Just like the most popular horror movie "final girls," [1] the genre is also filled with heroes who have given us some pretty cool Halloween [2] costume ideas. Whether you want to dress up as the main characters from movies like 28 Days Later or Halloween by yourself or round up a few buddies [3] to make it extraspecial, there's one thing we know for sure: these costumes will have you kicking supernatural and serial killer ass all night long.
Samuel Loomis From Halloween
- What to wear: A white dress shirt, black pants, and gloves under a tan trench coat. Include a few bloody slashes in your shirt so it looks like you recently had a run-in with Michael Myers.
- How to act: Fiercely determined, but since Michael Myers is your biggest enemy, you're going to be a little bit on edge.
Ed Warren From The Conjuring
- What to wear: A three-piece gray suit with a purple plaid tie. Slick back your hair, and paste on some matching sideburns
- How to act: Completely fearless, and a little bit suspicious of anyone walking around on Oct. 31 dressed as a ghost.
George Lutz From The Amityville Horror
- What to wear: Some white and gray striped pajama pants and no shirt (or if you'd rather cover up, throw on a white long-sleeved shirt smeared with dirt). Carry a fake ax, and add in some facial hair.
- How to act: Completely unhinged, and with quite the temper.
Glen Lantz From A Nightmare on Elm Street
- What to wear: A white polo shirt under a gray sweater vest, tucked into light-wash jeans. Glen was a fan of white sneakers and rocked a brown mini-mullet (just embrace it). You could also go for his comfy p.m. look [5]: a football jersey crop top (yes, a crop top) with gray sweatpants and high white socks. Either way, make sure you paint a little bit of fake blood on your clothes and face.
- How to act: Sleep-deprived, and wary of anyone named Freddy.
Curt From The Cabin in the Woods
- What to wear: A white t-shirt under a green and yellow varsity jacket with jeans and brown boots.
- How to act: As confident as humanly possible.
Jim From 28 Days Later
- What to wear: Green scrubs smeared with a little bit of blood, sneakers, and dark, uneven facial hair.
- How to act: You just woke up from a coma, so you're bound to be a little disoriented. If you see any zombies, run for your life (also, this is your chance to break out an Irish accent).
Deputy Dewey From Scream
- What to wear: A tan police officer uniform with a brown wig and a brown mustache. Get a name tag that says "Deputy Dewey" to make sure everyone knows which horror movie cop you're dressed up as.
- How to act: A little bumbling and awkward, but with good intentions.
Ray Bronson From I Know What You Did Last Summer
- What to wear: Gel your dark hair up, and wear a black tank top with jeans and a plaid shirt tied around your waist.
- How to act: Down to earth, and in love with Jennifer Love Hewitt [6].
Father Merrin From The Exorcist
- What to wear: A black priest's habit with a long black coat and a wide-brimmed black hat. Wear a crucifix around your neck, too!
- How to act: Extremely wise, and unafraid of facing down your (literal) demons.
Paxton From Hostel
- What to wear: A green t-shirt on top of a long-sleeved red one and jeans. Make sure you wear a brown wig if you don't already have dark hair, and cover your clothes and face in various splashes of blood.
- How to act: High-strung, and terrified of anyone carrying fake weapons.
Police Chief Martin Brody From Jaws
- What to wear: Clear aviator glasses, a brown police officer uniform, and black shoes. Feel free to have a cigarette dangling out of your mouth, and carry around a shark stuffed animal.
- How to act: Tough, in charge, and pretty freaked out by any large body of water.
Bill Pardy in Slither
- What to wear: An olive-green bomber jacket with a police department patch on the shoulder, a matching hat, and gray pants.
- How to act: Be skeptical of everyone attending the Halloween [7] party with you (they could be infected with alien parasites, after all).
Michael From Underworld
- What to wear: A light brown curly wig, brown drawstring pants, and plenty of navy-blue body paint. Turn your nails into claws, and pop in some bright green contacts.
- How to act: You're a compassionate doctor sought after by both vampires and werewolves, so prepare to be the most popular person around.
Dr. Lawrence Gordon From Saw
- What to wear: A blond wig, a light blue dress shirt, and black pants. Make your shirt and pants look dusty and dirty, and attach a chain around your leg. Carry around a fake saw, too.
- How to act: Beg everyone around you to give you their cellphones, and run screaming from anyone dressed as Jigsaw.
Ashley "Ash" J. Williams From Evil Dead
- What to wear: Pair a blue button-down shirt, brown pants, and hiking boots with a brown wig and an ax or a chainsaw.
- How to act: Wow everyone with your new catchphrase ("Groovy"), and avoid reading strange passages out of any books you stumble upon throughout the night.