Ghosts, vampires, witches, zombies and the occasional Freddy Krueger costume – Halloween can be unnerving for children of all ages (parents, too!). Dial down the spooks a notch with these Halloween movies that your whole family can watch together. Find the perfect flick to curl up and watch together after trick-or-treating or to enjoy leading up to the big spooky day.
‘Spooky’ ratings
1 Not even a goose bump.
2 A few shivers, but more silliness.
3 Creepy factor climbing!
4 Watch this one with tweens and teens.
Scooby-Doo! Where’s My Mummy?
Rating: 2
Whether you’re looking for live action, animated, series or movie-length shows, there are SO many good Scooby-Doo picks. For classic Scooby silliness (and the telltale Casey Kasem voicing Shaggy) check out this mystery based in Egypt.
Haunted Mansion
Rating: 3
Based on the Disney theme park ride, this movie has about the same scare factor as Pirates of the Caribbean. Ghosts and skeletons abound in this story that also features an awestruck Eddie Murphy.
It’s The Great Pumpkin, Charlie Brown
Rating: 1
This must-see Halloween special features the whole Peanuts gang. Your little kids will enjoy the gentle antics of Charlie, Linus and Snoopy.
Monsters University
Rating: 2
Just in time for Halloween, this prequel to the original Monsters, Inc. movie shows you how Mike and Sulley first became friends – and what kind of classes you’d find attending MU.
Pooh’s Heffalump Halloween Movie
Rating: 1
This Winnie the Pooh adventure may include a bat or two, but the scariness is kept to a minimum. Even young children will be able to sleep soundly after watching this film.
The Addams Family
Rating: 3
With the tagline “Weird Is Relative,” the movie remake of the series maintains the eerie charm of the original TV series. Some of Wednesday’s shenanigans may be too much for young children.
Harry Potter Series
Rating: 3.5
Younger kids may not be too scared by the first Harry Potter movie in the series, but the rest in the series would be better for grade schoolers (who aren’t easily freaked out), tweens and teens.
This post was originally published in 2013 and has been updated for 2016.
