16 Halloween Costume Ideas Inspired by Our Favorite 2025 Movies and Shows

Aunt Gladys from “Weapons”

Halloween 2024 was dominated by “The Substance,” with cinephiles, horror fans, and members of the LGBTQ+ community alike caking themselves in makeup to dress as the iconic Monstro Elisasue from Coralie Fargeat’s popular body horror comedy. This year, that particular niche seems destined to be occupied by Aunt Gladys, the instantly hateable main villain of Zach Cregger’s “Weapons,” played with a menacing smile by the delightful Amy Madigan.

Yes, you’ll probably see 50 Aunt Gladys out and about if you live in Los Angeles or New York, but that doesn’t make the costume any less fun. It helps that, unlike other horror villains to catch on as of late, Aunt Gladys isn’t a particularly demanding character to dress as (tons of drag queens are already doing it!). Just a red bobbed wig, a pair of chunky glasses (ideally green), and some red lipstick haphazardly smeared on the lips is enough to get the point across. Those who want to go all out need to invest in a fake green pearl necklace, and either a red cardigan with a pink blouse or (or personal favorite) a purple tracksuit. To really complete the ensemble and get extra brownie points in your local costume contest? A massive purse and a few twigs (ideally tied with hair) will remind everyone who’s the scariest witch around. —WC

Officer Paul Morgan from “Weapons” and/or Jim Kurring from “Magnolia”

When it comes to pop culture-centric Halloween costumes, the explanation is almost as important as the execution. A conceptual genius can turn a few simple clothing items into a clever reference that delights the entire party as long as they’re ready to explain the context. The only catch is that you need to make sure a majority of the room gets said reference. So why not double your odds?

If you (correctly) believe Zach Cregger’s “Weapons” is the best horror movie of the year and want to stick out among all the Aunt Gladys costumes, Alden Ehrenreich’s Officer Paul Morgan is an easy alternative. Just tack a throwback mustache and receding hairline onto any cop costume and you should be good to go. And given that the look was blatantly inspired by John C. Reilly’s character in “Magnolia,” you can easily adjust your description of the outfit and say you’re Jim Kurring if you somehow end up at a Halloween party devoid of horror fans. —CZ

Agnes and Olga (the cat) from “Sorry, Baby”

This one is for all the cat ladies out there (myself included). Don’t want to part with your fluffy little guys and gals for the evening? Want to rep the best movie of the year? Looking for comfort? We’ve got you.

Eva Victor’s luminous debut feature is all about different paths of healing. For Victor’s character Agnes, an early toe-dip into feeling better about a horrible event that has befallen her comes at the hands (paws?) of a tiny new pal she meets during an otherwise everyday trip to the store. Immediately besotted by the tiny feline she finds in the middle of a parking lot, Agnes tucks her into her comfy barn jacket and takes her inside said store for a snack.

This one’s easy: you’ll need a kitten (stuffed will do, especially if you’re leaving your house for the evening, everyone knows cats are homebodies), a blue jacket, comfy sweats, work boots, and cans and cans of cat food. For many of us (again, me), this is an outfit that can come together without any new purchases, culled entirely from our own closets and couches. What’s better than that? —KE

Bob Ferguson from “One Battle After Another”

My favorite way to do Halloween is being able to cobble together something creative with what I can find from Goodwill. No need to go to a Spirit Halloween and, in fact, if you ask “One Battle After Another” costume designer Colleen Atwood, even she will tell you that a trip to “a nice Goodwill shop will do the job” if you want to dress as Leonardo DiCaprio’s Bob this year.

You’re looking for a faded plaid robe, a slightly different design than the Big Lebowski robe you have lying around from one of your old slacker costumes. That’s the biggest facet of this costume if you want to get Bob right, and if your local Goodwill really doesn’t have something acceptable, this new LL Bean one might get some use beyond October 31 if you really want to go that route. Tie it together with a black beanie, some thick dark sunglasses you can find at a Walgreens, a gray T-shirt, and dark sweats, and you’re good to go, though it’ll help if you grow that goatee too.

Add in a duffel bag or a fake gun if you really want to accessorize, and above all, don’t forget to take a few long drags even after you’ve found out you’re already late. —BW

Perfidia Beverly Hills from “One Battle After Another”

Paul Thomas Anderson’s VistaVision extravaganza “One Battle After Another” is filled with iconic looks and characters, from Leonardo DiCaprio’s Bob in his sunglasses and Lebowski-esque robe to Sean Penn’s creepy and hilarious riff on Michael Flynn (complete with off-putting hair that Penn slurps into place with his saliva-drenched comb). Yet perhaps the most memorable single image is that of Teyana Taylor as a pregnant Perdidia Beverly Hills firing off a machine gun with rage and delight.

To recreate Taylor’s look doesn’t require much; just get yourself a red flannel shirt, some army fatigue pants, a simple knit ski cap, and a pair of combat boots. The only truly challenging part of the costume is a convincing prosthetic belly that looks as though it contains a young Charlene/Willa just waiting to bust out into the world. But if you can nail that — along with an appropriately excessive mock gun and a perpetual revolutionary howl — you’ve got a Halloween costume that pays perfect homage to one of the best films of 2025. —JH

Nathan Fielder in “The Rehearsal”

Fielder’s HBO series was designed to help people overcome their social anxieties, so it’s only fitting that the second season inspired multiple costume options for Halloween party-goers to choose from — whichever makes them feel most comfortable. 

First off is Fielder Classic: Grab a pair of New Balance sneakers, dark jeans, and a light sweatshirt or pullover (perhaps from Summit Ice?). The only slightly impractical expenditure would be a mobile laptop harness, but who knows? Maybe you’ll find it as convenient as Fielder, even if you don’t enjoy creating decision trees. 

If you’re feeling a touch more ambitious, try Captain Fielder. For this one, you’ll need a pilot’s uniform: the hat, the jacket, a tie, dark slacks, and ideally an ID badge hung from a lanyard. If you want to make sure people know you’re Captain Fielder, not just any ol’ pilot, you could add the laptop harness, or stand in the corner of the party, watching everyone intently.

Or you could take it one step further and become Nathan Fielder as Sully Sullenberger. There’s a few ways to realize this version, including as a couple’s costume where one of you walks around on stilts (as Sully’s dad) and the other wears a little boy’s green suit, complete with white dress shoes, white dress socks, and a white button-down shirt with the collar spread on top of the jacket. But you can also fly solo with a gray wig, gray mustache, and blue pilot’s shirt (including the striped epaulets and metal wings pin). For the final touch, wear a pair of corded headphones and have your iPod cued to the “Evanescence” song “Bring Me to Life.” 

Just rest assured: No matter which version of Fielder you choose to be, there’s no way you’ll go wrong. —BT

Marshall Cuso from “Common Side Effects”

Speaking of bringing people to life, why not honor this year’s breakout animated show by embodying “Common Side Effects” lead Marshall Cuso? He’s nice, he’s smart, he’s rich — and he’s relatively easy to portray. All you need is a red, short-sleeved button-down (left unbuttoned), a pair of green cargo shorts, a white Panama hat, and a thick brown beard. For bonus points, you can carry around a blue mushroom, a white pill-shaped creature, and/or your beloved pet tortoise, Socrates. Oh, and if you want to indulge in a few earthbound hallucinogens, that’s just part of the character. But don’t lose your mushroom. It might save you (“from the nothing I’ve becoooooooome”)! —BT

Harry from “Materialists”

For a different take on a unicorn costume, try emulating Pedro Pascal’s too-good-to-be-true financier who tries to sweep Dakota Johnson off her feet in Celine Song’s latest romantic dramedy. If you are the type to frequent as many weddings as say, a matchmaker, all you would need to do to achieve the top half of this look is break out your summer tuxedo jacket, shirt, and bowtie. The more bespoke, the better.

The bottom half, however, comes with a spoiler alert. Rather than jet off to the best plastic surgeons in the business to break your legs on behalf of a breaking six feet in height, simply hem your black pants up an exaggerated amount — maximum six inches, giving off capri vibes — to convey how often the perfect man is not all that he seems to be. —MJ

Will and Agnes from “Hamnet” (Couples Costume)

On an actually serious note, the costumes that Malgosia Turzanska designed for Chloé Zhao’s film adaptation of Maggie O’Farrell’s 2020 novel — which already become a book club staple — are as visually stunning as they are relatively simple to imitate. As Jessie Buckley’s witchy woman of the woods, simply don a long sleeve dress as close to crimson red as one can get, and a Ren Faire-esque brownish red vest. For Will, just pull out anything denim, linen, chambray, etc., for another monochromatic vest over shirt look, in more of a muted blue. Why not carry a quill as well, to bring one bit of fun to an outfit evocative of the Oscar contender bringing audiences to tears. Still, a chic couples costume with complementary warm and cool tones is sure to get a pair on the best dressed list of any Halloween party. —MJ

The Sleeping Bag that Mira Wore to the Met Gala from “KPop Demon Hunters”

OK, so we may not be the first people to think of dressing as the characters from “KPop Demon Hunters” this year. Indeed, word on the street is that even the dumbest of the Saja Boys — Romance Saja, obviously — is shaping up to be a more popular costume than Halloween staples like Spider-Man, Miles Morales, and perennial Ricky’s favorite: Generic Blue and Red Jumpsuit with Non-Proprietary Web Pattern.

In other words, you and your besties are going to have to up your game if you want to stand out from all the other HUNTR/X wannabes. But what if you don’t have a friend who’s willing to draw movie-accurate purple demon patterns over her entire body? What if your bird keeps flying away from you every time you try to superglue four extra eyes onto its head? (Sorry, but if your Jinu getup doesn’t come with a perfect blinking Sussie the Magpie you’re a huge loser.) What if you forgot to buy a costume and wish you could just spend the whole night hiding inside a fluffy cocoon of goose down and polyester?

Mira might be the only person who could wear a sleeping bag to the Met Gala, but she isn’t the only person who could wear a sleeping bag to your local Halloween party! Black, form-fitting, and pulled tight around the face so you can pull off just the right pose — that’s how it’s done, done, done, done, done. —DE

The Boys from “The Long Walk” (Group Costume)

Nothing says, “Don’t drink and drive!” like a low-lift group costume that’s significantly funnier when you choose to walk everywhere. Adapted from the first book Stephen King ever wrote, “The Long Walk” was originally published under the pseudonym Richard Bachman and finally arrived on screen this year as a major horror event thanks to Lionsgate. Director Francis Lawrence (“The Hunger Games”) and screenwriter JT Mollner (“Strange Darling”) screwed the terror of King’s brilliant dystopian nightmare even tighter to make nightmare fuel that’s an ideal fit for the movie format. 

“The Long Walk” also cast the perfect actors for a lean-mean ensemble effort, giving Halloween-ers like you the chance to dress up as a revolutionary Cooper Hoffman, fascist Mark Hamill, devastated Judy Greer, and more memorable characters. You’ll need lots of beige, olive green, and khaki clothing to go with your ratty shoes, dirty wristwatches, dystopian dog tags (with your walkers’ numbers on them!), and a big banner with orange lettering to announce your murder-themed marathon. Finally, when the night’s ready to conclude, throw your heads back and as a group scream, “FUCK THE LONG WALK.” Then, maybe call that Uber. —AF

Britt Lower and Adam Scott as Helly R and Mark S in “Severance” (Couples Costume)

Halloween costumes, too, can be mysterious and important! The advantage of going with “Severance” as an inspiration is that it should be fairly easy to acquire some blue lanyards to help you move from “Outie” to “Innie,” and you may already have Lumon-approved workware that is roughly the same colors and shapes as Helly’s blue sweater/skirt combo and Mark’s slightly disheveled suit in their finale hallway sprint.

This is the one time of year it’s not weird to be ordering fake blood on Amazon, either, to complete the Mark side of the look. It should be fairly easy to coordinate a couple’s costume from the final shot of “Severance’s” Season 2 cliffhanger — or indeed a throuple’s costume, if you have someone down to dress as Gemma, stuck on the other side of the door. The only real potential dangers are getting too wrapped up in finding just the right shade of weird, muted teal for Mark’s tie, finding the right time at the party to go shoes off with Helly, and, of course, avoiding marching bands at all costs. —SS

Frank Drebin Jr. (Schoolgirl Version) from “The Naked Gun”

Despite us saying it was the most important movie of the summer, not enough of you saw the hilarious “Naked Gun” reboot to make Liam Neeson’s opening scene outfit truly iconic. But even if people don’t know what the heck you’re wearing, you’re bound to still get a laugh if you have the literal balls to confidently pull off this Halloween costume.

You might already have a white dress shirt and even a black tie lying around. Tie the former up by your waist and the latter ultra short. The maroon sweater vest and the plaid skirt are trickier to come by, and you may have to very politely ask your wife/girlfriend/sister/teenage Catholic school daughter to pull it off. The last and most crucial thing are the tighty-not-whiteys. Frank Drebin Jr.’s have what look like strawberries on them, and we imagine that’s not going to be easy to track down, but we give you permission to get creative with your own colorful pair of briefs. And we’ll also forgive you if you don’t have a rainbow lollipop with a shiv on the end either.

Anyone who does actually do this for Halloween, be sure to send a pic to “The Lonely Island and Seth Meyers Podcast” (Quaid Army!) to see if you get a much-deserved shout out from director Akiva Schaffer. —BW

Dr. Robby from “The Pitt”

America’s new favorite (fictional) doctor is an excellent Halloween costume for a few reasons: “The Pitt” is a very popular show, his outfit can be assembled in a day or two, and it provides a built-in level of warmth and comfort without running the risk of getting too hot. All you need to complete the ensemble is three layers: a white undershirt, a black scrubs top, and a navy-blue hoodie, unzipped. Nab yourself a prop stethoscope to wear around the neck, and you can head out for Halloween in your fave pair of beat-up jeans. No, few people look as good in scrubs as Noah Wyle, but for the dads and middle-aged men with plans on October 31, there’s no easier costume to pull off this holiday. —WC

Mickey 17 and 18 from “Mickey 17” (Twins Costume)

Are you an identical twin who’s too white to go as Smoke and Stack from “Sinners,” too scrawny to go as Chad and Alex Wagner from Jean-Claude Van Damme’s “Double Impact,” and/or too LAME to go as renowned gynecologist duo Beverly and Elliot Mantle (of “Dead Ringers” fame)? Well, have I got some good news for that presumably very small portion of IndieWire’s readership: You and your siblings are just some gray pajamas and a pair of bad haircuts away from transforming into both of Robert Pattinson’s most beloved* roles as the Expendable Mickey 17 and the clone he was never supposed to meet.

You could flesh the costume out even further with some numbered bibs, those flappy-earned hats, or even a life-sized Steven Yeun (this is one of those situations where it would come in really handy to be close personal friends with renowned actor Steven Yeun), but either way everyone you see will be delighted by your clever take on the characters from the “doesn’t it feel like that came out forever ago?” sci-fi satire of the year. —DE

The Filmography of David Lynch

The passing of David Lynch is among the worst movie memories of 2025. But the tradition of Halloween is rooted in real death, and you won’t get a more theatrical chance to honor the late surrealist in his final earthside year. A fearless explorer of different artistic mediums, Lynch bounced from 35mm to 16mm to digital and back again, creating scads of bizarre paintings, statues, viral videos, mixed-media experiments, furniture pieces, and more along the way.

From the ethereal madness of “Eraserhead” to the quaint nausea of “Twin Peaks,” you’ve got more inspiration than you need to craft the ideal Lynchian costume using his timeless visuals and characters. But you just know Lynch would give it a twist, so take time to seriously meditate on the matter and make this tribute your own.

Here are just a few ideas to get you started:

(1) “Mullholland Drive” couples costume — only using materials you find on a real road!

(2) Vladimir Putin post-Ice Bucket Challenge — a stunt Lynch really requested in 2014!

(3) A literal representation of the feeling you had when you heard Lynch was gone. —AF