20 Best Family-Friendly Halloween Movies

With the release of Beetlejuice Beetlejuice this year, there's been a lot of hoopla surrounding Michael Keaton's pinstriped demon — and for good reason. The 1988 original is an absolute romp full of as many seriously spooky moments as gut-bustlingly hilarious ones. From the costume design to the special effects to Danny Elfman's score, Beetlejuice is a masterclass of family horror.

Spooky Specifics: As many Burton joints tend to do, Beetlejuice can get a tad intense for particularly young or squeamish children. There's also an off-color adult joke or two thrown in, though they'll likely soar far over most kids' noggins, making this one of the best Halloween movies for everyone in the family to enjoy on their own levels. — J. Krueger

Watch Beetlejuice now, either streaming on Max or on VOD via Apple TV+ and Amazon.

Okay, sure, this technically isn't a Halloween movie, but Studio Ghibli created a warm, wonderful film about a witch and her little black cat, which are classic hallmarks of the holiday. Our entrepreneurial title character is searching for her purpose and encounters adventure along the way; in classic Miyazaki fashion, the whole thing is absolutely gorgeous to look at.

Spooky Specifics: There are some moments that might inspire fear in especially sensitive viewers, like a thunderstorm and brief depiction of an aviation accident, but this movie doesn't contain the sort of fighting seen in other Miyazaki projects like Princess Mononoke, or some of the unsettling visuals in parts of Howl's Moving Castle. — Mary Siroky

Watch Kiki's Delivery Service now, either streaming on Max or on VOD via Apple TV+ and Amazon.

One of the foundational texts for proto-Goths in the 1990s, director Barry Sonnenfeld brought this iconic ooky spooky family into a new era, and created something timeless as a result. Anchored by the perfectly cast Raul Julia and Anjelica Huston as Gomez and Morticia (relationship goals), The Addams Family features a twisty mystery involving the return of Uncle Fester (Christopher Lloyd), but more importantly it delivers a whole mood, one silly enough for kids to enjoy and campy enough for adults to savor.

Spooky Specifics: There's a lot of casual reference to murder, torture, and other acts of violence over the course of the film, along with some intense imagery. Halloween movies for kids were just different in the '90s. — L.S. Miller

Watch The Addams Family now, either streaming on Paramount+ or on VOD via Apple TV+ and Amazon.

When three 17th-century witches are accidentally summoned on Halloween night — to Salem, Massachusetts of all places — a group of teenagers find themselves defending their community from all kinds of dark magic (including a magic spell in the form of a killer musical number). With the help of a talking cat, a sweet zombie, and one very animated book, Kenny Ortega, future director of the High School Musical series, knocked it out of the park.

Spooky Specifics: The Spellbook is a little creepy, the witches are heavily implied to have been hanged in the trials in Salem, and there's quite a bit of talk about how the candle must be lit by a virgin for the summoning ritual to work. But for whatever reason, as a kid, I was most bothered by the school bullies stealing the protagonist's shoes on his first day. — M. Siroky

Watch Hocus Pocus now, either streaming on Disney+ or on VOD via Apple TV+ and Amazon.

From the strange and stylized world of producer Tim Burton, The Nightmare Before Christmas has become a Halloween (and, frankly, Christmas) staple since its release over 30 years ago. With its stop-motion intricacy and melodramatic hue, the film is a visual marvel. The world-building is like Halloween candy for the imagination, and the film's various music sequences are some of Danny Elfman's greatest. Even with its spooky overtones, The Nightmare Before Christmas features enough cheeky humor and dazzling designs to be endlessly re-watchable.

Spooky Specifics: It's worth noting that Tim Burton's typically moody, gothic style is not for everyone. He didn't direct this one, but his macabre designs are well on display; kids that instantly reject Jack Skellington's sinister, toothy smile will probably not want to stick around for the duration of the film. Meanwhile, the main antagonist is a bogeyman named (aptly) Oogie Boogie, and with his sack full of bugs, creepy face, and imposing stature, he's got bad vibes for sure. — Paolo Ragusa

The idiosyncratic humor of The Addams Family takes center stage in Addams Family Values, where Gomez and Morticia face the adventure of a new baby. While Wednesday and Pugsley stir up trouble at a summer camp that distinctly contrasts the Addams homestead, this entry hinges on a plot against their beloved Uncle Fester.

Spooky Specifics: Much like the first film, Addams Family Values contents plenty of references to murder, death, and violence, but always in a comedic manner. The macabre is exaggerated, but may be confusing or upsetting to younger viewers. — M. Siroky

Watch Addams Family Values now, either streaming on Paramount+ or on VOD via Apple TV+ and Amazon.

Casper the Friendly Ghost gets the big screen treatment — and a love story — in this pre-teen gothic romance that doesn't skimp on silly humor thanks to Casper's crude ghost uncles. But there's a lot of low-key charm, not to mention a bunch of surprising cameos that might be more for the adults in the audience (assuming that more adults than children will be familiar with Father Guido Sarducci).

Spooky Specifics: Death, and the concept of an afterlife, is a pretty central part of the story, with major characters dying in sometimes casual ways. Also, for a 12-year-old ghost, Casper has some big feelings towards young Kat (played by Christina Ricci), which leads to a few awkward moments. — L.S. Miller

Watch Casper now, either streaming on Prime Video or on VOD via Apple TV+ and Amazon.

Marnie, like many 13-year olds on Halloween, is obsessed with all things witchy. While her mother has tried to shield her and her siblings from her magical lineage, her fabulous grandmother (played by the iconic Debbie Reynolds) accidentally leads her to Halloweentown, a friendly town full of magical creatures being threatened by a mysterious supernatural force.

Spooky Specifics: There's very little to be frightened of in the world of Halloweentown, a goofy place where one of the biggest worries is a man from your mother's past trying to rekindle an old flame. (If you have a phobia around less-than-stellar child actors, you may also have a tough time.) As one of the pioneering Disney Channel Originals, however, Halloweentown remains one of the best family Halloween movies. — M. Siroky

Watch Halloweentown now, either streaming on Disney+ or on VOD via Apple TV+ and Amazon.

In the midst of Disney Channel's Original Movie blitz around the turn of the millenium, Phantom of the Megaplex was one of their most successful spooky offerings. Packed with mystery and melodrama, the story follows a young movie theater employee attempting to catch and unmask an unseen “phantom” that terrorizes patrons and employees of the theater. The film has its fair share of tense sequences, but moves along at a quick pace — and at the end of the day, it's really just a love letter to the movies.

Spooky Specifics: Compared to its spooky Disney Channel predecessor Don't Look Under the Bed, Phantom is pretty tame. But in mimicking the rhythms and pacing of actually scary films, there are quite a few tension-laden sequences and moments of unpredictable suspense, so if the possibility of something scary potentially happening is too much, you might want to stick to Halloweentown instead. — P. Ragusa

Watch Phantom of the Megaplex now, either streaming on Disney+ or on VOD via Apple TV+ and Amazon.

Mystery, Inc. has broken up. But when Fred, Daphne, Velma, Shaggy, and Scooby are called to reunite to investigate a mystery at the theme park retreat of Spooky Island, the gang rediscovers the connection that brought them all together in the first place. At the time of its initial release, the live-action story featured a bold integration of CGI that brought the iconic cartoon into the real world.

Spooky Specifics: As fun and adventurous as this movie is, there's definitely some frightening imagery for younger viewers (primarily a cauldron of swirling, disembodied souls). But while the demons roaming Spooky Island are creepy, the now-dated effects might have a diminishing effect on kids who have grown up with more realism. And while the humor — like an extended body-switching bit — often feels more aimed at teenagers, most of the innuendos and 420-friendly references are likely to sail over pre-teen heads, keeping this in the family Halloween movies for kids zone. — M. Siroky

Watch Scooby-Doo now, either streaming on Prime Video or on VOD via Apple TV+ and Amazon.

Wallace & Gromit: The Curse of the Were-Rabbit fuses the charm of Nick Park's delightful stop-motion series with the thrills of a creature feature, resulting in a breathtakingly animated adventure complete with absurd gags, real emotion, and genuine suspense. As a bonus, throwing on Were-Rabbit for the family serves as a perfect primer for the upcoming Wallace & Gromit: Vengeance Most Fowl, giving the gang something to look forward to.

Spooky Specifics: Wallace & Gromit: The Curse of the Were-Rabbit features the cartoon violence that's characteristic of the Wallace & Gromit franchise, though it's nothing worse than anything from, say, old-school Loony Tunes. — J. Krueger

Watch Wallace & Gromit: The Curse of the Were-Rabbit now, either streaming on Netflix or on VOD via Apple TV+ and Amazon.

As far as animated children's films go, Coraline is about as mature as they come. Not that the movie is overtly gory or sexual or adult-oriented, just that it respects its audience enough to make good on its truly chilling premise and existential themes (not dissimilar to Spirited Away). Wildly creative and set in a jaw-dropping, dreary stop-motion wonderland, Coraline is something of a graduation flick, one that can act as an opportunity for youngsters to slowly dip their toes into more intense, artsier media.

Spooky Specifics: It might sound silly, but Coraline might genuinely scare your kid out of ever picking up sewing as a hobby — fair warning. Maybe see if they enjoy the Neil Gaiman and Dave McKean book before testing out the film adaptation. — J. Krueger

Watch Coraline now, either streaming on Prime Video or on VOD via Apple TV+ and Amazon.

Single dad Dracula (Adam Sandler) has spent his life creating his young daughter Mavis (Selena Gomez) the perfect refuge, which also happens to be a safe haven for any monster. That safety gets threatened, though, when a naive human (Andy Samberg) stumbles across the Hotel, potentially opening Mavis up to a whole world Dracula can't protect her from.

Spooky Specifics: There are a few intense moments scattered throughout the film, but minimal danger as a whole, with a heavy emphasis on slapstick humor and some minor gross-out gags. It's instead a real romp of a film, with a fun ensemble that shows the softer side of monsterdom and makes this one of the best family Halloween movies to come out of modern cinema. — L.S. Miller

Watch Hotel Transylvania now, either streaming on Peacock or on VOD via Apple TV+ and Amazon.

Yet another film from Halloween king Tim Burton, Frankenweenie is both a feature adaptation of his own 1984 short film and an overall parody of Mary Shelley's Frankenstein. Anyone who has tragically lost a pet probably wishes they could revive them à la Frankenstein's monster, and in Frankenweenie, that's exactly what goes down — until everyone around town starts reanimating their dead pets, and all hell breaks loose. It's a reprisal of Burton's signature stop-motion visual style, made more spooky with its black-and-white display, but with plenty of charm and (reanimated) heart.

Spooky Specifics: If dead things coming to life via a jolt of electricity scares you — or if Tim Burton's general aesthetic doesn't sit right — you'll probably not enjoy Frankenweenie. Like the other Burton horror comedies, there are also visual and thematic references to films that are much scarier than this one. Still, even with its PG rating, Frankenweenie’s zombie + Frankenstein + mayhem situation can get a little freaky. — P. Ragusa

Watch Frankenweenie now, either streaming on Disney+ or on VOD via Apple TV+ and Amazon.

When the books of R.L. Stine (played by Jack Black) literally come to life one night, and it's up to Stine and some plucky teens to keep the monsters that have escaped the pages (including living dummies, abominable snowmen, vampire poodles, and more) from destroying this small Delaware town. The premise proves to be a clever way to explore the whole wild range of Stine's work, with a few solid scares and a supporting cast that's as game as they are funny.

Spooky Specifics: A bit more tailored for older kids who might be ready for chapter books (like, y'know, Goosebumps), and thus might not be the best Halloween movie for kids. That said, the film is much more comedy than horror, with some very funny moments and compelling character work. — L.S. Miller

Watch Goosebumps now, either streaming on Prime Video or on VOD via Apple TV+ and Amazon.

One of Pixar's finest, Coco is a colorful celebration of the Mexican holiday Día de los Muertos. Young musician Miguel accidentally ends up in the Land of the Dead and embarks on a journey to find his great-great-grandfather and reverse a curse. On his journey, he meets a skeleton man named Héctor (also a musician) and comes to some pretty major realizations about family, sacrifice, and honoring both the dead and the living. Also, there's a significant scene at the end of this film that's so earned, so richly animated, and so emotionally charged that it begs you not to cry (any time I hear "Remember Me," I almost lose it again).

Spooky Specifics: Skeletons are in big supply in Coco, as are the similarly-macabre Día de los Muertos designs. However, the film imbues heaps of life into its Land of the Dead, ensuring that any sinister tones associated with death are muted and making this truly one of the best family Halloween movies of the last decade. — P. Ragusa

Watch Coco now, either streaming on Disney+ or on VOD via Apple TV+ and Amazon.

A zombie outbreak isn't the end of the world in this Disney Channel Original Movie, instead becoming an allegory for acceptance and community. In a world where zombies are high-functioning but sequestered and identified via government-issued wristbands, high schools are working on integrating the infected with all the other young students. Our central characters work on overcoming stereotypes, bolstered by the power of song and dance.

Spooky Specifics: As most DCOM musicals go, Zombies is one of the least scary entries on an already not particularly scary list. Parents have expressed some qualms on the way the protagonist is depicted, primarily that her "big secret" is an insecurity around her hair, but you know what? Sometimes navigating feminism and representation in the modern world can be scary. — M. Siroky

Watch Zombies now, either streaming on Disney+ or on VOD via Apple TV+ and Amazon.

Disney's most recent effort to find inspiration in its theme park attractions led to director Justin Simien and writer Katie Dippold crafting a fun ghost story that includes some clever visuals and an impressive ensemble cast. LaKeith Stanfield stars as a ghost tour guide who doesn't believe in ghosts until a single mother (Rosario Dawson) and her son need his help contacting the spirits living in a... really big house.

Spooky Specifics: Like some of the other movies on this list, there's some serious kid-related peril, plus lots of eerie imagery. Although, much of those visuals are drawn directly from the original ride, so if kids are already familiar with Disneyland or the Magic Kingdoms' take on the subject matter, they shouldn't get too freaked out by this. — L.S. Miller

Watch Haunted Mansion now, either streaming on Disney+ or on VOD via Apple TV+ and Amazon.

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