Call it Netflix and thrill.
The days are getting shorter, and the nights are getting longer. Fans of fall know what that means: It's time to get into the Halloween spirit, and that doesn’t only involve drinking pumpkin spice lattes and stocking up on hoards of candy corn. Now is also the time for all good horror films to stream themselves into the homes of the unsuspecting, so fans of the jump scare can cuddle close at night. The best Halloween movies on Netflix these days run the gamut from old-school fun to new-school horror — including those perfect for cozy autumn evenings in with your SO.
Netflix has focused more on building out its winter holiday-themed library over the past couple of years, but the streaming service has quietly added some Halloween horror to its vast selection as well. Fans are probably more familiar with its spooky and eerie TV shows that make the hair on your arms stand up, such as Squid Game, Chilling Adventures of Sabrina, You, and Stranger Things — but Netflix also has some horror and Halloween-themed movie big hitters that will make for optimal romantic October nights.
There are plenty of spooky films to choose from, from scary thrillers to light-hearted comedies, whatever your taste in Halloween films (and candy) may be. For all those fall date nights in store this season, here are 10 of the best Halloween movies on Netflix that you can watch right now.
Benny (Jorge David Lendeborg Jr.), a college student moonlighting as a chauffeur, is hired by two mysterious women (Debby Ryan and Lucy Fry) to drive them as they nightclub hop across Los Angeles. Soon, however, he realizes that they are actually centuries-old bloodthirsty vampires, and Benny must fight to survive in the dangerous underground world they’ve dragged him into. With a cast that also includes Sydney Sweeney, Alexander Ludwig, and Megan Fox, Night Teeth (2021) is not one to miss. It arrives on Netflix on Oct. 20.
Based on the book of the same name by J.A. White, Nightbooks (2021) is a dark fantasy horror film aimed at young adults, so it’s a great low-stakes pick for cozy nights this spooky season. It follows Alex, a boy with a penchant for scary stories, who becomes imprisoned by an evil witch who lives in a magical apartment down the hall in New York City. In order to stay alive, he must tell the wicked witch a spooky tale every night, or else he will be trapped there forever.
In There’s Someone Inside Your House (2021), high schooler Makani (Sydney Park), who recently moved to Hawaii to live with her grandmother, must work with her friends to uncover whoever is killing students at their school. Not only do they have to identify the masked killer, but they also must stop him from exposing their darkest secrets. Using classic slasher film tropes in a modern setting, this belongs on your Halloween date night movie queue.
A spooky season-themed Adam Sandler comedy, Hubie Halloween (2020) boasts an all-star cast that includes Ray Liotta, Noah Schnapp, Steve Buscemi, and Maya Rudolph. Instead of spending his Halloween the usual way — making sure his town of Salem, Massachusetts celebrates safely — devoted local citizen Hubie Dubois (Sandler) winds up investigating a crime as people start disappearing. This horror-comedy makes for a great romantic Halloween movie to watch during date night.
Arguably one of the best, most iconic horror films of recent years, The Conjuring (2013), as well as The Conjuring 2 (2016), is on Netflix this Halloween season for you to view. It follows Lorraine and Ed Warren (Vera Farmiga and Patrick Wilson), paranormal investigators who are called upon to help a family who find themselves haunted by demonic spirits at home. If you’re looking for a pure horror movie to watch as you cower with your SO behind a blanket, this is the one for you.
Looking for a low-stakes, funny, horror-themed Halloween movie? Vampires vs. the Bronx (2020) might just be the perfect answer. Watch as three young friends from the Bronx band together and fight to save their neighborhood from extinction — and not just from gentrification, that is, but also sinister vampires.
The Ritual (2017) fits into the genre of cozy Halloween movies insofar as it mostly takes place in a woodsy forest setting, as a group of four close friends take a camping trip together in the Scandinavian wilderness. However, things take a horrifying turn for the guys as they end up in a mysterious forest of Norse legend. The gang quickly realizes that an ancient evil presence is messing with their heads and stalking them at every turn.
Netflix’s own Halloween movie franchise, The Babysitter (2017), and its sequel, The Babysitter: Killer Queen (2020), makes for a great romantic Halloween movie marathon for you and your SO to watch together. Deeply in love with his hot and popular babysitter (Samara Weaving), 12-year-old Cole (Judah Lewis) discovers she is actually a part of a satanic cult. Now, Cole must put his crush aside and try to stay alive before the murderous band of teenagers make him their next sacrifice.
A fun and spooky movie to watch this Halloween, ParaNorman (2012) is a stop-motion animated fantasy-horror film about a misunderstood young boy named Norman who can speak to the dead. When Norman finds out about an old witch's curse set upon his town, he realizes he is the only one who can stop it. Using his paranormal abilities, Norman must combat an army of zombies and save his townspeople.
Based on the popular novels, Netflix’s Halloween film A Babysitter's Guide to Monster Hunting (2020) stars Indya Moore (Pose) and Tom Felton (Harry Potter). It follows high school freshman Kelly Ferguson, who accidentally gets roped into a secret society of babysitters whose mission is to protect kids from monsters. With her newfound special powers, she must save the boy she’s watching on Halloween from the evil monsters that steal him away.
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