Saturday Night Live has so many amazing sketches, and holiday ones are some of our favs. Here is a list of our 18 favorite Halloween shorts from America’s favorite sketch comedy show!
If you’ve ever spent a Saturday night in, watching the late-night comedy program Saturday Night Live, then you know the show’s ability to hit us with a hilarious sketch. Over the past 46 years, we’ve seen a plethora of holiday specials and timely shorts; read on to watch a highlight reel of the absolute funniest Halloween sketches the award-winning TV show has so graciously delivered straight to our screens.
1) A Girl’s Halloween; Season 42, 2016
In this ever-relatable 2016 short, Vanessa Bayer, Aidy Bryant, and Cecily Strong play three friends on a night out for Halloween. The scene begins with the group getting ready and discussing their hopes for the night. The skit then continues to flash forward to the drunken and chaotic night that ensues. To be honest, who hasn’t been there?
2) The Curse of Frankenstein; Season 32, 2006
The 2006 SNL cast, featuring favorites like Amy Pohler, Bill Hader, Kristen Wiig, play town rioters in “The Curse of Frankenstein.” Serving old-timey realness, the mob violently approaches the home of the visually apparent “monster” Frankenstein armed with torches and rakes. Hilarity builds as Frankenstein attempts to convince them that he is not, in fact, Frankenstein.
3) The Merryville Brothers: Haunted Castle; Season 38, 2012
Featuring stars and SNL frequents Tom Hanks and Bruno Mars, “The Merryville Brothers: Haunted Castle” takes place in a spooky carnival ride. Attendant Bobby Moynihan informs couple Vanessa Bayer and Jay Pharoah that the ride is broken. The automated bionic entertainment of Mars, Taran Killam, Bill Hader, and later Hanks become more realistic in their murderous aims as the couple continues to interact with them.
4) Haunted Elevator (ft. David S Pumpkins); Season 42, 2016
An SNL Halloween favorite, David S Pumpkin played again by Tom Hanks, appears on many floors of the haunted elevator ride. Scattered between appearances of terrifying guests like an undead bride and a cannibalistic restaurateur, Pumpkins continuously shows up with his wacky skeleton sidekicks to perform quirky songs and dances.
5) Weekend Update: Stefon on Halloween’s Hottest Tips; Season 38, 2012
Fans of early 2010’s SNL were repeatedly struck with intense belly-aching laughter each time Stefon appeared on the Weekend Update. Played by Bill Hader, Stefon, a New York City correspondent, shares the hottest attractions New York City has to offer. In his Halloween appearance, Stefon shares the not-so-child-friendly holiday-themed outings.
6) Weekend Update: Drunk Uncle on Halloween; Season 40, 2014: Weekend Update: Drunk Uncle on Halloween – SNL
Another iconic recurring Weekend Update character, Bobby Moynihan’s Drunk Uncle, has got his politically incorrect content down. In “Drunk Uncle on Halloween,” Drunk Uncle discusses everything from the fall of the old America to the specificities of a millennial Hallows Eve. Should someone cut this uncle off for the night? I just don’t have the heart to do it.
7) Weekend Update: Garth and Kat Sing Halloween Songs; Season 36, 2010
In this third Halloween Weekend Update clip, recurring singer-songwriters Garth and Kat played by the hilarious Fred Armisen and Kristen Wiig highlight their Halloween hits. As the songs continue, the pair don’t have anything prepared, but don’t tell Garth and Kat I said that!
8) Matt Foley: A Scary Story on Halloween; Season 19, 1993
Teaching Halloween teen punks a lesson, this skit features an SNL classic character, Matt Foley, a motivational speaker who lives in a van down by the river. Played by the legendary Chris Farley, enthusiastic and clumsy Foley intimidates the local pranksters, or at least he tries to!
9) Shana at a Halloween Party; Season 37, 2011
The comedic genius Kristen Wiig carries this 2011 sketch as Shana at a Halloween Party. All male coworkers in attendance look forward to the informal setting with sexy Shana, but her arrival leads to a questionable display of seduction.
10) Chad Horror Movie; Season 44, 2019
Pete Davidson’s “Chad” is a recurring bit featuring the archetype of a lazy and incompetent run-of-the-mill new age douche bag, Chad. In the Halloween segment, Chad encounters a Scream-inspired attacker, played by John Mulaney, yet he, of course, remains unphased.
11) Kellywise; Season 43, 2017
What’s spookier than an ignorant political advisor? In a parody of the 2017 horror film, It, based on the well-known Stephen King novel, Alex Moffat’s Anderson Cooper encounters clown Pennywise knock off, “Kellywise.” Poking at the former political consultant and pollster Kellyanne Conway, this cleverly produced short has the essence of It and the horrors of reality.
12) Autumn’s Eve; Season 39, 2013
In this 2013 commercial parody, the stacked female cast of Kate McKinnon, Cecily Strong, Aidy Bryant, and Vanessa Bayer dive into the pumpkin spice hype with the promotion of a fall-inspired, “Autumn’s Eve.” Based on the product Summer’s Eve, this female cleanser for down south may not be practical but it sure does smell nice!
13) Close Encounter; Season 41, 2015
In Season 41’s “Close Encounter,” three small-town friends describe their experiences during an alien abduction. The entertainment accelerates as all involved start to realize how their abductions differ: Kate McKinnon’s character endured a more exploitive interaction. As the actors start to find it difficult to compose themselves, so do we as the viewers. Driven by McKinnon, this bit will surely make you laugh behind a slightly pronounced exhale from the nose.
14) Wes Anderson Horror Trailer; Season 39, 2013
Wes Anderson fans will surely get a kick out of this one! Due to Anderson’s instantly recognizable cinematography and recurring cast selection, the 2013 SNL cast seamlessly put together a horror spoof for film lovers.
Daily Affirmation: Stuart Smalley’s (Al Franken) Halloween Story; Season 18, 1992
Stuart Smalley, played by Al Franken, appears in the recurring segment “Daily Affirmation with Stuart Smalley.” In this Halloween special, non-licensed therapist Smalley shares his wisdom featuring the ever quoted, “I’m good enough, I’m smart enough and doggone it, people like me.’”
16) SNL Digital Short: Firelight (Taylor Swift); Season 35, 2009
In a spoof on the 2008 romance and fantasy book saga turned movie Twilight, this “Firelight” digital short replaces vampires with a family of Frankensteins, The Franks. Featuring Taylor Swift, this sketch is guaranteed to pull at your tween heartstrings.
17) Trick-or-Treat (Jon Hamm); Season 34, 2008
In this 2008 sketch featuring actor Jon Hamm, local neighbor Jeff Montgomery, played by Will Forte, goes trick-or-treating dressed as a sex offender. As the interaction between Hamm and Forte continues, it becomes unclear if the get-up is a costume or if Jeff Montgomery is using Halloween as an excuse to inform his neighbors that he is, in fact, a registered sex offender.
18) Spooky Song; Season 45, 2019
A local couple wanders into an eerie graveyard on Halloween, only to discover four ghosts prepared with a musical number. After the undead Kenan Thompson, Aidy Bryant, and Mikey Day sing the ways their lives ended, the fourth ghost played by none other than Chance the Rapper decides to skip his turn, leaving all to question the embarrassing event that took his life.
How do you feel about this year’s influx of Halloween content? Although this week we are presented with a rerun, make sure to check out October 23’s episode hosted by former cast member and Ted Lasso star Jason Sudeikis with musical guest Brandi Carlile. The next new Saturday Night Live airs on November 6th with Succession’s Kieran Culkin featuring Ed Sheeran!
