The Movie Tricks & Treats to Keep You Busy this Spooky Season

It’s that time of year again, every horror fans favourite – Halloween!

At Fetch we might be just a little obsessed with the ghouls, ghosts and psycho killers that come out around this time, and have gathered a list to help cover all your Halloween viewing. 

We understand some of you horror fans might have some ghouls of your own, so we decided to gather the ultimate trick or treat list.

We’ve got the movie treats you can watch with the family, filled with laughs and low-key spooks. This can be followed by a movie trick for when those little monsters go to bed. These are the movies that will have those hairs on the back of your neck standing to attention.

Halloween Treats

Hocus Pocus (1993)

It wouldn’t be Halloween without everyone’s favourite wart-covered, broom-flying ladies. When a curious youngster accidentally summons the diabolical trio of witches, the Sanderson Sisters (played by Bette Midler, Sarah Jessica Parker and Kathy Najimy), he must fight them off to protect his town. 

Check out the cult classic Hocus Pocus now, and then thanks to Disney+ check out more mischief from the Sanderson Sisters in the recently released Hocus Pocus 2. This should keep the little ones entertained and well-behaved.

Goosebumps (2015)

Based on R.L Stine’s famous book series, Goosebumps features the author himself, played by the one and only Jack Black, as he fights off his creepy creations as they come to life. Goosebumps is a step into the world of horror for curious youngsters, and Stine’s novels are renowned for their excellent, easy-to-follow storytelling and, of course, those unexpected twist endings.

With two movies based on the book series, you can watch the creatures from your favourite Goosebumps books, including The Abominable Snowman of Pasadena, Night of the Living Dummy, A Shocker on Shock Street and many more, brought to life on the big screen. 

Coraline (2009)

While Coraline is a fun family watch, I can’t promise that the kids (and even some adults) won’t be shaking from this one. Based on the novella written by Neil Gaiman, we follow Coraline, who has recently moved to a new home with her parents, as she enters a parallel reality where everything isn’t as it seems. 

This visually stunning movie with an intricate plot is a must watch for the family this spooky season. Be warned though, even the adults may have nightmares from this experience.

Casper (1995)

It wouldn’t be a Halloween treat without everyone’s favourite friendly ghost, Casper. A classic that was probably watched by a few parents at a young age, who are now carrying on that tradition with their own kids.

Casper follows afterlife therapist Dr. Harvey (Bill Pullman) who, after moving into a creepy mansion with his daughter (Christina Ricci), soon discovers the eponymous friendly ghost. This will not only keep the kids happy but also provide some nice nostalgia for the parents as well.

Scooby Doo (2002)

At Fetch we have found Scooby Doo and we’re ready to share him with everyone. With plenty of shows and movies based on everyone’s favourite ghost-hunting group, the Mystery Gang, we have you covered to keep those little detectives of yours guessing who is under that mask. 

With the live action Scooby-Doo and Scooby-Doo 2: Monsters Unleashed and also the animations Trick Or Treat Scooby-Doo! and Scooby-Doo! Return To Zombie Island.

So grab those Scooby snacks and settle in with the family for a night of watching the Mystery Gang do what they do best.

Ghostbusters (1984)

Arguably one of the most notably spooky classics for the family, there’s no way this list could not exclude Ghostbusters. This 1984 comedy-horror has since developed into a 4 film franchise. 

Follow the original gang (including names such as Bill Murray and Dan Aykroyd) as they hunt down ghosts and even save New York from the Marshmallow Man (which is scarier that it sounds). Don’t forget to dive into Ghostbusters: Afterlife, starring the hilarious Paul Rudd, to see the original crew at it again one more time. 

Halloween Tricks

With the kids asleep the adults can indulge in a little treat themselves. However, these shiver-inducing titles fall more into the “trick” side of Halloween. Let’s dive into some Halloween staples for us grownups, featuring both classics and some new hits.

Scream (1996)

Poor Ghostface would be on the phone with me for a while after asking “What’s my favourite horror movie?” but he need not stress, because Scream would definitely be one of my answers.

Scream follows Sidney and her friends as they fight to survive against a knife-wielding maniac, and with the latest Scream only dropping this year (with more films in the works) there is a whole franchise to bunker down and watch.

Starring notable names such as Courtney Cox and Neve Campbell, Wes Craven’s original film is famous for being a slasher that isn’t afraid to make fun of the genre. It’ll have you chuckling as much as screaming “Don’t go in there!”.

Halloween (1978)

In 1978 a man named John Carpenter gave us a movie that still haunts our nightmares to this day. Halloween follows the giant silent killer Michael Myers as he slaughters the residents of the suburban town of Haddonfield. 

Unlike Ghostface, who does nothing but talk, Michael Myers doesn’t need to antagonise his victims. Without ever saying a word, Michael is relentless in his goals and no amount of hiding and barricading is gonna stop him.

With a new trilogy featuring Halloween Kills and finishing up with Halloween Ends, there is plenty of Michael Myers to keep you occupied. I don’t know how the pension works for masked killers but Michael shouldn’t be far off at this stage.

A Nightmare on Elm Street (1984)

Nightmares have always been able to possess power. The lack of control, with your worst fears playing out in front of you. So it’s no surprise that a whole horror franchise, A Nightmare On Elm Street, focuses on the power that nightmares have over us. 

The big bad Freddy Krueger isn’t afraid to wield this power either, happily jumping through people’s nightmares to torture and kill them in a place where they are unable to fight back. The only way to survive is to stay awake, but you can’t do that forever. No matter how long you hold out Freddy’s going to come after you and there is no way to run or hide in your nightmares. 

Orphan (2009)

If you’re as much of a horror fan as I am, twists and surprise endings are something you come to expect, and a lot of the time can even predict. The first Orphan took the world by storm, catching even the most dedicated horror fans (myself included) completely off guard with the twist ending. 

No matter how prepared you are, there’s a good chance that the sequel, Orphan: First Kill, will catch you out again. Orphan is the perfect watch for fans of a new approach to the slasher genre. Esther relies on her child-like innocence to lull her victims into a false sense of security rather than the pure brute force we have come to expect from slasher villains.

The Conjuring (2013)

What happens if the evil that our protagonists face isn’t something that you can grab onto and fight back, but something that will break down your defences and even sanity until you are exactly where they want you?

The Conjuring universe explores a whole different dimension of fear as we follow Ed and Lorraine Warren (played by Patrick Wilson and Vera Farmiga), real life paranormal investigators and their cases of possession and demonic spirits tormenting individuals. When I say ‘real life’, I mean it. These movies are based on true events.

Fictional horror movies can have us terrified, but a whole new level of fear is unlocked when a chilling story is based on something real. 

Nope (2022)

For someone who started their career within sketch comedy, Jordan Peele has managed to drop some of the greatest horror flicks that I have ever seen (and I’ve seen a lot). Starting with Get Out in 2017, which garnered multiple Academy Award nominations, to this year’s buzzy sci-fi/horror hybrid, Nope.

Nope, much like his other films, is a completely fresh approach to the horror genre. It is a beautifully shot film that excels at building its tension layered over deep themes that it explores in fascinating ways. Nope might be his best movie yet, but I expect that’s a point that will be argued among his many fans.