The spookiest season of all is upon us, and soon the kids will be released from school for half term. Scary! Now, if you’re a parent, an aunt/uncle, best friend of a parent, or just have a child in your life, you know how fun this particular break can be. However, the weather can be a bit of a downer, to say the least. There are only so many times you can jump in muddy puddles and go hunting for bugs before nighttime descends upon you.
So what do we do in the evenings on the lead-up to All Hallows’ Eve? Simple! We cosy up with some warm drinks, fuzzy blankets, and a good ol’ spooky movie. So, get your slippers on, light your favourite autumnal candle, and check out these Halloween movies for you to watch this season, which are also suitable for your kids.
If movies aren’t really your thing, check out these 30 Spooky Games.
Disney
Unsurprisingly, Disney has many movies that are suitable for children. Surprisingly, they have quite a few Halloween-friendly ones. Not ones to shy away from religious controversy, Disney has produced plenty of its own frightening flicks, not just acquiring them after their success… Luckily, all of the movies in this category are available to watch on Disney+.
The Adventures of Ichabod and Mr. Toad
This Disney classic (1949) was originally planned to be two separate movies; however, upon release, they were a double feature. To be honest, they don’t really connect to one another. The latter, Mr. Toad, is not the one I’ll be talking about today. Instead, let’s talk about one Mr Ichabod Crane.
Crane is a proud man, despite being a tall, gangly, and poor guy, living in the local schoolhouse. Mr Crane uses his charm to woo the ladies of Sleepy Hollow. This strict teacher is well-liked by the people of the town; however, he is very superstitious. This isn’t hidden well from Crane’s romantic rival, Brom Bones, who uses this disadvantage to scare him with a story of the Headless Horseman, who travels through the town each Halloween night in search of a new head.
The rest of this movie follows Ichabod and his loyal steed, Gunpowder, on their way home throughout the darkness. I won’t spoil the ending for you, but this movie ends soon after their travel home. It’s a short movie and perfect if you don’t have much time left in your evening, but still want to fit some quality time in.
The Black Cauldron
Listen. This movie isn’t strictly a Halloween movie; however, some of the scenes are incredibly frightening… And it’s the best Disney movie ever. Based on the book series The Chronicles of Prydain by Lloyd Alexander, the movie has a fabulous amount of Welsh culture, names, and characters. This is what makes it my favourite.
But what makes it count as a Halloween movie? Well, to me, this movie has very creepy visuals. There are a lot of skeletons, rotting skin, and there are witches, too. This might not be the best movie to sit and watch with a three-year-old, but I’d say five or over is fine. It will depend on your child’s tastes and how okay they are with visual scariness.
The story follows a young pig-handler, Taran, as he makes his epic journey to save his oracle pig, Henwen, who has been captured by minions of the Horned King. Throughout his travels, he meets a few friendly faces, as well as some not-so-friendly. We find out that the Horned King needs to use Henwen’s oracular powers to find the location of the titular Black Cauldron. But what does it do? Well, when a corpse is immersed in the cauldron, it rises as cauldron-born. The Horned King plans to amass an army of cauldron-born warriors to take over the land of Prydain.
Can Taran and friends stop his evil plans? Will the witches of Morfa co-operate? And what the heck is Gurgi? Find out by delving into the magical world of Prydain (and let me know what you think of the movie afterwards!)
Halloweentown
This flick made me want my grandmother to reveal that we were secretly witches. No, I’m not kidding.
What if all the creatures and ghouls that kids dress up as for Halloween were real? In that case, why don’t we see them everywhere? Well, that’s because they all live in Halloweentown, obviously!
Marnie Cromwell is a self-professed weird kid obsessed with the odd and quirky. Which means that the fact that her mother never lets her celebrate Halloween drives her up the wall. The movie opens with them arguing over this until her grandmother turns up for her annual visit. During the night, Marnie overhears a surprising family secret, which soon sends her and her siblings on an adventure to the titular Halloweentown.
This Disney Channel Original Movie feels like distilled Halloween spirit put to screen.
Hocus Pocus
Hocus Pocus is a seasonal favourite among children and adults alike. I have to admit, though, that I didn’t watch this movie until 2022, when the sequel was released. I do feel kind of salty about the fact that I didn’t get to experience this classic as a child; however, there is nothing stopping me from catching up now, and nothing stopping you, either.
In the town of Salem, Massachusetts, in 1693, there were three sisters. These sisters were witches who had kidnapped the younger sister of Thackery Binx, the latter of whom was later turned into a black cat for all eternity by the villainous trio. Following this, Binx’s friend and the townsfolk condemn the three women to death; however, the eldest casts a curse, allowing for the return of the Sanderson Sisters on a Hallow’s Eve, during a full moon.
Flash forward to 1993, and the prophecy is about to be fulfilled. Teenager Max, his crush, Allison, and his younger sister Dani visit the Sandersons’ cottage, now an abandoned museum. Upon lighting the Black-flame Candle, Max resurrects the witches, who immediately attempt to suck out Dani’s soul. With her older brother interveining and the immortal Binx guiding the trio, they must find a way to get rid of the troublesome trio. What ensues is a wild-goose chase across the town on Halloween, with adults being brainwashed, children being lured to the cottage, and Winifred Sanderson’s fiancé being raised from the dead.
Monsters, Inc.
In a parallel world, Monsters of all kinds live peacefully in their scream-powered society. It’s the job of the monsters of Monsters Incorporated to collect that energy by travelling to our world and scaring children at night. In a clever implementation of the real-world fears of children, they enter our world through portals in closet doors.
Mike and Sully are a scare team at the top of their game, about to break the all-time record for scaring. But the discovery of a closely guarded secret, not to mention a small child, will change their world.
Monsters Inc. is a great Halloween-time watch; the idea of taking something traditionally scary for kids and adding an element of the mundane to humanise it fits perfectly with the ghoulish fun of the holiday.
Tim Burton’s The Nightmare Before Christmas
Okay, let’s be honest, you already knew this one was on here. This is the most popular Halloween movie for children by far. It’s incredibly famous, so many people love it, and I’d be surprised if you could go through a retail park without seeing Jack Skellington at least once.
If by chance you don’t know The Nightmare Before Christmas, let me explain a bit of the movie for you. The story follows the Pumpkin King of Halloween Town, Jack Skellington. Jack is beloved amongst the townsfolk, and he is known as the best scarer that there ever was; however, Jack has a little secret. He longs for something more than Halloween. (Couldn’t be me.)
When Jack travels through a nearby forest, he comes across a tree with a door in the stump. The cheeky chairman of all things spooky enters the door and falls into another world. Plummeting into a pile of ice-cold snow, Jack discovers Christmas Town and finds the spark he was missing in his life. What follows next is plenty of fun, goofiness, and joy when Jack wants to bring Christmas to Halloween Town, much to the dismay of the evil Oogie Boogie and his cronies.
Other Disney movies that are suitable for the season include Twitches, the Z-O-M-B-I-E-S franchise, and the Descendants franchise. This isn’t even to mention the Halloween specials of multiple different cartoons, including The Simpsons‘ Treehouse of Horror episodes. Luckily for us, if you have a Disney+ subscription, they compile a Halloween collection each year. On a side note, Disney, add Lloyd in Space, Phil of the Future, and The House of Mouse, you cowards. (Also Hercules, Tarzan... What am I paying for, exactly?)
Tim Burton
“Tim Burton?” I hear you say. “Didn’t he have a movie in the last category?” Well, technically, yes. But also, technically, no. Whilst the story of The Nightmare Before Christmas was written by Burton, it was directed by the very talented Henry Selick, who just so happens to have another movie on this list later on. However, this doesn’t mean that Burton is any less talented in giving us a few spooky screenplays. Some might even consider him the best in this genre. Personally, I don’t think he’s the best, but I do enjoy his movies.
Here are some movies that Burton directed.
Corpse Bride
In a tale of love, Corpse Bride brings plenty of laughter, heartbreak, and aww-inducing moments. When Victor arrives at the Everglot Mansion for his arranged marriage to Victoria, no one expected the two to fall in love at first sight. However, things go awry when the awkward Victor messes up the marriage rehearsal.
Taking a stroll through the nearby forest, practising his vows, Victor then places the wedding ring upon a branch, only… It’s not a branch at all, but the finger of the deceased Emily. What follows is a wacky tale of the corpse bride yearning for Victor to love her. Though the land of the living is dark, damp, and dreary, the movie displays a wonderful contrast within the land of the dead. The scenes are drenched in bright colours, jazzy music, and wonderful characters who, despite their creepy exteriors, are easy to adore. And yes, this movie utilises the voice talents of Johnny Depp, Helena Bonham Carter, and Danny Elfman, amongst other Burton favourites.
Corpse Bride uses the iconic claymation style that Laika is known for very well. If you wanted to describe Burton’s art style with one movie, it would have to be this one. Unless you wanted a live-action example, then use Edward Scissorhands. This movie has inspired many alternative girls in their wedding themes and vows. I do have to admit, the vows repeated throughout this movie are lovely, albeit a bit cringy.
Frankenweenie
Developed from a live-action short created by Burton, Frankenweenie is a heart-wrenching tale of a young boy whose beloved pet dog, Sparky, has crossed the rainbow bridge. That’s how this story begins.
But when Victor Frankenstein is inspired by his science teacher using electricity on dead frogs, he makes it his sole life’s mission to bring his best buddy back to life. After digging up the dead dog, bringing him to a makeshift laboratory in his attic, and successfully reviving him, Victor decides to hide Sparky in the attic. Unfortunately for him, when he’s at school, the dog escapes and shenanigans ensue, including chasing his neighbour’s cat and being seen by the creepy “E” Gore.
E Gore is a classmate of Victor’s, who soon blackmails him into teaching him the way to resurrect passed pets. They use this to revive a goldfish, who is the first sign that reanimation isn’t the best way to deal with grief. After reviving many pets, they start turning into monsters that terrorise the town, and that is where I’ll leave you to decide whether you’d like to watch this movie or not.
Overall, it’s a heartwarming story, one which I’ll admit I did shed tears whilst watching. The entire movie is in black-and-white, which makes it a great way of introducing your children to “old” movies, without it being from pre-1930.
Honourable Mentions
As with most things, these lists aren’t definitive. Here are some honourable mentions of Burton-specific media that either require an older audience or don’t really fit the Halloween vibe as much. Movies unsuitable for children will be bolded and marked with a *:
- 9
- Alice in Wonderland (2010) & Alice Through The Looking Glass (2016)
- Batman, Batman Returns & Batman Forever
- Beetlejuice*
- Charlie and the Chocolate Factory
- Dark Shadows*
- Dumbo (2019)
- Edward Scissorhands
- James and the Giant Peach
- Mars Attacks!*
- Miss Peregrine’s Home For Peculiar Children
- Sleepy Hollow*
- Sweeney Todd: The Demon Barber of Fleet Street* (This is one of my favourite movies of all time, alongside The Rocky Horror Picture Show*.)
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