a box office success from back in March. Nina Kiri and Adam DiMarco play Evy and Justin, a pair of friends who host a paranormal podcast. When they’re sent recordings from a troubled married couple, Evy’s home becomes increasingly corrupted, as does her comatose mother (Michèle Duquet). undertone’s biggest claim to fame is its use of sound, starting with perfectly mixing the audio of the recordings we listen to. The haunting audio is then spread to every sound in Evy’s house, making her – and us – more paranoid by the minute.
undertone also screws with your head with its use of shadow and wide negative space, leaving literally no square inch of the screen feeling safe to stare at or venture into. Underlying everything is an enigmatic plot dealing with religious and parental guilt, which may or may not be enhanced by a single supernatural evil. The agony of the sounds, misery of the mood, and the uncertainty of what’s even happening demand you turn out the lights, curl up tight, and open yourself up to being scared in a more sensory-driven manner than any big, freaky monster can achieve, especially this time of year. (Joseph Tomastik)
More Halloween Movie Recommendations:
- 10 Best Classic Horror Movies You’ve Never Seen
- Best Halloween Movies for a Family Movie Night
- 10 Halloween Movies Kids Will Devour
- 9 Tim Burton Movies to Watch this Halloween
- 10 Horror Films for People Who Are Scared of Horror Films
- 9 Films for a 1980s Horror Movie Marathon
- 10 Best 1990s Horror Movies
- The 10 Best Horror Thriller Movies Ranked
- The 10 Best Horror Thriller Suspense Movies Ranked
- Our Guide to Horror for Beginners
More Movies to Watch for Halloween 2026:
- A Nightmare on Elm Street
- Backrooms
- Colony (Gun-Che)
- The Conjuring
- Diabolic
- Faces of Death
- The Fog
- Halloween (1978)
- Leviticus
- The Ugly Stepsister