HONOLULU Staff Favorites: Movies and TV Shows to Stream Online this Halloween
Between countless costume contests, themed cocktails, haunted houses and street parties, we’re happily planning on spending some of our October nights at home—wearing onesies and eating Halloween candy, of course—while streaming something spooky online.
Editor’s note: This article was originally published on October 31, 2018 and has been since updated on October 8, 2019.
The Curse of the Were-Rabbit
(HBO Go & HBO Now)
“I’m not a fan of the horror genre, so I prefer baking challenges and quirky films at Halloween. That explains a stop-motion classic with Wallace and his lovable pooch Gromit as they try to figure out what’s sabotaging the vegetable garden in their village in The Curse of the Were-Rabbit. They look for humane ways to solve the problem while getting into their usual dry but still heartwarming antics with guest stars Ralph Fiennes and Helena Bonham Carter. Who doesn’t love a dog who knits, needs a cup of coffee with his morning paper, builds contraptions and has the most expressive eyes?”
Last year’s pick: Ghostbusters (Amazon Prime, from $2.99)
—Robbie Dingeman, editor at large
What We Do in the Shadows (TV Show)
(Hulu)
“Two years ago, a friend introduced me to the film of the same name. We spent Halloween night eating takeout from Chronic Tacos while watching Hocus Pocus and What We Do in the Shadows. This year, I plan on at least starting the TV show (after watching Hocus Pocus for the billionth time, of course).”
—Enjy El-Kadi, digital marketing specialist
SEE ALSO: The 29 Scariest Movies Screening in Honolulu This October
Little Monsters
(Hulu)
“Ever since the trailers started playing on my Facebook newsfeed a month ago I knew I had to watch this. What I can tell from previews and a couple of review sound bites, Little Monsters is a rom-com set in a zombie apocalypse and that is most certainly not family-friendly—you know, with the excessive cursing, gore and general violence. I’m not typically a zombie movie kinda gal but a smart satire, Lupita Nyong’o and horror thrills will have me streaming this Hulu original the day it is released (Oct. 11).”
Last year’s pick: The Haunting of Hill House (Netflix)
—Katie Kenny, digital editorial specialist
Boo! A Madea Halloween
(Hulu)
“I admit, I love Tyler Perry movies—especially those featuring larger-than-life Mabel ‘Madea’ Simmons. And, the gangsta granny is a treat to watch in Boo! A Madea Halloween. The movie revolves around Madea’s great niece, 17-year-old Tiffany, who wants to attend a Halloween party at a frat house. Tiffany’s father, Brian, also played by Tyler Perry, forbids the rebellious teenager from going and leaves Madea and her sidekicks with teen-sitting duties. Wise-cracking remarks, scary-good pranks, horrific wigs, weed-crazy moments and hella hellurrrrs crack my funny bones up in this flick. Bonus! There is an appearance of a cat. Tyga performs.”
—Stacey Makiya, senior fashion editor
Two Sentence Horror Stories
(Netflix)
“I’m one episode deep into Netflix’s Two Sentence Horror Story which takes the flash fiction format and uses it as a framing device. A hypothetical story would go—‘She cast two shadows. There was only one lightbulb.’—and sandwiched between the two sentences is a full 20-minute journey of campy horror. Episode 1 focuses on a woman who is stalked by serial killer whose victim of choice is a ‘bad mother.’ It has one of the weirdest villain monologues ever written: ‘You work too much. You’re a bad mother …’ Looking forward to episode 2.”
—James Nakamura, creative director
Corpse Bride
(Amazon Prime)
“I’m not a fan of bloody or gory movies, so that’s why one of my go-to Halloween films is Tim Burton’s Corpse Bride. Even though it’s dark (literally and figuratively), it’s kind of fun in a slightly spooky, weird way. My favorite part of watching it is definitely the music. The score is so addicting and hauntingly beautiful. I even tried, but ultimately failed, to learn to play Victor’s solo on the piano in high school. I remember replaying the song over and over again on my pink Sony Walkman Bean (yes, it was an mp3 player that basically resembled a giant lima bean).”
Last year’s pick: Halloweentown (available for free on DisneyNow and for $3.99 on Amazon Prime)
—Jayna Omaye, staff writer
Coraline
(Netflix)
“This is one of my favorite movies in general, but it’s especially great in the fall when gloomy rainy days make me want to stay inside (or go exploring in the fog and crawl through secret doors). The stop-motion is crazy good, the sets are so intricate and inviting, the fairy tale storyline is fun, and it brings in just the right amount of the uncanny to really creep you out—I just love it. I dressed as Coraline for Halloween one year and even have my own official Coraline doll.”
—Katrina Valcourt, managing editor
The Lair of the White Worm
(Amazon Prime, from $3.99)
“Great English countryside movie with a ’60s-sleazy cast of debauched aristocrats, frightening gamekeepers and the gorgeous Hugh Grant as Lord James D’Ampton, who’s got a very large, very white worm in the weeds to deal with as the week wears on … It’s a Ken Russell film, folks! You’ll either die screaming or die laughing.”
—Don Wallace, senior editor
The Addams Family TV shows
(available for free on Vudu and for $1.99 on Amazon Prime)
“I know some prefer The Munsters, but there’s something great about a creepy and kooky family that doesn’t try to assimilate at all. From Charles Addams’ original cartoons nearly 80 years ago to the movie revamps, I have enjoyed all the iterations of thorn-loving Morticia, the jovial husband Gomez, electricity-conducting Uncle Fester, creepy Wednesday, Pugsley and all their misfit relatives. With the new animated film coming out Oct. 11, there’s a new reason to watch the original show all again.”
Last year’s pick: Just Add Magic (Amazon Prime)
—Christi Young, editorial director
