Your guide to spooky and scary film screenings in London around Halloween 2024.
Halloween films at Prince Charles Cinema, Leicester Square
Leicester Square's independent Prince Charles Cinema hosts its HorrOctober season once again. It's (more than) a month of scary films, and as you'd expect from the cinephiles who run the place, it's not just the obvious flicks. Sure, The Exorcist, Hocus Pocus, Ghostbusters, The Shining and Nosferatu are on the bill, but so are lesser-known movies, such as 1982's The Slumber Party Massacre, and 2009 release, Jennifer's Body.
Halloween itself is an absolute fright-fest, including a sing-a-long screening of the Rocky Horror Picture Show.
HorrOctober at Prince Charles Cinema, runs September-November 2024.
Halloween films at Regent Street Cinema
Regent Street Cinema was probably the first in London to make audiences scream, when it showed the Lumiere Brothers' L'Arrivée d'un train en gare de La Ciotat back in 1896. These days, it lays on a spine-chilling line-up of films throughout October, this year including Shaun of the Dead, Edward Scissorhands and Beetlejuice Beetlejuice. On 25 October, there's a special screening of 1922's Nosferatu, accompanied by the cinema's eerily-timbred pipe organ.
Halloween films at Regent Street Cinema, runs until end October 2024.
Spooky season 2024 at Rooftop film Club, Peckham
Summer staple Rooftop Film Club is keeping its doors open for Halloween, showing horror films throughout the month of October.
New release Beetlejuice Beetlejuice sits on the programme alongside Halloween classics including American Psycho, Scream, The Rocky Horror Picture Show, and The Addams Family. It's a double bill on Halloween itself, with Hocus Pocus and Halloween both shown. A few family-friendly screenings are sprinkled throughout the month too.
Kick back and get your fill of scares (with waterproof blankets to hide under if it all gets a bit too scary), with pizza from Share A Slice and drinks available to be delivered to your seat.
Rooftop Film Club Peckham, until 2 November 2024.
Scary films at the Cinema Museum
No full-blown Halloween season at Kennington's marvellous Cinema Museum, but there are a few niche screenings that complement the season: a double bill of Kenneth Anger's controversial short Scorpio Rising and satanic biker flick Psychomania (25 October) followed by Roland West's comedy mystery, The Bat about a masked criminal who dresses as a giant bat to terrorises the guests at a house party. (30 Oct).
The Cinema Museum, 25 and 30 Oct
Ghostbusters in Concert at the Royal Albert Hall
Supernatural comedy caper Ghostbusters marks its 40th anniversary with a screening at the Royal Albert Hall, while Elmer Bernstein's score is performed live by the Royal Philharmonic Concert Orchestra, conducted by Bernstein's son, Peter. There's also a chance to hear from Peter about his father's work in a special pre-concert talk.
Ghostbusters in Concert at the Royal Albert Hall, 26 October 2024.
Halloween films at Clapham Grand
Clapham Grand loooves Halloween: it's putting on a frightening amount of events in October, including film screenings. There are two chances to see The Rocky Horror Picture Show (26 October and 2 November), with full sing-along, dance-offs and a costume competition. On Halloween itself, Hocus Pocus is screened, again with a costume competition, spooky decor, dance-offs and the like.
Halloween films at Clapham Grand, 26 October-2 November 2024.
Halloween film screening at the Musical Museum
Brentford's wonderful Musical Museum — whose continued existence is currently under threat — occasionally screens silent films, with live musical accompaniment on its Wurlitzer organ. For Halloween it's showing the original version of The Phantom Carriage, a film that's more than 100 years old. Set on New Year's Eve, it's about the driver of a ghostly carriage forcing a drunken man to reflect on his selfish and wasted life.
The Phantom Carriage at the Musical Museum, 27 October 2024.
Halloween films at Rivoli Ballroom/ Crofton Park Pictures
Before Rivoli Ballroom was a dancing venue, this building was the Crofton Park Picture Palace. It often returns to its cinematic heritage with Crofton Park Pictures, a regular series of film screenings, including a Halloween selection.
Pick from The Lost Boys, Carrie 1976, The Shining, Hocus Pocus, and the Rocky Horror Picture Show. The venue has two bars, and popcorn, ice cream and hot dogs are available to nosh on.
Halloween at Rivoli Pop-Up Cinema, 28-31 October 2024.
Hocus Pocus In Concert at Eventim Apollo
Disney's Hocus Pocus in Concert comes to London the day before Halloween, screening the 1993 Salem-set comedy about witching trio the Sanderson Sisters, on a large screen at the Eventim Apollo in Hammersmith, accompanied by a live orchestra performing John Debney's score.
Hocus Pocus in Concert. 30 October 2024.
