Being scared so bad that you can’t sleep for a week isn’t for everyone. Gore and jumpscares can make or break Halloween depending on who you ask. Though they are hard to find, there are many entertaining Halloween themed movies that any scaredy cat can enjoy while celebrating the spooky season. The best non-scary Halloween movies use ghosts, witches, and ghouls of all kinds in a story way instead of scary way. Some even use comedy to make the typically scary scenarios, funny. Nonetheless these movies will fill your stomach with laughter or interest instead of dread and fear.
Hocus Pocus:
“Sorry Emily, I had to wait 300 years for a virgin to light a candle!”
This Halloween movie is a classic because it’s not scary even to a child. The story is about 3 witches, the Sanderson sisters, who are resurrected on Halloween night by the new kid in town, Max Dennison. With the resurrection of the witches comes the rising of old magic and the old scheme to absorb the youth of as many children as possible. Max, his sister, Dani, and his newfound crush, Allison, work to reverse the ancient magic Max awoke. Surprisingly, they receive help from a cursed child from the 1600s, Thachary Binx, who was turned into a cat when he tried to save his sister, Emily, from the Sanderson sisters. The movie has lots of jokes, memorable characters and a plot that will have you yelling “Sistersss!” and “Thachary Biiiinxxxx!” for days. There’s no jumpscares or scary moments but still shows all the feeling of Halloween.
Ghostbusters:
“Who ya gonna call? Ghostbusters!”
This movie isn’t necessarily a ‘Halloween’ movie, but has ghosts and ghoulies, and is perfect for a lighthearted movie. The movie was made specifically to be a comedy and is about 3 scientists who study the paranormal. The scientists are removed from the school they worked at, and decide to open a business of helping people remove ghosts. Things go wrong when a potential love interest has a paranormal problem that turned into a possession. This movie is good year round and always good for a nice laugh.
It’s the Great Pumpkin, Charlie Brown:
“I got a lemon sucker! I got a rock…”
This movie is a perfect fall movie and has a little mix of Halloween within. The movie is about the world’s favorite Peanuts characters celebrating Halloween. They start by getting a pumpkin to carve a jack-o-lantern. Linus starts writing his letter to “the Great-Pumpkin” who he is convinced will appear in the pumpkin patch on Halloween night. The rest of the gang goes through a regular Halloween night. The movie is very nostalgic and if you like Charlie Brown and his friends this movie will make you smile at the nice vibes.
Beetlejuice:
“I’ve seen the exorcist about a hundred and sixty-seven times, and it keeps getting funnier every single time I see it!!”
This movie the closest you get to scary with being scary at all. There is creepy imagery but the movie isn’t scary, in fact, it ends up being very funny. A childless couple named Adam and Barbara Maitland die on their way home from the hardware store. When they come back as ghosts and find that their house has been sold, they make the decision to try and take their house back. The Deetz family moves into the Maitlands house, including their gothic and slightly suicidal daughter Lydia Deetz. The Maitlands start to haunt the house to try to scare out the Deetz’ but prove to be very bad at it since no one can see the, except Lydia as it turns out. Then ‘ghost with the most’, Beetlejuice, shows up offering to help the Maitlands. Shenanigans happen and the whole movie has memorable quotes and characters.
There’s no shame in being scared of horror but that doesn’t mean you can’t enjoy Halloween movies. There is plenty of Halloween to be celebrated in other ways.