48 Halloween Movies other than the Michael Myers franchise!
What's good Ya'll?
We're closing in on October and y'all know I LOVE lists. So here I am with another one that I think you'll enjoy! Around this time of year, the only movies most people associate with Halloween is the Michael Myers franchise. Well I'm here to provide you a LONG list of joints that usher in the season just as good as good ole Mike.
I made a video featuring 15 of these back in 2019 for those who aren't huge readers (and also a shameless self plug) but as I've stated with my other posts, this list will have the movies in this video and way more to check out!
Without further due, lets gets spooky!
1. Trick r Treat (2007)
Six small unique stories, 2 of which are the Intro/Conclusion, woven together to provide a Halloween experience that you'll forever remember. I'm being vague as possible because if you've never seen this film, you are in for a serious treat! This is my favorite movie on this list & if you know, you know. Beautifully shot, great practical effects, intertwining stories that make for a surprise, and so much more.
2. Hell House LLC (2015)
Some college students from New York decide to make an abandoned hotel the setting for their haunted house on Halloween Night. They soon realize, they should've left this place alone when odd things start to happen. This is a found footage movie that is a hell of a thrill ride. They really take advantage of the handheld camera to stack scares on top of scares, with some being subtle, to others that'll make you jump out of your seat.
3. Hell House LLC 2 (2018)
Taking place not too long after the first movie, a news crews heads to the hotel to follow up & document an explanation of the events from the first film,. Their curiosity gets them what they're looking for to say the least. Not as a good as the 1st one but still a damn good watch!
4. Hell House LLC 3 (2019)
Not learning from the past two events, a wealthy man buys the Hotel and turns it into a theater, bringing in a new crew of people and audience members to this location. As things start to unravel, the intentions are revealed that there's more than meets the eye. Same aesthetic premise as the other 2 and it caps the trilogy off nicely.
5. Candy Corn (2019)
Halloween Weekend has arrived and some bullies take it too far on their victim, leaving him dead. A traveling carnival comes in town for festivities and the victim is resurrected to take revenge. This is an homage to the retro slasher genre & it's shot really well. Such a great production and costume design, especially for the killer, which I'm surprised hasn't been done. A Halloween staple for me. The OG Tony Todd & Courtney Gaines make appearances as well!
6. The Houses October Built 1 (2014)
It's Halloween season and a group of young adults are touring the country to find the scariest haunted houses out there. As you can imagine, they find exactly what they're looking for. on their search This is a found footage film, so as this group visits the different haunts, you're right there with them the entire time.
7. The Houses October Built 2 (2017)
All I'm going to say here is, this is a direct sequel to the first one lol.
8. Satan's Little Helper (2004)
It's Halloween and a kid obsessed with Satan dresses up to pay homage to him. He ends up meeting someone dressed up as his idol who claims he really is who he says he is. Not believing him, the kid rolls along with him for a day and becomes part of a mayhem filled day. This film is super fun! It's pretty slapstick with it's style of comedy, but also has some pretty violent stuff. It's great!
9. All Hallows Eve (2013)
A sister and brother return home from a night of trick or treating with their babysitter. Anxious to eat candy, they dump their bags and out drops a VHS tape. Unable to resist watching, they pop in the tape and the night takes a strange and violent turn when video plays. One of my personal Halloween favorites that offers 3 short horror films that are sure to shock you.
10. All Hallows Eve 2 (2015)
On Halloween night, a young woman has a VHS tape dropped off by a creepy individual. Getting into the spirit, she slides the tape in her VCR (yes, she's that much of a hipster) & a plethora of short films play that eventually intertwine with her real life in the worst way imaginable. The tone of this one is a lot more silly than the original but the budget is bigger. Definitely a fun Halloween watch!
11. The Terrifier (2016)
On Halloween night, two young ladies leaving a party meet someone that they think is playfully indulging in the holiday spirit, only to learn he has a much more deadly agenda. Another favorite that I watch every year during October. If you don't like clowns, this movie is NOT gonna help your phobia. It'll probably make it worse because the violence is hyper elevated. One kill in particular is so over the top, your jaw will drop.
12. Tales of Halloween (2015)
A fun anthology style horror film with plenty of range in types of horror from slashers, to aliens, to demons, etc. There's a story for everyone in here and it is a super fun watch. This is a film to throw on when you invite a bunch of friends over & pour up the Witch inspired cocktails. It's that much of a good time for the season.
13. The Guest (2014)
A fallen soldier's family is met by one of his friends who just returned from the war they were fighting. The family offers him a room to stay for as long as he needs because they both seem to need healing. As time passes, more is revealed about this stranger that ends up deadly. This is a movie that is more along the lines of an action horror and it takes place in a city you don't necessarily see used for the setting of a Halloween movie.
14. Trick (2019)
A dude goes crazy and kills a group of high school kids on Halloween. He flees the scene but is fatally stopped by the cops but a year later, a copy cat masked killer shows up to continue his slaughter. This is another personal favorite of mine. It takes the slasher sub-genre to a different place that I can only remember seeing explored in Halloween 6. Not to mention, the killer in this movie is highly skilled. Martial arts and all!
15. Hell Fest (2018)
On Halloween night, a group of kids visit a horror theme park called, "Hell fest." What starts out as scary good fun, transitions to a fight for their lives when a deranged person takes things WAY too far. This one might be favorite overall on this list. Everything about this film works SO well, from the group dynamic, to the killer, the kills, the amazing setting, & a guest appearance from the OG, Tony Todd.
16. Haunt (2019)
A group of young adults visits a haunted house on Halloween night thinking it's fun and games, but soon finds out they're part of a sick play that's been heavily planned out. Another premise that has been done before but the execution here is easily one of the best I've seen. It starts out pretty typical with things you've seen before that make you think you know what you're getting into; But when you reach the 3rd act, you're given a surprise that you definitely do not see coming that makes the situation even more terrifying. Another fav of mine.
17. Night of the Demons (1988)
Angie (the weird kid of her high school who is alienated & made fun of by everyone) lures some fellow students to a Halloween party she's hosting at an abandoned mortuary; only to perform a séance that summons (you guessed it) demons. A goofy horror flick that has great practical effects and kills throughout. Think Friday the 13th but with demons
18. Night of the Demons 2 (1994)
Six years after the events of the first film, some idiotic bullies are at it again, except this time Angie's little sister is involved. Knowing what they know about the location, they decide to throw another Halloween party in the same house (The Hull House) as it's predecessor and long story short, the same s*** happens.
19. Night of the Demons 3 (1997)
Unlike the first 2 films, the group that lands in the Hull House are criminals fleeing from the police on Halloween Night. They think they're safe , they explore the house and accidently raise good ole Angie from the grave putting her back to her old ways. If you watched the 1st two, you're in for more of that in this film lol.
20. Night of the Demons Remake (2009)
A reboot of the original brings the same tale to 2000s. A Halloween party gets shut down and a small group of party goers are locked in the house. One of them is "bitten," by what she thinks is a plastic skeleton, only to realize she's been possessed by a demon. This is a raunchy and bloody fun time, especially if you throw a few back while watching.
21. Pumpkin Carver (2006)
On Halloween night, a sister and brother are home giving out candy to trick or treaters. The sisters boyfriend shows up to prank her but is accidently killed, by her brother. A year later, a masked killer shows up to kill those closest to her. Warning you now, this is a C-list film so don't expect the best dialogue and story. It is worth a watch during this season though. It's fun lol.
22. Scary Stories to Tell in the Dark (2019)
On Halloween Night, some kids in middle school enter an abandoned house that is known to be haunted. They make the mistake of taking a book from the house, unknowingly releasing creatures to bring on their demise. The practical effects and set design really bring this novel to life in such a frightening way. Each chapter, brings a new monster. I love this movie & it has become a new classic for me.
23. Boo (2018)
24. Hellions (2015)
A pregnant teenage girl is visited by some kids on Halloween night. What starts out as a simply strange occurrence, transitions into a murderous warped reality when these kids go on the attack. This film is a trippy ride that will have you wondering what's real and what's not. It also provides some pretty wicked Halloween imagery too.
25. American Fright Fest (2015)
A washed up horror director is hired to create the scariest horror walk on Halloween night. On that same night, an infamous serial killer breaks out of prison and enters the attraction to join in on the festivities in a real life way. At this point, this list has multiple versions of this story but this one is just as fun as the others and worth the watch, especially during Halloween season!
26. The Funhouse Massacre (2015)
The world's most notorious serial killers escape prison and make their way to a haunted house nearby. With it being Halloween night, unsuspecting visitors think they're part of the attraction until it's too late. That synopsis alone should make you wanna watch this all out kill fest. This is a fun one & another horror OG, Courtney Gaines, makes an appearance.
27. House of Fears (2007)
A group of high school kids decide to ditch a party and check out a haunted house that one of the kids works for. Since it hasn't been opened to the public yet, some of the kinks haven't quite been worked out which ends up being very unfortunate for this group. This a B-Roll film that makes for a fun watch over the Halloween season.
28. The Scarehouse (2014)
On Halloween night, revenge is sought by members of a Sorority for a prank gone wrong the year prior. The way the story is told from the beginning is kind of confusing but once it comes together, you realize how sinister a plan it is. To make the deal sweeter, it takes place in a haunted house and I'm a sucker for a good scary attraction movie.
29. House of Purgatory (2016)
Some teenagers who look like they're in their 30s, go looking for the scariest haunted house they can find and best believe the find it. There's a cash prize at the end if they get out, but if they don't... Well you'll just have to see. This is a B-Roll horror film that offers some shockingly semi-deep moments. It is a B-roll film though so with that, comes some hilariously cringe worthy entertainment.
30. Hack O Lantern (1988)
How does a kid turned young man raised by a devilish cult become a real man you ask? You didn't ask but here's the answer. Murder on Halloween Night, that's how. If you couldn't tell from the GIF, this is straight up pure 80s cheese in all it's glory. I honestly have no clue what I'm watching when I put this on but man is it entertaining lol.
31. 31 (2016)
32. Uncanny Annie (2019)
Some college kids get together on Halloween night to drink and play board games, but they stumble across one game that makes every play to die for. This is pretty much a horror version of Jumanji (they even reference it) and quite predictable but worth fitting in your watch schedule.
33. Truth or Dare (2017)
On Halloween night, a group of college kids decide to play truth or dare in an abandoned house. While playing, they accidently release a spirit that turns this simple game of fun into a fight for their lives. You've seen this story a ton of times but I think this is one of the more fun ones to watch.
34. The Body (2018)
35. House of 1000s Corpses (2003)
Some college students are traveling the backroads of America to find Halloween attractions and end up running into a family of maniacs' who take things too far. Rob Zombie's directorial debut that was created based on an amusement park he designed. Rob is definitely a dude you either love or hate so if you're on either side of the fence, you know what to do.
36. Annabelle Comes Home (2019)
The Warren's finally obtain the haunted doll and stash it in there occult museum in hopes to contain the evil. Taking a weekend out of town for another case, they leave their daughter with a babysitter. Everything is fine until the sitters dumbass friend shows up, dink's around in the museum, and turns their quiet home to a haunted house. I dumped on this film when it first released but it's grown on me and I like it a lot. It never states it's Halloween but early on in the movie, the decorations say otherwise.
37. Idle Hands (1999)
You've heard of demonic possession of the body right? What if your hands were the only thing to get possessed and you were fully aware of the awful things they did but could do nothing? Unfortunately for this high school stoner, we see it play out in all it's gory glory. This film could have been extremely disturbing but the comedic under tone makes it so enjoyable.
38. WNUF Halloween Special (2013)
It's 1980 something and WNFU news is broadcasting a Halloween special to celebrate October 31st. A reporter takes his crew and ghost hunters to an abandoned house where murders took place years ago & things get stranger and stranger as the night continues. This is more of horror comedy that pays so much homage to the 80s, includimg commercials (there are a lot, just warning you) to help throw you back to that time.
39. Ginger Snaps (2000)
Two emo sisters growing up and growing apart, have an even larger strain on their relationship when one of them is brutally attacked by a werewolf. From that night on, both have to figure out how to handle this new change. This is an emotional punch of story seeing these sister fall apart and the practical effects are FANTATSIC. The school setting is a perfect backdrop and the fall vibes are on 100, not to mention the 3rd act takes place on Halloween.
40. Season of the Witch (1982)
A company creates masks for kids to wear on Halloween but it's soon revealed that wearing these masks have deadly consequences. Being privy to this information, a doctor goes to the source of the masks to try and stop it. Let me ask you this.... How interesting is this concept? Intriguing right? Well this is Halloween 3! Yes, it's a part of the Michael Myers franchise but I included it because Mike is no where to be seen. A lot of ppl skipped out on this because of the bad wrap it's gotten but I really suggest you watch with the idea of, "It's its own story outside of the franchise." This is one of my Halloween favs and I highly recommend it.
41 - 42. 10/31 Part 1 (2017) & Part 2 (2019)
Two Halloween themed Horror anthology films that are all a ton of fun to watch. Some are of course, better than others for budgetary purposes but I can guarantee you’ll find one you’ll really like & it’ll get you, or keep you in the spooky season spirit.
43. Trick or Treats (1981)
A babysitter runs into the most annoying kid possible, on Halloween night. The kid spends his entire time pulling of pranks to frustrate his sitter. Her attention is so focused on him; she doesn’t realize his psychotic father has broken out of prison to head back to his old home. This movie is super 80s & if you love that aesthetic, this is the one for you.
44. Halloween Party (2019)
When October hits on a college campus, spooky season begins… And so does an app that mysteriously pops up on computers asking the user, “What scares you?” The person only has 30 seconds to answer truthfully and if they don’t, a witch will appear on the app. Which leads to consequences you can’t come back from. This film is modern syfy channel quality so if you are use to watching these types of films, you’ll have fun with it!
45. Wrong Turn 5: Bloodlines (2015)
Some college kids take a trip to a small mining town in West VA, for a “Mountain Man,” festival that takes place on Halloween. As seen with all these movies, the kids crash their car and are ambushed by the “father” of the cannibal family. They get into a scuffle and police arrive on the scene to arrest everyone involved, bring them back to the mining town. Now the cannibal family can’t just let their papa rot in a cell can they?
46. Mass Hysteria (2019)
During Halloween season, the Salem locals host reenactments of the witch trials from the past. Usually, these shows go over nicely and tourists enjoy themselves but this particular time, the cast/crew of these performances are accused of actual witch craft and the hunt begins. This is another fun SYFY channel quality film that's more of a horror comedy, that's great to watch with friends and pumpkin spiked drinks!
47. Bad Candy (2019)
On Halloween night in New Salem, a radio station takes calls from the locals asking the host to tell spooky stories about the towns myths. These stories are presented in an anthology style format that’s dripped and draped in so much Halloween décor, you’re sure to have a scary good time, even through some of the cheaper VFX effects.
48. Blood Fest (2018)
On Halloween night, a Horror fest is held for fans around the country to experience some of their favorite scenes, from their favorite movies but there’s one problem. The fans think it’s fake but the people behind this production, think otherwise. The ‘horror fest’ premise has been overused these past 5 years, but this is one of the better ones. Instead of using horror icons that already exist, they’ve created a slew of original ones for this film. It’s a fun ride with a twist at the end, you won’t see coming.
So there you have it! 48 Halloween films that have no Michael Myers connections! I've already started watching some of these and you should to! As a Horror junkie, I love Halloween so consider this my contribution to the season. Leave a comment below about a film i missed or what you thought when you check a movie out. Thanks for reading!
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