13 Halloween costume ideas—for film lovers

If you’re after a contemporary nod to the gothic aesthetic, take inspiration from Guillermo del Toro’s Frankenstein – the new adaptation of the classic tale of creation, obsession, and unbridled male ego. While it’s easy to go as Dr. Frankenstein or his monster, look instead to Mia Goth’s Elizabeth Lavenza in her icy-blue ensemble, complete with a feathered headpiece and jewels that look like they were stolen straight from the Louvre.

For a two-person costume, that feels current, look to Sinners, Ryan Coogler’s supernatural thriller released earlier this year. The film follows twin brothers Smoke and Stack Moore – both played by Michael B. Jordan – who return to their Mississippi hometown only to find it crawling with vampires. For the outfits, think 1930s suits: one with a fedora, the other a flat cap, both with a touch of blood.

If you’re after a couple’s costume that’s relevant but niche, and deeply homoerotic, take inspiration from Harry Lighton’s upcoming film Pillion. The story follows Colin (Harry Melling), a timid young man who enters a BDSM relationship with the imposing biker Ray (Alexander Skarsgård). The look is easy, one half should embody nervous repression and innocence, while the other simply goes full leather clad. Decide amongst yourself.

Forget Black Swan—why not channel the original haunted ballerina, Victoria Page (Moira Shearer) from The Red Shoes, this Halloween. Caught between her love for composer Julian Craster and her obsession with artistic perfection, Victoria is the picture of devotion and an alluring unravelling in this technicolour masterpiece. A white tulle dress, red ballet slippers, and a hint of red hair are all you need.

If you’re looking for a costume with some grit, try embodying Lady Vengeance, Park Chan-wook’s neo-noir thriller and the final instalment in his Vengeance trilogy. Lee Geum-ja (Lee Young-ae) plays a woman released from prison after serving time for a crime she didn’t commit, now hellbent on revenge and redemption. Her look is easy to replicate: a black polo-neck, black trench coat, and some signature pink eye makeup.

If you want a fashion focused costume this year, take inspiration from Mahogany, starring Diana Ross as Tracy Chambers, a struggling fashion designer whose ambitions carry her to Rome, where she’s torn between love and success. Ross famously took over as lead costume designer, creating more than fifty looks for the film. While each exudes 70s glamour, the standout is a purple ensemble complete with gown, matching turban and fur.

If you’re after something effortlessly mysterious, steal a mood from Chungking Express, Wong Kar-wai’s cult classic created with long-time collaborator William Chang – the man behind some of the sexiest looks in cinema history. While the film is packed with iconic outfits (including Faye Wong’s yellow T-shirt), the standout costume is Brigitte Lin’s “woman in the blonde wig” (inspired by Gena Rowland’s character in Gloria). All you need is the wig, red sunglasses, a trench coat, and an air of detachment.

For the romantics looking for a timeless couple’s costume, there’s always Romeo and Juliet. But instead of the traditional Renaissance look, take inspiration from Baz Luhrmann’s 1996 fever-dream adaptation. Think Juliet as an ethereal angel in a white dress and wings, and Romeo as a chainmail-clad knight. Just make sure you commit to the bit, no one wants to see a half-hearted knight costume.

This Halloween, pay tribute to the scariest thing of all—your parents’ divorce. To do this simply channel Isabelle Adjani as the Anna in Possession, it only requires a blue dress, a bit of fake blood and a touch of the unhinged. For a couple’s costume, your partner can go as Sam Neill’s Mark, or the tentacled monster, if you’re feeling freaky.

For a different take on a classic Halloween costume, look to Bram Stoker’s Dracula – Coppola’s high-camp adaptation of the world’s most famous vampire. With costumes by the legendary Eiko Ishioka, every look is theatrical, gothic and perfect costume inspiration. But my personal favourite? Gary Oldman’s Count Dracula in disguise, complete with a grey three-piece suit, top hat, and those impossibly tiny sunglasses.

If you want inspiration from Fellini’s films but are searching for a more eccentric, look, turn to Juliet of the Spirits. One of his most surreal works, it follows Juliet, a woman haunted by suspicions of her husband’s infidelity, who turns to spirits and mysticism for strength and liberation. Among its many dreamlike costumes and hallucinatory visions, is Sandra Milo as Suzy, who wears this yellow and black feathered dress, with red flowers.

For those looking to dress up as the ultimate cool girl, try Parker Posey as Mary in Party Girl – a twenty-something club kid who, after being bailed out of jail, is forced to become a librarian (and, most terrifyingly, learn the Dewey Decimal System). While there are countless outfits to choose from, I suggest the leopard-print jacket, red skirt, blue heels and rainbow-striped bag look. Perfect for filling books and flirting with a falafel man.

Looking for a costume inspired by a film that hasn’t even been released yet? This Halloween, go as Timothée Chalamet’s Marty in Marty Supreme, a 1950s New York table-tennis prodigy in the pursuit of greatness. Just wear a well-tailored suit, red gloves, glasses, and (of course) a ping-pong paddle. If you’re feeling dedicated, try growing a tiny moustache to seal the look—you’ve got one week.