Halloween gets the big-screen treatment at BFI IMAX — but check that midnight date

Halloween at home has one obvious advantage: you can hide behind your own sofa. London’s BFI IMAX is offering the opposite approach, with a programme that puts unsettling stories, cult favourites and a famously exuberant musical on a very large screen. If you are planning next weekend now, there is more than one kind of fright night to choose from.

The official Halloween selection includes Sinners, Donnie Darko, The Shining and The Rocky Horror Picture Show, alongside Nosferatu, Frankenstein, Pan’s Labyrinth and The Devils. This is a programme of separate screenings, rather than a single marathon ticket. Choose the film and performance you want, then check its individual booking page for the current time and seats.

Rocky Horror: check the midnight date

For Energy Radio listeners who prefer their Halloween with a chorus, Rocky Horror is the obvious place to start. Jim Sharman’s 1975 film stars Tim Curry, Susan Sarandon, Richard O’Brien and Meat Loaf. BFI lists the digital presentation at 100 minutes, with a 12A certificate, and explicitly encourages singing and dancing along.

Pay close attention to the date: the bookable performance is listed for Friday 30 October at 23:59. That means arriving on Friday evening for a screening that runs into Saturday, not turning up late on Saturday night. A midnight cinema trip needs its own travel plan; decide how you will get home before buying your seats.

Sinners returns in IMAX 70mm

Ryan Coogler’s Sinners offers a different route into the weekend. The BFI is showing it in IMAX 70mm, with performances listed for Friday 30 October at 17:20 and Saturday 31 October at 20:15. Its cast includes Michael B. Jordan, Delroy Lindo, Jack O’Connell and Hailee Steinfeld; the running time is 138 minutes and the certificate is 15.

The story follows twin brothers returning to the American South to open a dancehall, only to encounter dangers beyond their expectations. If you have already watched it at home, the advertised film format gives this return a distinct reason to exist. Check that your chosen performance is the one you intended, rather than assuming every film in the programme uses the same projection format.

Cult favourites and a different kind of chill

Donnie Darko marks its 25th anniversary with a screening on Saturday 31 October at 17:30. Richard Kelly’s film, starring Jake Gyllenhaal, is listed as a 113-minute digital presentation with a 15 certificate. Its mixture of suburban unease and teenage perspective offers an alternative to a straightforward monster movie, especially for anyone who enjoys discussing a film afterwards.

The wider programme also includes Stanley Kubrick’s The Shining in a remastered IMAX with Laser presentation. BFI lists Jack Nicholson and Shelley Duvall among the cast, a 144-minute running time and a 15 certificate. Follow the individual title page for its current performance details rather than treating the seasonal programme as a promise that every title plays every day.

Check the venue, seats and total cost

BFI IMAX is at 1 Charlie Chaplin Walk, London SE1 8XR. Check that address when arranging to meet friends: the organisation also runs BFI Southbank, and its Halloween programme links to events at both venues. The IMAX venue is cashless. These are small details, but getting the right building and payment method sorted makes the evening much easier.

Prices vary by film and seat. The BFI’s ticket information lists Standard, Premium and VIP seating, and an online or telephone booking fee of £1 per ticket, capped at £3 per transaction; members and box-office purchases are exempt from that fee. Compare the final total for your actual screening rather than relying on a general starting price.

Check certificates and access requirements before committing, too. The venue publishes dedicated access booking information and says IMAX tickets cannot normally be refunded or exchanged. Its general guidance allows around 15 minutes for adverts and trailers, but that should not become an invitation to arrive late. For a relaxed evening, leave time to find your seat and settle in.

Our pick is to choose your mood first: a musical night with friends, a big-screen return to Sinners, or an anniversary encounter with Donnie Darko. One carefully chosen screening is a perfectly good Halloween plan. The only essential plot twist to avoid is discovering you booked the wrong night.

Sources: BFI Halloween programme; Rocky Horror screening; Sinners screenings; Donnie Darko screening; The Shining; Plan your visit; Tickets and booking. Listings checked 23 October 2026; times and availability may change.