24 of the Best Halloween Costumes Worn by Movie Characters

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, why not get inspired by movie characters? Because there are plenty who have celebrated the spooky holiday onscreen. Here are a few of our favorite costume moments from the movies, featuring appearances from stars like Jake Gyllenhaal, Jessica Alba, Lindsay Lohan, and more! Once you've scrolled through them all, check out all the TV characters who have donned Halloween costumes.

Eagle vs Shark: Lily and Jarrod
Miramax

Eagle vs Shark: Lily and Jarrod

Not only are the Halloween 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
Everett Collection

Mean Girls: Cady, Gretchen, and Karen

Having spent much of her high school career in Africa, Cady (Lindsay Lohan) isn't aware that girls sexify — not scarify — their Halloween costumes in the US. "Why are you dressed so scary?" Karen (Amanda Seyfried) asks Cady, who's costumed as an ex wife. "It's Halloween!" she replies, to their incredulity.

A Cinderella Story: Sam and Austin
Everett Collection

A Cinderella Story: Sam and Austin

The Cinderella-like Sam (Hilary Duff) dresses up in a mask and white dress for the school's Halloween dance, at which she meets her online pen pal, the dreamy Austin (Chad Michael Murray) — who dresses like Prince Charming, of course.

Casper: Kat
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Casper: Kat

While staying in the mansion of friendly ghost Casper with her father, Kat (Christina Ricci) throws a Halloween party and dresses up in Victorian garb.

Idle Hands: Molly
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Idle Hands: Molly

Molly's (Jessica Alba) sexy angel costume is the appropriate counterpoint to her boyfriend, Anton, whose hand is possessed by evil incarnate.

Beastly: Lindy
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Beastly: Lindy

Outcast Lindy (Vanessa Hudgens) dresses up as a hippie for her school's Halloween party. Meanwhile her bald, disfigured love interest, Kyle, fits right in as well, since everyone assumes his visage is a costume.

Donnie Darko: Donnie
Everett Collection

Donnie Darko: Donnie

Haunted by visions of a man in a rabbit costume, Donnie's (Jake Gyllenhaal) strange plight comes to an end on Halloween night, where he goes for a low-key costume of a skeleton onesie and gray hoodie.

The Addams Family: Wednesday
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The Addams Family: Wednesday

There's a reason Wednesday (Christina Ricci) doesn't look that different in her Halloween costume. As she says, "I'm a homicidal maniac; they look just like everyone else."

E.T.: The Extra-Terrestrial: E.T.
Universal Pictures

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
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Halloween (2007): Michael Myers

In the 2007 remake of Halloween, 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
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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
Everett Collection

Mean Girls: Aaron and Regina

She's a sexy bunny, duh!

The Karate Kid: Daniel
Columbia Pictures

The Karate Kid: Daniel

Daniel (Ralph Macchio) wants a Halloween 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
Focus Features

Beginners: Anna

Anna (Mélanie Laurent) doesn't let her laryngitis sideline her on Halloween; 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).

Fun Size
Paramount Pictures

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
Paramount Pictures

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
Paramount Pictures

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
Everett Collection

Mean Girls: Aaron and Cady

His costume is so on-the-nose that it's ironic.

They Came Together: Molly and Joel
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They Came Together: Molly and Joel

In this romantic comedy that largely pokes fun at the genre, Amy Poehler'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's Joel. Fortunately they're able to find common ground at a Halloween party.

If I Stay: Mia and Kat
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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
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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.

E.T.: Gertie
Everett Collection

E.T.: Gertie

What's better than pint-sized Drew Barrymore dressed as a cowgirl?!

Trick 'R Treat
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Trick 'R Treat

The horror film starring True Blood's Anna Paquin featured a few classic early 2000s fairytale princess costumes.

Yes Man: Allison and Carl
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Yes Man: Allison and Carl

Zooey Deschanel and Jim Carrey's Allison and Carl embrace a Harry Potter approach to Halloween.