Happy Halloween! Do you know there are several locations in Arizona where horror films have been made over the decades?
Why?
Arizona is great location to film spooky scenes for a few reasons. The deserts are remote and vast, the dark skies provide an added ominous layer, and many Arizona canyons and lakes are naturally scary places to be at night.
If you’re looking to watch a spooky movie for Halloween that represents The Grand Canyon State, here are a few top picks:
Films & Locations
- Kingdom of the Spiders (1977): William Shatner stars in this film about giant tarantulas, shot in areas like Camp Verde, Oak Creek Canyon and Cathedral Rock.
- Piranha 3D (2010): Uses Lake Havasu as the setting for the spring break horror film.
- Eight Legged Freaks (2002): A spider-farm horror film filmed near Tonopah.
- Creepshow 2 (1987): The film’s deadly lake monster sequence was set at Granite Basin Lake near Prescott.
- Scare Us (2021): An Arizona-produced anthology film that showcases a variety of horror shorts, with one story set in the fictional town of Sugarton.
- Near Dark (1987): A cult classic vampire film that blends the horror and Western genres, filmed in parts of the Sonoran Desert, including Randolph and Casa Grande.
- Blood in them Hills (2025): A newer western-horror that features gun fights, cannibals and cursed Wendigo Demons, filmed exclusively in Arizona locations like Chandler and Greer.
What’s your favorite Arizona horror film?
