5 Horror Movies Set on Halloween Night (That Aren’t ‘Halloween’)

Without a doubt, one of the best Halloween party movies ever made is Night of the Demons. It was directed by Kevin S. Tenney, who later helmed Witchtrap (1989), Witchboard 2 (1993), and Pinocchio’s Revenge (1996), among other campy horror films, and written by Joe Augustyn.

In Night of the Demons, Amelia Kinkade, Cathy Podewell, and horror icon Linnea Quigley star as party hosts/goers who unleash demonic forces after a seance goes wrong. They get trapped in an abandoned mansion called Hull House, trying to survive a Halloween night that has turned into a bloodbath.

RELATED: ‘Late Night With the Devil’ Trailer Unleashes the Satanic Panic

The film spawned two sequels- Night of the Demons 2 (1994) and Night of the Demons 3 (1997)- and a 2009 remake starring Shannon Elizabeth and Edward Furlong.

Trick ‘r Treat is an anthology that introduced us to a beloved new mascot. It is, in many respects, the perfect Halloween film. Sam, short for Samhain, stalks the Ohio town of Warren Valley and punishes anyone who doesn’t honor the holiday. In addition to the wrap-around story, the anthology has four segments: “Principal,” “Halloween School Bus Massacre,” “Surprise Party,” and “Sam.”

The stories connect in fun ways and remind us why we should always check our candy, be nice to the weird kids, and remember that what goes around comes around.

Writer and director Michael Dougherty stated in 2009 that he had ideas for a sequel, which fans still eagerly anticipate. In 2009, the DC Comics imprint WildStorm Comics published a graphic novel. Legendary Comics later released the Trick ‘r Treat: Days of the Dead comic in 2015.

Based on a segment from Damien Leone’s 2013 anthology All Hallows’ Eve, Terrifier also presented fans with a new horror icon, although not as cute as Sam. It is one of the most recent additions to our list of horror movies set on Halloween night, but Art the Clown, played by David Howard Thornton, has already joined the ranks of other beloved slashers.

In the film, the mysteriously ghoulish clown stalks two women who are stranded after a party. They gain entry to a building while waiting for a ride, which acts as Art’s killing ground. Terrifier is sadistic and gory, with little in the way of storyline. Nonetheless, the film remains a modern classic in the slasher subgenre.

Leone released the sequel, Terrifier 2, in 2022 and has confirmed Terrifier 3, which will be released in October 2024.

WNUF Halloween Special may have had the smallest budget of any film on this list, but it easily holds its own. It is a fantastic homage to the days of VHS, Satanic Panic, and live network TV programs that kept our parents hooked to their televisions.

The film follows a TV news anchor who investigates a “real” haunted house on Halloween night in 1987. An exorcist and a group of paranormal investigators are by his side. While, at first, the night seems to be going the way of Geraldo Rivera’s The Mystery of Al Capone’s Vaults, things take a surprising turn. Between news segments, we are treated to parody commercials that transport you back in time.

RELATED: Exclusive: Zach Galligan Talks ‘Gremlins,’ Fame in the ‘80s, and ‘Midnight Peepshow’

Writer-director Chris LaMartina’s sequel, Out There Halloween Mega Tape, follows a disgraced 1990s talk show host as she investigates a mysterious farm.

Haunt, written and directed by Bryan Woods and Scott Beck (A Quiet Place, The Boogeyman), centers on a group of people who visit a secluded haunted house attraction on Halloween night. Soon after they enter, the terror intensifies as they are split up and hunted by killers wearing masks. Haunt doesn’t introduce a new slasher, but it does have a few memorable masks.

Beck and Woods revealed in March 2023 that a sequel is in the works, but no other details are available at this time.