There’s no better way to finish off a busy night of trick-or-treating than with a Frightastic halloween movie, a bowl of halloween snacks or goodies, blast the air conditioning down to a cool 16 degrees and snuggle up under a blanket with your little pumpkins. Thanks to those who participated in our survey we have come-up with a spook-fest of our favourite scary (but not too scary) Halloween movies for kids.
The Addams Family
There have been so many versions of this classic and to be honest we love them all but it was the cartoon version which came out as the kids favourite. The eccentrically macabre family moves to a bland suburb where Wednesday Addams’ friendship with the daughter of a hostile and conformist local reality show host exacerbates conflict between the families.
Casper the friendly ghost
What’s not to love about Casper the oh so cute friendly ghost. An afterlife therapist and his daughter meet a friendly young ghost when they move into a crumbling mansion in order to rid the premises of wicked spirits.
The Corpses Bride
From the original mad hatter himself, Tim Burton came up with this creepy cartoon which is a love it or hate it kind of movie but it definitely created a hundred new halloween costumes on its release. When a shy groom practices his wedding vows in the inadvertent presence of a deceased young woman, she rises from the grave assuming he has married her.
Coco
Aspiring musician Miguel, confronted with his family’s ancestral ban on music, enters the Land of the Dead to find his great-great-grandfather, a legendary singer.
Coraline
We were amazed this was so high on the list as it still spooks many of us out but kids seem to love the creepy fright factor that is Coraline. An adventurous 11-year-old girl finds another world that is a strangely idealized version of her frustrating home, but it has sinister secrets.
Frankenweenie
More for older kids as it gets a bit creepy and looks at lots of life after death themes. When a boy’s beloved dog passes away suddenly, he attempts to bring the animal back to life through a powerful science experiment.
Goosebumps The Movie
A spin off the highly popular Goosebumps the books and movies. A teenager teams up with the daughter of young adult horror author R. L. Stine after the writer’s imaginary demons are set free on the town of Madison, Delaware.
Hocus Pocus
As the kids get slightly older these witches creepy pranks and silly mistakes are hilarious and it’s by far one of the parents favorites. A curious youngster moves to Salem, where he struggles to fit in before awakening a trio of diabolical witches that were executed in the 17th century.
Hotel Transylvania
Out of all three in this brilliant trilogy it was the original that was voted the best. Dracula, who operates a high-end resort away from the human world, goes into overprotective mode when a boy discovers the resort and falls for the count’s teenaged daughter.
The Haunted Mansion
A Halloween movie with a moral tale and Eddie Murphy at his funniest. A realtor and his wife and children are summoned to a mansion, which they soon discover is haunted, and while they attempt to escape, he learns an important lesson about the family he has neglected.
Monster House
More for slightly older kids as this one will have you jumping out of your seat when you least expect it! Three teens discover that their neighbor’s house is really a living, breathing, scary monster.
Muppets Haunted Mansion
And finally, a classic funny muppet story with a slightly spooky twist. On Halloween night, Gonzo is challenged to spend one night in The Haunted Mansion.
ParaNorman
A real tween Halloween favorite with all the spooky attitude that goes along with this cartoon cast. A misunderstood boy takes on ghosts, zombies and grown-ups to save his town from a centuries-old curse.
Poohs Heffalump Halloween movie
My kids first ever introduction to Halloween, more for the little pumpkins who adore all things Winnie the Poo. Lumpy teams with tiny Roo for a Halloween adventure in the Hundred Acre Wood, in this animated tale about friendship, bravery, and teamwork.
Room on the broom
If only I could have voted as the editors favorite. I read this book and played the cd to my kids so many times, I could actually play a part in this much-loved kids classic. To the annoyance of her cat a kindly witch allows a dog, a bird and a frog who have helped her retrieve things she has lost to ride on her broomstick, making it top heavy. The broom is destroyed by a fire-breathing dragon who threatens to eat the witch but the creatures band together to impersonate a monster and save her. As a result she fashions a luxurious new broom with seats on which they can all ride comfortably.
The Witches
We’ve all read the book to our kids and they in turn have imagined what these witches could possibly look like. A Roald Dahl classic brought to life recently with a superb cast. A young boy and his grandmother have a run-in with a coven of witches and their leader.
If you can think of another brilliant Halloween movie we can add to this list for next year, we would love to hear from you at [email protected]
