Halloween Movie Night: 5 Horror Films for Different Moods

A good Halloween movie night starts with the mood you want in the room. Are you inviting friends over for monsters and laughter, settling in for a gothic mystery, or saving the evening for a ghost story that deserves your full attention?

These five horror films offer different answers. They range from a 1939 comedy-thriller to an unsettling 1989 television adaptation, with a Halloween party and two British supernatural chillers in between. Each has a DVD listing in the RCF catalog. This is a viewing guide, with short plot introductions and pairing suggestions, rather than a ranking of which film is the scariest.

Choose your Halloween viewing mood

• Spooky comedy: The Cat and the Canary (1939)
• Halloween party energy: The Midnight Hour (1985)
• Gothic village horror: The Plague of the Zombies (1966)
• Witchcraft and suspicion: Burn, Witch, Burn (1962)
• An unnerving ghost story: The Woman in Black (1989)

1. The Cat and the Canary (1939): start with spooky comedy

A family gathers in an isolated Louisiana mansion for a will reading. When Joyce, played by Paulette Goddard, becomes the beneficiary, her inheritance comes with a condition that makes the other relatives distinctly worrying company. Bob Hope plays Wally, the anxious would-be protector who has to contend with the house and its inhabitants.

Elliott Nugent's film is a useful opening choice when your guests like a mystery but do not all want a punishing horror marathon. The appeal is the collision between the old dark house atmosphere and Hope's comic nervousness. Suspicion supplies the tension; his reactions give the audience somewhere to put it.

Pick it for: a lighter first feature, a classic Hollywood evening, or a group that enjoys nervous laughter alongside its scares. Choose this 1939 Bob Hope version when browsing, since the title has other screen adaptations.

See The Cat and the Canary DVD listing.

2. The Midnight Hour (1985): make it a monster party

For a film with Halloween built into its premise, try The Midnight Hour. Teenagers unwittingly awaken a witch and unleash supernatural trouble on their town. A costume-party setting becomes much less comfortable when the monsters are real.

This 1985 ABC television movie offers a different kind of evening from a solemn haunted-house tale. Its mix of teen adventure, comedy and creatures makes it our party pick: choose it when you want the holiday itself to be part of the entertainment. The pleasure of that premise is watching the boundary between dressing up and actual danger disappear.

Pick it for: an eighties-themed Halloween gathering or the second half of a playful double feature. A lighter tone is not an age recommendation; check content guidance for your particular audience.

See The Midnight Hour DVD listing.

3. The Plague of the Zombies (1966): head into Hammer country

In a Cornish village, unexplained deaths draw a professor into an investigation that leads beyond ordinary disease. John Gilling's Hammer film, starring André Morell, turns the zombie story toward black magic and the terrifying prospect of the dead being controlled by someone else.

The village setting gives this choice its particular appeal. It invites you to ask who holds power, what the community is hiding and why familiar surroundings have become unsafe. Put it on when you want period atmosphere and a mystery that opens into supernatural horror.

Pick it for: a gothic Halloween evening or an introduction to Hammer beyond its best-known monsters. If that is the mood you want to extend, our Hammer horror guide offers three different films for your next session.

See The Plague of the Zombies DVD listing.

4. Burn, Witch, Burn (1962): let doubt into the house

Also known as Night of the Eagle, this Sidney Hayers film begins with a professor who rejects his wife's belief in protective magic. He destroys her charms. Then his confidence in a rational explanation starts to unravel. Peter Wyngarde and Janet Blair play the couple at the center of the story.

What makes the setup so inviting for Halloween is its uncomfortable question: what if the things you dismiss are the very things keeping you safe? Rather than begin with an obvious monster, it puts belief, marriage and misfortune into conflict. It is a strong choice for viewers who would rather debate a character's decisions than count the creatures on screen.

Pick it for: witchcraft, mounting suspicion and a more concentrated viewing session. The two titles refer to the same film; check the individual DVD listing for the edition being offered.

See the Burn, Witch, Burn DVD listing.

5. The Woman in Black (1989): finish with a ghost story

This is the 1989 television adaptation of Susan Hill's novel, directed by Herbert Wise and scripted by Nigel Kneale. Adrian Rawlins plays Arthur Kidd, a young solicitor sent to deal with a deceased woman's estate. His visit takes him toward an isolated house and a past the surrounding community is reluctant to discuss.

Make this the choice for an attentive room. Its appeal lies in the gradual discovery of a place, the unease around it and the threat of a haunting that cannot be treated as an ordinary problem. It is the most natural closer here for viewers who want to carry a little of the film's atmosphere into the silence afterward.

Pick it for: a quiet ghost-story night. Look for the year and Adrian Rawlins's name to distinguish this version from the 2012 film starring Daniel Radcliffe.

See The Woman in Black (1989) DVD listing.

Build a double feature around your guests

For a playful evening: start with The Cat and the Canary, then switch to The Midnight Hour. The jump from a suspicious family gathering to a supernatural Halloween party gives the evening variety while keeping comedy in the mix.

For creeping unease: pair Burn, Witch, Burn with The Woman in Black. Begin with a man questioning what he believes, then move to a place whose history will not stay safely in the past. Allow a break between them so each story has room to settle.

For a gothic centerpiece: make The Plague of the Zombies your main feature and choose a companion from our Hammer guide. You do not need five films in one sitting. One well-chosen DVD and an audience in the right mood can be a better Halloween plan than an overfilled marathon.

Choose the film, then check the DVD

The product links above lead to RCF's individual listings. Before ordering, check the listed format, region, audio and subtitle information for that particular item. Where a listing specifies DVD-R, confirm that your player supports it. A film reference or review of another release does not establish the transfer, extras or specifications of the DVD sold here.

Explore the Horror DVD collection for more choices, or read About Our DVDs if you need help understanding the listings. For another period to explore, try our 1970s and 1980s horror guide.

Film references and further reading

For credits and background: Kino Lorber on The Cat and the Canary (1939); contemporary ABC scheduling coverage for The Midnight Hour; BFI on Hammer's 1966 double bill; BFI Player on Night of the Eagle; and BFI on The Woman in Black's 1989 adaptation. These references concern the films, not the specifications of RCF's DVDs.