Halloween is a season meant to be enjoyed by people of all ages, which is why my younger self was thankful for horror movies that are not so scary to help me ease into it. If you want to watch something spooky but not too scary or are looking to give the genre a try, perhaps I can help. These are my recommendations for the best horror movies that are less likely to keep you up at night than your trick-or-treat candy.
Evil Dead II (1987)
Director: Sam Raimi
Starring: Bruce Campbell, Sarah Berry
What it’s about: Ash Williams must single-handedly fend off against the malevolent, possessive spirits that have invaded his woodland cabin.
Why it is one of the best horror movies that is not so scary: The original and more recent installments of the Evil Dead movies are quite extreme but Evil Dead II, arguably the greatest horror-comedy movie ever made, is a blast of cartoonish energy that younger viewers should have no trouble stomaching if they do not mind a little blood
How to watch Evil Dead II
Drag Me To Hell (2009)
Director: Sam Raimi
Starring: Alison Lohman, Justin Long
What it’s about: A desperate, elderly woman curses a young loan officer to be taunted by a cruel, ancient demon that will kidnap her and bring her to the underworld within days.
Why it is one of the best horror movies that is not so scary: Another great Sam Raimi movie with spooky, cartoonish hijinks is Drag Me to Hell, which is not quite as disturbing as it sounds but I might recommend viewers at least under 13 skip the twisted ending.
How to watch Drag Me to Hell
- Stream Drag Me to Hell on Amazon Prime
- Stream Drag Me to Hell on Peacock
- Buy Drag Me to Hell on Blu-ray on Amazon
The Sixth Sense (1999)
Director: M. Night Shyamalan
Starring: Bruce Willis, Haley Joel Osment
What it’s about: A child psychologist discovers his latest patient can communicate with the dead.
Why it is one of the best horror movies that is not so scary: Despite a few startling moments, The Sixth Sense (arguably M. Night Shyamalan’s best movie) is not a ghost story that aims to scare as much as invoke an eerie mood as it curdles into a more heartfelt, and even inspiring, supernatural drama.
How to watch The Sixth Sense
- Stream The Sixth Sense on Disney+
- Rent or buy The Sixth Sense on Amazon
- Buy The Sixth Sense on Blu-ray on Amazon
The Cabin In The Woods (2012)
Director: Drew Goddard
Starring: Kristen Connolly, Chris Hemsworth
What it’s about: A group of vacationing college students encounter a horrifyingly strange situation during their cabin getaway but the danger is not quite what it seems.
Why it is one of the best horror movies that is not so scary: Without giving too much away, The Cabin in the Woods is a great choice for entry-level horror, preparing the viewer for just about anything the genre has to offer in a light, satirical fashion
How to watch The Cabin in the Woods
- Stream The Cabin in the Woods on Peacock
- Rent or buy The Cabin in the Woods on Amazon
- Buy The Cabin in the Woods on Blu-ray on Amazon
Get Out (2017)
Director: Jordan Peele
Starring: Daniel Kaluuya, Allison Williams
What it’s about: After being hesitant to meet his white girlfriend’s family, young, Black photographer Chris discovers that he has more to be concerned about than he could have imagined.
Why it is one of the best horror movies that is not so scary: Honestly, the scariest thing about Jordan Peele’s Academy Award-winning instant Black horror movie classic, Get Out, is really the real-life racial prejudice that it cleverly, and creepily, comments on.
How to watch Get Out
Child’s Play (1988)
Director: Tom Holland
Starring: Brad Dourif, Catherine Hicks
What it’s about: A single mother begins to suspect that the unexplainable, deadly events surrounding her are connected to a doll she recently bought for her son.
Why it is one of the best horror movies that is not so scary: While Chucky may be easier to look at than Annabelle, he has become an icon since debuting in the surprisingly clever, satirical slasher, Child’s Play, which could have easily earned a PG-13 rating today if not for the killer doll’s foul mouth.
How to watch Child’s Play
- Stream Child’s Play on AMC+
- Rent or buy Child’s Play on Amazon
- Buy Child’s Play on Blu-ray on Amazon
Gremlins (1984)
Director: Joe Dante
Starring: Zach Galligan, Phoebe Cates
What it’s about: A young man witnesses the consequences of breaking the rules required to safely raise his strange, furry new pet.
Why it is one of the best horror movies that is not so scary: While it initially inspired backlash from parents expecting something more like E.T., if you go into producer Steven Spielberg’s Gremlins knowing the cute little Mogwais become reckless green monsters, you can easily appreciate it as a hilarious creature feature and one of the best Christmas horror movies ever.
How to watch Gremlins
Cloverfield (2008)
Director: Matt Reeves
Starring: Michael Stahl-David, Odette Annable
What it’s about: A group of New Yorkers’ going-away party for their friend is interrupted by the sudden appearance of a large, violent beast terrorizing the city.
Why it is one of the best horror movies that is not so scary: Outside of one terrifying sequence in a subway tunnel, the inventive monster movie favorite Cloverfield is one of the more tame found footage thrillers, excluding the tragedy befalling our main characters that is sure to tug at your heartstrings.
How to watch Cloverfield
- Stream Cloverfield on Paramount+
- Rent or buy Cloverfield on Amazon
- Buy Cloverfield on Blu-ray on Amazon
Monster House (2006)
Director: Gil Kenan
Starring: Mitchel Musso, Sam Lerner
What it’s about: A young boy suspects that the house across the street is haunted, only to discover the house itself is alive and haunting the neighborhood.
Why it is one of the best horror movies that is not so scary: While this animated, Academy Award-nominated adventure from producers Steven Spielberg and Robert Zemeckis may seem like another kids movie, Monster House is straight-up, old-school B-movie horror that happens to have underage protagonists.
How to watch Monster House
Trick ‘R Treat (2007)
Director: Michael Dougherty
Starring: Dylan Baker, Anna Paquin
What it’s about: A school principal with a sinister secret, a group of teens fascinated by a disturbing local legend, and an elderly curmudgeon visited by one very passionate trick-or-treater are among the several interwoven tales taking place one fateful Halloween night.
Why it is one of the best horror movies that is not so scary: Light on carnage and boasting a humorously whimsical tone, Trick ‘r Treat is a cult favorite horror anthology movie that invokes feelings of Goosebumps if R.L. Stine allowed Stephen King to ghostwrite a few installments.
How to watch Trick ‘r Treat
- Stream Trick ‘r Treat on Max
- Rent or buy Trick ‘r Treat on Amazon
- Buy Trick ‘r Treat on Blu-ray on Amazon
Creepshow (1982)
Director: George A. Romero
Starring: Hal Holbrook, Leslie Nielsen
What it’s about: Five odd and fantastic tales including a man seeking revenge on his wife and her lover, a farmer encountering a meteorite with truly transformative effects, and a reclusive germaphobe suffering his worst nightmare.
Why it is one of the best horror movies that is not so scary: Stephen King and George A. Romero teamed up to make Creepshow, which aims for fun shlock more often than genuine fright, out of love for the creepy 1950s comic books that inspired it.
How to watch Creepshow
Coraline (2009)
Director: Henry Sellick
Starring: Dakota Fanning, Henry Selick
What it’s about: A disillusioned young girl finds a refreshing, magical world beyond a secret passage in her new house, only to discover that it is not the enchanted paradise it seems.
Why it is one of the best horror movies that is not so scary: Coming from the mind of author Neil Gaiman, Coraline is about as frightening as the PG rating will accept, courtesy of stunning, stop-motion fantasy imagery helmed by The Nightmare Before Christmas director Henry Sellick that greatly appeals to any young Tim Burton fans.
How to watch Coraline
Beetlejuice (1988)
Director: Tim Burton
Starring: Alec Baldwin, Geena Davis, Michael Keaton
What it’s about: Recently deceased and annoyed by the snobbish socialites who have moved into their house, a couple enlists a self-proclaimed bio-exorcist to help take back their home, only to immediately regret summoning him.
Why it is one of the best horror movies that is not so scary: Arguably, the definitive Tim Burton movie is hilariously bizarre Beetlejuice, which could have been a more run-of-the-mill ghost story if not for its inventive visuals and the rapid-fire wit of Michael Keaton’s unforgettable performance in the title role.
How to watch Beetlejuice
The Lost Boys (1987)
Director: Joel Schumacher
Starring: Jason Patric, Corey Haim
What it’s about: Two brothers become involved with a gang of mischievous bloodsucking bikers, with the older sibling drawn into joining them and the younger one inspired to hunt them, in a coastal California town.
Why it is one of the best horror movies that is not so scary: The Lost Boys is one of the best vampire movies for its unique, humorous modernization of lore told from a child’s point of view that, despite its R rating, makes it perfect for younger viewers 13 and up.
How to watch The Lost Boys
The Faculty (1998)
Director: Robert Rodriguez
Starring: Josh Hartnett, Jordana Brewster
What it’s about: A mismatched group of high school students discovers parasitic aliens are causing their teachers to act out of character.
Why it is one of the best horror movies that is not so scary: Writer Kevin Williamson combines xenophobic paranoia commentary from Invasion of the Body Snatchers with archetypical teenage character tropes from The Breakfast Club to craft, The Faculty – a fun, comical late-’90s time capsule which boasts shameless levels of B-movie cheese.
How to watch The Faculty
- Stream The Faculty on Paramount+
- Rent or buy The Faculty on Amazon
- Buy The Faculty on Blu-ray on Amazon
Happy Death Day (2017)
Director: Christopher Landon
Starring: Jessica Rothe, Israel Broussard
What it’s about: A conceited sorority girl is forced to repeatedly relive her birthday until she can identify the masked assailant that murders her over and over again.
Why it is one of the best horror movies that is not so scary: Despite being one of Blumhouse’s least scary releases for its time, Happy Death Day is still a clever and quite hilarious combination of the slasher genre with time loop movies.
How to watch Happy Death Day
- Stream Happy Death Day on Peacock
- Rent or buy Happy Death Day on Amazon
- Buy Happy Death Day on Blu-ray on Amazon
The Monster Squad (1987)
Director: Fred Dekker
Starring: Andre Gower, Robby Kiger
What it’s about: A group of youngsters see their obsession with classic horror movie villains finally pay off when an assortment of frightening creatures begin wreaking havoc on their town.
Why it is one of the best horror movies that is not so scary: This PG-13 adventure from co-writers Shane Black and Fred Dekker is often compared to 1985’s The Goonies, which I would actually cite as a genuinely more intense thriller than The Monster Squad, despite still being a winning love letter to old school horror.
How to watch The Monster Squad
- Stream The Monster Squad on Pluto TV
- Rent or buy The Monster Squad on Amazon
- Buy The Monster Squad on Blu-ray on Amazon
Scream (1996)
Director: Wes Craven
Starring: David Arquette, Neve Campbell
What it’s about: A teen whose mother was the victim of an infamous slaying fears the same fate when a masked murderer begins attacking her classmates and other local citizens.
Why it is one of the best horror movies that is not so scary: After the heart-racing opening scene with Drew Barrymore, it becomes relatively easy to get through Scream, which also serves as a perfect introduction to slasher movies for its brilliant commentary on the subgenre’s tropes.
How to watch Scream
What do you think? Have we compiled the perfect assortment of horror films that are not so scary, or are you already trembling from the descriptions of these movies?
