With Halloween just around the corner, there’s nothing better than snuggling up with a warm blanket, some popcorn and a good Halloween movie. For those who prefer to celebrate spooky season without losing sleep from scary movies, here are 10 “not-so-scary” movies to watch this Halloween season.
1. The Nightmare Before Christmas
Jack Skellington, the Pumpkin King of Halloween Town, finds himself becoming tired of scaring and decides to kidnap Santa Claus and take over Christmas. With brilliant claymation from the mind of Tim Burton and a catchy soundtrack, it’s the perfect movie for not only Spooky Season but, Christmas season as well.
2. Hocus Pocus
Bette Midler, Sarah Jessica Parker and Kathy Najimy. Need I say more? This movie follows a rag-tag group of teens trying to stop three witch sisters from sucking the soles out of the children in Salem, Massachusetts. It’s all-star cast, dazzling costumes and hilarious humor make it a must watch for every Halloween season.
3. The Addams Family
They’re creepy and they’re kooky, mysterious and spooky, they’re altogether ooky, the Adams Family. The eccentric family will make even the most chaotic families look normal. This family obsessed with macabre makes for a perfect Halloween watch.
4. Ghostbusters (1984)
This classic 80s movie about professors turned ghost hunters is the perfect comedy for a Halloween movie night. This movie is filled with humor and ghosts who are meant to be funny rather than scary. And, if Ghostbusters isn’t enough, there’s a sequel as well as a remake featuring an all female cast available for your viewing pleasure.
5. The Haunted Mansion
Inspired by the classic Disney Parks ride, the film follows Jim Evers, played by Eddie Murphy, and his family who spent the night at the Haunted Mansion with the eccentric beings that roam it. This is the perfect movie for any Disney lover’s movie night!
6. Halloweentown
This Disney Channel Original Movie and its three sequels are Halloween classics and are perfect for a movie marathon. The films follow Marnie Piper, a teenager who discovers she comes from a family of witches. She experiences the world of Halloweentown, a town filled with magical creatures, and learns how to be a witch from her grandmother, played by the beloved and missed Debbie Reynolds.
7. Casper
This movie is a reimagined version of the classic friendly ghost. Casper haunts a mansion in Maine, when teenager Kat moves in he quickly falls for her, but things are complicated by his ghostly state and his trouble-making relatives. This movie is the perfect not-so-scary ghost story!
8. The Rocky Horror Picture Show
If you love a chaotic plot with catchy songs than this movie is right for you. Tim Curry is captivating as Dr. Frankenfurter and it’ll have you singing, “let’s do the time warp again” in no time.
9. It’s the Great Pumpkin, Charlie Brown
You’re never too old for Charlie Brown and Snoopy. The classic Peanuts characters always make every holiday a treat, and this film is great for a trip down memory lane.
10. Beetlejuice
Before she was Joyce Byers on Stranger Things, Winona Ryder was Lydia Deetz, a teenager who’s home is being haunted by a deceased couple who teams up with a psychotic demon to expel Lydia and her family from the home that once belonged to the couple. Tim Burton’s Beetlejuice is the comedic portal of a haunted house movie told through the perspective of the ghosts. It’s always a good time to visit this ‘80s classic.
Halloween doesn’t have to be a fear inducing holiday; the movies on this list will satisfy your spooky season cravings without bringing you a fright! So, grab some popcorn and a friend or two and start watching!