Get ready to dress to impress this Halloween! Whether you’re channeling Barbie’s vibrant world or diving into The Little Mermaid’s enchanting realm, we’ve got you covered, with 5 trending Halloween costumes based on movies and TV shows that are hotter than hot.

Our friends at All Things Hair have come up with some real winners, some of them quite simple, based on the top popular culture trends of 2023 so far. Some are for couples, some are for you and you alone. All will get you big kudos from family and friends.

5 Trending Halloween Costumes Based on Movies and TV Shows

Barbie and Ken Halloween Costume Ideas

The Barbiecore aesthetic is bound to be the hottest choice for trending Halloween costumes this year. You can dress up as Barbie herself, her boyfriend Ken, or one of her many friends and family members.

Luckily, Barbie has a whole range of looks, so you have lots of options. A pink gingham dress and hat is one of her most stand-out outfits. Or you go for rollerblading Barbie, with a pink leotard, roller skates, helmet and knee pads.

In addition, you can splash out on a pink mermaid tail and a seashell top and necklace for her mermaid look or dress up as Barbie Extra with a brightly colored sequined dress, high heels, and over-the-top accessories.

As for Barbie hair, you can wear your hair in loose waves and accessorize with anything pink or pastel colored to frame the front pieces. Use little bowties, flowers, fun hair clips to doll up your look. Alternatively, pull your hair into a flirty high ponytail, adding glitter spray to make it really shine. If you want to make a real statement, you can embrace Barbie’s adventurous side and dye your whole head pink!

Elvis Halloween Costume Ideas

If you’re looking for eye-catching trending Halloween costumes, you can’t go wrong by dressing up as Elvis, another key character that’s been particularly idolized this year.

One of Elvis’ strongest looks is his black leather jumpsuit. Wear one of these with a gold chain and boots and you’ll have everyone swooning! Or, if you prefer, go for a white jumpsuit with a cape.

If you want to keep it simple, you can’t go wrong with a white button-down shirt, black leather jacket and matching tight pants. Elvis loved to accessorize, so add a gold chain necklace, rockstar shades and a ring for extra bling.

Recreating Elvis’ iconic pompadour hairstyle takes a little time but if you follow these steps, it will be worth the effort!

For medium to long hair, apply volumizing mousse to clean, damp hair, then use a round brush to lift and add volume to your hair as you blow-dry it. Focus on directing the hair upward and backward.
The key to the Elvis pompadour is the height at the front. Tease the hair at the top of your forehead by gently backcombing it with a fine-toothed comb. This will create volume and lift.
After teasing, use a paddle brush to smooth over the top layer of hair. You want it to look neat and well-groomed.
To achieve that shiny, sleek finish, apply a generous amount of pomade to your hair. Use your hands to smooth it back and create the classic pompadour shape. Then hold the style in place with a strong-hold hairspray to ensure the pompadour stays up and doesn’t flatten throughout the day.

If you have short hair, you can still achieve an Elvis-inspired look by focusing on the front and top of your hair. Follow the steps above, but since you won’t have the length for a full pompadour, you can create a mini pompadour or quiff at the front.

The Last of Us Halloween Costume

The smash hit success of HBO’s The Last Of Us offers some great characters for Halloween. In the series, they’re forced to endure brutal circumstances and ruthless killers as they trek across a post-apocalyptic America.

Joel is a grizzled survivor of the post-breakout world. To dress up as Joel, you’ll need a brown flannel shirt, a pair of jeans, and a beat-up pair of boots. You can also add a few accessories, such as a baseball cap, a backpack, and a rifle.

Ellie is a tough and resourceful young woman. To dress up as Ellie, you’ll need a red flannel shirt, a pair of jeans, and a pair of hiking boots. You can also add a few accessories, such as a backpack, a bow and arrow, and a fake switchblade.

Clickers are the most iconic infected creatures in The Last of Us. To dress up as a Clicker, you’ll need a Clicker mask, a brown hoodie, and a pair of jeans. You can also add some fake blood and gore to complete the look. Bonus points if you are skilled enough to add a few fake mushrooms ‘growing’ out of extremities.

As for hair, there’s probably not much time to style it during the apocalypse, so the look is undoubtedly a hairstyle that hasn’t been groomed in a while! We advise a shaggy, backcombed vibe using texturized hair agents – twist it, tousle, set with hairspray, and you’re ready to run from the Clickers!

The Little Mermaid Halloween Costume

There’s no doubt that The Little Mermaid has captured the hearts of so many this year, and will be one of the most sought-after Halloween looks.

Ariel’s signature look is a pink seashell bra and a green mermaid tail. You can buy a premade Ariel costume, or make your own by attaching seashells to a bikini top and sewing a mermaid tail out of fabric. You can also add a purple seashell necklace and a red seashell tiara to complete the look.

Ariel’s beautiful red locks are causing quite the stir, with many fans adopting the ultimate mermaid look this year. If you’re already blessed with long, luscious, wavy locks, then you’re halfway there – just add some sea-salt spray and you’re good to go! Or, use wigs, weaves or extensions to add length, and use a hair waver to achieve those loose, effortless-looking waves.

Wednesday Addams Halloween Costume

The Wednesday Addams Netflix series is a supernatural mystery coming-of-age comedy that follows the titular character as she attends Nevermore Academy, a boarding school for the supernaturally gifted. Her dark and moody style is perfect for Halloween.

There’s no doubt that Wednesday favors the color black! Her Nevermore school uniform consists of a black blazer with a white collared shirt, a black pleated skirt, and black tights. You can complete the look with black boots and a black backpack.

Alternatively, you can wear a black dress and cardigan with a white collar and black tights or a black turtleneck with a black sweater vest and black pants or a skirt. Whatever you wear, channel her dark and moody vibe with some gothic accessories.

Wednesday’s signature hairstyle is two long, black braids with bangs. To recreate this look, simply braid your hair into two pigtails and leave your bangs out, adding a black ribbon or bow to each braid to complete the look.

If you have a bob, you’re in luck, Wednesday also wears a bob haircut in the series – you can add a black headband to complete the look. If you’d rather, Wednesday sometimes wears her hair in a messy bun in the series. Add some gothic accessories to your Wednesday Addams hairstyle to complete the look, including a black hair band, headband, or hair clip.

For more hairspiration visit: Allthingshair.com, your source for the latest hair news. Featuring thousands of in-depth articles, inspiration galleries and step-by-step tutorials from our team of experts. Allthingshair.com delivers professional hair care and styling tips from some of the world’s biggest hairstylists, and hair care brands.

From Barbie to Elvis to Wednesday Addams to The Little Mermaid and The Last of Us cast, these 5 trending Halloween costumes based on Movies and TV are sure to be a big hit.