If you’re lacking inspiration for your Halloween costume this year, we’ve got your back. Music videos are a wealth of ideas for scary get-ups to impress your mates with and we’ve trawled the internet for some unique outfits ranging from the simple to the ambitious. Don’t worry – ‘Thriller’ definitely isn’t one of them.
Helena from My Chemical Romance’s ‘Helena’
Who: A dead ballerina who is briefly resurrected mid-song to dance down the aisle at her own funeral.
What you’ll need: Black ballet shoes, a black and red dress, black lace veil, bouquet of red flowers.
The creepy bears from Aphex Twin’s ‘Donkey Rhubarb’
Who: Some of the most unsettling bears you’ll ever meet. Disney this ain’t.
What you’ll need: The bigger and fluffier the bear suit the better (but you could get away with a bear onesie if that’s unrealistic) and either your face painted like a demonic Richard D. James or this album cover made into a mask.
The axe-wielding murderer from Wolf Alice’s ‘You’re A Germ’
Who: A classic horror movie villain who’ll haunt your nightmares.
What you’ll need: Denim dungarees, white jumper, a burlap sack with the tiniest of holes for eyes and, of course, an axe.
The creepy figures from Bat For Lashes’ ‘What’s A Girl To Do’
Who: You might focus on the Donnie Darko-esque bike-riding animals but the real creepy stars of this video are at the side of the road. Keep an eye out for two haunting figures – one dressed in black, the other in white – who would have you pedalling as fast as you could if you met them on a dark night.
What you’ll need: A black or white hooded cape, white gloves, white face paint, and a clutch of balloons.
Lady Gaga in ‘Alejandro’
Who: In the video for ‘Alejandro’, Gaga plays a woman in mourning, leading a funeral procession with a very creepy prop.
What you’ll need: Short blonde wig, dramatic, pale make-up, black and white lace dress, black satin cushion and a bloody heart.
The kidnapper from Panic! At The Disco’s ‘LA Devotee’
Who: A child-hunting, sinister character who holds his victims in rooms decorated with dead animals.
What you’ll need: A red hooded cape, and grey wig and beard. Want to go the extra mile and get crafty? Make an unsettling mask out of cardboard and add plumes of wool either side to really nail this look.
The destructive kids from Yeah Yeah Yeahs’ ‘Y Control’
Who: High society’s cherubs gone bad – think Winona Ryder in Heathers but even younger.
What you’ll need: A fancy frock or suit, a baseball bat, croquet mallet or golf club, and a nihilistic look on your face. Stick your middle finger up if you want to be the most defiant kid in the bunch.
Nick McCarthy in Franz Ferdinand’s ‘Evil Eye’
Who: Franz really got into this grindhouse-style video and then-guitarist Nick McCarthy’s look is one of the best – and easiest to recreate – of the clip. Be warned: you might get some odd looks on the bus if you choose this one.
What you’ll need: A fake eye, fake teeth coloured black (probably best to use food colouring so you don’t accidentally poison yourself), fake blood, and, depending on your dedication to pretending you’ve lost an eye, an eye patch.
Or if you’ve really left things to the very last minute…
King Krule in ‘Dum Surfer’
Who: Got a Halloween party to go to in a matter of hours and still not sorted your costume? Your friends might call it a cop-out but King Krule‘s horror-themed video for ‘Dum Surfer’ will help you pretend you did really plan an outfit without requiring anything extravagant.
What you’ll need: Your everyday clothes and some make-up (purple and red eyeshadows or blushers and pale face powder) to make you look like an undead version of an indie rocker.