Halloween can be a great opportunity to practice English with films. This guide presents a list of movies connected with the themes of Halloween for English learners from the lower B2 level all the way to advanced levels.
A Note on Age Ratings
Not all of these movies are suitable for children. Here is
the American movie rating system, which explains each rating:
- G
(General Audiences): Suitable for all ages.
- PG
(Parental Guidance Suggested): Suggested to be watched with a parent.
- PG-13
(Parents Strongly Cautioned): Some material may be inappropriate for
children under 13.3
- R
(Restricted): Suggested for adults. Parents should decide if movie is
appropriate for their children.
I. (Lower to Mid B2)
These films have generally clear speech, predictable
dialogue structures, and slower pacing, making them excellent choices for
building confidence and improving basic comprehension.
|
Movie Title (Year) |
Rating |
Approx. English Level |
IMDb Link |
|
It's the Great Pumpkin, Charlie Brown (1966) |
G |
B2 |
|
|
Frankenstein (1931) |
PG |
B2 |
|
|
Dracula (1931) |
PG |
B2 |
|
|
The Wolf Man (1941) |
PG |
B2 |
|
|
The Legend of Sleepy Hollow (1949) |
G |
|
|
|
The Creature from the Black Lagoon (1954) |
G |
B2 |
- It's
the Great Pumpkin, Charlie Brown (1966)
- Summary:
Linus waits in the pumpkin patch for the Great Pumpkin to appear.
- English
Focus: Excellent for clarity and listening practice for
clear American speech. The pace is slow and deliberate.
- Frankenstein
(1931), Dracula (1931) and The Wolf Man (1941)
- Summary:
Three early classics of the monster genre, which helped to create the
modern image of Frankenstein, Dracula and werewolves.
- English
Focus: Useful for understanding older, formal English with highly
articulate, theatrical delivery. Dialogue is less idiomatic than
modern films, relying more on dramatic sentence structure. Dracula
features the added challenge of Bela Lugosi's (the actor who plays
Dracula) Eastern European accent.
- The
Legend of Sleepy Hollow (1949)
- Summary:
Disney's cartoon version of the story of the Headless Horseman.
- English
Focus: Highly useful for practicing narration comprehension
and literary vocabulary. Bing Crosby's narration is very clear.
- The
Creature from the Black Lagoon (1954)
- Summary:
Adventure of a geological expedition, which discovers an ancient creature
in the Amazon.
- English
Focus: Clear, informational dialogue typical of 1950s adventure/sci-fi
films. Some scientific and technical vocabulary.
II. Intermediate Challenge (Mid B2 Focus)
These films introduce a higher level of speed, more
contemporary American slang, and complex emotional contexts, requiring the
B2 learner to focus on conversational flow.
|
Movie Title (Year) |
Rating |
Approx. English Level |
IMDb Link |
|
Psycho (1960) |
R |
B2 |
|
|
E.T. the Extra-Terrestrial (1982) |
PG |
B2 |
|
|
Casper (1995) |
PG |
B2 |
|
|
The Sixth Sense (1999) |
PG-13 |
B2/Upper B2 |
|
|
Hotel Transylvania (2012) |
PG |
B2/Upper B2 |
- Psycho
(1960)
- Summary:
The people who check in to the remote Bates Motel are unaware of the
danger waiting for them.
- English
Focus: Dialogue is very clear, but often spoken in tense, short
speech.
- E.T.
the Extra-Terrestrial (1982)
- Summary:
A boy becomes friends with an alien lost on Earth.
- English
Focus: Clear, American dialogue, especially from children,
providing reliable listening practice without too much speed.
- Casper
(1995)
- Summary:
A friendly young ghost lives in a mansion and meets a girl who moves in.
- English
Focus: Modern, clear American English. Good for practicing informal
idioms and family-friendly humor.
- The
Sixth Sense (1999)
- Summary:
A young boy who can see dead people seeks help from a child psychologist.9
- English
Focus: Focuses on clear, conversations. Good for understanding
mood, tone, and the language of psychology and emotion.
- Hotel
Transylvania (2012)
- Summary:
Dracula's monsters gather for a vacation, but the arrival of a human
causes problems.
- English
Focus: While fast-paced (typical of animation), the articulation
is extremely clear. Useful for vocabulary related to family, travel,
and famous monsters.
III. (Upper B2 to C1 Focus)
These films can help to push B2 learners toward C1
proficiency, with challenges like strong accents, rapid speech, and slang.
|
Movie Title (Year) |
Rating |
Approx. English Level |
IMDb Link |
|
The Nightmare Before Christmas (1993) |
PG |
Upper B2 |
|
|
Poltergeist (1982) |
PG |
Upper B2 |
|
|
Ghostbusters (1984) |
PG |
Upper B2/C1 |
|
|
The Lost Boys (1987) |
R |
Upper B2/C1 |
|
|
Beetlejuice (1988) |
PG |
Upper B2/C1 |
|
|
The Witches (1990) |
PG |
C1 |
|
|
The Witches of Eastwick (1987) |
R |
C1 |
|
|
Young Frankenstein (1974) |
PG |
C1 |
|
|
The Addams Family (1991) |
PG-13 |
C1 |
|
|
Hocus Pocus (1993) |
PG |
C1 |
|
|
Coraline (2009) |
PG |
C1 |
|
|
It (2017) |
R |
C1 |
|
|
The Others (2001) |
PG-13 |
C1 |
|
|
Little Shop of Horrors (1986) |
PG-13 |
C1 |
|
|
Once Bitten (1985) |
PG-13 |
C1 |
|
|
An American Werewolf in London (1981) |
R |
C1 |
|
|
Dracula (1992) |
R |
C1 |
|
|
The Thing (1982) |
R |
C1 |
|
|
The Shining (1980) |
R |
C1/Advanced |
Enrichment & Accent Challenge Film Details
- The
Nightmare Before Christmas (1993)
- Summary:
Jack Skellington, the Pumpkin King, grows tired of Halloween and
discovers Christmas Town.
- English
Focus: Great for listening to rhyming, musical lyrics and unique
vocabulary related to the fantasy setting.
- Poltergeist
(1982)
- Summary:
A family is terrorized by ghosts communicating through their television.
- English
Focus: Excellent for practicing real-world dialogue where
characters speak quickly, interrupt, and overlap—a true test of authentic
listening.
- Ghostbusters
(1984)
- Summary:
Three scientists start a ghost-catching business in New York City.
- English
Focus: fast-paced jokes, and scientific/technical jargon. Ideal for
improving listening speed.
- The
Lost Boys (1987)
- Summary:
Teenagers meet a gang of vampires in 1980s America.
- English
Focus: Filled with 1980s American youth slang, idioms, and
high-energy dialogue. Good for cultural and period-specific language
acquisition.
- Beetlejuice
(1988)
- Summary:
A recently deceased couple hires another ghost to scare the new living
owners out of their home.11
- English
Focus: Features eccentric, fast-paced dialogue.
- The
Witches (1990)
- Summary:
A boy and his grandmother discover a convention of evil, real-life
witches.
- English
Focus: High accent challenge due to the stylized, thick
foreign and regional accents, especially from Anjelica Huston.
- The
Witches of Eastwick (1987)
- Summary:
Three bored women in a New England town summon a mysterious, charismatic
man who might be the Devil.
- English
Focus: Sophisticated, fast-paced conversational dialogue often
delivered with great wit and frequent overlapping. Excellent for
practicing rapid-fire, emotionally-charged American wit and
higher-level vocabulary.
- Young Frankenstein (1974)
- Summary:
Dr. Frederick Frankenstein, the grandson of the infamous doctor
Frankenstein, tries to distance himself from his family's legacy but
instead continues the work.
- English
Focus: Unique Accent Challenge. The comedy relies greatly on pronunciation
jokes and accents (e.g., "Fronkensteen" vs.
"Frankenstein"). The mix of formal 1930s speech parody with
thick German accents and old American slang is a great challenge for
advance students.
- The
Addams Family (1991)
- Summary:
A bizarre family deals with a long-lost relative trying to scam them out
of their fortune.
- English
Focus: Extremely rich with vocabulary, clever wordplay, and
complex humor. Requires a solid grasp of irony and subtlety.
- Hocus
Pocus (1993)
- Summary:
A curious teenager accidentally resurrects three 17th-century Salem
witches.
- English
Focus: The stylized, theatrical accents and rapid, speech of
the witches are a great vocal challenge for B2 learners.
- Coraline
(2009)
- Summary:
A young girl discovers a threatening alternate reality in her new home.
- English
Focus: A good mix of British and American accents, with a
focus on descriptive and gothic vocabulary.
- It
(2017)
- Summary:
A group of children confronts a demon that takes the form of a clown.
- English
Focus: Very modern, authentic-sounding American teen slang
(often crude and fast-paced). Good for up-to-date conversational English.
- The
Others (2001)
- Summary:
A mother on an isolated estate believes her house is haunted.
- English
Focus: High-quality British accent practice with dialogue
delivered in a formal, measured, and often quiet tone.
- Little
Shop of Horrors (1986)
- Summary:
A black comedy about a meek florist assistant who acquires an unusual
plant that brings a great deal of business, but demands human blood in
order to grow.
- English
Focus: Strong musical focus provides rhythm and repetition.
Dialogue uses casual 80s slang and quick-witted exchanges.
- An
American Werewolf in London (1981)
- Summary:
An American backpacker survives a werewolf attack in the English
countryside.
- English
Focus: Excellent accent clash practice: Fast-paced American
English contrasted with challenging British regional accents and
slang.
- Dracula
(1992)
- Summary:
Francis Ford Coppola's retelling of the classic vampire tale.
- English
Focus: Sophisticated vocabulary and formal, Victorian-era English.
High accent challenge due to stylized European accents.
- The
Thing (1982)
- Summary:
A research team in Antarctica discovers a dangerous, shape-shifting alien
among them.
- English
Focus: Authentic, often overlapping dialogue delivered under
intense stress, including mumbling and low-frequency male voices. A high
test of concentration.
- The
Shining (1980)
- Summary:
A man and his family accepts a job as a winter caretaker at an isolated,
haunted hotel.
- English
Focus: Highest Challenge. Dialogue is often rapid-fire, psychologically
dense, and sometimes intentionally confusing. Requires a high level of
vocabulary and subtextual understanding.
