31 Favorite Halloween Movies
There's just something magical about snuggling up with a warm blanket, a big bowl of popcorn, and a Halloween flick playing on the screen. It's the perfect recipe for creating cherished memories with your little one, or for a date-night-in with your boo. Whether it's the classic thrills of "Ghostbusters" or the eerie adventures of "The Nightmare Before Christmas," these movies have a way of adding that extra sprinkle of spookiness to the season!
I’ve ranked the list below from what is, in my opinion, least scary to most. I’ve added the Common Sense Media age reccomendations next to the ratings because holy cow. The rating system of yesteryear and the rating system of today are very, very different. For example, “Poltergiest”, the terrifying movie from my childhood (“Carol Anne…do not go into the light!”) is somehow rated PG. Wha?? I can still vividly see that swimming pool scene in my head and I will never get over it. Nor let my 6 year old son watch it yet! But “Ghostbusters: Afterlife”, which is PG-13? He’s seen it and loved it. Shrug.
So, to each their own when it comes to desired level of creepy, crawly fun. I loved Freddy Kruger as a kid, but can’t handle anything excessivly gory or violent now. That being said, consider the movies suggestions below as a starting point, and enjoy the popcorn and cozy fall vibes with the ones you love. Here’s to creating new holiday traditions!
Movies we watch with our son:
“It's the Great Pumpkin, Charlie Brown” (1966) - rated TV-G - CSM rated 4+
“Spookly the Square Pumpkin” (2005) - rated G - CSM rated 4+
“Hotel Transylvania” (2012) - rated PG - CSM rated 7+
“The Nightmare Before Christmas” (1993) - rated PG - CSM rated 7+
“Casper” (1995) - rated PG - CSM rated 8+
“Coraline” (2009) - rated PG - CSM rated 9+
“Frankenweenie” (2012) - rated PG - CSM rated 9+
“Corpse Bride” (2005) - rated PG - CSM rated 10+
“Ghostbusters: Afterlife” (2021) - rated PG-13 - CSM rated 10+
“Monster House” (2006) - rated PG - CSM rated 10+
Movies that are currently too scary or mature for Alex but, we love:
“Hocus Pocus 1” (1993) and “Hocus Pocus 2” (2022) - rated PG - CSM rated 10+
“The Goonies” (1985) - rated PG - CSM rated 10+
“Ghostbusters” (1984) - rated PG - CSM rated 11+
“The Haunted Mansion” (2023) - rated PG-13 - CSM rated 11+
"The Adam’s Family” (1991) - rated PG-13 - CSM rated 12+
“Clue” (1985) - rated PG - CSM rated 12+
“Young Frankenstein” (1974) - rated PG - CSM rated 12+
“Beetlejuice” (1988) - rated PG - CSM rated 13+
“Edward Scissorhands” (1990) - rated PG-13 - CSM rated 13+
“Poltergeist” (1982) - rated PG - CSM rated 13+
Movies that are probably too scary or mature for us, but that we watch anyway. No CSM ratings as I think these are all aptly labeled. Be warned!
“The Birds” (1963) - rated PG-13
“Lost Boys” (1987) - rated R
“Psycho” (1960) - rated R
“Scream” (1996) - rated R
“Sean of the Dead” (2004) - rated R
“Sleepy Hollow” (1999) - rated R
“The Craft” (1996) - rated R
“The Rocky Horror Picture Show” (1975) - rated R
“The Shining” (1980) - rated R
“Zombieland” (2009) - rated R
