Now that we’re nearing one week until Halloween, there’s no better time to trick or treat yo’self. As you watch fall leaves change colors, admire carved pumpkins outside Norris and start your costume shopping sprees for Halloweekend, it’s hard not to be excited for the best part of October. Even though we may be too old to trick or treat, it's never a bad time to get into the spirit by watching Halloween-themed movies – from feel-good Disney Channel originals to classic horrors. Just pick up some pumpkin pie popcorn from Whole Foods and grab our guide to binge-watching as many movies as your Halloween-loving heart desires!
Century 12 Evanston
The Century 12/CineArts 6 and XD movie theater in downtown Evanston offers $5 movies on Tuesday nights! Whether you’re looking for an eerie murder mystery like Happy Death Day, or trying to decide whether or not you should make the jump onto the IT bandwagon, both of these scary movies are showing everyday, multiple times a day, until Halloween. On Halloween day, which happens to be a Tuesday, Century 12 is also exclusively showing Little Shop of Horrors — The Director’s Cut at 2 p.m. and 7 p.m. It doesn't matter if you take your besties or a crush — this is the perfect cheap, spooky date.
FreeForm
Freeform just released their 13 Nights of Halloween 2017 Schedule. Starting Oct. 19, Freeform will be airing an array of Halloween movies, from 6 a.m. to midnight, every day until Halloween. They’re even showing popular favorites The Haunted Mansion, The Addams Family and Hocus Pocus! Luckily for us Northwestern students, we all have free Xfinity on campus. So watch on your laptop, or camp out in your dorm lounge and take advantage of the cable TV there!
Disney Channel
For those feeling nostalgic about an October when our minds weren’t midterm-focused, Disney Channel’s Monstober is airing iconic Disney Channel Original Movies through the rest of October. Postmates some brunch from Clarke’s for an ideal weekend morning of watching Twitches or Twitches Too with your friends at 10 a.m. on Oct. 21 or 22. Alternatively, if you’re a bigger fan of Halloweentown and Halloweentown II: Kalabar’s Revenge, Disney Channel is showing these originals the next Saturday and Sunday mornings at 10 a.m.
Netflix
All it takes is typing “horror” or “Halloween” in the search bar to see the overwhelming amount of scary and kid-friendly Halloween movies that Netflix has to offer. For those who prefer a PG over an R rated scare, Netflix has my personal animated favorites Corpse Bride and Coraline. Warning: Coraline is definitely spookier than you think. If you love thrillers, Netflix also features movies like The Babadook and Children of the Corn. Although no amount of searching will lead you to a movie as scary as the lack of sleep we’re all getting during midterms.
Hulu
Since Hulu is mainly known for television streaming, I assumed its Halloween movie selection would be pretty limited. However, a search by genre led me to a host of highly-rated classics The Amityville Horror and The Silence of the Lambs. If their movie selection still isn’t up to par, Hulu also streams six seasons of American Horror Story. I personally recommend seasons five and six, but hold off on the popcorn. The gore in American Horror Story is not recommended for those with weak stomachs! Bonus life hack: For those who don’t have Hulu already, they recently partnered with Spotify so that students can get both Spotify Premium and a Hulu subscription for $5. It’s an incredible deal since a Spotify Premium student membership is already $4.99. You basically get Hulu for free!
Amazon
If after reading this list you still can’t find a place to stream your number one Halloween favorite, don’t fret! Amazon Instant Video has practically every movie available to rent or buy. From The Conjuring to Halloween to The Shining, you’re guaranteed to find the perfect spooky flick for no more than $3. To make it an even cheaper movie night, grab a group of friends, split the cost on Venmo, and let the #movienightghouls commence.