17 Great Halloween Movies From the '90s, aka the Best Decade

Tim Burton's reign as the king of Halloween truly began in the '80s with Beetlejuice, but he kept the hits coming in the '90s, beginning with Edward Scissorhands. The story of Edward, a young man assembled in a laboratory whose creator dies before he's complete, is the perfect blend of Gothic strangeness and heart. The movie isn't scary, but it gives us major Halloween feelings thanks to Burton's trademark touches of dark whimsy and the presence of scary-movie favourite Winona Ryder. Burton's movie is a fairy tale for Halloween-lovers and anyone who has ever wished Frankenstein had a happier ending.

Can you even call yourself a '90s kid if you don't have a recurring nightmare about Anjelica Huston offering you a chocolate bar and then ripping her face off to reveal her true grotesque witch form? Sorry, Huston, but you brought this one on yourself, because there's no part of The Witches that's not pure nightmare fuel. From that poor girl trapped in the painting to the witches showing off their creeptastic faces at the convention near the end, this is one Halloween movie for kids that still haunts us to this day.

Huston's role as Morticia Addams wins her back some Halloween goodwill, because Morticia is too fabulous to truly scare anyone. In fact, both The Addams Family and its sequel Addams Family Values (1993) remain pure Halloween goodness, because the holiday is a lifestyle for Morticia's brood. The franchise has it all: Christina Ricci becoming an icon for goth kids everywhere as Wednesday, Morticia and Gomez being couple goals, and lots of family bonding over a mutual love for creepiness. Their haunted house is one that any '90s Halloween-lover would happily volunteer to stay in for a night.

Mary-Kate and Ashley Olsen are the '90s. The twin icons' Halloween classic isn't exactly high cinema, but it's a delightful throwback to simpler times when a story about sisters saving their parents via trick-or-treating sounded like a perfectly reasonable movie plot. Add in Cloris Leachman seeming to have a blast playing the girls' evil aunt, and you have the perfect recipe for an enduring Halloween treat.

Believe it or not, Hocus Pocus wasn't a box office hit. Maybe moviegoers were overwhelmed by the sheer amount of Halloween movies released in 1993? Whatever the reason, the Sanderson sisters got the last laugh. Hocus Pocus might just be the ultimate Halloween movie now. Watching Max, Dani, Allison, and 17th-century teenage heartthrob turned cat Thackery Binx save Salem from the fabulous Sanderson sisters is an annual tradition that never gets old.

Forget the endless debates over whether or not The Nightmare Before Christmas is a Christmas movie or a Halloween movie, because it's obviously both. The Pumpkin King's identity crisis makes for a delightfully macabre viewing experience that's complemented by the elegant stop-motion animation. But what truly makes this film one of the decade's all-time greats is how thoroughly it has permeated the pop culture landscape. Jack Skellington and Sally are icons now, ensuring that a visit to Halloween Town will remain an October tradition for years to come.

After wowing us as Wednesday Addams, Ricci starred in the sweet and ever-so-slightly spooky film Casper. Ricci's Kat moves into a haunted house that is already occupied by Casper, the most adorable ghost in the world. Their friendship anchors the movie, and it also led to quite a few people crushing on Casper in his human form, as played by Devon Sawa, thanks to their romantic dance at the end.

"We are the weirdos, mister." With that line, The Craft became an instant favourite with teens everywhere. The movie's modern-day witches are scary as hell when they want to be, but they're also relatable. They taught us about using our power for good, what can happen if you don't stand by your friends, and that "light as a feather, stiff as a board" is the best sleepover game ever. And for those reasons, we will forever be grateful to the ultimate '90s coven.

The Frighteners doesn't get enough credit for being a legitimately scary horror comedy. Directed by Peter Jackson and starring Michael J. Fox, the movie follows a former architect named Frank who gains the ability to see and communicate with the dead after a car accident. He tends to use his powers for his own gain by befriending ghosts and convincing them to haunt people so he can charge the unsuspecting homeowners for an exorcism. The appearance of a mass murderer turned ghost forces Frank to step up and use his powers to do some good for a change. Along the way, Jackson uses some truly haunting special effects to give this comedy plenty of authentic scares.

Where to watch: Prime Video

Slasher movies haven't been the same since Scream — and that's a good thing. The movie is gloriously self-aware with a cast of characters who know the ins and outs of horror movie survival thanks to years of watching the genre (although, most of them end up dying all the same). Meanwhile, Sidney is the ultimate fierce final girl whose showdown with Ghostface is both intense and cheer-worthy thanks to her refusal to let the killer turn her life into one of his favourite scary movies.

Before the 2018 Halloween revitalised the franchise, Halloween: H20 did an admirable job of making Michael Myers relevant again. Set 20 years after the events of the first movie, Laurie Strode is living under an assumed name and working as the headmistress of a private school as she tries to build a safe life for her teenage son ('90s favourite Josh Hartnett).

This movie acts as a direct sequel to Halloween II, and it wows in large part because it allows Laurie to find some closure. But it also deserves credit for being a fun slasher film that never gets too bogged down in the mythology surrounding Michael.

How good is Halloweentown? So good that there's an annual festival celebrating Marnie learning all about her spooky heritage. This is one Disney Channel original movie that continues to resonate with fans, and if we had to guess why, it's because of Marnie's pure love for Halloween. Marnie's 13th birthday revelation that she descends from a family of witches is met with pure joy, and her enthusiasm at seeing supernatural creatures lead normal lives in Halloweentown made us all want to be her best friend.

Witches had a major moment in the '90s. Not only did we get the Sanderson sisters, The Craft coven, and Halloweentown's Marnie, but the decade also gave us magical sisters Sally and Gillian Owens. Their bond makes this an unforgettable story of sisterhood and overcoming curses. (Additionally, the movie is also responsible for our dream of adopting a black cat, moving to a fabulous old house in Massachusetts, and opening a botanical shop.)

Before Netflix's The Haunting of Hill House, Shirley Jackson's classic novel got a modern update in The Haunting. A fake insomnia study brings together a group of strangers to stay in Hill House, but it doesn't take long before supernatural forces begin to terrorize the guests. This movie's aesthetic could be described as ghost chic. From an ominous fireplace big enough for a person to walk into to beds with creepy cherubs adorning the headboard, the house is almost comically scary, which is all part of the movie's brilliance.

Idle Hands is so ridiculous that it ends up being a total romp. Devon Sawa plays a slacker whose right hand becomes possessed by a demonic force that kills his best friends (it's OK, though, they return as zombies). Things only get weirder and more madcap from there. But what really earns this movie a spot on the best-of list is that the evil hand is voiced by none other than Robert Englund, who is best known for his portrayal of Freddy Krueger.

Burton's final contribution to the '90s Halloween fun was Sleepy Hollow, which fleshes out Washington Irving's tale of Ichabod Crane with extra action, romance, and even more frightening decapitations. This is yet another movie that oozes Halloween vibes with foggy roads, pumpkins, and a spooky little village — proving once and for all that for Burton, the holiday is basically a way of life.