The crunch of leaves underfoot, the crisp smell of warm apple cider in the air… and a curse that threatens to transform the heads of its victims into pumpkins. Yes, the Halloween season is upon us once again, and if you’re like me and your favorite thing to do this time of year (aside from eating as much candy corn as humanly possible) is to get into the scary spirit of the season with a great horror movie or two (or ten), then Terror on Tubi has you covered like a warm blanket on a chilly fall night with more than 13,000 hours of horror content just waiting to haunt your screens, including an eerie arsenal of Halloween horror that’s as eclectic as the candy in your pumpkin bowl after a long night of trick-or-treating.
Welcome back to Terror on Tubi, our monthly sponsored column in which we highlight 10 horror titles with similar themes streaming for free on the platform’s massive digital library of films and TV series! This month’s column conjures up Halloween horror recommendations to celebrate the October 9th release of Tubi's Original film, R.L. Stine’s Pumpkinhead 2, the highly anticipated sequel to last year’s well-received (and widely discussed online due to its unsettling scarecrow and jaw-dropping ending) film inspired by a chilling short story by Stine.
Returning to write and direct the sequel is Jem Garrard (Buzzkill, Takeout), which “begins when a new Pumpkinhead curse awakens in Redhaven, and Sam (Bean Reid) and Becka (Adeline Lo) must stop it before it claims the entire town.” Alongside familiar faces from the first film, the cast for the sequel includes the Queen of Halloween herself, Cassandra Peterson!
So, for horror fans looking to build their own Terror on Tubi horror marathon from the grave up, grab some candy, pour some hot cider, keep an eye out for cursed scarecrows, and enjoy our 10 recommendations of Halloween horror movies and TV shows to get you into the Halloween spirit!
I always wondered what it would be like to spend the night in the local library (the PBS show Arthur answered that question in chilling fashion, but that’s a story for another list), but pondering an overnight stay at a Spirit Halloween store would have been an intriguing close second on the long list of “what ifs?” Thankfully, Spirit Halloween: The Movie allows viewers to vicariously live out the answer to that question without the threat of getting caught trespassing… or being haunted by a vengeful ghost, as three teenage intruders find out the hard way when they set out to spend All Hallows’ Eve within the decorated walls of their local Spirit Halloween store.
As synonymous with autumn as pumpkin spice lattes, gently falling leaves, and Michael Myers’ butcher knife, Spirit Halloween is the perfect setting for a horror movie, and director David Poag takes full advantage of the seasonal retail setting, infusing a supernatural life into the shop’s eerie animatronics, macabre masks on the racks, and endless aisles of creepy costumes. Centered by a bittersweet story about friends trying to hold on to their Halloween traditions while growing up, and featuring great performances by Rachel Leigh Cook, Christopher Lloyd, and a cast of talented actors, Spirit Halloween: The Movie is frightful fun… and it might make you think twice about walking by those motion-activated animatronics the next time you’re shopping for a costume.
Curse of Crom: The Legend of Halloween
Unsuspecting teens summon an ancient creature from Irish folklore in the days leading up to Halloween in this infectiously fun and legitimately frightful indie horror film. Oozing (in some cases quite literally) with small-town autumnal vibes, Curse of Crom: The Legend of Halloween is directed and co-written by Rob York, who utilizes his experience as a special effects artist to lead a talented team in conjuring plenty of slimy scares through the timeless artistry of practical effects, including the movie’s impressively imposing title monster. Feeling like a lost Goosebumps episode by way of Stranger Things and Hocus Pocus while still very much doing its own thing (and a scary good thing, at that), Curse of Crom: The Legend of Halloween is a palpable celebration of the DIY spirit that makes the haunting season such a special time of year (especially when special effects are involved).
After spending some time in “the town with pep,” it’s time to head to the community of Redhaven, “where the harvest never ends” (as ominous a welcome sign that you’ll see this side of Haddonfield). With Tubi's Original film R.L. Stine’s Pumpkinhead 2 premiering October 9th, there’s no better way to prepare for another round of small-town scares than watching the first film! Based on the short story of the same name by Stine (which was first adapted in an episode of R.L. Stine’s The Haunting Hour: The Series), and not to be confused with Stan Winston’s 1988 film (which is also streaming on Tubi and makes for great R-rated Halloween season viewing), R.L. Stine’s Pumpkinhead brings the chilling vibes of ’90s horror into the modern age with a tale that’s fun but also downright frightful, with a third act that is as harrowing as some of the most haunting Twilight Zone or Are You Afraid of the Dark? episodes.
Let’s just say that R.L. Stine’s Pumpkinhead lives up to its title with horror that is as palpable as a handful of slimy pumpkin guts (major kudos to costume designer Aurelia Cerquozzi and the makeup effects team led by Kelly Grange), and I can’t wait to see what’s in store for horror fans in the sequel, especially with the talented Jem Garrard (who also helmed the Tubi Original movies Takeout and Buzzkill) returning to write and direct a new batch of pumpkin-flavored nightmare fuel.
Released in 1999, the same year Tim Burton’s Sleepy Hollow (a wickedly whimsical watch) galloped into theaters, the TV movie The Legend of Sleepy Hollow adapts the Washington Irving tale (a staple of the fall season) with the captivating allure of a ghost story told around a crackling campfire on a cool autumn night. Feeling like an intimate and expertly performed stage play that just happened to be caught on camera (and I mean that as a compliment), The Legend of Sleepy Hollow takes a more slow-burn approach to the classic short story than its big-screen counterpart, effectively capturing its late-1700s setting thanks to a game cast (including a fantastic Brent Carver as Ichabod Crane), impeccable costume design by Nicoletta Massone, and its eerie woodland backdrop that becomes a creepy character unto itself… and an atmospheric haunting ground for the Headless Horseman!
Goosebumps – “Attack of the Jack-o’-Lanterns”
While The Haunted Mask is perhaps the most synonymous with Halloween out of all the books in R.L. Stine’s Goosebumps series (and rightfully so, it’s one of the most haunting stories Stine ever cooked up, and it features one of Tim Jacobus’ most unnerving covers), Attack of the Jack-o’-Lanterns sometimes gets lost in the shadows of its creepy counterpart, so let’s shine a spotlight on it here, shall we? Like The Haunted Mask, Stine’s Attack of the Jack-o’-Lanterns was brought to unsettling life on the small screen in the ’90s Goosebumps TV series, following trick-or-treaters whose night takes a terrifying turn when they run across a couple of pumpkin-headed people (good gourd, this list is plumb full of pumpkins) they think are old friends wearing costumes… until their true intentions—and identities—are revealed as the night goes on, culminating in one of the most delightfully out-there (and out-of-this-world) R.L. Stine plot twists ever put to screen.
Featuring festive costume designs (shout-out to costume designer Joyce Schure and special makeup effects artist Matthew Galliford) that would be right at home on the streets of Halloweentown, “Attack of the Jack-o’-Lanterns” is brimming with autumnal nostalgia for that treasured time spent trick-or-treating with your friends on the one night of the year where anything could happen… even your worst nightmare!
Considering that the classic story “Hansel & Gretel” features a pair of wandering siblings as they enter a witch’s home constructed out of sweet treats, it only seems fitting that the Brothers Grimm fairy tale be reimagined in modern times as a horror movie set on Halloween night. Working from a script written by Chris Hoyt, directors Marcus Mallard and Logan Walcher have done just that in Hansel & Gretel’s Halloween, which takes place in a world where trick-or-treaters must be at least 16 years old, and a group of all-too-eager teens with sweet tooths enter the wrong house in search of candy… only to find themselves on the menu of a witch with cannibalistic cravings of her own. Showcasing clever, sugar-coated kills and a unique twist on a timeless fairy tale, Hansel & Gretel’s Halloween is a delectably deadly slice of Halloween horror that is best served with a plastic pumpkin full of candy bars within arm’s reach.
Although Elvira: Mistress of the Dark is technically not a Halloween movie, you could argue that few people represent the infectiously scary spirit of the holiday as beloved horror host Elvira. Brought to life by Cassandra Peterson (who plays a key role in R.L. Stine’s Pumpkinhead 2) with an infectious enthusiasm that’s as bubbly as a witch’s cauldron, Elvira absolutely slays in her first feature film, turning the repressed community of Fallwell upside down with her killer sense of fashion, punk rock poodle Gonk, witty one-liners, and a little help from the local youth (all these years later, nothing gets me motivated to do some fall cleaning quite like that house-painting montage), who band together with Elvira to save their town from the dreadful horrors of the local Morality Club. Elvira: Mistress of the Dark is a love letter to the enduring power of horror films and friends, making it the perfect mood-setter for a frightfully fun fall season.
Its theme song alone is already on many Halloween party playlists, so why not add The Addams Family to your autumnal viewing as well? The TV series from the ’60s, the 1991 movie, and the 1993 sequel are all streaming on Tubi, and while I would strongly recommend you seek out all three, I would suggest the ’91 movie in particular as a perfect fit for Halloween. This first film really allows the viewer to spend a lot of time with everyone’s favorite “altogether ooky” family in their gorgeous gothic home on Cemetery Lane, imbuing the film with an atmosphere all its own that perfectly fosters a fall frame of mind (especially when they play the morbid game of “Wake the Dead” on Halloween night at the end of the film). Similar to the TV series, the casting is spot-on, with Anjelica Huston, Raul Julia, Christopher Lloyd, Christina Ricci, Jimmy Workman, and Carel Struycken playing the creepiest and kookiest family you’ve ever seen.
“We are the weirdos, mister.” Delivered with chilling conviction by Fairuza Balk in The Craft, that line would become one of the most iconic in all of ’90s horror, and it was spoken again with a similar confidence for a new generation in Zoe Lister-Jones’ The Craft: Legacy. While technically a sequel, The Craft: Legacy is an accessible gateway to its R-rated predecessor that is enthralling in its own right.
Centered on the formation of a new coven of teenage witches played by Cailee Spaeny, Gideon Adlon, Lovie Simone, and Zoey Luna, The Craft: Legacy explores the unshakable bonds of true sisterhood and the sometimes deadly temptations of newfound magical powers. Although it’s not set on Halloween, The Craft: Legacy paints its witchcraft story with a fall-infused palette on a small-town canvas, gorgeously capturing the dying days of fall in a seemingly idyllic community. Bolstered by intriguing performances from David Duchovny and Michelle Monaghan, The Craft: Legacy is worth summoning.
Moviegoers used to line up outside of theaters to experience the thrills and chills of the latest William Castle film, which often included interactive elements that allowed the audience to engage with the movie, such as Illusion-O glasses to see specters in 13 Ghosts or vibrating buzzers underneath the seats of those seeing The Tingler. House on Haunted Hill was no exception, as Castle not only brought the skeleton from the film to life—he had it glide like a phantom above the audience!
Now, I can’t guarantee that you’ll see any floating skeletons while watching House on Haunted Hill from the comfort of your own couch (and if you do, you should probably pause the movie and finish it another time), but I can assuredly say that there is a lot of frightful fun to be found lurking within the halls of House on Haunted Hill. This story of five strangers trying to make it through the night in the mansion of an enigmatic millionaire (played by the legendary Vincent Price) for a chance at $10,000 (not quite MrBeast prize money, but still a more-than-modest sum) is a classic example of how horror made with enthusiasm, a game cast, and an atmospheric setting can stand the test of time and continue to enthrall generations down the line. In addition to being an accessible gateway into Vincent Price’s vast filmography and William Castle’s creative marketing genius, House on Haunted Hill can be enjoyed by horror fans anytime, but it’s an especially perfect watch in October… just keep an eye out for flying skeletons!
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Hopefully these horror recommendations will help you get into the spirit of the Halloween season, whether you’re looking forward to trick-or-treating till you drop, you can’t wait to slay with a killer costume at a party, or you’re already icing your arm to prepare for a long night of handing out candy (and maybe saving some of that candy for yourself)! In the meantime, get ready to return to Redhaven and watch R.L. Stine’s Pumpkinhead 2 for free on Tubi beginning October 9th, and if you’re looking for more frights, head to Terror on Tubi to check out all of these recommendations, and let us know if you have any favorite Halloween horror films or TV series currently haunting Terror on Tubi! Until next time, happy Halloween and stream on Tubi till you scream!
Raised on a steady diet of R.L. Stine’s Goosebumps books and Are You Afraid of the Dark?, Derek has been fascinated with fear since he first saw ForeverWare being used on an episode of Eerie, Indiana.
When he’s not writing about horror as the Managing Editor of Daily Dead, Derek can be found daydreaming about the Santa Carla Boardwalk from The Lost Boys or reading Stephen King and Brian Keene novels.
Raised on a steady diet of R.L. Stine’s Goosebumps books and Are You Afraid of the Dark?, Derek has been fascinated with fear since he first saw ForeverWare being used on an episode of Eerie, Indiana.
When he’s not writing about horror as the Managing Editor of Daily Dead, Derek can be found daydreaming about the Santa Carla Boardwalk from The Lost Boys or reading Stephen King and Brian Keene novels.
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