The best Halloween movies for kids of all ages

Best for: Little kids, big kids

Washington Irving's grisly tale of Sleepy Hollow becomes more palatable for the kiddies in this cartoon, the second of two featurettes. Following The Wind in the Willows adaptation is this story of bumptious schoolmaster Ichabod Crane and his nemesis the Headless Horseman. It's a trite, chocolate-box picture of colonial days—until the Horseman shows up for one of those nightmare sequences with which Uncle Walt so relished. He sure liked to terrify his young audiences. Rated G.

Best for: Tweens, teens

Young Adam and Barbara (Alec Baldwin, Geena Davis) are dead, and a new family is moving into their home! What to do? Cue Beetlejuice (Michael Keaton), in all his putrescence, known for expelling unwanted houseguests (and solving other problems, too). Living goth child Lydia Deetz (played by a translucent-skinned Winona Ryder) helps Beetlejuice expel her unbearable parents and reclaim the home for good. The film serves as a great entry point to horror and an introduction to the wonders of Harry Belafonte! Rated PG.

Best for: Big kids, tweens

When Elliott finds an alien hiding in his mom’s tool shed, a friendship blossoms into something truly–ahem–out of this world. With the help of his siblings, he keeps E.T. a secret, but it’s hard to keep the creature safe with government agents sniffing him out. You’ll overlook some slightly salty banter to allow your pint-size crew the joy of giggling when Elliott dresses E.T. as a ghost to sneak him out of the house on Halloween, and you’re sure to say “awww” when young Drew Barrymore comes onscreen. Oh, and a final fun fact: Steven Spielberg’s character E.T. is actually inspired by an imaginary friend he had as a child. Rated PG.

Best for: Tweens, teens

Once you watch this film it's hard to forget, especially if you're introduced to it as a kid. Um, hello, those decomposed bodies in the pool? #NOPE. We’ll state right up front that this movie definitely terrifies little kids. However, when the time is right you can introduce it to your older kids, tweens and teens, who will rate it as an instant classic—you’ll love seeing it through their eyes. (Don't bother with the remake from 2015.) No need to summarize a plot you already know, but if you need to jar your memory, how about this: “They're he-ere” Rated PG.

Best for: Little kids, big kids

Can’t get enough of Charlie, Snoopy, Linus and the rest of the gang? This sweet flick is one of several holiday-themed family favorites involving your favorite characters. Though A Charlie Brown Christmas is one of our go-to’s, It’s the Great Pumpkin, Charlie Brown frequently makes its way into our movie marathons in early fall. We love the cute costumes, the trick-or-treating, the pumpkins and—gasp—getting a glimmer of Lucy’s softer side. Not rated.

Best for: Tweens, teens

A father seeks a very special gift for his son, ultimately purchasing a very cute “mogwai” (uhh…”monster”??) 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. Rated PG. 

Best for: Tweens, teens

A true classic in every sense, Ghostbusters is a rite of passage for young viewers thanks to its quippy dialogue and fantastic creature design. Just approach that PG rating with caution: The ‘80s were a different time… one where ghost sex and raunchy zingers were still considered wholesome family entertainment. 

Best for: Teens 

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. This is a film to watch with your older kids and tweens. Rated PG-13.

Best for: Tweens, teens

Being reunited with loved ones is always exciting, but something is a bit...strange about Uncle Fester's homecoming (even for his standards). The entire kooky clan begins to pick up on his unusual ways, and soon everyone suspects this man isn't the Addams he claims to be. We must ask, “Will the real Uncle Fester please stand up?” Rated PG-13.

Best for: Big kids

What happens when the Pumpkin King is totally over Halloween? If you're Jack Skellington, you tumble into Christmas Town and set your mind to making this the best Christmas ever—even if that means kidnapping Santa. He puts his plan into action to goofy and macabre results. It seems the residents of Halloween Town can’t exactly master the art of making toys most kids like (cue evil wooden ducks and carnivorous wreaths). The film is a little dark for younger kids, but it’s a visual delight, and it's full of over-the-top Halloween-themed songs that will get your toes tapping. Rated PG.

Best for: Big kids, tweens and teens

What makes a better Halloween movie than three evil witches? Head to the 1600s, where Sanderson sisters (Bette Midler, Sarah Jessica Parker, Kathy Najimy) cast a spell that killed a little girl and turned her brother into an immortal black cat. Then, fast forward to the '90s and meet Max Dennison, who just moved from Los Angeles to Salem, Mass, with his parents and his little sister. He’ll do anything to impress his cute neighbor, Allison, who just so happens to have access to the old Sanderson House. He even lights the Black Flame Candle, which as legend has it, will bring back the Sanderson sisters—and does! Incidentally, those same sisters will be back in an upcoming sequel... all the more reason to get caught up on the original. Rated PG.

Best for: Tweens, teens

As it turns out, Uncle Fester is sitting on some serious cash. His worth has garnered the attention of the Black Widow, a money-hungry woman who will stop at nothing to get a man's wealth—even if it means killing him. (Which she's done many times.) She goes undercover and attempts to pose as Wednesday, Pugsley and newbie Pubert's babysitter while sinking her teeth into Gomez's beloved brother. The results? A crazy summer camp, new faces and the usual creepy, kooky fun... but not for Debbie the Black Widow. Rated PG-13. 

Best for: Tweens, teens

When an ancient prophecy opens up a portal allowing a multiverse of classic movie monsters to terrorise the real world, it’s up to a group of horror-loving tweens to send them back to the Universal backlot from whence they came. Boasting a script co-written by Lethal Weapon scribe Shane Black, this marginally scary cult comedy threads a tight needle between silly and corny that should entertain pre-teens and cynical high schoolers alike. Certainly, everyone will enjoy learning that, when it comes to physical vulnerability, the Wolfman is still a ‘man’ after all. Rated PG-13.  

Best for: Big kids, tweens

Instead of inheriting her father’s millions (as expected), Carrigan Crittenden gets only his broken-down mansion. She soon realizes that in order to claim the house (and the hidden fortune that may be inside), she needs to boot the troublesome ghosts that call it home. Crittenden hires Dr. James Harvey, an experienced afterlife therapist who moves into the mansion, and his daughter Kat meets Casper (the only friendly ghost of the bunch). They all work together to help the spirits cross over to the other side (expect some mild cursing in the process). Will they be able to pull it off? Rated PG.

Best for: Big kids, tweens, teens

A dark oddity from the brief period in which the Mouse House ditched princesses for lite horror (see also, The Watcher in the Woods), this Ray Bradbury adaptation proved that Disney was into dark carnivals way before the Juggalos showed up. Jonathan Pryce is the ringmaster pulling the strings here, and while the adventure unfolds from a kids-eye-view, this is solid entry-level terror for horror-curious youngsters. Rated PG.

Best for: Big kids, tweens

Marnie Piper (Kimberly J. Brown) is toughing it out in a household that can’t stand Halloween, but little does she know she’ll soon be living out every tween’s dream: She’s actually a witch and has magical powers. After overhearing a conversation between her mother and grandmother, Marnie sets off to see for herself if Halloweentown is real—and boy is it ever! But remember that whole “with great power comes great responsibility” thing? It’s the truth, and Marnie (alongside her brother and little sister) encounters more trouble than she bargained for. Rated TV-G.

Best for: Little kids, big kids

As we all know, monsters live in a parallel world: Their job is to scare us, and they can only pull that off if they hide that we actually terrify them. When a regular day of spooking children doesn’t go quite as planned, two monster pals end up with an adorable kid in tow (eeek—what could be scarier!), and need to get her home safely. Monsters, Inc. has the feel-good ending you'd expect of a family film, and with leading voices from John Goodman and Billy Crystal the film became an instant Haloween classic. Rated G.

Best for: Teens

Burgeoning goth girls of the ’90s embraced this teen drama about a coven of adolescent witches as a sacred text, and no wonder: who could make casting spells while wearing black lipstick look cooler than Fairuza Balk and Neve Campbell? Its rating precludes the littlest kids from watching, but it’s far less frightening than, say, Poltergeist, and probably has less innuendo than Beetlejuice. Just don’t be surprised if your 13-year-old suddenly starts wearing a spiked choker and listening to The Cure a lot once it’s over. Rated R. 

Best for: Big kids 

Jim Evers (Eddie Murphy) didn't mean to bring his work on vacation with him. It just sort of happened! When the realtor plans to take his family on vacation, he is asked to stop at a creepy-looking home he's to sell. The visit becomes a debacle when he realizes the humble abode is haunted and the spirits need his help. The film is based on a Disneyland ride, and will soon be re-booted with Owen Wilson set to look very frightened. Rated PG. 

Best for: Big kids, tweens and teens

First, let your kids read the books. Then, let them watch these films, as literature's greatest child wizards come to life in the fantastical world of muggles, monsters and mystics created by J.K. Rowling. Fact is that Harry Potter is now a cultural touchstone, and these vivid stories deal with loss and heartache as well as friendship and overcoming adversity. Besides, the magic is really cool. You should note that this eight-film series grows progressively darker: Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone (2001) is suitable for seven-year-olds, but the two-part Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows (2010 and 2011) is better saved for older kids. Rated PG and PG-13.

Best for: Big kids, tweens

Best for: Tweens, teens

Spiders are creepy, sure, but are they truly horrifying? Well, what if they were big, poisonous and – gasp! – from South America? And what if they suddenly started running rampant over your small American town? Arachnophobia seizes on a common fear and rides it for all it’s worth. But don’t worry, there are just as many laughs as scares, mostly courtesy of John Goodman as an exterminator who suddenly finds himself employed as a monster killer. Rated PG-13.

Best for: Big kids

Things take a spooky turn for absent-minded inventor, Wallace, and his trusty canine companion, Gromit, in this stop-motion, claymation flick based on the popular series. The pair create one of their infamous contraptions in order to help their friends protect their gardens from hungry rabbits. A malfunction results in the creation of a giant, rabbit-like monster, which gets Wallace into trouble in more ways than one. Rated G.

Best for: Big kids, tweens, teens

If you thought the flying monkeys were scary, little will prepare you for the horrors of the Droog-like Wheelers and the monolithic Nome King in this dark, Burtonesque ’80s follow up to the classic. Things get dark quick as Dorothy is threatened with electro-shock therapy, but the film balances it all with some delightful new characters, among them a hoity-toity robot and the childlike Jack Pumpkinhead. Rated PG.

Best for: Big kids

One house on the street is not like the others, and teenager DJ knows it. Unfortunately, it’s harder than expected for him to convince the police and his babysitter that their neighbor’s home is actually a living, breathing monster. DJ and his friends must embark on a crazy adventure in hopes of saving the people the house has eaten (and ideally destroying it afterward). Anxiety-prone kids should pass on this one, but young horror fans will dig this film for its relatable characters and heartwarming ending. Rated PG.

Best for: Big kids, tweens

Best for: Big kids, tweens

Don’t Look Now’s Nicolas Roeg, of all people, directed this skin-shedding tale of a boy turned into a mouse and hunted by a coven led by Anjelica Huston. The Roald Dahl adaptation is plenty cute, but also manages to be a creepy introduction to the wonders of body horror. A Robert Zemeckis-directed remake hit HBO Max last year with Anne Hathaway in the lead, and while it’s a lesser film, it’s a lot more palatable for younger kids with witchy urges. Rated PG. 

Best for: Tweens, teens

Krysten Ritter embraces her witchy side in this tween-centric twist on the anthology film: She plays an inner-city enchantress who traps a boy in her apartment and demands a fresh scary story every night. This is a film in the Are You Afraid of the Dark? mold – a funhouse flick that doles out generous scares without hand-holding, yet never plunges its audience into total darkness.

Best for: Big kids

Young Victor Frankenstein is unpopular at school, so when his dog (and best friend) Sparky dies in an accident, he does what any brainy boy would do, and brings him back to life. This moody and beautiful black-and-white film could only come from the mind of Tim Burton–it's actually the feature-length remake of a short from 1984–and it's filled with strange creatures and oddball humans. The stellar cast includes Winona Ryder, Martin Landau, Catherine O'Hara and Martin Short. It's silly, but it's also fairly dark, and better suited to older kids. Rated PG.