My favorite holiday is Halloween, not because of the candy or costumes, but because of the movies; but because I want to fall asleep at night and not be afraid, I have gathered a list of some not-so-scary Halloween movies which are great for everyone, even if you want to have a jump scare.
- “Halloweentown” (1998)
This is the one movie I will watch every single week in October: it’s my childhood favorite. Follow Martie, a young girl who finally discovers the family secret she is from a long line of witches, where she, her grandmother, and her siblings are the only one who can stop evil. This is just the first of many sequels so you and your friends can do a movie marathon.
- “Hocus Pocus” (1993)
All I have to mention is the Sanderson Sisters and an iconic musical rendition of “I’ll Put a Spell on You”, and you should be hooked. These wacky sisters want to stay immortal and must sacrifice a virgin. Unfortunately, three kids who accidentally resurrect the witches try to stop them. After this movie, I would recommend watching “Hocus Pocus 2” which was released this year.
- “Casper Meets Wendy” (1998)
Young Hillary Duff learns to be a witch from her aunts on a family vacation, but there is a surprise when three brothers and their nephew who are all ghosts end up at the same spot. How much mischief can a young witch and a friendly ghost get into?
- “Mostly Ghostly” (2008)
This one is fun for everyone! Based on a R.L. Stein book, and starring Luke Benward, this movie is filled with all sorts of scary bits which might cause some shuddering, but not enough to make you want to hide under your bed and give you nightmares for weeks straight.
- “Ghostbusters: Afterlife” (2021)
This is the Ghostbusters remake we all wanted. It’s about a single mom of two who arrives in the small town where she grew up to take care of family business her grandfather left behind. This is also a star studded cast featuring Paul Rudd, Mckenna Grace, and Finn Wolfhard. This film may be a year old but it has become one of my favorites this Halloween season.
- “Coraline” (2009)
Two words for you: buttons for eyes. When I was a child this movie gave me nightmares for days. Coraline discovers the Other World and visits it to be with her Other World Parents but soon realizes this world is not what it seems. Now she has to find her way back to her true world. This is a movie to watch with the lights on.
- “The Craft” (1996)
What would happen if “Mean Girls” became witches? This 1996 cult film is about new girl Sarah at her prep school where she becomes friends with three other girls who practice the art of witchcraft. With the rise of the 90’s grunge aesthetic this movie could give costume ideas. Let’s not forget there was recently a reboot released in 2020 which is a continuation of the original plot but with a modern take and new cast.
- “Corpse Bride” (2005)
Tim Burton is the king of Halloween movies, so of course I featured “Corpse Bride”. This is a short movie but is so captivating just by how it was created and filmed.
- “The Addams Family” (1991)
You can watch the 2019 cartoon version of this movie but the 1991 version is the version the new Netflix show “Wednesday” is based on. This is about a kookie family and is a classic you have to see at least once. Then you can watch the show and cartoons because those give even more insight into the characters.
- “Funsize” (2012)
If you want a raunchy Halloween rom-com then this is the perfect Halloween movie for you. Snuggle up with a significant other and watch Victoria Justice, who plays Wren, who is forced to watch her little brother on Halloween and loses him. She has to skip the party of the year in order to find him, so this adventure is filled with a bunch of fun events no one could see coming.
Honorable Mentions
- “Girl vs. Monster”
- “Hotel Transylvania”
- “Twitches”