Halloween Movies To Watch If You Love Hocus Pocus

When "Hocus Pocus" first premiered in 1993, it instantly became one of the most enjoyable movies to watch while getting ready to celebrate Halloween. As explained by IMDb, the movie focuses on three diabolical witches who were put to death in the 17th century while residing in Salem. Although they were executed hundreds of years ago, they were somehow able to wake back up and return to their wicked ways years into the future. People adds that "Hocus Pocus" wasn't even originally meant to be a movie; the script actually started out as a bedtime story that ultimately landed on the big screen. 

Because of its marketability and success each October, it makes sense that producers were chomping at the bit to create and release a sequel. "Hocus Pocus 2" was released in late September 2022, maintaining much of the same characters as the original. Sarah Jessica Parker, Bette Midler, and Kathy Najimy all reprised their magical roles as the Sanderson sisters, bringing nostalgia to the forefront of the film. The "Hocus Pocus" franchise as a whole is filled with its fair share of spooky moments, but overall, the movies are meant to be both comedic and family-friendly. 

If you've already watched both movies this Halloween season and you're feeling ready for more similar content, you're totally in luck. There are several other movies that are just as playful and entertaining to enjoy, and it might be time to give some of these other hilariously haunting flicks a chance.

There's nothing scary about a movie like "Halloweentown," which means it's a safe option to watch if you have little kids in tow. According to Mental Floss, "Halloweentown" was one of the first-ever Disney Channel original movies. Disney Channel went on to produce some of the most epic original movies, including the "High School Musical" movie franchise and more. Nevertheless, "Halloweentown" exists as one of the first — and one of the most memorable. 

Insider explains that "Halloweentown" was filmed within a 240-day schedule with a budget of $4 million. Although there wasn't a lot of time or money put into the project, "Halloweentown" is still considered one of the best holiday movies of all time to enjoy. It tells the story of a preteen-aged girl named Marnie who follows her grandmother into a magical city called "Halloweentown" with her younger siblings. It's there that they learn about supernatural beings, incredible forces, and their own magical powers for the first time in their lives. The film went on to receive three sequels, so there are four films you can enjoy in preparation of Halloween.

There are endless scary zombie movies and shows to watch, but "Zombieland" was created to be more funny than terrifying. As noted by ScreenRant, the first movie was written to be a TV pilot before it ended up on the silver screen. Fortunately, it ended up being turned into the amazing Halloween film most people know and love today. The Movie Facts reveals that "Zombieland" is filled to the brim with easter eggs and hidden behind-the-scenes facts. You don't need to pay attention to every single detail to enjoy what the movie has to offer during the Halloween season, though.

"Zombieland" is about a group of unlikely companions linking up to survive during a zombie apocalypse. There's a shy young adult who's determined to reunite with his family, a gun-loving brute who's in search of the last Twinkie on earth, and two sisters who want to find their way to an amusement park before their lives come crumbling down forever. There are a handful of tense moments throughout, but, for the most part, this movie will keep you laughing.

Disney Channel is a wonderful hub when it comes to original movies that leave lasting impressions. "Twitches" happens to be one of those films. It tells the story of two twin sisters who get reunited on their 21st birthday. Once they're together again, they learn about the magical powers they each harbor. As a team, they must fight back against the evil forces who want to destroy the world. The movie sounds incredibly dramatic, but it's actually lighthearted and sweet.

Business Insider Africa explains that "Twitches" is similar to a once-popular show on Disney Channel called "Sister, Sister" since Tia and Tamera Mowry are the twin actresses who star in both. In these projects, the twins grow up living their lives apart until fate brings them together again. Insider adds that the movie exists thanks to a series of novels written by H. B. Gilmour and Randi Reisfeld that were first published in 2001. Their creative storytelling led to the brilliant movie in 2005, as well as its sequel in 2007.

It's been a while since Tia and Tamera linked up to film a movie together, but rumors of "Twitches 3" becoming a possibility made their rounds in 2021. Unfortunately, Tamera confirmed that a third installment to the franchise likely wouldn't be happening (via Distractify). Fans are still keeping their fingers crossed anyway, however.

Ghosts have a bad reputation for being scary and evil; however, "Casper" is a movie that tells a completely different story. "Casper" is about a friendly ghost who falls in love with a human girl named Kat. Instead of being able to pursue a normal love story, everything is more complex for them due to his state of mortality. Whenever people think of ghosts with good intentions, Casper is usually the character who comes to mind. E! News reveals that the movie ended up raking in $300 million from a budget of $55 million. Just about everyone was flocking to see the film when it was released in 1995.

According to ScreenRant, actors talked to floating tennis balls to film movie scenes to gauge where the CGI version of Casper would later be edited in. Even though Casper as an entity wasn't really on set with the rest of the cast, the filmmakers did a great job making it appear like he really was.

Watching "The Haunted Mansion" during the Halloween season is ideal for anyone interested in a spooky movie filled with easygoing jokes. IMDb notes that the movie premiered in 2003, starring Eddie Murphy in the leading role. Disney Addicts reveals that the physical attractions with the same name are located in four separate Disney parks for fans to enjoy: New Orleans Square at Disneyland, Frontierland at Disneyland Paris, Liberty Square at Walt Disney World, and Fantasyland at Tokyo Disneyland. Getting a taste of what the movie was like in person only adds to the excitement.

The movie is about a real estate agent named Jim who works way too much. Since he maintains such a busy work schedule, his wife tells him he's not there for her or their children as much as he should be. To make up for lost time, he agrees to take his whole family on a vacation. While they're supposed to be living it up, he takes a detour to try selling a house for some extra commission. Little does he know that the mansion in question is completely haunted. When Jim finds himself stuck in a bad situation at a haunted mansion with his family, he quickly realizes that prioritizing work in every situation probably isn't the best move.

In 1991, "The Addams Family" was released creating a fun and exciting conversation about top-notch Halloween movies to watch. As noted by IMDb, Christina Ricci played Wednesday Addams and considers it one of her favorite personal roles. It's not surprising at all that Christina would appreciate the time she spent filming such an unforgettable movie. It's kooky and creepy in a very charming way.

Mental Floss explains that multiple members of the cast and crew fell ill while filming the movie, yet somehow the movie was still able to come together in time for its premiere. It's all about the weirdness of a stranger who shows up on the doorstep of his estranged family members' home. He claims to be Gomez Addams' missing brother, but Morticia Addams is convinced he's nothing more than a fraud. Eventually, the stranger figures out how to get the Addams evicted from their home, but his devious plan doesn't work out for long.

If you're interested in seeing Selena Gomez in a fun Halloween movie, "The Dead Don't Die" is one viable option. According to IMDb, she plays Zoe in the 2019 film. She's connected to her fair share of spooky-themed content, including "Only Murders in the Building," "Wizards of Waverly Place," and "Hotel Transylvania." Nevertheless, "The Dead Don't Die" is one of her best since it's about the endless hunt for zombies who are incapable of dying. 

NME says the movie leaves viewers with an abundance of questions by the time it comes to an end. Why is Jarmusch so heavily fascinated with Sturgill Simpson? Is Iggy Pop genuinely a coffee addict? Why did Bill Murray stay locked out in icy weather to read his script lines? Why did Tom Waits' Hermit Bob ultimately become a hermit? Where did the teenagers from the detention center disappear to? Since the movie gives audiences so many burning questions to ponder, it's worth watching more than once to try and connect those dots. At the time of writing, there is no word on whether or not there will be a sequel. Since the first movie left things open-ended and unanswered, it would make sense for another movie to come along and seal up any loose ends at some point.

Mary-Kate and Ashley Olsen took the lead in countless kids' movies throughout their childhood. "Double, Double, Toil and Trouble" was the movie they filmed in honor of Halloween. IMDb explains that the flick is about two twin girls who go out of their way to rescue their parents from their evil and greedy aunt. Instead of letting their aunt get her way, they utilize a little bit of magic to save the day.

Movie Time Dad explains that the movie doesn't include any truly scary moments, making it a perfect option for families to watch together. There's no reason to turn on a truly terrifying horror flick with toddlers in the room when you can press play on "Double, Double Toil, and Trouble" instead. Mary-Kate and Ashley were widely recognized for their work on the show "Full House" in the '90s, but movies like this one at Halloween time each year contributed to their superstardom.

Animated movies might not be everyone's cup of tea, but "The Nightmare Before Christmas" is worth watching no matter your age. Even the film's production is out of the ordinary, with Insider explaining that the songs from the movie were written before the script was. The way the storyline smoothly fits along with the music makes more sense knowing that fact. Mental Floss clarifies that although the title mentions Christmas, the movie is actually better suited for October every year. 

The 1993 film is about a character named Jack Skellington who's known by the locals in his town as the beloved pumpkin king. Halloweentown becomes boring to him after he falls into the mundane pattern of spooking the same group of people on an annual basis. Suddenly, he uncovers Christmastown, and everything rapidly changes. It's there that he realizes he's enchanted by the bright colors, cheerful attitude, and happy energy. He plots to replace Santa Claus with a diabolical plan, and fans eat it up each and every year. 

"Sabrina the Teenage Witch" is an epic Halloween movie to watch but is not to be confused with the TV show of the same name. As noted by IMDb, the movie premiered in 1993 and starred Melissa Joan Hart in the titular role. Her two aunts were recast with other actors, though. Instead of Beth Broderick and Caroline Rhea as Zelda and Hilda, respectively, the movie included Charlene Fernetz and Sherry Miller.

ScreenRant explains that the movie existed before the show did, which is something many people might not be aware of. After the movie came out in 1996, the show followed suit in 1998. The movie originally introduced the character of Sabrina, who was sent away by her birth parents to be raised by her eccentric aunts. Their reason for sending her away was more thoughtful than callous since they knew she'd be better off with family members who better understood her situation. On her 16th birthday, Sabrina found out about her magical abilities and learned that she must figure out how to control them.

The "Buffy the Vampire Slayer" film isn't the same thing as the TV show of the same name. The 1992 movie is about a teenage girl named Buffy Summers who's always changing her mind about things. When she figures out she's the destined battler of vampires in charge of saving everyone in her generation, she realizes what a weight she's got on her shoulders.

According to IMDb, Kristy Swanson played Buffy in the movie, unlike the show that cast Sara Michelle Gellar as the lead. The Atlantic describes the movie as being campy and brilliant based on the way it was filmed and put together, which honestly isn't too difficult from how people talk about the TV series. The reason the "Buffy the Vampire Slayer" movie is comparable to "Hocus Pocus" is that both flicks include characters that know how to successfully bounce off each other's energy in ways that are hilarious and comical without getting too serious.

Can a love story come to life in the midst of a zombie apocalypse? That's exactly what takes place in "Warm Bodies." IMDb explains the 2013 movie is about the connection between an odd zombie and a human girl. He rescues her from an attack even though he's no longer alive in the same way she is. Here, he proves that although he's a zombie, he's still capable of being thoughtful and caring. In this emotional turn of events, he makes it known that he can still feel emotions like anyone else.

After they realize they're falling for each other, they do everything in their power to try and find a cure that will make him human again. The sweetest detail about this movie is that if they can cure him, they can cure all zombies around the globe. E! News explains that "Warm Bodies" shouldn't be written off as "Twilight" with zombies instead of vampires. "Twilight" certainly had its glory days between 2008 and 2012, telling the story of Bella Swan and Edward Cullen's forbidden relationship. After all, she was a human, and he was a vampire. "Warm Bodies" is its own special movie worth watching during the Halloween season.

"Scooby-Doo" from 2002 is the perfect Halloween movie to watch if you're looking for loads of laughter and hilarious moments. According to IMDb, Sarah Michelle Gellar and Freddie Prinze Jr. were chosen to play Daphne and Fred because they were already a real-life couple. The director wanted their true romance to show through the screen, and it worked. Review Avenue says the first cut of the movie was R-rated, but that rating didn't last for long. 

Eventually, it was given a PG rating, even though it's filled with a few jokes that probably fit better in the PG-13 rating. The movie pays homage to the original "Scooby-Doo" cartoons that started airing in 1969. It tells the story of a group of crime-solving teenagers who get invited to a place called Spooky Island for one massive investigation. They have to figure out what's going on at a spring break hotspot that's been facing tons of abnormal paranormal accidents.

One of the most interesting details about the movie is the fact that Fred and Velma faced off against each other in a rivalry about who should take credit after solving cases. Velma felt like her efforts weren't being appreciated when she noticed Fred basking in all of the glory of her hard work. There's something very powerful about the feminist narrative in this film, which is why we come back to it time and time again.