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Five French horror films for Halloween 2026
Halloween falls on 31 October, and The Local France has published five French horror picks chosen by the Paris-based cinema club Lost in Frenchlation. The selection spreads across body horror, psychological slow-burners and a fairy tale turned genuinely dark.
If your reference point is American horror, reset expectations. These films lean on dread and pacing rather than jump scares, so they work on a long flight or a wet evening in a rented flat in Paris. Watching in French with subtitles is also a cheap way to tune your ear before you travel.
Read the descriptions before you choose
The individual titles live in the linked article, and that is the right place for them. The categories matter more than they look. Picking a slow, atmospheric film when you wanted something loud is the usual mistake with a list like this.
Two things to plan around. French horror is a niche at home as well, so do not expect these titles to be showing in a cinema near you. And 31 October is not a public holiday in France, so expect normal hours at museums and shops that week, with Halloween events concentrated in bars and clubs and mostly advertised locally.
One more thing from this week
RFI's Spotlight on France podcast episode carries a climate expert's first-hand account of living through France's hottest summer on record, plus a look at the country's space ambitions. If you are already booking summer 2027 in Provence or on the French Riviera, treat extreme heat as a planning variable rather than a footnote.
Best tours and tickets in Paris
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Normandy D-Day Sites & Cemetery Day Trip from Paris with Lunch
Bateaux Parisiens Seine River Gourmet Dinner & Sightseeing Cruise
Mont Saint Michel Day Trip from Paris with English Speaking Guide
Paris in A Day Louvre Eiffel Tower Notre Dame and Seine Cruise
Eiffel Tower Reserved Access Guided Tour with Optional Summit
Bateaux Mouches® Dinner Cruise on the Seine River in Paris
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Seine River 1-Hour Sightseeing Cruise from the Eiffel Tower
Eiffel Tower Guided Tour by Elevator: Reserved Entry to the Summit or Second Floor
Frequently asked questions
Where do I find the five French horror film picks?
Is Halloween a public holiday in France?
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