8 San Diego Movie Theaters Showing Seasonal Flicks This Fall
Fall in San Diego may not come with the crunch of red and orange leaves, but there’s something undeniably cinematic about the season. The golden-hour light lingers a little longer, the ocean air turns crisp, sweaters make their seasonal debut, and the city slows down just enough to sink into a movie. As summer blockbusters fade and awards contenders rise, theaters become cozy escapes where you can get lost in a story, clutch a half-finished Diet Coke during a jumpscare, or laugh with strangers in the dark. From eerie horror screenings to nostalgia-filled re-releases and feel-good indies, the fall movie season brings a sense of wonder that feels both intimate and shared. Here’s your guide to the San Diego movie theaters showing seasonal films this fall.
Halloween Movie Nights in the Gaslamp Quarter
If you love old-school scares, the Davis-Horton House in the Gaslamp Quarter offers a fall experience with horror classics flickering on the screen, candlelight dancing along historic walls, and the ghost stories of downtown San Diego. Each screening includes a self-guided haunted tour, turning a simple movie night into a full on adventure. From Night of the Living Dead to House on Haunted Hill, this is where you can get your scare fix and feel like a character in your own story.
410 Island Ave, Gaslamp Quarter
Rooftop Cinema Club Embarcadero
Experience a film with the San Diego skyline as your backdrop, the city’s glow replacing the usual theater lights. At Rooftop Cinema Club, arrive early to linger in the lounge, play lawn games, sip a drink, and snap photos before the evening’s comedies and cult classics begin. As the sun sets and the screen comes alive, personal headphones make it easy to lose yourself under the open sky.
The fall lineup is perfectly in step with the season, featuring the “Put a Spell on You” series with Hocus Pocus, Practical Magic, Death Becomes Her, Sinners, The Silence of the Lambs, and even a kid-friendly Scooby-Doo screening. There’s also When Harry Met Sally…, Coco for Día de Muertos, and a Gilmore Girls: Best of Emily marathon (a reminder that, at least here, autumn can last as long as you want).
Sports Courts, 1 Market Place 4th Floor, Downtown
Angelika Film Center & Reading Cinemas
Both Angelika Film Center and Reading Cinemas keep the suspense alive this fall with surprise screenings through “Top Secret Cinema,” a blind date where the film is the mystery. Angelika’s curated series include “Hitchcock-tober,” featuring Psycho and Dial M for Murder, and “Tuesday Night Creeper,” showcasing cult favorites like Tremors and Cloverfield. As the autumn breeze sets in, the theater continues with “Noir-vember,” bringing classics like Double Indemnity and Chinatown back to the big screen. Reading Cinemas also offers a similar lineup of scares with “HorrorFest 2025” and “Haunting Horror,” featuring films such as Friday the 13th, The Conjuring, Shelby Oaks, and more.
11620 Carmel Mountain Rd, San Diego, CA 92128 | 5500 Grossmont Center Dr Suite 169, La Mesa, CA 91942
Halloween Movie Nights At The Balboa Theatre
There’s no better place for silent-era chills and cult-classic thrills than Balboa Theatre. This century-old landmark (rumored to have a few lingering spirits) offers everything from the Rocky Horror Picture Show 50th Anniversary Spectacular with Nell Campbell, which includes a screening of the original unedited movie, a live shadow cast, and audience participation, to Nosferatu with live organ accompaniment. The 1922 vampire classic fills the theater, every note of the organ echoing off the ornate balconies. For a theatrical twist, Evil Dead In Concert brings Sam Raimi’s legendary cult horror to life, as a live ensemble performs Joe LoDuca’s haunting score. It’s equal parts terrifying and thrilling, the kind of fall event where screams meet symphony.
868 Fourth Ave, San Diego, CA 92101
Cinema Under the Stars
Mission Hills’ outdoor cinema exudes a quiet, irresistible charm. With zero-gravity lounge chairs, cabana seating, and top-tier digital projection, it feels like a private club for true cinema lovers. This fall, the venue short horror films from local indie filmmakers, offering a chance to celebrate Halloween while supporting the local scene. Highlights include Young Frankenstein for laughs with a hint of fright, a Rocky Horror Picture Show screening benefiting Lambda Archives, and Carrie carrying into November. On October 31, the San Diego Halloween Film Fest brings costumes, indie films, and a sense of community to the night, creating an intimate, cinematic experience that captures the essence of San Diego in autumn.
4040 Goldfinch St, San Diego, CA 92103
Regal Edwards Mira Mesa
Classic horror fans…this is for you! Regal Mira Mesa is hosting “31 Screams on Screen,” a month-long celebration of horror films like Friday the Thirteenth and The Witch to Halloween III: Season of the Witch. Each week carries a theme: Slashers Unleashed; Fangs, Fur, and Fear; Monster Mash; and The Damned and The Doomed. No spooky movie season is complete without a carefully curated snack selection. Screenings feature everything from Possessed Popcorn to discounted Monster Candy Mix, making indulgence part of the experience. Watching The Invisible Man (1933) or Creature from the Black Lagoon in a luxury recliner, with the smell of butter popcorn swirling in the air, suddenly makes October and November feel like they were designed for movie lovers.
10733 Westview Pkwy, San Diego, CA 92126
La Paloma Theatre
Encinitas’ original hometown theater, La Paloma, has been a local favorite since 1928, and still holds its allure as San Diego’s oldest movie house. The historic Spanish Colonial Revival building sets the scene for an experience that feels both nostalgic and timeless. Advance tickets aren’t usually necessary, but they’re available if you want to secure your spot. This fall, the lineup spans from Beetlejuice and Strange Journey: The Story of Rocky Horror to the ’80s cult classic The Stepfather. Silent horror fans can revisit Nosferatu, while nostalgia seekers can enjoy Popcorn. They post their schedule in advance, so keep an eye out for what other fall themes will flicker across the screen this season.
471 S Coast Hwy 101, Encinitas, CA 92024
New Releases & Limited Runs
Even beyond classics, fall 2025 is packed with releases that feel designed for this season. Black Phone 2 hits theaters October 17, while Guillermo del Toro’s Frankenstein adaptation stars Oscar Isaac and Jacob Elordi in a fresh take on the horror classic. Tim Burton’s Corpse Bride returns for its 20th anniversary, and The Nightmare Before Christmas enjoys a limited re-release. Twilight’s 20th anniversary re-release lands perfectly in sync with the season’s chill. There’s something about fall that feels distinctly Twilight: foggy skies, forest backdrops, and the kind of cold that makes you crave a cup of something warm. It’s where romance meets rain and nostalgia feels almost tangible. From Oct. 29 through Nov. 2, all five films return to select San Diego theaters, including AMC and Regal locations. Later in November, Keeper and Wake Up Dead Man: A Knives Out Mystery keep the suspense alive until winter while Wicked: Part Two adds a dash of musical magic to close the season.
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