12 Kid-Approved Halloween Movies That Are Only Slightly Spooky
Spooky season is here and back in full force! Spider webs strewn around the house, jack-o-lanterns lining the windowsills, and the odd skeleton or two chilling by the door. This is the one time of year to bust out those creepy decorations to delight and scare your neighbours, but it's also the time of year to get snug on the couch with the family for some much-needed nostalgia and fun.
Here at The Beat Asia, we’ve curated our favourite family-friendly Halloween movies for you to enjoy with your kids. The electricity that comes with the “unknown” is always a fun family treat, so stick some popcorn in the microwave and get ready for a teeny-weeny Halloween scare.
‘It’s The Great Pumpkin, Charlie Brown’
“It’s The Great Pumpkin, Charlie Brown” is a 1966 classic, a genuine Halloween TV tradition for all families. Get ready to pass on the Halloween tradition and join the Peanuts gang for a spooky adventure filled with costumes, candy, and hilarious comedy that stands the test of time. In the short span of 25 minutes, we see Charlie prepping to get to Violet’s Halloween bash, Snoopy setting his sights on the Red Baron, and Linus dragging his ever-loving sister Sally to await a pumpkin patch miracle.
Where to watch: Apple TV+
‘Toy Story of Terror’
You’ve no doubt seen “Toy Story” 1,2, and 3 and fell in love with the eccentric fourth wall breakage, adaptations of real-life toys, and the lovable characters that make every movie as relatable as it is. But did you know there was a Toy Story Halloween special?
If your children want more of the “Toy Story” multiverse, this 22-minute quick flick takes place after the events of “Toy Story 3,” with the toys embarking on a new adventure. The gang finds themselves at a roadside motel after Bonnie and her mum get a flat tire. One by one, the toys mysteriously disappear, presumably to suffer a horrible fate. Solve this hilariously spooky comedy with the family before you make your trick-or-treating rounds. How the toys come alive when you’re not looking in the original “Toy Story” franchise isn’t the true fright, we’ll never know.
Where to watch: Disney +
‘Monster House’
“Monster House” is a fun house of a movie, both visually dazzling and filled with the adventurous nostalgia reminiscent of “Goonies.” Perhaps not suitable for younger kids, this film uses nuanced and clever jokes that adults can enjoy too. For people who appreciate animation, you’d be surprised to know that the film was shot using performance capture – the technique famously used in Robert Zemeckis’s “The Polar Express.”
Set in 1983, D.J. and his best friend Chowder face-off with a sentient haunted house during Halloween. They meet smart-alec Jenny, and together, the three pre-teens find the courage to unearth the mystery of the hungry people-eating house – complete with jagged floorboard teeth, a long curtain whip tongue, and a dangly lamp uvula.
Where to watch: Netflix
‘Scooby Doo on Zombie Island’
Scooby-Dooby Doo, where are you? Right here! The neon green park van that takes Scooby and the rest of Mystery, Inc. round the world is pulling up to your Halloween household. This eccentric band of sleuths takes everything we love about Halloween and packs it all into the 2001 “Scooby Doo on Zombie Island.” It honours the original cartoons, but reimagines our favourite characters to modern treatments of horror and action, filled with knowing winks and self-aware spoofs.
The members of Mystery, Inc grow bored of solving “paranormal” hauntings, which exclusively turn out to be mean-spirited villains in costume. Until Fred rallies the band back together for one last-ditch effort to a creepy Bayou Island, where they encounter real zombies for the first time.
Where to watch: AppleTV+
‘Hotel Transylvania’
“Hotel Transylvania” is a kid-friendly franchise of agreeable fast-paced jokes, vibrant animation, and a bombastic soundtrack that will get your kids dancing on the spot. Loveable mummies, werewolves, vampires, yetis and franken people are introduced to your kids through comedy, priming them for the classics when they grow older.
In 1895, Count Dracula’s wife was killed by an angry mob of ignorant and fearful humans, which led him to be hateful towards them. Out of fear, he created “Hotel Transylvania,” a safe haven for monsters like him to raise his only daughter Mavis. In an unexpected turn of events, a human traveller, Johnny, stumbles into the hotel and falls head over heels with Mavis in this kid-friendly Romeo and Juliet tale.
Where to watch: Hulu
‘The Witches’
From the imaginative brain of literary genius Roald Dahl, “The Witches” has managed to strike fear into the hearts of candy-loving children who grew up with either the book, the 1990s movie, and now, the new 2020 adaptation. This classic tale of “stranger danger” touches the cornerstones of every child’s wildest, (and regrettably) creative fancies.
Whether it’s the 1990s version or the 2020 version you choose to watch, the story remains (for the most part) unchanged. A young boy and his grandmother encounter a hoard of two-faced witches, led by the most diabolical Grand High Witch of All the World. It’s soon discovered that the despicable bald-headed demons plan to turn all the children into mice and brutally send them to their deaths. The boy and his grandmother are stuck in the crossfire, but the Witches will not get out of this unscathed.
Where to watch: Buy or Rent on YouTube
‘The Addams Family’
Our favourite macabre family graces our homes with this ridiculously funny supernatural black comedy released in 1991. Parents will have remembered seeing this film or knowing of its existence in the zeitgeist as a teen – only to enjoy it again and again. The strange little oddities of each family member will inspire appreciation for the gothic and strange this Halloween season. Before you know it, the family’s animated disembodied hand, “Thing,” has crawled onto your couch, grabbed your remote, and pressed play.
The eccentric Addams family rejoices at the return of their long-lost Uncle Fester, who has been missing for 25 years. Little do they know that their newly returned Uncle Fester isn’t who he claims he is, colluding with con artists to steal the Addams’s vault of vast riches. But, the Addams family bond is not to be trifled with, as the con men will soon find.
Where to watch: Netflix
‘Corpse Bride’
Tim Burton is a household name in gothic fantasy and horror films, which transcend both time and age. “Corpse Bride” is no exception, showcasing Burton’s flair for endearing ghoulishness and cadaverous style with a poignantly dark love story that will stay in your hearts long after Halloween has passed. The film itself is amazingly fluid and visually imaginative, and there’s never a dull moment.
When Victor Van Dort accidentally messes up his wedding vows with his true love Victoria, he runs into the woods in a panic – only to find himself accidentally engaged to Emily, an undead bride. Dragged to the land of the dead, Victor learns about Emily’s horrific past, whilst juggling his own desires to return to his lover in the world of the living.
Where to watch: Netflix
‘ParaNorman’
“ParaNorman” has embedded a certain degree of social commentary to express the challenges children may face growing up, just, you know, with zombies. As a PG-rated film, it includes heavier themes, such as bullying, death, and mob mentality, but it does so by packaging its message in a way that displays bravery rarely seen in children’s cinema. Its cult-favourite status stems from how it expertly spins conventional horror tropes onto its head, which is always a delightful surprise for first-time watchers.
For as long as 11-year-old Norman knows how to speak, he’s been conversing with the dead. One day, after a cryptic conversation with his estranged uncle, Norman finds himself responsible for a ritual that protects the town. Things don’t exactly go to plan, as the ground beneath them cracks open and unleashes a myriad of unanswered questions and vengeful souls from many years ago.
Where to watch: iTunes
‘Frankenweenie’
Another one of Tim Burton’s movies makes it on the list with this oddly gentle and endearing story of a boy and his dog. Shot in all black and white, this film pays homage to gothic horror films Burton watched in his youth, which may be scary for kids sensitive to the macabre. However, the bond that the boy and his dog share is a great vehicle to introduce the genre to children over nine years old.
Victor Frankenstein is devastated when his beloved dog and best friend, Sparky, is unexpectedly killed in a car accident. Inspired by his school’s science teacher, Victor decides to reanimate Sparky with electricity – but the townspeople are not amused.
Where to Watch: Disney+
‘Coraline’
Another risky yet cult-favourite classic is “Coraline,” a stop-motion work that has cultivated a terrified generation of young adults who saw this film when they were still a little too young. The iconic button eyes that peer into your soul, the eeriness of the “other,” and the hidden easter-eggs and theories that continue to shroud this mysteriously dark and ominous film speak for itself.
When Coraline and her workaholic parents move to a new house, she discovers there is a portal that leads her to a parallel universe in which button-eyed doppelgangers replace her parents. Initially, this secret new world enamours Coraline, but the more she visits, the more she notices something is very, very, wrong.
Where to watch: iTunes
‘Hocus Pocus’
“Hocus Pocus” by Disney Channel has seen a recent revival with its 2022 sequel, taking place 29 years after the 1993 events. It goes without saying that watching both movies would be a great way to bring old and new together to capture that good ol’ Halloween nostalgia that we love.
Witch sisters Winifred, Sarah, and Mary have cast a spell on themselves for a life of immortality, having already defied death once in 1693. When they are unexpectedly resurrected in 1993, they must suck the soul of a young girl to become youthful again. Max, the young boy who unknowingly resurrected them, must now find a way to protect his younger sister from the evil, yet simple-minded, witch trio. Who will outwit who in this fantasy comedy?
Where to watch: Disney+
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