Each main streaming service has a group of movies in its library to have a good time Halloween, however HBO Max’s is difficult to prime. The platform is dwelling to a large number of horror motion pictures and tasks which are simply excellent for spooky season, even when they don’t seem to be all that scary on their very own.
To checklist all of them could be extremely tough, particularly since one of many huge issues with discovering one thing to observe throughout Halloween weekend is that there are in order that many choices. HBO Max has trendy classics like Hereditary, The Substance, The Conjuring, and The Witch, however their library goes a lot deeper than that.
The streaming service additionally has The Exorcist, A Nightmare on Elm Avenue, Trick ‘r Deal with, Dream Me to Hell, and that is simply the tip of the iceberg. HBO Max even has the Harry Potter franchise, which works as each a Halloween and a Christmas season watch. Nonetheless, we have picked out 5 motion pictures that you’re going to love this 12 months.
Beetlejuice (1988)
Not many filmmakers embody the Halloween spirit like Tim Burton. The overwhelming majority of his movies have an aesthetic that simply appeals to that point of the 12 months, and Beetlejuice may do it higher than some other. The ’80s basic is not precisely scary, but it surely’s excellent for a comfortable watch on an autumn night.
Beetlejuice tells the story of a pair who not too long ago handed away and at the moment are ghosts. They channel Betelgeuse, a “bio exorcist” to frighten away the individuals who transfer into their dwelling, and chaos ensues. Betelgeuse is hilarious whereas additionally being unsettling, making for probably the most entertaining characters of the last decade.
Beetlejuice has solely grown in reputation through the years. Both it will be a terrific first-time watch that the entire household will take pleasure in or you possibly can test it out for a blast of a rewatch. The solid of Beetlejuice is a part of why it has had such an enduring affect. For starters, Michael Keaton is excellent as Betelgeuse.
There’s additionally Winona Ryder, Geena Davis, Catherine O’Hara, and extra. For those who’re seeking to transfer away from HBO Max for a short while throughout your Halloween film marathon, you possibly can all the time take a look at Beetlejuice Beetlejuice, the sequel from 2024 that added the likes of Jenna Ortega to the solid.
Interview With The Vampire (1994)
Anne Rice is likely one of the most iconic names related to Gothic fiction. Of all of her tasks, it is seemingly that her most well-known piece of labor is Interview with the Vampire, which noticed a movie adaptation in 1994. For those who’ve by no means seen this film, then the solid is what would seemingly stick out to you at first look.
Interview with the Vampire options a number of the greatest names in Hollywood, in Brad Pitt and Tom Cruise, whereas including a incredible efficiency from a younger Kirsten Dunst and a enjoyable supporting flip by Christian Slater. There’s additionally Antonio Banderas, Thandiwe Newton, and extra.
The premise of Interview with the Vampire focuses on the connection between Lestat (Cruise) and Louis (Pitt), beginning in 1791 when the previous turns the latter right into a vampire. Throughout their time collectively, additionally they flip a younger woman (Dunst) right into a vampire. The entire thing is framed in a modern-day interview Louis is giving to a reporter (Slater).
Upon launch, Interview with the Vampire was successful on the field workplace and with critics, scoring a few Oscar nominations. Dunst was additionally nominated for a Golden Globe, cementing that she delivered an incredible efficiency. There is a trendy TV collection adaptation on AMC that is additionally value testing.
Corpse Bride (2005)
We return to the skills of Tim Burton for one more film that does not completely match into the horror narrative, but has all of the makings of one thing you may need to watch time and again each time Halloween rolls round. It suits the aesthetic, has the correct quantity of creepiness, and provides you an animated suggestion within the midst of live-action movies.
Corpse Bride appears like a non secular successor to The Nightmare Earlier than Christmas, however does not have the Christmas facet, making it a greater match for October. The movie is ready within the nineteenth century and follows a person who’s about to be married, solely to get whisked off to the underworld and wed to the titular corpse bride.
The stop-motion animation is beautiful and holds up remarkably effectively 20 years later, making it a timeless basic. The voice solid is robust and Danny Elfman’s rating is as much as his ordinary excessive requirements. On prime of that, Corpse Bride was a industrial success that grossed over $100 million.
Corpse Bride stays probably the greatest animated motion pictures of the 2000s due to its visible fashion, intriguing characters, and gripping story. It holds an 84% ranking on Rotten Tomatoes, serving to to verify that it is a true basic of the period and a real Halloween spectacle to observe this 12 months.
Sinners (2025)
In an age the place individuals say there are too many sequels, reboots, and flicks about current IPs, two utterly unique movies have managed to face out in 2025 and form of taken the world of cinema by storm. The primary is Sinners, the most recent launch from Black Panther and Creed director Ryan Coogler.
Sinners is ready within the early Thirties in Mississippi and facilities on twin brothers Smoke and Stack (each performed masterfully by Michael B. Jordan), who open a juke joint of their hometown, solely to be confronted by an evil that threatens everybody. The film takes place over the course of a single, harrowing day.
In the identical vein as From Nightfall Until Daybreak, Sinners begins as a seemingly bizarre film, solely to show right into a vampire horror about midway via. The scares are clearly there, making this a great Halloween watch, however there’s a lot extra to this movie. It celebrates music, Black tradition, and facilities on themes of racism, household, and extra.
The whole lot about Sinners is particular, from the screenplay to the performances to the rating to the solid. Jordan is joined by the charming Miles Caton, Hailee Steinfeld, Wunmi Mosaku, Delroy Lindo, and extra. Sinners holds a 97% Rotten Tomatoes ranking and is a must-see movie whatever the time of the 12 months.
Weapons (2025)
The opposite unique film to enthrall audiences in 2025 is Weapons, additionally within the horror style. That is the sophomore effort from director Zach Cregger, a rising star in horror, who first discovered rousing success with Barbarian, one other movie within the style that must be seen by anybody who appreciates horror.
Weapons tells an intriguing story of a small city the place 17 kids from the identical college class all stand up and run out of their properties into the darkness on the identical time one night time, vanishing. Their trainer, dad and mom, and extra are rocked by what occurred, attempting to determine what occurred and who accountable.
The story is informed from a number of completely different views, with every being chilling in its personal proper whereas additionally peeling again layers to disclose what brought about the odd occasions hitting the city. All of it culminates in one of many wildest climaxes you may see in any horror film, sealing it as a contemporary basic.
Weapons holds a powerful 93% ranking on Rotten Tomatoes and grossed over $250 million on a finances of $38 million. Julia Garner, Josh Brolin, and Benedict Wong are a part of probably the greatest casts in current reminiscence, whereas Amy Madigan offers us a horror character to recollect who is certain to grow to be a Halloween staple.