Movie Guru: Streaming options for the perfect Halloween movie marathon

Family-friendly

For those who like their Halloween movies to be strictly family-friendly fare, there are plenty of options. “It’s the Great Pumpkin, Charlie Brown” no longer airs on broadcast TV in the days leading up to Halloween, but you can still find it on Apple TV+. “The Nightmare Before Christmas,” the delightfully spooky stop-motion Halloween classic, is over on Disney+. That’s also where you can find the cheesy fun of “Hocus Pocus,” along with last year’s tragically inferior sequel. 

Another option for Halloween-flavored sitcom hijinks is “Hotel Transylvania,” which you can find over on Hulu. The first sequel, which is even better than the original, can be found over on Netflix (but don’t waste your time with any numbers higher than 2). Netflix also has the live-action “Casper,” with a young Christina Ricci and a sweet, round-faced ghost experiencing his very first crush. Yes, it’s an older movie, but for kids today it might be a brand-new experience.

Serious horror

Other movie fans need a steady diet of blood, guts, and screaming in their Halloween movie marathons. If you’re in that category, you can find the original “Halloween” (still the best in the series) over on AMC+. If you prefer monstrous sharks causing your blood splatter, the original, Spielberg-directed Jaws is over on Netflix. Netflix also has “Get Out,” Jordan Peele’s fantastically creepy movie about race and why you should never go visit your girlfriend’s parents. 

For those who want their scares with a sci-fi twist, check out creepy classic “The Thing” over on Peacock. If you want to get even weirder, head on over to Tubi. They have both John Carpenter’s cult favorite “They Live” and the dark forbidden desires of the first “Hellraiser,” both completely for free. 

In-between

Sometimes, neither of the two main Halloween movie flavors sits quite right. You need something with more bite than movies designed for kids, but full horror is too dark and scary. The perfect type of movie will have teeth but is also kind of fun. 

For those who want a little bit of murder and a whole lot of magic, “Practical Magic” is over on Hulu. There’s not quite murder in the newest Haunted Mansion, currently streaming on Disney+, but the ghosts make several valiant attempts on the main cast. Both movies also involve some wrestling with grief, if you’re looking for a different kind of mature touch. 

If you need a higher body count, Prime’s new “Totally Killer” combines time travel and a slasher flick for an unexpectedly fun and murderous romp. There are fewer murders in the 80’s delightful “Lost Boys,” but a rewatch shows off its unexpectedly clever underpinnings. “Beetlejuice,” available on Max, has no murders but all sorts of deeply entertaining dead people. It’s one of Micheal Keaton’s best roles and the purest Halloween fun you can get out of a single movie.