Let’s face it, some of us just really aren’t into the gore and heart-pounding scares of Halloween movies. And if you’re anything like me, the people you surround yourself with may love all these things. So when it comes time for a spooky movie night and you want to get into the spirit without sacrificing comfort, here are some of my favorite go-tos.
1. The Haunted Mansion
Nothing like a good ol’ fashioned movie based off a Disney Parks ride. Eddie Murphy stars in this supernatural comedy as a realtor who gets stuck in none other than a haunted mansion with his wife and two children. They meet ghosts and ghouls who play tricks on them all the while he tries to save his wife from being mistaken as a dead woman. You can stream it on Disney+.
2. Scary Godmother
Deepcut alert! This animated Canadian movie follows a little girl named Hannah on the night of Halloween meeting her Scary Godmother and all of Scary Godmother’s zany creature friends. There are actually two movies, Halloween Spooktacular and The Revenge of Jimmy. Creds to my older sister for showing me these movies that were such a staple for my childhood Halloweens. These are (totally, definitely not) streamed on YouTube.
3. It’s the great pumpkin, charlie brown
This classic Peanuts movie is only 25 minutes long, but was always a Halloween staple during my childhood. It follows the Peanut gang preparing for their Halloween festivities, with Linus writing a letter to the revered Great Pumpkin and spending his Halloween night waiting in the pumpkin patch for the Pumpkin to appear. The witty humor in classic Peanut features never misses, and it’s great for all ages. You can stream it on AppleTV+.
4. Coraline
This one probably isn’t as scary as you remember from that one time you saw it when you were, like, six. The classic button eyes are recognized almost everywhere all thanks to this stop-motion film. Coraline Jones moves into a strange new house with her parents, and one evening while exploring, finds a portal to an alternate reality. You can stream it for free on Tubi.
5. Beetlejuice
It’s showtime! This classic Tim Burton movie follows young Lydia Deetz, who has just moved into a new home with her dad and stepmom. Much to Lydia’s surprise, the house is haunted by the newlywed couple who lived there before. Both parties seek out the help of the demon Betelgeuse for their own gain, and paranormal chaos ensues.
6. Hocus pocus
Disney strikes again with another Halloween classic. This story features a trio of comedic sister witches, resurrected on Halloween night in Salem, Massachusetts by new kid in town Max, his little sister Dani, and his class crush Allison. This Halloween favorite has a talking black cat, a (not so scary) zombie, and an iconic musical number. You can stream this on Disney+.
7. rocky horror picture show
Drag? Musical numbers? Absolute insanity? Say no more. When young couple Brad and Janet find themselves stranded at a castle one late, stormy night, they meet mad scientist Dr. Frank-N-Furter and all the strange people who inhabit the castle. It’s sexy, fun and if you don’t understand the crazy point of it all, that’s perfectly okay.