Fall is here, my dudes. You know what that means - Halloween.
While I am older and my tastes in scary movies have evolved with age, something I still love to do around this time is watch Halloween movies that are good for all ages. I’m talking about the kid-friendly films that both children and their parents can find joy in, from Hocus Pocus to The Addams Family. Here are some spooky Halloween movies you can stream with your family right now.
Hocus Pocus (1993)
Director: Kenny Ortega
Starring: Bette Midler, Sarah Jessica Parker, Kathy Najimy, Omri Katz, Thora Birch
What It’s About: Hocus Pocus follows a trio of comedic witches, who are inadvertently resurrected by a teenager in Salem, Massachusetts on Halloween night. Now, the witches want to take the souls of all the children in the town to gain as much power as possible, so it’s up to the teenagers and their friends to try and stop them.
Why It’s A Great Family Halloween Movie: I don’t know whether it’s the brilliant comedic timing of Bette Midler, Sarah Jessica Parker and Kathy Najimy, or the amount of quotable moments, or even the heartwarming story, but the film has found its way into the hearts of many people. There was even a sequel in 2022 that you can watch as well.
The Nightmare Before Christmas (1993)
Director: Henry Selick
Starring: Danny Elfman, Chris Sarandon, Catherine O’Hara
What It’s About: In The Nightmare Before Christmas, Jack Skellington is the King of Halloween Town and grows tired of the same old routine that they do each year for the occasion. But, when he accidentally stumbles into Christmas Town, he decides that it’s his town’s turn to give Christmas a try, creating mayhem for the monsters who live in it.
Why It’s A Great Family Halloween Movie: The film itself leans more towards the spooky side. The characters that are featured in Halloween Town are iconic spooky characters, like witches, ghosts, clowns, Frankenstein - things you would see for the season. It’s a ton of fun.
- Stream The Nightmare Before Christmas on Disney+.
- Rent/Buy The Nightmare Before Christmas on Amazon.
Coraline (2009)
Director: Henry Selick
Starring: Dakota Fanning, Teri Hatcher, Jennifer Saunders
What It’s About: Released in 2009 and directed by Henry Selick, it follows the story of a young girl named Coraline who discovers that in her new house, there’s this magical door that leads to an alternate world, one that feels like an absolute dream. But as she starts to discover more, Coraline finds out that this world is anything but a paradise.
Why It’s A Great Family Halloween Movie: From the smooth stop-motion animation to the voice acting and the creeptacular story, this is the perfect film for those who want to introduce their children to scarier films but don’t want them shaking in their boots for too long.
Halloweentown Series (1998 - 2006)
Director: Duwayne Dunham, Mary Lambert, Mark A.Z. Dippé, David Jackson
Starring: Debbie Reynolds, Kimberly J. Brown, Sara Paxton, Joey Zimmerman
What It’s About: In the Halloweentown film series, we follow the legend of the Cromwell family, a group of witches that spans generations, mainly following the story and training of one of the newest witches to the group, Marnie Cromwell.
Why It’s A Great Family Halloween Movie: The four films in the series are filled with plenty of Halloween fun, from the actual inclusion of Halloweentown that is so expertly themed you’ll want to visit this fantasy village yourself, to the corny villains, the funny spells, and even the wonderful, loving performance of Debbie Reynolds as Aggie Cromwell.
The Addams Family (1991)
Director: Barry Sonnenfeld
Starring: Angelica Huston, Raul Julia, Christopher Lloyd, Christina Ricci
What It’s About: This classic adaptation stars Anjelica Huston and Raul Julia as Morticia and Gomez Addams, the parents of the said Addams family, a group of bizarre, macabre individuals who are quite creepy – but love each other all the same.
Why It’s A Great Family Halloween Movie: There is literally no better time than the present to watch some of the older Addams Family adaptations, especially the film from 1991. Wednesday on Netflix was one of the biggest shows ever and took forever to get dethroned, and now there’s even more of an incentive to check out this film before Halloween to get into a creepy mood.
Monster House (2006)
Director: Gil Kenan
Starring: Steve Buscemi, Nick Cannon, Maggie Gyllenhaal, Kevin James, Catherine O’Hara, Fed Willard, Mitchell Musso
What It’s About: Three kids decide to investigate a house that is somehow sentient and causing terror around their neighborhood on Halloween.
Why It’s A Great Family Halloween Movie: Monster House is one of those Halloween movies that you forget about years later but you love it each time you watch it. The motion-capture animation can be a little off-putting, but that makes it perfect for Halloween, and the story is plenty spooky for both kids and adults alike.
Corpse Bride (2009)
Director: Mike Johnson, Tim Burton
Starring: Johnny Depp, Helena Bonham Carter, Emily Watson
What It’s About: A groom practicing his vows accidentally marries a corpse in the ground, and has to find a way out to get back to his future wife.
Why It’s A Great Family Halloween Movie: Corpse Bride is a stop-motion film that sticks with you ages after you watch it because it’s actually surprisingly very sweet. It has plenty of themes about life and death and love, but for Halloween, there are plenty of creepy, kooky creatures here that will get you in the spirit – as well as the stop-motion animation.
The Haunted Mansion (2003)
Director: Rob Minkoff
Starring: Eddie Murphy, Terence Stamp, Wallace Shawn, Marsha Thomason, Jennifer Tilly
What It’s About: Based on the theme park ride of the same name, The Haunted Mansion follows a realtor who ends up getting him and his family trapped in a haunted mansion, with the ghosts of the past looking to keep his wife all for themselves.
Why It’s A Great Family Halloween Movie: This movie is funny and perfect for kids. I can think of no one better to deliver perfect one-liners for both kids and adults than Eddie Murphy, one of the comedic greats. And, I do believe that this film is probably one of the best movies for you to watch if you want to laugh more than you want to be scared. There was another adaptation of the theme park ride in 2023, simply called Haunted Mansion, and it’s a fun time, but I prefer this.
Goosebumps (2015)
Director: Rob Letterman
Starring: Jack Black, Dylan Minnette, Odeya Rush, Amy Ryan
What It’s About: The Goosebumps live-action film follows a fictionalized version of R.L. Stine, the author of the Goosebumps books, and how he teams up with his daughter and their neighbor in order to save their town from the creatures in his books when they are suddenly unleashed, creating a mess wherever they go.
Why It’s A Great Family Halloween Movie: These books are frequently the test-run into horror for many younger kids, because it’s a balancing act of actual scary writing and some comedic moments to break the tension. And, the movie is pretty much the same. Jack Black is great comedic relief, while some of the monsters are decently scary.
Beetlejuice (1988)
Director: Tim Burton
Starring: Alec Baldwin, Geena Davis, Winona Ryder, Jeffrey Jones, Catherine O’Hara, Michael Keaton
What It’s About: Beetlejuice is a classic 1980s comedy directed by Tim Burton, which tells the story of a couple who are trapped in their home after they die. They decide to contact someone from the dead – known as Beetlejuice, a “bio-exorcist” – to make sure their house stays empty when new people move in.
Why It’s A Great Family Halloween Movie: There’s a lot I could say about this movie, but what hasn’t already been said? It’s hilarious, and was hugely successful. It even had a Broadway musical, and now there’s even a sequel out with a huge musical moment. It’s the perfect family film for Halloween-spooky time.
Don’t say his name three times!
Casper (1995)
Director: Brad Silberling
Starring: Malachi Pearson, Christina Ricci, Bill Pullman, Cathy Moriarty, Eric Idle
What It’s About: A teenage girl befriends a friendly ghost. The only issue is that her father, a paranormal therapist, has been hired to get the ghost out of the mansion he is haunting.
Why It’s A Great Family Halloween Movie: I mean, how can Casper not be on this list? The epitome of a friendly Halloween movie, this is a film that will not only make your kids smile but you as well, and make you want to bake Halloween cookies while loving how sweet Casper is.
Hubie Halloween (2020)
Director: Steve Brill
Starring: Adam Sandler, Kevin James, Julie Bowen, Ray Liotta, Rob Schneider
What It’s About: A Halloween-loving delicatessen is put to the ultimate spooky challenge when his home, Salem, Massachusetts, falls victim to a kidnapper, but of course, hilarities ensue.
Why It’s A Great Family Halloween Movie: Hubie Halloween is possibly the perfect Halloween film for families. The parents will love the Adam Sandler jokes and his hilarious delivery while the kids will enjoy the Halloween spookiness and slapstick comedy. It’s a win-win.
Honorable Mention: It’s The Great Pumpkin, Charlie Brown
Director: Bill Melendez
Starring: Peter Robins, Chris Shea, Sally Dryer, Kathy Steinberg
What It’s About: The children of the Peanuts world celebrate Halloween, while Linus stays in a pumpkin patch to meet the mythical Great Pumpkin.
Why It’s A Great Family Halloween Movie: Okay, it’s not technically a movie, but It’s The Great Pumpkin, Charlie Brown will always bring happiness into my life this time of year. Linus’ constant belief that the Great Pumpkin is real, mixed with the spookiness of the scenery, and of course, the classic Charlie Brown line, “I got a rock,” will make me grin and chuckle every time I watch it.
While I could spend my time watching some of the best horror movies out there, sometimes I need a break from the jumpscares and gory nonsense and have to return to some of my favorite Halloween films that I used to watch as a kid. Hopefully, there are now some great choices for you to pick from if you’re craving that, too.
