10 Spooktacular Halloween Movies for the Whole Family

Recently, I posted an article about how horror movies were coming back in a good way. The movies I mentioned in that post are all fun to watch on Halloween…but they can give you nightmares until Christmas (which may be the goal for some).

But now, I want to take some time to talk about movies that are less scary and more family-friendly. These options are great, whether they’re being watched instead of trick-or-treating, or as another way to enjoy the season. These probably won’t give you (or your munchkins) nightmares…unless they’re accompanied by stomachache-inducing levels of candy consumption.

In chronological order:

Young Frankenstein (1974)

Young Frankenstein could have easily been included in my post about the funniest movies of all time, but I decided to save it for Halloween. Mel Brooks directs this hilarious film that spoofs the Mary Shelley story of the demented doctor bringing a creature to life – with an “Abby Normal” brain, thanks to Igor. This movie is rife with funny one-liners, memorable characters, and humorous nods to earlier monster movies.

E.T. The Extra-Terrestrial (1982)

E.T. has always resonated with me – it’s unlike anything else I’ve ever seen. Because the cast is nearly entirely composed of child actors, it lends itself to a younger audience. Nevertheless, the story is amazing (and you can’t go wrong with Spielberg). A lonely kid befriends an alien and tries to help it phone home…er…go home. The movie is even set during Halloween – in one scene, some of the characters go trick-or-treating.

Ghostbusters (1984)

Who ya gonna call?! I will gladly watch Ghostbusters any day…but I especially love it on Halloween. When I was younger, a few scenes made me cover my eyes, but it’s mostly fun for all ages. Its hilarity and special effects make this movie stand out from the crowd. Heck, one year, my brother and I even “went” as Ghostbusters for Halloween!

Clue (1985)

While this isn’t necessarily a scary movie, the murder mystery plot casts an eerie vibe. While most would go out of their way to watch The Rocky Horror Picture Show (1975), this is the Tim Curry movie I would pick for Halloween. Clue is one of my wife’s all-time favorites – she and her cousin used to watch it just about on loop (until he’d have nightmares and it would get “put away” for a week or so).

Edward Scissorhands (1990)

Edward Scissorhands is one of my favorite movies. It gives off a Tim Burton aura, which is great for Halloween. While the last act of the film takes place during Christmas time, I still think Halloween is the perfect time to sit back and enjoy it.

Hocus Pocus (1993)

This is the first film that came to mind when I started this list. The story mostly takes place over one Halloween night when three kids accidentally break the spell that cast three witches away from this world. Now they have to reverse the spell before it’s too late! This film is a great piece of family entertainment, and I look forward to watching the movie with my kids someday (don’t get any ideas, Mom – this isn’t an announcement).

The Nightmare Before Christmas (1993)

Christmas may be in the title, but this is a Halloween movie in my book. The stop-motion animation is way ahead of its time, and the film contains many amazing sequences with great musical numbers to match. It’s been forever since I’ve seen this movie, but I can still hear the music in my head (or is that because of our September trip to Disneyland?).

Casper (1995)

Casper is about a friendly ghost who befriends a girl who lives with her dad in an old mansion. There are three other (not-so-friendly) ghosts who try to drive the little family away. I think that has the makings of another great Halloween movie, don’t you?

The Mummy (1999)

Another great monster movie is The Mummy (1999). I felt the need to mention the year again to be sure you didn’t think I was recommending the awful Tom Cruise film from 2017. As much as I usually love Tom Cruise…yikes. The 1999 version is, in my opinion, the only modern mummy movie worth watching (try saying that three times fast!). I mean, come on – Brendan Fraser as the hilarious hero, a grand adventure, and a monstrous villain. It’s a great one to watch while you sit, relax, and munch from the candy bowl. Hopefully, you won’t be interrupted by the doorbell too often.

Monsters, Inc. (2001)

Lastly, we have Monsters, Inc. – only these monsters won’t scare the pants off of you (try as they might). Although scaring young children is their goal throughout most of the film, Sully and Mike (voiced by John Goodman and Billy Crystal) wouldn’t dream of keeping you awake at night (ba dum tss). It also provides the perfect formula for Halloween entertainment: Monsters + Disney = Halloween night inside with the kids.

Happy watching!