There are two types of people in the world: those who enjoy horror movies year-round and those who wait until October 1st. While we enjoy our favorite thrillers and slashers all year long, we certainly understand that during the month of October, the villains of these scary movies are the real stars. But for the year-round fans, what better time than now to dress as your favorite scary movie characters? Here are some easy movie character costume ideas featuring some of our favorite maniacs from horror movies.
We'll specifically be looking at horror movie costumes here rather than Halloween or scary movie costumes. Horror movies are classified as having dark and disturbing subject matter, made with the intent of eliciting terror, fear, disgust, shock, and suspense. It's often debatable about where to draw the line, with movies like Coraline, Ghostbusters, and The Addams Family including elements of horror but falling onto a more family-friendly side. What movies are or aren't horror for you?
1. Alien Costumes
| Xenomorph Costume | Ripley Costume | Chestburster Costume |
There are good horror movies, and then there are great ones. Alien is one of the best and most influential horror movies of all time! It spawned an incredible horror movie franchise and gave us one of the coolest alien species seen on screen. And who could forget the iconic alien chest-burster scene and its many parodies? Which Alien costume would you love to wear for Halloween?
2. Beetlejuice Costumes
| Plus Size Lydia Deetz | Child Beetlejuice | Miss Dead Receptionist | Beetlejuice Costume |
One of the most iconic comedy horror movies of all time, Beetlejuice is full of great horror costume ideas for men and women. (And dogs!) Of course, you have the infamous black and white striped suit, but you can also find Beetlejuice costumes for characters like our favorite goth girl, Lydia Deetz, and Miss Argentina.
3. Five Nights at Freddy's Costumes (FNAF Costumes)
| Child Foxy Costume | Roxanne Wolf |
While originally an indie horror game, Five Nights at Freddy's (aka FNAF) gained a huge following! So huge, in fact, that we have a FNAF movie. A night security guard realized that the animatronics come to life, and they're deadly. The original animatronics consist of Freddy Fazbear, Foxy the Pirate Fox, Bonnie the Rabbit, and Chica the Chicken. There have since been several other animatronics added to the lineup in sequel games. Maybe someday we'll see them in the movies as well?
4. Captain Spaulding Costume
Adult Captain Spaulding Costume
A member of the deadly Firefly family, Captain Spaulding dresses as a clown and runs a roadside attraction to help draw in more victims. He is featured in all 3 movies about the Firefly family, starting with House of 1000 Corpses, then The Devil's Rejects, and 3 from Hell. We hope you're confident in your face-painting skills!
5. Killer Klowns from Outer Space Costumes
| Slim Costume | Adult Shorty Costume |
Shop all Killer Klowns from Outer Space Costumes
Cult classic horror movies have some excellent costume ideas, too! Take Killer Klowns from Outer Space, a movie about clown aliens that take over a small town. They have wildly colorful outfits and seem so innocent and playful until they turn on you. Which Killer Klown character is your favorite?
6. Michael Myers Costumes
| Michael Myers Costume | Child Rob Zombie Michael | Halloween II Michael | Young Michael Costume |
Shop all Michael Myers Costumes
Say what you want, but Michael Myers is the official king of Halloween. Not only was he the inspiration for many other slasher franchises, but his movies are also named after the holiday! Michael Myers is most known for his iconic mask and his ability to stalk his victim with ease. He inspires fear in his victims by approaching them in a slow and stoic manner (seriously, why can't people just outrun him?) and is tough to bring down. Be the scariest person on Halloween with these Michael Myers costumes for adults and kids!
7. Werewolf Costumes
| Women's Werewolf | Kids' Werewolf Costume | Girls' Werewolf | Werewolf Costume |
Clap for the wolfman—he's going to make a great horror costume idea. Part of the Universal classic monsters lineup, werewolves make great Halloween costume ideas in general! Keep it classic with a scary werewolf outfit, or make your own werewolf costume with werewolf gloves and a special effects makeup kit. Just make sure to rock plaid and jeans!
8. Zombie Costumes
| Zombie Costume | Zombie School Girl | Zombie Football Player | Zombie Nurse |
After George Romero popularized zombies in horror movies, zombie movies have taken the world by storm. Zombie costumes for the entire family are relatively easy to find, making them the best scary movie costume for groups. These creepy creatures have been portrayed time and again in film, and you can find everything from zombies in normal clothing to clown zombies and nurse zombies. If you want to try your hand at making your own zombie costume DIY, you can turn practically any Halloween costume into a scary costume!
9. Chucky Costumes
| Adult Chucky Costume | Chucky Pet Costume | Child Chucky | Bride of Chucky |
What’s another way to strike fear into people? Dressing up as a murderous toy doll ought to do the trick. Chucky was introduced in Child’s Play several decades ago and has since been a popular horror movie character. If you’re going to be Chucky for Halloween, all you’ll have to do is pick out one of these Chucky costumes. No need to use voodoo to transfer your soul into a doll’s body!
10. Mummy Costumes
| Women's Mummy | Kids' Cozy Mummy Onesie | Child Mummy Dress | Adult Mummy |
The Mummy from 1932 is one of those classic horror movies that all horror movie fans should see at least once. (It stars Boris Karloff as Imhotep, after all!) There have been plenty of other mummy movies since that time, so mummies have kept their standing in the ranks of popular scary movie Halloween costumes. If your family is dead-set on a scary group costume idea, perhaps these mummy costumes are good Halloween costume ideas for you!
11. It Costumes
| Pennywise Costume | Child Pennywise Dress | Kids' Pennywise | Women's Pennywise |
It’s stated in the mythology of Stephen King’s IT that Pennywise returns to feast on children every 27 years, so it was fitting for him to return to the big screen in 2017 since the IT mini-series premiered in 1990. You may see some clowns and scary clown costumes out every Halloween, but Pennywise is one of the most popular Halloween costumes when it comes to horror movie costumes. (You know you've made it into the ranks of the best of the best when you have your own scary dog costume.) Whether you like the classic Tim Curry look or the silver screen version, these Pennywise costumes will turn you into one terrifying clown. He's one of the most prolific horror movie characters around!
12. Leatherface Costumes
| 1974 Leatherface Killing Mask | Chainsaw Prop | Leatherface Pet Costume |
Shop all The Texas Chainsaw Massacre Costumes
While John Carpenter’s Halloween set a precedent for horror movies, The Texas Chainsaw Massacre is known for originating the slasher subgenre as well as being one of the most influential horror films of the century. (Not to mention having the scariest horror mask.) Leatherface was the original slasher and he was downright relentless. Unlike Myers, who would follow his victims at a steady pace until they holed up in some hiding-place, Leatherface throws all subtlety out the window and chases his victims at full speed with a chainsaw blaring. You need to be so loud if this becomes your Halloween costume. Your gruesome look will be enough to get noticed on October 31st.
13. Scream Costumes
| Classic Ghostface Costume | Child Ghostface Costume | Kids' Dead by Daylight Ghostface | Adult Dead by Daylight Scorched Ghostface |
Do you want to play a game? What is the best 90s horror movie costume? You'd better have answered Scream's Ghostface (even if Candyman is a close second). You're sure to spook the neighborhood with a Ghostface mask and scary black robe. This knife-wielding maniac was also the inspiration for the series of Scary Movie movies that we know and love!
14. Frankenstein Costumes
| Bride of Frankenstein | Baby Frankenstein | Mad Scientist | Frankenstein's Monster |
Shop all Frankenstein Costumes
It's hard to get more iconic than Frankenstein costumes. (Frankenstein is certainly up there on our list of favorite classic horror movies!) While most have forgotten that Frankenstein was the name of the doctor/scientist guy and not the monster, the name stuck so we'll just go along with it. If you're looking for a classic horror movie couples' costume, it's hard to be more iconic that Frankenstein and his bride!
15. Jason Voorhees Costumes
| Jason Goes to Hell Mask | Replica Jason Mask | Jason Voorhees Pet Costume | Inflatable Machete Prop |
Shop all Friday the 13th Costumes
Another horror powerhouse, Jason Voorhees! Did you know that the Friday the 13th franchise was created to capitalize on the success of the Halloween franchise? While he wasn't featured as an adult in the first film—spoiler alert: the killer was actually his mother!—he became an unstoppable force once he rose from the depths of Camp Crystal Lake. (Somehow as an adult as opposed to a child that had drowned in the lake...but we'll go with it.) As an added bonus, Halloween is right around the time hockey season starts, so you'll be ready to head to a game in your horror hockey mask. Just be sure to leave the fake machete at home.
16. Annabelle Costumes
| Adult Annabelle Costume | Kids' Creepy Doll Costume |
The Conjuring is a big horror movie franchise with several main villains. You have Valak, who uses the guise of a nun; Bathsheba Sherman, the spirit of a devil-worshipping witch; and Annabelle, a doll that is the vessel of the demon Malthus. The porcelain doll wears a white dress with red trim and a red bow and is often kept locked in Ed and Lorraine's museum of cursed objects. Accompany your Annabelle costume with creepy doll makeup, and you're ready to haunt the night.
17. Terrifier Costumes
Shop all Art the Clown Costumes
Scary clown costumes are a Halloween staple, and Terrifier's Art the Clown fits perfectly into the lineup. This black-and-white clown doesn't say much (or anything at all, really), but his mime-like mannerisms speak louder than words. Pair this costume with practically any prop weapon, or keep it cheap with a black garbage bag filled with stuffing. (Or a bag of bags works too!) It will be much lighter than everything Art hauled around, and much safer for the public, too.
18. Dracula Costumes and Vampires
| Plus Size Vampire | Girls' Vampire | Kids' Vampire Costume | Women's Vampire |
When Bela Lugosi brought Dracula to the silver screen, he introduced a certain level of charm that previous vampires like Nosferatu lacked. (And in doing so, vampires started getting sexier.) Whether you prefer scary vampires or ones with a gothic charm, we have a variety of Dracula costumes and other vampire outfits to suit your needs. You can make a DIY vampire costume with a cape and some formal duds, or choose an entire vampire costume—there's no wrong way to bare your fangs.
19. Gremlins Costumes
| Adult Gizmo Costume | Toddler Gizmo Costume |
Don't feed them after midnight! Some people enjoy strange and unusual pets, but mogwai can be quite dangerous if you don't follow the rules. Underneath that cute, furry exterior is something far more menacing. There are three important rules: don't get them wet, don't expose them to sunlight, and don't feed them after midnight. Violating these rules results in the mogwai multiplying and eventually becoming gremlins, which are extremely dangerous. Could you follow the rules?
20. Sam Costumes
| Trick 'r Treat Sam Costume | Sexy Sam Costume |
Do you know the rules of Halloween? Sam is the antagonist in Trick 'r Treat, an anthology-style horror movie where he brutally enforces the rules of Halloween. He wears an orange set of footie pajamas and a burlap sack over his head, making Sam instantly recognizable anytime he appears onscreen. Don't forget to wear a costume this Halloween or you might be next!
21. Predator Costume
Who doesn't love an amazingly designed creature feature? Predator introduced us to the Yautja, a species of alien hunters who visit other planets to go on trophy-hunting sprees, taking down as many capable warriors as they can. They visit Earth several times throughout the Predator franchise, but they also cross paths with the Xenomorphs in movies like Alien vs. Predator.
22. Pinhead Costumes
| Pinhead Costume | Pinhead Mask |
Do you want a horror costume that's visually terrifying? Pinhead is probably one of the scariest-looking costumes on this list! This villain from Hellraiser is the lead Cenobite, also referred to as the Hell Priest. They can be summoned by solving the Lament Configuration, a deadly puzzle cube that opens another plane of existence and summons Pinhead and his Cenobites. The people who solve the cube often do so without fully realizing the consequences of their actions.
23. Us Costumes
| Adult Tethered Costume | Child Tethered Costume |
It's rare to find a group horror villain costume, but the Tethered from Us is one exception. They are a race of doppelgängers who exist in an underground or alternate dimension of sorts, but they have a perfect twin in the real world. During the movie, the veil between worlds is severed, and the Tethered come after their counterparts in order to kill them and take their place.
24. The Shining Costumes
| Adult Scary Twin Costume | Kids' Creepy Twin |
Can we start off by saying that the Grady twins from The Shining are the best scary twin costumes of all time? While their role in the movie is small, it's very memorable. (Come play with us, Danny!) The key component for a Shining twin costume is the blue dress with a pink bow, after which you need long white socks and black Mary Jane flats. Use makeup to hollow out your eyes and find a hallway to stand in!
25. M3gan Costumes
| Adult M3gan Costume | Child M3gan Costume |
Does artificial intelligence scare you? M3gan plays on those fears as a humanoid robot programmed with AI. Initially made as a companion robot for a girl who lost her parents and has difficulty forming human attachments, M3gan goes off the rails and begins to harm anyone who gets too close to her person, Cady. M3gan is disarmingly cute in an uncanny valley sort of way, but beware if she turns on you!
26. Freddy Krueger Costumes
| Freddy Krueger Dress | Freddy Krueger Costume | Freddy Krueger Pet Costume | Freddy Krueger Glove |
Shop all Freddy Kreuger Costumes
One two, Freddy's coming for you. Freddy Krueger is an iconic horror movie character and one of the most terrifying horror villains of all time! Unlike other characters like Michael Myers or Jason Voorhees, it's not his towering stature that makes him scary. He's quite diminutive compared to them. Instead, what makes Freddy so scary is that you can't get away from him. Freddy haunts dreams, so if you think you've outrun him, he'll just turn up again. You'll be the man (or woman) of everyone's dreams if you dress in a Freddy Krueger costume this Halloween.
27. Jennifer's Body Costumes
Adult Jennifer Cheerleader Costume
Looking for the perfect women's horror movie costume? Jennifer from Jennifer's Body is a great choice! When a rock band sacrifices her to the devil so they can be commercially successful, they fail to realize that she's not a virgin. While she dies, Jennifer comes back as a demonic vessel, and she's hungry for humans. The boys better watch out!
Who is your favorite horror movie villain? Are you planning on a horror movie costume for Halloween? Tell us what your favorite horror movies are or which ones you plan on watching this year in the days leading up to Halloween. If you're looking for something terrifying, check out our full selection of horror movie Halloween costumes and make someone's nightmare come true on October 31st.
