Halloween is just around the corner, and for horror movie fans, that means it is the perfect time to indulge their favorite hobby. The very name Halloween has, of course, become synonymous with the long-running series of slasher movies that kicked off in 1978 with John Carpenter’s classic film and recently saw the release of the 12th movie in the series, Halloween Kills. But there are plenty of other horror movies that use All Hallow’s Eve as a perfect setting for spooky storytelling.
Some films use Halloween night as an important part of their narratives–kids attending Halloween parties where things go horribly wrong, or movies that play with the conventions of the night, from trick or treating to dressing up as ghoul and witches. Other films are less overt with their references, and just use October 31 as a spooky, Autumnal setting. But either way, there’s no denying that Halloween provides a perfect backdrop to some great horror movies.
We’ve rounded up some of the best and scariest films set on Halloween that aren’t part of the Halloween franchise. Once you’ve read this, you can check out some of GameSpot’s other October horror coverage, including our guide to the best horror movies from female directors, scariest woodland horror films, and a rundown of the best horror monsters of the 2010s.
