The 90s was an era that saw the production of some of the best Halloween movies of all time. With the advancement of technology, filmmakers were able to create more spectacular special effects, resulting in some remarkable horror movies.
From big-budget productions to cult classics, there were many scary movies that left audiences shuddering in fear. In this essay, we'll take a look at some of the best 90s Halloween movies that stand the test of time.
90S Halloween Movies
- Amazon Prime Video (Video on Demand)
- David Arquette, Neve Campbell, Courteney Cox (Actors)
Scream
This is a classic slasher film though it's relatively new. Two killers terrorize a small town and start committing murders. Then Sidney Prescott (Neve Campbell) is being stalked over the phone and repeatedly encounters a guy in the scream mask. Scream is very eerie and is shot in a perfect location and the whole movie comes together with the music and all.
Directed by Wes Craven, it was not only a box office success but also a cult classic that broke the mold of the horror genre. The movie played on the typical conventions of the genre and twisted them in innovative ways, making for an entertaining and suspenseful movie that became an instant hit.
The slick, self-aware script, great performances, and clever twists, particularly the opening scene, made ‘Scream' one of the most talked-about movies of the decade. One of the most iconic horror movies of the 90s was Scream.
- Amazon Prime Video (Video on Demand)
- Heather Donahue, Joshua Leonard, Michael C. Williams (Actors)
The Blair Witch Project
Another 90s Halloween movie that became a box office sensation was The Blair Witch Project. This original film used a found-footage concept to create a terrifying movie that still manages to scare viewers today.
The film's success was due to its authenticity, low budget, and the intrigue created around its marketing campaign, which saw a fake documentary air on TV ahead of the movie's release.
The mysterious disappearance of the characters at the end of the movie left audiences transfixed and questioning what they had just witnessed.
- Amazon Prime Video (Video on Demand)
- Jodie Foster, Anthony Hopkins, Lawrence A. Bonney (Actors)
The Silence of the Lambs
The Silence of the Lambs is another 90s movie that stands out as one of the best Halloween movies ever made. It became the first horror movie to win the Best Picture Oscar.
Starring Jodie Foster and Anthony Hopkins, it explores the psyche of a serial killer in a fresh and unsettling way.
The performances of the lead actors are impeccable, with Hopkins channeling Hannibal Lecter into one of the most memorable characters in horror movie history.
- Amazon Prime Video (Video on Demand)
- Bette Midler, Sarah Jessica Parker, Kathy Najimy (Actors)
Hocus Pocus
Sarah Jessica Parker, Bette Midler, and Kathy Najimy star as three witches brought into modern times accidentally by a young girl, her teenage brother, and his high school crush.
The witches begin creating a potion that will be used to steal the souls of the town's children in order to remain forever young.
The three kids have to work together to banish the witches back to the past before it is too late.
- Amazon Prime Video (Video on Demand)
- Christina Ricci, Bill Pullman, Cathy Moriarty (Actors)
Casper
Casper is a friendly ghost who, along with his three obnoxious step-brothers, inhabits an old house scaring away all possible owners. When a ghost hunter and his daughter agree to move in, Casper, the friendly young ghost finds himself a new friend and family.
The drama begins when a local realtor tries to get her hands on a magic potion that is meant to save Casper from his ghostly form and bring him back to life.
- DVD
- O-Sleeve Amaray
It's the Great Pumpkin Charlie Brown
This classic movie and the best film includes all of your favorite Peanuts characters. Linus is eagerly awaiting the Great Pumpkin (a character similar to Santa Claus that brings toys to children on Halloween night).
The other characters are too busy going about the standard Halloween activities like raking leaves, picking out costumes, trick or treating, etc. | Stream on Apple TV+
- Amazon Prime Video (Video on Demand)
- Anjelica Huston, Mai Zetterling, Jasen Fisher (Actors)
The Witches
A young boy on vacation with his grandmother accidentally comes across a conference of witches taking place at his hotel. Having learned about witches from his grandmother, he knows he needs to warn someone about what is going on right under their noses.
But when he is accidentally discovered by the head witch (Angelica Houston), getting help becomes a lot more difficult.
- Amazon Prime Video (Video on Demand)
- Raul Julia, Anjelica Huston, Christopher Lloyd (Actors)
The Addams Family
The Addams family has always been known for their creepy house and odd habits (they have a severed hand as a servant!), but now the Addams family values are in danger.
A man comes to the door pretending to be the long-lost Uncle Fester but when the family questions his motives and identity, trouble and adventures ensue. I just love Morticia Addams.
- Amazon Prime Video (Video on Demand)
- Sandra Bullock, Nicole Kidman, Dianne Wiest (Actors)
Practical Magic
This one is rated PG-13 but it is still a great film for Halloween. Sally (Sandra Bullock – the best actress) and Gillian (Nicole Kidman) are two sisters who share a very powerful bond. As children, they learned to create spells from their two crazy witch aunts and the habit continues into adulthood.
When Gillian gets into some trouble, she turns to Sally and her aunts for help. They use the power of magic, but more importantly, love, to get them through and teach the people in their town that practical magic is not something to be feared.
- Amazon Prime Video (Video on Demand)
- Mary-Kate Olsen, Ashley Olsen, Cloris Leachman (Actors)
Double Double Toil and Trouble
What children don't love a classic Mary-Kate and Ashley Olsen movie? The twins take it upon themselves to save their family's home from the evil witch.
In order to do so, they must go on a Halloween night mission to search for the moonstone that will protect their aunt from the evil witch's powers.
![Dead Alive [VHS]](https://m.media-amazon.com/images/I/512K7YKK2VL.jpg)
- Timothy Balme, Diana Peñalver, Elizabeth Moody (Actors)
- Peter Jackson (Director) - Fran Walsh (Writer) - Jamie Selkirk (Producer)
Braindead
The fourth movie by Lord of the Rings director Peter Jackson, Braindead (also known as Dead Alive) is a splatstick zombie opus featuring a cute romance subplot.
Shy Lionel lives under the thumb of his domineering mother, but when she's infected by the zombiefying bite of the Sumatran Rat Monkey, he must either assert his independence or doom New Zealand to undead holocaust.
Not for the weak-stomached, Braindead pushes the envelope on gore in absurdist manner: kissing zombies bite off each others' lips, a woman has all the flesh ripped of her skull in one pull, and Lionel is pursued by animated intestines.
Though it was made 13 years before Hostel, Braindead will test your endurance of entrail-flinging violence. Look out for minor actors who make appearances in later Jackson films.
- Amazon Prime Video (Video on Demand)
- Jordana Brewster, Clea DuVall, Laura Harris (Actors)
The Faculty
This movie isn't necessarily scary; but it's mysterious and offers a classical theme of aliens and how they'd invade planet Earth. It begins with a strange critter that one of the students discovered.
During biology class, their teacher out the critter in a water tank, and the critter multiplied by two instantly. The slimy critter infected you by entering your mouth or even ear.
It affected the faculty first and the students were starting to realize that there was something very strange about the teachers.
The only way to kill the aliens was to find the queen alien, but who is the queen? Watch it and see if you can figure it out.
- Amazon Prime Video (Video on Demand)
- Alicia Witt, Jared Leto, Michael Rosenbaum (Actors)
Urban Legend
An original movie about; you guessed it, urban legends! This movie starts with probably the most popular urban legend around today, the tale about, someone in your back seat and while you're driving gets up and slashes your throat, or something of that nature!
A bunch of college kids sit around campus discussing all of the urban legend deaths that are occurring around them while more and more people are dying mysteriously. In a movie that everyone seems like the killer you have to try to guess who the real killer is.
Most people won't agree that this is a good movie, however, the cast and direction of the film make it less cheesy and more intense of a film. Give it a try.
- Amazon Prime Video (Video on Demand)
- Danny Elfman, Glenn Shadix, Paul Reubens (Actors)
Tim Burton's The Nightmare Before Christmas
Jack Skellington is the misguided star of The Nightmare Before Christmas. Jack is the “The Pumpkin King” in a magical place called Halloween Town.
Halloween Town is filled with all the creatures that make Halloween fun like ghosts, witches, mad scientists, and little demon children.
One day, Jack gets bored with the things of Halloween Town. He goes off into the woods to think. While there, he accidentally opens a portal to Christmas Town.
Jack explores Christmas Town and falls in love with Christmas. He then decides to be Santa Claus instead of The Pumpkin King.
Jack Skellington has Lock, Shock, and Barrel, mischievous kids from Halloween Town to abduct Santa and bring him back to Halloween Town. The kids capture Santa Claus and deliver him to Oogie Boogie, the bogeyman.
On Christmas Eve, Jack pretends to be Santa Claus and heads off to Christmas Town to deliver toys. The results are disastrous.
This movie is not your regular Halloween story. The Nightmare Before Christmas provides a fun and exciting twist to Halloween that both you and your children will love.
There were many great 90s Halloween movies that left audiences terrified and begging for more. Whether it was a box office success, a cult classic, or an innovative original film, these horror films have become staples in the horror genre.
The special effects were more impressive than ever before, and filmmakers used the element of surprise to create some genuinely scary movies. Today, these movies remain popular during spooky seasons and continue to provide thrills to horror fans all over the world.
People Also Ask:
What is the number one most watched Halloween movie?
Hocus Pocus
A popular and widely regarded Halloween movie is “Hocus Pocus” (1993), directed by Kenny Ortega. This film has become a Halloween classic and is often featured on TV and streaming services during the Halloween season.
What is the 1990 Halloween kids movie?
“The Witches” is a fantasy film based on the children's book of the same name by Roald Dahl. It was released in 1990 and directed by Nicolas Roeg.
The movie revolves around a young boy who discovers a secret society of witches who plan to turn all children into mice. It features a mix of fantasy, comedy, and spooky elements, making it suitable for a Halloween-themed watch for kids and families.
What is the best Halloween movie not scary?
If you're looking for a Halloween movie that isn't scary but still captures the spirit of the holiday, “Hocus Pocus” is a popular choice. “Hocus Pocus” is a family-friendly comedy-fantasy film released in 1993, directed by Kenny Ortega.
It follows the story of three witches who are resurrected in modern-day Salem, Massachusetts, and a group of kids who try to stop them from carrying out their evil plans.
What is the scary movie with no talking?
One of the most well-known and critically acclaimed horror movies with minimal dialogue is “A Quiet Place,” released in 2018 and directed by John Krasinski.
The movie is set in a post-apocalyptic world where creatures with hypersensitive hearing have wiped out much of humanity. The surviving characters must remain absolutely silent to avoid detection by these creatures, which hunt using sound.
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