Kooky not spooky: The pop culture Halloween costumes aimed at laughs over screams

There are generally two types of people on Halloween: the freaky kind and the “chronically online” kind. While fake blood and Michael Myers masks still fly off shelves each year, an increasing number of spooky season devotees are turning to the pop-cultural costume chest, hoping to elicit knowing laughs rather than screams.

You’re thus likely to see many people running around in togas and sandals this year, channelling Matt Damon’s mighty Odysseus from Christopher Nolan’s record-breaking blockbuster The Odyssey. Or perhaps you’ll encounter a horde of breastplated and sequinned Dolly Partons, all paying homage to the legendary country star who died in August.

“The Odyssey prompted a bunch of people wanting to be ancient warriors, and Troye Sivan’s new medieval music video has caused another wave of medieval camp,” says Hannah Cuthbertson, manager of Rose Chong Costumiers in the Melbourne suburb of Fitzroy.

The iconic costume shop is already running out of “sexy PVC hotpants” thanks to renewed fever in The Rocky Horror Picture Show following Tim Curry’s death in August, and the store had to stock up on voluminous Dolly wigs.

That’s not to say Australians have deserted the classics, however.

“So far, familiar favourites such as police officers, Harry Potter characters, prisoner jumpsuits and pilots remain popular,” says Neo Cui, the manager of Sydney Party Decorations.

This year, Australians are expected to spend $510 million on Halloween, per the Australian Retail Council. Though this is only up 2 per cent from last year, Cuthbertson says people are planning their costumes earlier than ever. Her store took its first Halloween booking in July.

“In general, people seem to want fabulousness first and scariness second,” she says.

So, if you’re partial to memes over the macabre, here are some costumes that perfectly capture the zeitgeist.

Elizabeth Holmes and Nathan Fielder

Although we’ve yet to see anything in Australia, You Can See Everything is dominating pop culture. Co-directed by Nathan Fielder and Lance Oppenheim, the US documentary is sending people into a tizz over its mind-bending depiction of disgraced Theranos founder Elizabeth Holmes.

The production inspired memes well before it reached cinemas, particularly Holme’s wide-eyed stare and awkwardly intimate dynamic with Fielder. To recreate this, all you’ll need is a black turtleneck and red lipstick for Holmes, a laptop harness for Fielder, and then just stare into each other’s eyes for an uncomfortably long period of time.

Nikki from Obsession

Curry Barker’s Obsession had the internet in a chokehold following its May release, largely thanks to Inde Navarrette’s stellar performance.

Navarrette plays Nikki, a young woman possessed by an obsessively loving alter ego after her co-worker wishes she loved him. Defined by contorted facial expressions and a deeply disturbing reverse walk, her performance could ultimately win her an Oscar.

It’s also easy to recreate with a smidgen of fake blood and an off-putting vacant smile. Bonus points if you offer everyone at the Halloween party a “cat meat” sandwich.

Haaland and his raccoon

The award for biggest meme of 2026 surely goes to Norwegian soccer star Erling Haaland. After his country’s elimination from the World Cup, Haaland returned to Oslo with a $US750 taxidermy whiskey-toting raccoon. The athlete said it had “followed him home”, unwittingly triggering a major surge in business at the Dallas store he bought it from.

Carolyn Bessette and JFK Jr.

Never have poplin button-down shirts and camel coats been so chic. Audiences ate Love Story up in February, obsessing over its ’90s minimalist wardrobe, particularly Carolyn Bessette Kennedy’s slip skirts and loafers. It’s one of the most mythologised and tragic love stories in modern history, and it’s bound to inspire a wave of couples costumes this Halloween.

Punch the orphan monkey

First there was Moo Deng, now there’s Punch. The baby macaque monkey was abandoned by his mother at Japan’s Ichikawa City Zoo, so zookeepers gave him an orangutan plushie for comfort and companionship.

Videos of the orphaned primate clutching onto the toy quickly went viral, and many people became deeply invested in whether Punch successfully acclimatised to his surrounds. Thankfully, he did, and the world rejoiced. To celebrate, why not dress up as the little simian and his plush pal?

Widow’s Bay/Babadook mash-up

Widow’s Bay, the buzzy Emmy Award-winning comedy-horror show, caught attention not only with its kooky coastal supernatural storyline, but also through its creator, Katie Dippold. She won over the internet well before 2026, all thanks to a 2016 post that showed her dressed as the Babadook for Halloween at her friend’s house, which “had more of a grown-ups drinking wine vibe”.

Now that her show is a verified hit, it’s the perfect excuse to recreate this deep-cut meme. If you’re less partial to book-dwelling demons, you could just dress up as one of the many monsters from Widow’s Bay, such as the Sea Hag or Willie the Clown.

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