From horror movies and dystopian TV shows, to animated characters and superhero favourites, there have been plenty of iconic pop culture moments this year. As October 31 creeps up on us, we take a look at 15 titles that inspire the perfect Halloween costume ideas.
It
Stephen King’s It is 2017’s most-talked about horror flick, and the titular clown has ruined children’s birthday parties everywhere. Keep in mind: this is one of the most Googled Halloween costumes of the year, so you’re not exactly going to be unique if you go down this road, especially that clown masks aren’t hard to come by. Pro-tip: Stand out from the rest of the crowd by carrying around a detached vent and peering through the slits all day.
Logan
Logan/Wolverine is one of the easiest DIY costumes out there. All you need is a baggy suit that’s seen better days and crafty claws for your hands. You can make these out of Popsicle sticks, to varying degrees of believability. You can also dress up as the film’s true heroine: Laura, the broody sidekick in a jean jacket and rainbow unicorn shirt. She has feet claws, too.
Game of Thrones
GoT characters are Halloween favourites, with Daenerys and Jon Snow topping the list. But this year’s most popular characters are likely to be the more elaborate ones, like The Night King and The White Walkers. As intricate as these creatures seem, you don’t need a special-effects make-up artist to pull them off. Trick or Treat Studios have teamed up with HBO to release ultra-realistic masks online, and they deliver to the UAE (they’ll set you back about $50/Dh183, plus shipping).
Riverdale
Halloween diehards will tell you that this holiday is strictly for spooky/gory costumes, but there are enough sexy nurse outfits out there to dissuade us of this theory. Everyone’s new obsession, Riverdale, is the perfect show for playing dress-up of the non-scary variety. Turn into Jughead with a modified grey Ski cap (red/white felt and some sewing tools will help), or Archie, with a ginger wig and a Letterman jacket. Betty and Veronica are great choices, too; their Riverdale Vixens look shouldn’t be hard to recreate.
The Defenders
If you can find three friends who like you enough to coordinate Halloween costumes, you could go as The Defenders. Seeing as that’s unlikely, you can pick your favourite of the four street-level superheroes and go stag. Choose from Jessica Jones in her leather jacket/combat boot combo, Luke Cage in his iconic hoodie, Iron Fist with his chest tattoo or Matt Murdock in his signature suit and circular sunglasses.
Rick and Morty
It seems like TV’s favourite oddballs Rick and Morty have launched to a whole new level of popularity this year. They’re the perfect option for Halloween because they’re instantly recognisable — particularly mad scientist Rick, whose white lab coat, spiky grey hair and matching unibrow make for a distinct and easy costume.
BoJack Horseman
BoJack Horseman, with its surprisingly poignant insights into everyday life and the human condition, continues to gain new fans by the bushel. There’s a few characters you can choose from here, but BoJack himself might be the easiest — horse masks are scarily easy to come by.
Baby Driver
Our laziest pick yet, but an irresistibly stylish one: Baby Driver. It’s a right-out-of-your-closet kind of costume. Ansel Elgort’s titular Baby is a reluctant getaway driver obsessed with music due to a traumatic incident in his past, and he has a dead-easy aesthetic to copy: sunglasses, a Letterman jacket, a white T-shirt and earphones to match.
Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2
We love a good, dysfunctional ensemble cast who eventually turn into family. There’s so many great choices to pick from here: Rocket Raccoon, Groot, Drax, Gamora, Star Lord, etc. In fairness, some of these costumes are difficult to put together, but you could always try simplifying Peter Quill: a reddish brown leather jacket and a portable Walkman/cassette player will do the trick.
Beauty and the Beast
Amazingly, Disney’s Beauty and the Beast is the highest grossing PG film in US history. It’s safe to say the movie has fans — a lot of them. There are a few classic looks to pull from, like Belle in her blue apron or her flowing yellow gown. If you’re more adventurous, you could go as the Beast himself. Maximum brownie points if you can transform into everyone’s favourite sentient candlestick, Lumiere.
Wonder Woman
Wonder Woman has been gracing the world of comics since 1941. The character’s most recent explosion into the mainstream has left young girls around the globe brimming with possibilities of who they could be when they grow up. The good thing is that most fancy dress shops will have a Wonder Woman costume on hand, so not much DIY has to go into this one.
Annabelle: Creation
If you want to up the creep factor this Halloween, ‘doll that was once a living child’ is always a safe choice. Annabelle masks are readily available, but you could also recreate her look using make-up: pale foundation, drawn on stick eyebrows, blood red lipstick, rosy cheeks, and a pair of dramatic fake lashes. Put your hair into two braids and you’re all set to ruin someone’s day.
The Handmaid’s Tale
The Handmaid’s Tale, a disturbing dystopian drama based on the book of the same name by Margaret Atwood, explores a terrifying concept: women are enslaved by the rich for reproduction purposes. It’s as visually striking as it is unsettling, so we predict the women in red to be a popular costume this year, with their floor-length cloaks and their cone-like headgear.
The Walking Dead
Zombies are a Halloween staple, and The Walking Dead gives us less generic variations of the undead to aspire to — as well as the people who try to survive them. Each character has their own look; most of their muted outfits are simple enough to be put together with a quick trip to the mall.
Thor: Ragnarok
We love Thor’s golden locks as much as the next person, but this year, you might want to update your costume to match the latest cinematic rendition of him. In Thor: Ragnarok, releasing in cinemas in November, our favourite brawny superhero gets a buzz cut. There’s also some new visual elements to his look, like the red markings on his face, and the first big screen appearance of his iconic winged helmet.
