It's October, and that means spooky season is here. As the days grow shorter and the nights get longer, it can be hard to find things to fill the time with, and even harder for families. Finding an indoor activity that the whole family can enjoy can be stressful, but luckily the movies are always there to make the time pass that much faster. And since this is Halloween month, that means it's time for some horror movies.
But what horror movies are safe for the family? No one wants to give the little ones nightmares, so making the right choice really matters. Thankfully, there are tons of great family-friendly horror movies for everyone to enjoy.
10 Hocus Pocus (1993)
A Halloween staple for families or anyone who grew up a 90s kid, Hocus Pocus stars Bette Midler, Kathy Najimy, and Sarah Jessica Parker as the Sanderson sisters, three women who were executed in the 1600s for practicing witchcraft. When Max, the new kid in town, accidentally resurrects the sisters on Halloween, the witches have until sunrise to scare the kids of Salem and achieve immortality. The only thing that stands in their way is Max, his younger sister Dani, Max's crush Allison, and a man who was turned into an immortal cat three hundred years ago.
9 Goosebumps (2015)
Based on the long-running and popular series of books by R. L. Stine, Goosebumps stars Jack Black as the famous writer whose horror stories are all very true, as Zach learns when he accidentally unleashes an army of monster. Slappy, the infamous ventriloquist dummy, leads the gang of creatures that includes the Werewolf of Fever Swamp, the Abominable Snowman, evil Lawn Gnomes, and a host of other nasties. Meanwhile, Zach, R.L. Stine, and Stine's daughter Hannah try to find a way to put an end to the monstrous mayhem before anyone gets hurt.
Goosebumps was a critical and box office hit, managing to take the work of R.L. Stine and create a new story unlike any of the books while still staying true to Stine's style. The film also brought Stine's books to a whole new generation of readers. The sequel, Goosebumps 2: Haunted Halloween, was not as successful.
8 Hubie Halloween (2020)
Coming off of the praise he received for Uncut Gems, Adam Sandler jumps back into the comedy realm with Hubie Halloween, a PG-13 rated Netflix film. In the movie, Sandler plays Hubie Dubois, a well-intentioned resident of Salem, Massachusetts who just wants to make sure everyone has a fun and safe Halloween, but soon finds himself in the middle of a spooky night filled with a possible werewolf and a very real murder. Joining Adam Sandler for some spooky laughs is an all-star cast that includes Kevin James, Ray Liotta, Julie Bowen, Tim Meadows, and Maya Rudolph.
7 Vampires vs. the Bronx (2020)
Another new addition to Netflix, Vampires vs. the Bronx follows a group of teens as they fight to save their local bodega - and their whole neighborhood - from vampires looking to take over the Bronx. The movie is basically a modern-day Lost Boys, but without all the gore that would make it rough for younger audiences to enjoy. Younger viewers will like it because the main characters of the movie, all kids themselves, are the heroes and the humor of the movie makes sure it never gets too scary for kids.
6 Monster House (2006)
Every town has that one house that scares all the kids. It looks creepy and everyone knows the stories about the rarely seen owner who is actually a murderer or a witch or some other horrible thing. Whatever the case, that's the local haunted house that every kid is afraid to go near. In 2006's Monster House, it turns out the creepy local house really is haunted, and it's angry too. Monster House, co-written by Rick and Morty co-creator Dan Harmon, is filled with great scares, great jokes, and a whole lot of heart, making it a perfect movie for the whole family to enjoy.
5 ParaNorman (2012)
Norman Babcock isn't like the other kids in his town. For as long as he can remember, Norman can see and speak to the dead. Sadly for Norman, the only person who believes him is his best friend Neil. Soon enough, the whole town, including Norman's brother, start to believe him when an evil witch and an army of zombies attack.
Made by Laika, the animation company behind Kubo and the Two Strings and Missing Link, ParaNorman is a fun and exciting movie filled with heart and scares that everyone can enjoy. While ParaNorman wasn't a box office success, the movie's fanbase has been growing every year.
4 The Adventures of Ichabod and Mr. Toad (1949)
Originally released in 1949, The Adventures of Ichabod and Mr. Toad is a Disney classic that still scares kids to this day. The movie is broken into two parts, with the first segment being based on Kenneth Grahame's classic children's novel The Wind in the Willows, but it is the second segment that really stands out.
Based on Washington Irving's The Legend of Sleepy Hollow, this short tells the story of Ichabod Crane, a superstitious headmaster who moves to Sleepy Hollow, New York, and soon runs afoul of the Headless Horseman. For generations, this animated telling of The Legend of Sleepy Hollow has given kids and adults the creeps.
3 The House With a Clock in Its Walls (2018)
Starring Jack Black and Cate Blanchett, The House With a Clock in Its Walls is based on the novel by John Bellairs. The movie tells the story of ten-year-old Lewis Barnavelt who moves in with his eccentric Uncle Jonathan after the tragic death of his parents. In time, Lewis learns that his uncle isn't eccentric - he's a warlock who has been keeping the evil magic of the house at bay for years with the help of his Florence Zimmerman, who is a witch.
Directed by Eli Roth - best known for such gorefests as Cabin Fever and Hostel - The House With a Clock in Its Walls is a fun and spooky movie filled with fantastic special effects and lots of good-hearted humor.
2 The Witches (1990, 2020)
Depending on what someone's looking for, they can actually choose between two versions of The Witches. The first film was released in 1990 and stars Anjelica Huston while a new version with Anne Hathaway comes out on HBO Max just in time for Halloween. Both versions are based on the Roald Dahl book.
The Witches tells the story of a young boy who, while on vacation, runs afoul of a group of witches who turn him into a rat. The book, as well as the 1990 film, are both filled with some great scares, and the new version, directed by Robert Zemeckis, promises to follow in the same vein.
1 Coraline (2009)
Based on the novella by Neil Gaiman and Dave McKean, Coraline has all the fantasy horror you would expect from the creator of Sandman, but is sure to never get too scary for the younger viewers. The movie tells the story of Coraline, an eleven-year-old girl who finds a hidden door in the old house she and her family has recently moved into.
Behind the door, Coraline discovers a world much like hers, but where everyone has buttons for eyes and is nicer to her. When Coraline tries to go home, she learns the dark secret of the world she discovered behind the door. Coraline was the first movie created by Laika, the studio behind ParaNorman.