Spooky season rises again, and it's time to start thinking about what your magical costume will be. If you have costumes on the brain [1], why not get inspired by movie characters? Because there are plenty who have celebrated the spooky holiday onscreen [2]. Here are a few of our favorite costume moments from the movies [3], featuring appearances from stars like Jake Gyllenhaal [4], Jessica Alba [5], Lindsay Lohan [6], and more! Once you've scrolled through them all, check out all the TV characters who have donned Halloween costumes [7].
Eagle vs Shark: Lily and Jarrod
Not only are the Halloween [9] costumes of Jarrod (Jemaine Clement) and Lily (Loren Horsley) given away right in the title of this movie, they're also easily identifiable. He's an eagle and she's a shark. Obvious, straightforward, strong.
Mean Girls: Cady, Gretchen, and Karen
Having spent much of her high school career in Africa, Cady (Lindsay Lohan [10]) isn't aware that girls sexify — not scarify — their Halloween [11] costumes in the US. "Why are you dressed so scary?" Karen (Amanda Seyfried [12]) asks Cady, who's costumed as an ex wife. "It's Halloween!" she replies, to their incredulity.
A Cinderella Story: Sam and Austin
The Cinderella-like Sam (Hilary Duff [13]) dresses up in a mask and white dress for the school's Halloween [14] dance, at which she meets her online pen pal, the dreamy Austin (Chad Michael Murray) — who dresses like Prince Charming, of course.
Casper: Kat
While staying in the mansion of friendly ghost Casper with her father, Kat (Christina Ricci [15]) throws a Halloween [16] party and dresses up in Victorian garb.
Idle Hands: Molly
Molly's (Jessica Alba [17]) sexy angel costume is the appropriate counterpoint to her boyfriend, Anton, whose hand is possessed by evil incarnate.
Beastly: Lindy
Outcast Lindy (Vanessa Hudgens [18]) dresses up as a hippie for her school's Halloween [19] party. Meanwhile her bald, disfigured love interest, Kyle, fits right in as well, since everyone assumes his visage is a costume.
Donnie Darko: Donnie
Haunted by visions of a man in a rabbit costume, Donnie's (Jake Gyllenhaal [20]) strange plight comes to an end on Halloween [21] night, where he goes for a low-key costume of a skeleton onesie and gray hoodie.
The Addams Family: Wednesday
There's a reason Wednesday (Christina Ricci [22]) doesn't look that different in her Halloween [23] costume. As she says, "I'm a homicidal maniac; they look just like everyone else."
E.T.: The Extra-Terrestrial: E.T.
Elliott wants to get his alien buddy back home, but the only way to get him through town without anyone noticing him is to throw a sheet on him and pretend he's a friend dressed as a ghost.
Halloween (2007): Michael Myers
In the 2007 remake of Halloween [24], Bob Simms arrives at the vacant Myers house for a night of hooking up with his girlfriend, and decides to surprise her by dressing up as a ghost. Unfortunately he's intercepted by the masked killer, who thentakes on the ghost costume for himself.
Hocus Pocus: Dani
Young Dani (Thora Birch) takes a cue from the history of the town she just moved to — Salem, MA — and dresses as a witch. Ironically, she gets tangled up in a scheme from some real witches who've come back to life.
Mean Girls: Aaron and Regina
She's a sexy bunny, duh!
The Karate Kid: Daniel
Daniel (Ralph Macchio) wants a Halloween [25] costume that will disguise him from the school bullies, the Cobra Kai. His extremely creative shower getup does just that . . . for a while at least.
Beginners: Anna
Anna (Mélanie Laurent) doesn't let her laryngitis sideline her on Halloween [26]; she gets inspiration from it instead and dresses up like Charlie Chaplin. Not being able to talk also turns into a surprisingly effective flirting mechanism — she has to write down her responses to new crush Oliver (Ewan McGregor [27]).
Fun Size
Johnny Knoxville and Riki Lindhome appear to be Dog the Bounty Hunter and a girl scout in Fun Size.
Fun Size: Wren and April
Victoria Justice and Jane Levy's characters go for classic costumes: Dorothy and a sexy cat in Fun Size.
Fun Size: Peng and Roosevelt
Osric Chau and Thomas Mann go as Ben Franklin and a safari adventurer in Fun Size.
Mean Girls: Aaron and Cady
His costume is so on-the-nose that it's ironic.
They Came Together: Molly and Joel
In this romantic comedy that largely pokes fun at the genre, Amy Poehler [28]'s Molly stars as a small business owner who is about to lose her shop to a major corporation, putting her at odds with Paul Rudd [29]'s Joel. Fortunately they're able to find common ground at a Halloween [30] party.
If I Stay: Mia and Kat
This 2014 drama starring Chloë Grace Moretz and Mireille Enos sees the pair playing a mother and daughter, who both opt for animal print on Oct. 31.
Stepmom: Jackie, Anna, and Ben Harrison
The trio of Harrisons step out dressed as a witch, Elvis Pressley, and a bunny rabbit. Take that, Julia Roberts [31].
E.T.: Gertie
What's better than pint-sized Drew Barrymore [32] dressed as a cowgirl?!
Trick 'R Treat
The horror film starring True Blood's Anna Paquin [33] featured a few classic early 2000s fairytale princess costumes.
Yes Man: Allison and Carl
Zooey Deschanel [34] and Jim Carrey [35]'s Allison and Carl embrace a Harry Potter [36] approach to Halloween [37].