17 Horror Film Classics Screening Around Dallas This October

October is descending. Pumpkins will soon adorn porches everywhere. Gigantic bags of candy are on sale at your local supermarket. And then there’s the movies playing at your local multiplexes. Horror films are about to dominate every theater in the area. You’re likely well aware of new horror releases like Good Boy, Bone Lake, The Black Phone 2 and Shelby Oaks that are scheduled to hit the big screen throughout October. Or maybe you prefer to catch an old-school favorite on the big screen.

But what about the classic horror movies returning to theaters in the spirit of the season? Below is a guide to the most enticing and highly anticipated vintage horror movie screenings scheduled for October 2025. Some of these will be playing at multiplexes everywhere, while others will be confined to special locations, such as The Texas Theatre or various Alamo Drafthouse locations.

Wherever these screenings are happening, there’s plenty of pre-2020s frightening filmmaking heading to the big screen in the Dallas area this October to satisfy all stripes of horror fans. Get into the spirit of the season, grab your popcorn and Silver Shamrock mask, and let’s dive into what October 2025’s local cinema looks like.

Creepshow (1982) 
Alamo Drafthouse Richardson: Oct. 18 at 4 p.m.
Alamo Drafthouse Cedars: Oct. 22 at 7 p.m.

For two hours, the anthology movie Creepshow submerges viewers in a bevy of bite-sized Stephen King adaptations (all derived from his various short stories). There’s plenty of creepy spectacles in this wildly imaginative motion picture. 

Elvira: Mistress of the Dark 
The Texas Theatre (231 W Jefferson Blvd.)
Oct. 18 at 8:30 p.m.

Cassandra Peterson’s delightful Elvira character proved more than capable of anchoring a spooky ’80s comedy with the movie Elvira: Mistress of the Dark. Come and witness her antics on the big screen at this special event, which will feature a glorious prescreening drag show.

Fright Night (1985) 
Alamo Drafthouse Las Colinas and Denton: Oct. 21 at 7 p.m.
Alamo Drafthouse Richardson and Lake Highlands: Oct. 22 at 7 p.m.

What if a vampire moved next door? Such is the enticing starting point of the 1985 vampire classic Fright Night. There are tons of reasons Fright Night has become a beloved classic, including Roddy McDowall’s gung-ho supporting performance. It’s time for more people to experience why it’s so beloved on the big screen.

Dawn of the Dead (2004) 
Alamo Drafthouse Cedars
Oct. 21 at 9 p.m.

Zack Snyder’s remake of this zombie movie classic (realized through a James Gunn script) can’t measure up to the original, sure, but it’s still got some gnarly charms, especially for those nostalgic for 2000s horror fare.

Tremors
Angelika Film Center (5321 E. Mockingbird Lane)
Oct. 21 at 7 p.m.

Kevin Bacon fighting off gigantic worms (largely realized through excellent practical effects work), now that’s cinema. Tremors is a goofball charmer that won’t necessarily inspire nightmares, but Halloween isn’t complete without some amiable creature features like this one.

Dial M For Murder 
Angelika Film Center (5321 E. Mockingbird Lane)
Oct. 22 at 7 p.m.

Want some spine-tingling Hitchcock cinema? If you’ve called up Dial M For Murder to fulfill that desire, you’ve certainly got the right number.

28 Days Later 
Alamo Drafthouse Cedars: Oct. 25 at 9:45 p.m.
Alamo Drafthouse Lake Highlands: Oct. 27 at 7 p.m.
Alamo Drafthouse Richardson and Denton: Oct. 29 at 7 p.m. 

Before 28 Years Later: The Bone Temple drops in January, return once more to the franchise’s earliest days with Danny Boyle’s original zombie masterpiece.

Day of the Dead (1985)
Alamo Drafthouse Richardson: Oct. 25 at 12 p.m.
Alamo Drafthouse Denton: Oct. 28 at 7 p.m.
Alamo Drafthouse Cedars: Oct. 29 at 7 p.m.

It’s remarkable how much variety George A. Romero wrung out of his various zombie movies. 1985’s Day of the Dead, for instance, has a unique ambiance and plenty of distinctive kills compared with its predecessors. One of his very best works is back on the big screen for its 40th anniversary, just in time for Halloween.

ParaNorman 
Various showtimes October 25-28 at movie theaters everywhere

Laika Studio’s second stop-motion animated film, ParaNorman, returns to theaters this October with remastered digital 3D and a brand-new short film. This daring title from the Coraline studio, about a boy with the ability to communicate with the dead, is a terrifically written and animated work suitable for all ages. Perhaps this theatrical reissue will finally give it the cult following it so richly deserves.

Little Shop of Horrors
Angelika Film Center (5321 E. Mockingbird Lane)
Oct. 27 at 7 p.m.

Little Shop of Horrors is a delightful treat on many levels. It’s home to some of lyricist Howard Ashman’s greatest tunes. Director Frank Oz oversaw puppet work that remains dazzling to this very day. It’s perfectly cast, and the dark humor is hysterically macabre. One of the all-time great movie musicals, Little Shop of Horrors is a scrumptious meal of a movie.

Cloverfield
Angelika Film Center (5321 E. Mockingbird Lane)

The entire Cloverfield franchise ground to an unsatisfying halt with 2018’s The Cloverfield Paradox. Before these films became overloaded with fan service, though, there was the original Cloverfield, a 2008 found-footage horror film that endures as an especially immersive and chilling experience.

The Beyond
Alamo Drafthouse Cedars
Oct. 28 at 9 p.m.

October isn’t just the month of Halloween; it’s also the month that marks the birthday of legendary director Lucio Fulci. Come celebrate the occasion with other horror geeks by watching Fulci’s trippy horror film The Beyond, about the downside of purchasing real estate atop a gate to hell, on the big screen.

The Lost Boys
Alamo Drafthouse Richardson, Cedars and Denton: Oct. 27 at 7 p.m.
Alamo Drafthouse Lake Highlands: Oct. 29 at 7 p.m.

We must never forget that horror belongs to the gays. Alamo Drafthouse is keeping the creative energy of James Whale and Clive Barker alive and well with a Queer Film Theory 101 screening of the vampire movie The Lost Boys. Bisexual tension abounds in this production from director Joel Schumacher, which is also one of the most unmistakably ’80s movies created. Vampires and queer energy … what better way to usher in Halloween?

Psycho
Angelika Film Center (5321 E. Mockingbird Lane)
Oct. 29 at 7 p.m.

Even in Alfred Hitchcock’s famous body of work, Psycho stands out as a movie everybody knows. There are endless good reasons for that, including an unforgettable Anthony Perkins turn. Check it out on the big screen and remember why Psycho remains the champion among culturally relevant Hitchcock fare.

Twilight
Oct. 29, various showtimes at theaters everywhere

The teenage-romance-meets-vampire-fanfiction movie that became a pop culture phenomenon is returning to theaters for a one-night-only screening.

The Twilight Saga: New Moon
Oct. 30, various showtimes at theaters everywhere

We don’t think you understand how big of a nostalgia-driven moment this one is having right now.

The Twilight Saga: Eclipse
Oct. 31, various showtimes at theaters everywhere
Like, really big. The final, two-part Breaking Dawn movies will return to multiplexes in November, too.