13 Halloween Horror Movies That Aren’t ‘That’ Halloween Movie

Halloween movies without Michael Myers

Halloween: the time of year when the membrane between worlds thins and stretches, sometimes breaking to let things through. Things that should remain on their side. Things that have revenge on their minds and in their hearts … if they even have hearts.

What better time of the year is there to watch Halloween horror movies than at Halloween?

Halloween horror movies are filled with terror, horrifying urban legends, and homicidal beings that might make you think twice about going trick-or-treating or letting your kids do it.

While no one can deny the importance of the Halloween movie franchise in the horror genre, there are plenty of other Halloween horror movies out there.

From anthologies to full length movies, here’s a selection of thirteen Halloween horror movies. The only thing they share with Michael Myers is the time of year.

How many of these have you seen?

Trick 'r Treat (2007)

“Poison, Drowning, Claw, Or Knife. So Many Ways To Take A Life.”

Trick ‘r Treat is an anthology comedy horror movie.

In the fictional town of Warren Valley, Ohio, characters cross paths while Sam, a trick-or-treater wearing a burlap pyjama costume, enforces the ‘rules’ of Halloween.

Emma learns why you don’t take your Halloween decorations down early.
Charlie learns why you don’t steal candy or vandalize Jack-O-Lanterns.
A group of teenagers learn about the Halloween School Bus Massacre and about revenge.
A serial killer learns that Warren Valley, Ohio, is not the place to be seeking victims.
Kreeg learns that Halloween needs to be respected.

Hell House LLC (2015)

“New York’s Scariest Haunted House Tour.”

Hell House LLC is a found-footage horror movie.

A documentary crew investigates an unexplained accident at a haunted house attraction that left fifteen tour-goers and all crew members dead except for one.

They track down the surviving staff member who gives them film footage shot in the lead-up to the tragedy.

The attraction was set in an abandoned hotel in the small town of Abaddon in the state of New York. After the crew sets up at the old hotel, strange things start to happen to each of them but the CEO of the company is determined to get the story, no matter what.

Night of the Demons (1988)

“Angela is having a party, Jason and Freddy are too scared to come … but You’ll have a hell of a time.”

Night of the Demons is a supernatural comedy horror movie.

A group of teenagers throw a party at an abandoned mortuary on Halloween. When they hold a seance, they accidentally free a demon from the crematorium and it begins to possess each of them.

Trick or Treat (1986)

“What are you afraid of? It’s only rock and roll.”

Trick or Treat is a supernatural comedy horror movie with a great soundtrack and special appearances by Gene Simmons and Ozzy Osbourne.

Eddie, a high school outcast, is devastated when he learns his hero, Sammi Curr, a heavy metal musician, has died in a hotel fire.

Eddie’s friend, Nuke, has the only copy of Curr’s unreleased album and is planning on playing it on-air at midnight on Halloween as a tribute.

Eddie takes the disc home, falls asleep while listening to it, and has a dream about the fire that killed Curr. When he wakes up, he realizes there’s something off about the lyrics and plays it backwards (as you do) and hears Curr speaking to him from beyond the grave.

Terrifier (2016)

Terrifier is a slasher horror movie and is the second appearance in a full-length movie by Art the Clown. (The first was All Hallow’s Eve (2013).)

It’s Halloween night and Art the Clown follows Tara and Dawn into a pizzeria.

Art is soon escorted out by the owner and when the women come out, they discover one of their car tyres has been slashed. They call Tara’s sister to come and pick them up and while they’re waiting, Tara goes into a derelict apartment building to use the bathroom.

Art returns to the pizzeria, which is not ideal for the workers, or Dawn, or Tara, or Tara’s sister.

Tales of Halloween (2015)

“One night. One town. Ten chilling stories.”

Tales of Halloween is a comedy horror anthology movie.

Ten stories are woven together by their shared theme of Halloween night in an American suburb.

An urban legend roams the neighborhood looking for candy.
A demon has had enough of being pranked every Halloween.
Vigilante trick-or-treaters get their revenge.
The Demon of All Hallow’s Eve helps Jimmy get revenge on bullies.
A ghost takes the eyes of anyone who looks at her on Halloween night.
A witch, distraught that she has no children of her own, makes her husband help her lure children into the house on Halloween.
Two neighbors fight over their Halloween decorations.
A serial killer is confronted by a trick-or-treating alien who possesses one of his victims.
Two kidnappers regret kidnapping the son of a millionaire.
A murderous carved pumpkin terrorizes the neighborhood.

Firefly (2005)

Firefly is a science-fiction horror movie.

Something happened on Halloween night. But what?

The next day, Del woke up in his truck, hungover and covered in dirt; Brandt was found floating in a river; and, Susan was rushed to the hospital covered in blood.

None of the three strangers remembers what happened but whatever it was continues to affect them months later. Then a mysterious clairvoyant arrives to help.

All Hallow’s Eve (2013)

“Come out and play.”

All Hallow’s Eve is a slasher horror movie and is the first appearance of Art the Clown in a full-length movie. (The second was in Terrifier (2016).)

A babysitter finds an unmarked VHS tape in the trick-or-treat bag of her charges.

The tape features three extremely graphic segments of homicidal Art the Clown terrorizing and murdering people.

The Houses October Built (2014)

“In the search for the most extreme haunt, the haunt found them.”

The Houses October Built is a found-footage horror movie.

In the lead-up to Halloween, a group of friends decide to take a trip to visit some of America’s scariest haunted house attractions. They plan to record the experiences and interview the actors.

The friends become the target of a disturbed group of actors as they try to find “Blue Skeleton”, a mysterious attraction that moves to a different, secret location every year.

Pay the Ghost (2015)

“Evil walks among us.”

Pay the Ghost is a supernatural mystery horror movie.

Mike’s son, Charlie, is abducted during a Halloween carnival and almost a year later, Mike and his wife are still looking for him.

They’re hearing and seeing Charlie reaching out to them from somewhere not in this world. When Mike sees Charlie on a passing bus, he chases down the bus but Charlie’s not there. He sees the phrase ‘pay the ghost’ spray-painted on a wall; the words Charlie said before he vanished.

Mike enters the building and hears terrifying screams that a homeless man explains happens every year before Halloween. He also shows Mike a wall with more phrases on it. While Mike is looking at the wall, he doesn’t see the wall behind him shift and a demonic figure appear briefly.

31 (2016)

“Death is the only escape.”

31 is a slasher horror movie.

It’s Halloween, 1976. Five carnival workers are kidnapped and forced to play a survival game called “31” while bets are placed on their progress.

For over twelve hours, the carnies are chased by murderous clowns through a maze of rooms. If they’re caught, the penalty is torture and murder.

Tormented (2014)

“This little piggy came home …”

Tormented is a home invasion horror story.

A teenage girl reluctantly agrees to babysit at an isolated country mansion on Halloween night.

When a small trick-or-treating boy in a pig mask appears at the door, her night transforms into a violent cat-and-mouse game. She must go beyond what she ever thought possible if she and the children are to survive the night.

Bad Candy (2020)

“Take one or else.”

Bad Candy is an anthology horror movie.

On Halloween night in New Salem, Radio DJs Chilly Billy and Paul tell terrifying local myths that lead to a grim end for some of the small-town residents.

Published: 26 October 2022