Who else loves cuddling up with your kids and watching a spooky and fun movie? We have updated our list of the 100 Best Halloween Movies for Kids to also include new movies for 2022.
Also, don’t miss Denver’s Best Haunted Houses, Denver’s Best Pumpkin Patches and Corn Mazes and Ultimate Guide to Fall in Colorado.
Best New Halloween Movies for Kids 2022
Hocus Pocus 2 (Disney +). It’s been 29 years since someone lit the Black Flame Candle and resurrected the 17th-century Sanderson sisters and they are looking for revenge. Now it is up to three high-school students to stop the ravenous witches from wreaking a new kind of havoc on Salem.
The Curse of Bridge Hollow (Netflix). A Halloween-hating dad reluctantly teams up with his teenage daughter when an evil spirit wreaks havoc by making their town’s decorations come to life.
The School of Good and Evil (Netflix). Best friends Sophie and Agatha find their bond put to the test when they’re whisked away to a magical school for future fairy-tale heroes and villains.
Phantom Pups (Netflix). From the team behind Pup Academy and Super Pupz comes a new Halloween-inspired series that’s about a young boy and his family moving into a haunted home. It’s haunted by various puppies who hope to become real dogs again.
Wednesday (Netflix). Years after her last appearance on our screen, Wednesday Addams is back in a new family comedy series that sees the character at school attempting to master her abilities and solve mysteries.
Nightbooks. (Netflix). Nightbooks, based on the book by J.A. White, is the story of a witch who lures her neighbor into her apartment and tells him the only way he’ll stay alive is if he tells her a scary story each night.
Monster High: The Movie (Nickelodeon and Paramount+). This live-action movie musical is aed on the popular show that follows Clawdeen Wolf, a half-human, half-wherewolf.
Best 100 Halloween Movies for Families
We have divided up our list into 1) Not-too Scary, 2) Classics, 3) Short and Sweet, 4) Out of this World, 5) For Tweens and 6) For teens that are scary but not too scary.
A lot of these movies are found on Netflix, are free to watch with Amazon Prime or are part of Freeform’s 31 Nights of Halloween. Have we missed your favorite? Be sure to tell us below!
Not too Scary
Alvin and the Chipmunks Meet Frankenstein (Netflix). At a movie-studio theme park, Alvin, Simon and Theodore make their way to the Frankenstein’s Castle attraction — where they meet the famous monster!
Alvin and the Chipmunks Meet the Wolfman (Netflix). Chipmunk Alvin has werewolves on his mind. After being haunted by a creepy nightmare, he is convinced that his eerie next-door neighbor, Mr. Talbot has a monstrous secret.
The Box Trolls (Netflix). The Box Trolls. Eggs, an orphan, lives with the Boxtrolls — a community of quirky, mischievous creatures who inhabit a cavern beneath the city of Cheesebridge.
Casper. The 1995 comedy is about a paranormal expert and his daughter who bunk in an abandoned house populated by three mischievous ghosts.
Dear Dracula. This movie tells the story of Sam, an introverted boy with an affinity for monsters who decides to write to Count Dracula to ask for a vampire action figure he wants.
The Dog Who Saved Halloween. A talking dog encounters a haunted house, a creepy neighbor and a scary canine
Double Double Toil and Trouble. Determined twins (Mary-Kate Olsen, Ashley Olsen) try to trick an evil aunt out of a magic moonstone and save their family home.
Frankenweenie. Frankenweenie is a 2012 American 3D stop-motion-animated supernatural horror comedy film directed by Tim Burton and produced by Walt Disney Pictures.
Ghost Patrol (Netflix). Meet the Ghost Patrol: Gabi, Spence, and the Spooky Dog. In this Netflix original, the three get a call to investigate old Geist Manor, their first official haunted house exploration.
Halloweentown (series). Halloweentown is a series of fantasy Disney Channel Original Movies released by the Disney Channel between 1998 and 2006.
Harry Potter and the Sorcerer’s Stone. Adaptation of the first of J.K. Rowling’s popular children’s novels about Harry Potter, a boy who learns on his eleventh birthday that he is the orphaned son of two powerful wizards and possesses unique magical powers of his own.
Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets. The second installment of boy wizard Harry Potter’s adventures, a mysterious elf tells Harry to expect trouble during his second year at Hogwarts, but nothing can prepare him for trees that fight back, flying cars, spiders that talk and deadly warnings written in blood on the walls of the school.
Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban. Harry Potter’s third year at Hogwarts starts off badly when he learns deranged killer Sirius Black (Gary Oldman) has escaped from Azkaban prison and is bent on murdering the teenage wizard.
Hocus Pocus. After moving to Salem, Mass., three kids accidentally free a coven of evil witches who used to live in the house. Now, with the help of a magical cat, the kids must steal the witches’ book of spells to stop them from becoming immortal.
Hotel Transylvania. When monsters want to get away from it all, they go to Count Dracula’s Hotel Transylvania, a lavish resort where they can be themselves without humans around to bother them.
Hotel Transylvania 2 (Netflix). Now that Dracula has opened the Hotel Transylvania’s doors to humans, things are changing for the better; however, Drac is secretly worried that his half-human grandson, Dennis, isn’t showing his vampire side.
The Little Vampire. The Little Vampire is a 2000 comedy horror film based on the children’s book series about a boy who tries to save a young vampire and his family from a ruthless vampire hunter.
Monster House. This animated family horror movie centers around three kids who discover that a neighbor’s house is actually a living, breathing monster.
Monsters, Inc. Lovable Sulley and his wisecracking sidekick Mike Wazowski are the top scare team at Monsters, Inc., the scream-processing factory in Monstropolis.
Monsters University. Monsters University unlocks the door on how Mike and Sulley overcame their differences and became the best of friends.
Monster Squad. A fun ’80s adventure with a slightly scary twist, The Monster Squad offers tween-friendly horror with just enough of a kick.
Nightmare Before Christmas. Bored with his Halloween routine, Jack Skellington longs to spread Christmas joy
Scooby-Doo: The Movie (Netflix). In Scooby–Doo: The Movie, Scooby-Doo and his clever crime-solving cohorts are individually summoned to Spooky Island to investigate a series of paranormal events.
Scooby-Doo 2: Monsters Unleashed (Netflix). Scooby-Doo once again joins his pals Shaggy, Velma, Fred and Daphne as they stumble into another seemingly supernatural mystery that faces off against various monsters that are tormenting their town.
Spookley the Square Pumpkin (Netflix). Spookley looks different than all the other pumpkins, but with the help of a scarecrow and a spider, he overcomes his feelings of insecurity and inadequacy.
A Witch’s Ball (Netflix). This movie follows a young witch who is eager to start learning her new trade. It’s full of important lessons about not giving up when the going gets tough.
Classics
It’s the Great Pumpkin, Charlie Brown. This beloved 1966 American prime time animated television special is based on the comic strip Peanuts by Charles M. Schulz.
The Watcher in the Woods (Disney). An American family moves into a British country house only to encounter malevolent spirits. The ghost of the owner’s daughter, long missing, torments the family’s young girl.
The Adventures of Ichabod and Mr. Toad. This animated film by Walt Disney Productions consists of two segments—the first of which is based on the 1908 children’s novel The Wind in the Willows by British author Kenneth Grahame, and the second is based on the 1820 short story The Legend of Sleepy Hollow.
Something Wicked This Way Comes. This 1962 dark fantasy novel is about two 13-year-old best friends and their nightmarish experience with a traveling carnival that comes to their Midwestern home.
Wallace & Gromit: The Curse of the Were-Rabbit. This scary-but-not-too-scary movie follows the deligthfully British Wallace and Gromit as they try to figure out what’s been destroying a town’s vegetable gardens. It turns out to be a monster, but not one that you’d expect — it’s a were-rabbit, transforming from a bunny to beast.
The Witches. A boy and his grandma go on vacation, only to find their hotel is hosting an international witch convention, and the witches are brewing an evil plot.
(Watcher in the Woods)
Short and Sweet
Curious George: A Halloween Boo Fest (Netflix). George and Allie visit Renkins’ farm on the occasion of Halloween and learn of a spooky legend about a scarecrow who attacks people wearing hats. The duo try to get to the bottom of the mystery.
DreamWorks Spooky Stories (Netflix). Shrek dares his friends to bring on the scary with ghost stories told in a haunted castle. Later, Ginormica and the Monsters face alien pumpkins.
DreamWorks Spooky Stories: Volume 2 (Netflix). The Shrek characters parody the music video “Thriller”; B.O.B. and pals battle zombie carrots; and Megamind faces the effects of the Button of Doom.
Halloween is Grinch Night. Eleven years after the 1966 original, Dr. Seuss exhumed The Grinch from his festive tomb for a special centered on everyone’s real favorite holiday, Halloween is Grinch Night!
Mickey’s House of Villains (Netflix). Mickey Mouse, Minnie Mouse, Donald Duck, Pluto and Goofy have their hands full when the wicked Jafar teams up with Cruella, Hades, Ursula, Captain Hook, Maleficent and all of the other dastardly villains in a wild attempt to turn the House of Mouse into the House of Villains.
Room on the Broom (Netflix). A gentle witch with a ginger braid offers rides to a variety of animals on her increasingly crowded broom, much to her grumpy cat’s chagrin
Scared Shrekless. Shrek gets in the Halloween spirit by challenging his fairytale friends to come up with scary stories for a contest.
Toy Story of Terror. What starts out as an exciting road trip for the Toy Story gang takes an unexpected turn for the worse following a detour to a roadside motel. After Mr. Potato Head suddenly disappears, his friends find themselves caught up in a hilarious mystery that must be solved before they suffer the same fate.
Out of This World
Escape to Witch Mountain (Disney+). Two young orphans with psychic powers prompts evil millionaire Aristotle Bolt to lure them to his mansion to exploit their powers. While escaping, they meet a friendly camper and begin to unravel the mystery of their origin.
E.T. (Netflix). E.T. the Extra-Terrestrial is a 1982 American science fiction film produced and directed by Steven Spielberg that tells the story of Elliott, a boy who befriends an extraterrestrial, dubbed “E.T.“, who is stranded on Earth.
Girl vs. Monster. Girl vs. Monster is a 2012 fantasy teen comedy Disney Channel Original Movie where a teenage discovers on the eve of Halloween that she is a fifth-generation monster hunter.
Men in Black. The Men in Black have always protected the Earth from the scum of the universe. In this new adventure, they tackle their biggest, most global threat to date
Megamind. In this hilarious twist on the superhero movie, super villain Megamind’s dreams have come true when he conquers the city’s protector, Metro Man, gaining control of Metro City. But when a new villain is created and chaos runs rampant, the world’s biggest “mind” and his comic sidekick might actually save the day.
Monsters vs. Aliens. The world’s most unlikely heroes are on a mission to save the Earth. Ginormica, Dr. Cockroach Ph.D., The Missing Link, Insectosaurous and B.O.B. join forces to fight back when aliens attack.
Zathura (Netflix). A mysterious game sends two brothers flying into space, where they must reach the planet Zathura — or be trapped in galactic limbo forever.
For tweens ages 10 and up
The Addams Family. The Addams Family is an American macabre/black comedy series based on the characters from Charles Addams’ New Yorker cartoons
All Hallow’s Eve (Netflix). Eve finds out she’s a witch on her birthday (which just happens to fall on Halloween). Her first course of action? Trying to summon her dear mother from the dead. But to her distress, she accidentally brings back someone much worse.
Arachnophobia. This 1990 Walt Disney Studios American black comedy horror film centers on a newly discovered Venezuelan spider being transported to a small American town that produces a new species of deadly spiders, which begin killing the town’s residents one by one.
Beetlejuice. This 1988 Tim Burton fantasy film revolves around a recently deceased couple who become ghosts haunting their former home, and an obnoxious, devious poltergeist named Betelgeuse.
The Boy Who Cried Werewolf (Netflix). When a family inherits an old mansion in Wolfesberg, Romania, kids Hunter and Jordan can’t wait to hop on a plane to visit. But they soon discover that this is no ordinary house when old secrets and the dark history of the mansion are finally revealed.
Coraline. Wandering her rambling old house in her boring new town, Coraline discovers a hidden door to a dark fantasy version of her life.
Corpse Bride (Netflix). Tim Burton presents a hair-raising legend based on a 19th-century Russian folktale, in which a young man mistakenly weds a corpse while on a two-day trek to the village of his real bride-to-be.
Cursed. A werewolf loose in Los Angeles changes the lives of three young adults who, after being mauled by the beast, learn that the only way to break the curse put upon them is to kill the one who started it all! Unstoppably frightening and undeniably fun, its the latest hit from the team that thrilled you with Scream!
Edward Scissorhands. This candy-colored dark comedy is now a horror classic, the film that launched the career of Tim Burton and turned Johnny Depp into a movie star. It’s probably more stylized than you remember: those houses, those dresses, those stilted conversations. It’s also probably more cruel—Edward has a rough time of it.
Ghostbusters. Who you gonna call? You can’t go wrong with the 1984 or 2016 version of this supernatural comedy film that features a trio of eccentric parapsychologists who start a ghost-catching business.
Goosebumps (Netflix). Based on R. L. Stine’s children’s horror book series of the same name, it follows a teenager who tries to save his town with Stine’s help after all the monsters from the Goosebumps franchise begin to escape from their books, wreaking havoc in the real world.
Goosebumps 2 (Netflix). In the second Goosebumps film, based on R.L. Stine’s beloved book series, two young boys accidentally release monsters, demons and creatures from the Goosebump franchise into their hometown.
Gremlins. A father seeks a very special gift for his son, ultimately purchasing a very cute “mogwai”with strict instructions in Chinatown. As expected, Billy does not care for the critter named Gizmo exactly as instructed, and total mayhem ensues, complete with rapidly-multiplying hideous monsters. The film takes place at Christmastime, but the horror here is flexible enough to creep your kids out at any time of year.
Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire. The fourth movie in the Harry Potter franchise features an upcoming tournament between the three major schools of magic, with one participant selected from each school by the Goblet of Fire.
Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix. Now in his fifth year at Hogwarts, Harry learns that many in the wizarding community do not know the truth of his encounter with Lord Voldemort. Cornelius Fudge, minister of Magic, appoints his toady, Dolores Umbridge, as Defense Against the Dark Arts teacher as Harry prepares a group of students to defend the school against a rising tide of evil.
Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince. As Death Eaters wreak havoc in both Muggle and Wizard worlds, Hogwarts is no longer a safe haven for students. Though Harry suspects there are new dangers lurking within the castle walls, Dumbledore is more intent than ever on preparing the young wizard for the final battle with Voldemort.
Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows part 1 and part 2. Without the guidance and protection of their professors, Harry, Ron and Hermione begin a mission to destroy the Horcruxes, the sources of Voldemort’s immortality.
The Haunted Mansion. The Haunted Mansion is a 2003 American supernatural horror comedy film based on Walt Disney’s theme park attraction. A family stops off at a sinister mansion that Jim has been asked to sell, only to discover it’s haunted.
The Goonies. A group of young misfits called The Goonies discover an ancient map and set out on an adventure to find a legendary pirate’s long-lost treasure.
Labyrinth. A teenager Sarah journeys through a maze to recover her baby brother from a goblin king (David Bowie).
Miss Peregrine’s Home for Peculiar Children. Follow along as Jacob discovers Miss Peregrine’s Home for Peculiar Children, along with a few residents with very unusual powers. When the children are forced to fight dark and dangerous enemies, Jacob uncovers a peculiarity of his own.
The Mummy (series). The film follows adventurer Rick O’Connell as he travels to Hamunaptra, the City of the Dead, where he accidentally awaken Imhotep, a cursed high priest from the reign of the Pharaoh Seti I of 1290 B.C.
My Babysitter’s a Vampire (Netflix). Ethan’s parents decide to hire a babysitter for him and his little sister, but the kids soon find out that she’s secretly a vampire.
Paranorman. From the makers of Coraline comes the story of Norman, a boy who must use his ability to see and speak with the dead to save his town from a centuries-old curse. In addition to spooky zombies, he’ll also have to take on mysterious ghosts, wily witches and, worst, of all, clueless grown-ups.
The Spiderwick Chronicles (Netflix). Two twins leave their city life behind and move out to a mansion in the countryside where they discover a magical world and some fantastical friends.
Teen Witch. A high-school nerd learns from psychic Madame Serena that she’s possessed with magical abilities that will begin working on her 16th birthday.
Tower of Terror. Buzzy Crocker is a hard-luck photojournalist whose unexpected encounter with an old woman leads him to investigate an unexplained, decades-old disappearance. It seems that one Halloween night, many years ago, five partygoers vanished in the elevator of the Hollywood Tower Hotel … and ever since, their ghosts have remained trapped inside the dilapidated old building!
For teens (scary but not too scary)
The Birds. Alfred Hitchcock’s The Birds is an unforgettable masterpiece that is considered one of the most terrifying films from the Master of Suspense.
Dracula Untold. Prince Vlad III (Luke Evans) rules peacefully over his kingdom of Wallachia until a Turk warlord tries to force the young prince to enlist a thousand boys into his army. As a result, Prince Vlad uncovers a monstrous power to keep his kingdom safe.
Fun Size. For older kids, this Halloween-themed caper comedy feels like a step toward more adult fare — but there’s still no ghouls or gore. It’s about a teenager who’s tasked with babysitting her brother during trick-or-treating, only to lose him in a crowd of kids.
It. Stephen King’s killer clown takes on all forms when he terrorizes the children of Derry, Maine—and in turn has made sewers, bathroom sinks and red balloons some of the most feared objects out there. Will anyone be able to stop this malicious force? Tread lightly with this one because Pennywise is particularly frightening for the younger set.
Lady in White. Locked in a school closet during Halloween 1962, young Frank witnesses the ghost of a young girl and the man who murdered her years ago. Shortly afterward he finds himself stalked by the killer and is soon drawn to an old house where a mysterious Lady In White lives. As he discovers the secret of the woman he soon finds that the killer may be someone close to him.
The Others. Grace (Nicole Kidman) moves her family to the English coast during World War II. She awaits word on her missing husband while protecting her children from a rare photosensitivity disease that causes the sun to harm them as chilling events and visions make her believe something supernatural has occurred.
Poltergeist. When the Freeling family discovers their home was built over a cemetery, they embark on a terrifying journey to keep the disgruntled spirits at bay. Although the family initially experiences small poltergeists, the hauntings quickly become melevolent, forcing them to seek the help of parapsychologists.
Scary Stories to Tell in the Dark. With odds to the close-knit IT clan, Scary Stories to Tell in the Dark follows a small group of friends who set out to uncover the horror of Sarah Bellows’ book of scary stories. When they stumble upon her house, all of the fables come to life—with some frightening results.
The Sixth Sense. This 1999 American supernatural psychological thriller film written and directed by M. Night Shyamalan tells the story of Cole Sear, a boy who is able to see and talk to the dead, and Malcolm Crowe, a child psychologist who tries to help him.
The Skeleton Key. The Southern Gothic narrative follows a New Orleans hospice nurse who begins a job at a Terrebonne Parish plantation home, and becomes entangled in a supernatural mystery involving the house, its former inhabitants, and Hoodoo rituals and spells that took place there.
The Ring. This Remake of a Japanese horror film follows a journalist who investigates a cursed videotape that seemingly kills the viewer seven days after watching it.
Signs. Crop circles begin appearing in the farming fields owned by Reverend Graham Hess (Mel Gibson). As he and his family try to understand the meaning of these circles, they believe it is somehow related to their faith. However, they soon get the feeling that they aren’t the only ones in the fields— some mysterious creature is there too, watching their every move.
Wait Until Dark. This film is about a blind girl (Audrey Hepburn) whose husband accidentally gets possession of a doll containing heroin. After she is left alone in her apartment, three men terrorize her in an attempt to find the doll.
Warm Bodies. After a zombie epidemic, R (a zombie) rescues Julie (a human survivor) from a zombie attack. The two form a special relationship in their struggle for survival, R becomes increasingly more human – setting off a chain of events that begins to transform the other zombies and maybe even the whole lifeless world.
When a Stranger Calls. A babysitter receives an ominous call, “Have you checked the children?” Locked in with the lights out and the curtains drawn, this quiet night of babysitting is about to turn into a nerve-shattering nightmare of suspense, horror and dread.
World War Z. A fast-spreading virus begins turning the world’s population into zombie-like creatures. It’s up to former U.N. Epidemic investigator Gerry Lane (Brad Pitt) to figure out the origin of the virus and how to stop it before it decimates humankind.
What are your favorite family-friendly Halloween flicks?
In Case You Missed It
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