5 Spooky English Movies to Recommend to Students This Halloween [Updated]

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To help set the mood for the Halloween season, we've picked five English-language horror films you can recommend to or discuss with your students.

We've also included some Halloween-themed discussion questions for each selection, so even if your students aren't interested in scary movies, you'll still have plenty of things to talk about.

(Obviously, the movies below are recommended for adults only — younger students will have to make do with costumes and trick-or-treating for now!)

Weapons (2025)

This film received a lot of buzz when it was released in the summer of 2025. It's about a community struggling to deal with the strange and sudden disappearance of a group of schoolchildren in the middle of the night.

Children often play a big role in horror stories. Why do you think so?
Some of the most famous American horror movie icons are adult men, but famous horror characters from Asian films are often female or young children. Why do you think these cultures have different ideas about what's scary?

Sinners (2025)

This story about twin brothers in the American South of the 1930s doesn't seem like a horror movie at first. But when the brothers open a new night club for the local community to party, a few individuals who show up have a very different idea of "fun."

Do you enjoy going to places like dance clubs?
When you were a child, what kind of monster was the scariest to you? (Ghosts, vampires, zombies? Something else?)
Does your country/culture have a unique monster that people from other parts of the world may not know about?

Barbarian (2022)

When the main character of this film shows up to the Airbnb-style house rental she's reserved, she discovers that it's been double-booked …and someone else is already there.

Have you ever stayed in a short-term rental? If you have, why didn't you choose a hotel?
Are you superstitious? What kinds of superstitions are common in your country?
"Curiosity killed the cat." What do you think this common English proverb means?

Last Night in Soho (2021)

The setting of this stylish film is London in two different time periods. The story revolves around a young fashion student and a glamorous lounge singer — and both of them discover that darkness often lurks behind the bright lights of the entertainment industry.

If you could live in another time/era, which would you choose?
Is there a celebrity that you idolize/idolized?
"Everything that glitters isn't gold." What do you think this proverb means? Is there a similar saying in your native language?

Smile (2020)

This "slow-burn" horror film is all about an evil presence that slowly stalks and terrifies its victims, gradually driving them to insanity. The only clue that it's nearby is when someone has a creepy, evil grin on their face.

Do you believe in the existence of ghosts? What about aliens?
Which do you find scarier, supernatural horror or psychological horror? Why?

Wrap-up

We hope this post helps add some fun, spooky energy to your upcoming lessons. Don't forget that for your movie buff students (no matter the genre), we have two other film-related articles that you can find here and here.

Happy Halloween! 👻