Halloween is nearly here and you’ve left your costume to the last minute. You’re also not keen on spending more than $10 on it. I get you. I feel you. As cool as it would be to buy a complete Ghostbusters outfit or a full-blown Zootopia onesie, you’d much rather do the most you can with what little you’ve got. Here are 10 ideas that you’re free to steal – because I care.
Captain Boomerang (Suicide Squad)
Suicide Squad was a massive hit this year, so there’s going to be way too many people dressing up as Harley Quinns and MC Joker4Real. I suggest Captain Boomerang – not only because he was my absolute favourite thing about that movie, but the costume is also way more practical than doing the makeup work for Killer Croc or setting yourself on fire as Diablo. All you need to do is get any ol’ jacket lying around, buy some cheap toy boomerangs, grow a gross mo’, and you’re done like grilled shrimp mate.
Optional: fill your pockets with cans of Woodstock and never NOT have one in your hand.
Bridget Jones (Bridget Jones’s Baby)
Bridget came back with a vengeance and a baby this year with a comedy that dropped tickle bombs on unsuspecting ribs. OK… I never actually saw the film, but I know heaps of people have been talking about it. You can take advantage of the film while it’s still fresh in people’s minds with a simple cushion-up-the-knitted-sweater trick (assuming you or your parents have a knitted sweater somewhere).
Optional: get two charming handsome gentlemen to fight for your attention (if they’re not doing it already, you gorgeous thang).
Bucky / The Winter Soldier (Captain America: Civil War)
If I could afford to go as Black Panther, I would. But that full-body suit and badass mask go far beyond my budget. So I’d settle with Bucky, the object of Captain America’s affection in Civil War. Submerge your arm in tin foil and put a pretty red star on the shoulder – now you’re ready to apologise to Tony Stark.
Optional: wrap the remaining foil around a tube big enough for an arm to fit through and carry it around like a SWAT battering ram a la that fight scene in the stairwell.
Lorraine Warren (The Conjuring 2)
The paranormal investigator of the hit horror franchise has been sorely underrepresented at Halloween. Do her justice by politely asking your Granny to raid her closet for the following items…
Optional: get a bunch of Popsicle sticks, turn them into crosses, then stick them upside down in the nearest bathroom.
Tarzan (The Legend of Tarzan)
It wasn’t very good, but a lot of people saw the blockbusting attempt to revive Tarzan. There were at least six reasons why he got a lot of attention, and you can replicate that just by wearing shorts and temporarily tattooing yourself.
Optional: partner up with a damsel in distress who points out every 20 minutes that she is not a damsel in distress.
Michelle (10 Cloverfield Lane)
Tremendously light spoiler alert: Michelle made a DIY hazmat suit in 10 Cloverfield Lane. I won’t say why, and you won’t need to either. What makes this costume perfect is that it’s already a cheap throw-together, so any half-arsed attempt at reconstructing it will look super authentic. If you need instructions on how to do this, watch the movie.
Optional: snag a cheap shower curtain with a ducky on it and use that instead of a raincoat.
Jeff Skiles (Sully)
The best co-pilot ever deserves adequate representation during Halloween this year. The clothes aren’t difficult to find and make, but you most definitely will need to drop a few dollars if you want to do this man’s moustache justice. You could TRY growing that glorious ‘stache yourself, but you will fail. So glue a paintbrush to your face instead.
Optional: jokes.
The Pixar (Not) Lesbians (Finding Dory)
If you prefer your Hollywood Halloween to be topical, you can always go as the most overblown cinema non-story of the year – the supposed lesbian couple in Finding Dory. If people ask who you’ve come as, there are two ways you could respond: 1) do not acknowledge it at all 2) acknowledge it so much that everyone realises it was a stupid thing to bring up in the first place.
Optional: keep a baby’s plastic sippy cup on you.
Blind Man (Don’t Breathe)
A white singlet, a toy pistol and 3000 push-ups will cost you less than lunch, but you can’t stop there. To really sell your suit as one of this year’s best monsters, you need to act blind too. But please, for the love of good taste, don’t reference THAT plot turn.
Optional: light blue contact lenses.
Brenda (Sausage Party)
The family-unfriendly animated film of the year is ripe with offensively bad ideas for food costumes – but Brenda the bun is totally doable.
Optional: nothing. This design is flawless.
