15 ghoulishly good ’90s films to watch this Halloween

While this is a family-friendly film, I seriously find the witches creepy in this. Starring the iconic Anjelica Huston as the Grand High Witch, the film was based on the 1983 Roald Dahl novel of the same name and is about evil witches who masquerade as normal women.

The rich, eccentric Addams Family take pleasure in anything macabre or grotesque without any self-awareness. However, their lifestyle of eccentricity is threatened when the family lawyer and a mother–son duo, plot to steal their riches. This film was based on the cartoon of the same name, which first premiered in 1964. The franchise has been adapted in different ways since the original ’90s film – including a live musical adaptation – and is still a huge success today. The cast also includes familiar Halloween film faces such as Anjelica Huston and Christina Ricci playing the infamous Wednesday Adams. The Addams Family spin-off, Wednesday, which premiered on Netflix in 2022 starring Jenna Ortega, holds the title of one of the most popular Netflix shows of all time.

Another Halloween re-watch, this film embodies the eeriness of Halloween in Anthony Hopkins‘ character of Dr.Hannibal Lecter. Frequently described as one of the greatest films of all time, Clarice Starling (Jodie Foster) plays an FBI trainee recruited to interview Dr Hannibal Lecter – a cannibalistic psychiatrist who has been imprisoned. Her aim is to gain information from the convict to apprehend another killer who has been targeting young women. 

HELLO!s‘ TV and Film writer Abby Allen is also a fan: ”The Silence of the Lambs is without a doubt one of the most iconic films in screen history – and an especially great watch for Halloween. Anthony Hopkins’ bone-chilling performance as the psychopathic killer Hannibal Lecter will get your heart racing, and I challenge you not to be thinking about it for days after the credits roll.”

Meryl Streep, Goldie Hawn and Bruce Willis all star in this glitzy American black comedy about a fading actress seeking immortality treatment to outdo her rival. The film received widespread praise for its visual effects and even won an Academy Award for Best Visual Effects in 1993 for its mix of CGI, puppetry, and body doubles.

It’s not Halloween until someone suggests this classic, treasure of a film to watch. Three witches, played by Bette Midler, Sarah Jessica-Parker and Kathy Nijamy resurrect in Salem after 300 years to reclaim their youth. However, in their pursuit they reign terror over new kid on the block Max, who accidentally ressurected the witches when he lit the Cursed Candle of the Black Flame. The cult success of this film even led to a Hocus Pocus 2 in 2022 with the same trio of witches, but let’s face it, it can never beat the OG Hocus Pocus. 

While there is ”Christmas” in the title, I do count this on my Halloween watchlist due to its cosy, macabre aesthetic – and of course, anything Tim Burton says Halloween to me. 

When Jack Skellington, from Halloween Town, finds Christmas Town, he becomes enchanted – and the situation takes a turn when his obsession with Christmas leads him to abduct Santa Claus in this classic stop-motion animated film.

I remember having this film on video as a child and thinking Casper was the most adorable cartoon character. This wholesome film is about Casper, a friendly ghost who haunts a mansion in Maine. When paranormal expert, Dr James Harvey (Bill Pullman) exorcises the ghosts, an unlikely friendship stirs up between Harvey’s daughter (played by Christina Ricci) and Casper. Fun fact, this was one of the first films to have a fully CGI character in the lead role and was a huge breakthrough in visual effects at the time. It’s a rewatch for me every Halloween…

This American slasher film is primarily known for its signature Scream mask, used by so many Halloween costumes. The storyline is pretty eerie, though, as it’s centred around high school student Sidney Prescott and her friends, who become targeted by a masked murderer on the anniversary of her mother’s murder.

The franchise went on to develop six more films, with a seventh on the way. The films are notably praised for their jump scares and slightly satirical deconstruction of horror film tropes — and it scores a 76 per cent rating on Rotten Tomatoes. If you enjoy this film, there are five more to watch and Scream 7 is on the way in 2026…

If Gossip Girl were a Halloween film, then this would be the result — in this plotline about three teenage students at a Catholic school who practise witchcraft against anyone who annoys them. So when a new student befriends the group, she might wish she hadn’t got involved with the clique. The cast includes famed ‘Scream Queen’ Neve Campbell, known for playing Sidney Prescott in Wes Craven’s Scream franchise.

Sandra Bullock and Nicole Kidman are a witchy pairing in this film, where they play sisters Sally and Gillian who use ‘practical magic’ inherited from their deceased parents to overcome life’s challenges. One of the unfortunate family curses is that any man who falls in love with them is doomed – and they must fight the curse. This film has some stunning visuals and embodies the ’90s horror charm in a Bewitched-esque way. Practical Magic 2 is rumoured to be released in September 2026, re-starring Sandra and Nicole.

Another American ’90s slasher film, this is the seventh instalment in the Halloween franchise, with a line-up including Jamie Lee Curtis and Michelle Williams. It follows the dark story of Laurie Strode, who has faked her death to go into hiding from her murderous brother, Michael Myers – who, of course, ends up finding where she is. For any Scream fans, this movie is similar in style, so is worth adding to your list.

If you want more of a bonkers Halloween film, then the Disney Channel Original Halloweentown has all the ingredients. When Grandma Aggie (played by Debbie Reynolds) comes to visit, and Marnie learns she is a witch on her 13th Halloween and is transported to Halloweentown which is a magical (slightly bizarre) place of spooky creatures. However, the world is also full of Werewolves and Worlocks and curses…

One of my favourite re-watches in the Halloween period is this film, as visually it’s such an interesting watch in its pseudo-documentary style. The thriller follows three students who are shooting a documentary about the Blair Witch, so they hike into the Appalachian Mountains (you can predict how this ends). It’s consistently listed as one of the scariest horrors of all time – and it truly is a staple on my watchlist.

For any gothic horror lovers, Sleepy Hollow is on my watchlist as I am a huge fan of Tim Burton’s work. The film is set in Sleepy Hollow’s where police constable Ichabod Crane is sent from New York City to investigate a set of mysterious murders by a headless horseman. The film is based on the legend of Sleepy Hollow which is one of America’s most infamous ghost stories…

Senses are taken to the next level in this psychological film about nine-year-old Cole Sear (Haley Joel Osment), who has the ability to communicate with the dead. He then consults a psychologist called Dr Malcolm Crowe (Bruce Willis) to help him with his gift. The film was nominated for six Academy Awards and helped establish horror filmmaker M. Night Shyamalan.