It’s that time of year again: leaves have begun falling, there’s a chill in the air, and dollar stores are filling up with plastic skeletons. Halloween. For some people, this means the start to the scariest month of the year. For the wimps of the world, it means politely asking your friends if they’re in the mood for watching a movie a bit lighter than The Exorcist. But what non-scary movies, they may complain, could be seasonally appropriate enough to satisfy their Halloween cravings? Aha! After reading this article, you will finally have an answer everyone can be happy with.
Nightmare Before Christmas (1993)
We all knew this one was going to be on here. Look, it’s the Halloween classic. We’ve all seen it, we all know that the music is good, the animation is enchanting, and Sally is everyone’s favourite. Some people may complain that’s it’s “really a Christmas movie” because Santa is featured. Don’t listen to them. Ignore the doubters and turn up the volume of “This is Halloween,” which you’ve already been listening to for three hours.
Paranorman (2012)
“What? Another animated movie?” Yes, indeed. Paranorman is about a young boy who can see and speak to the spirits of the dead. While definitely light-hearted, there are zombies, witches, ghosts, and one mildly gross dead body featured. More than enough creatures to feel the spookiness of the season! If your friends were against Nightmare Before Christmas because it’s a musical, you can happily tell them that this one features no singing.
Practical Magic (1998)
Witch sisters, magic, evil curses, and true love, this one is the definition of Halloween and rom-coms colliding. If that sounds like your kind of autumn, please proceed immediately! If it doesn’t, I would politely point out that Sandra Bullock plays one of the sisters and ask you to reconsider.
It’s the Great Pumpkin, Charlie Brown (1966)
Few bother to tell their children the real reason we celebrate Halloween. This year, take a solemn moment to remember the Great Pumpkin and all that he has done for the world. If you’re unfamiliar with this Charlie Brown dinosaur: the movie features some classic tunes that my parents won’t stop talking about, a dog, relatable trick-or-treating adventures, and a general sense of nostalgia.
The Legend of Sleepy Hollow (1949)
Made all the way back in 1949, be aware that this one is incredibly dated in a lot of ways. It’s a half-hour long, perfect if you’re in the mood for something short. Ichabod Crane, Sleepy Hollow’s resident ladies man (I’m not making this up), goes head-to-head with his rival in a competition for a lady’s hand in marriage. Unfortunately for him, things take a turn for the worse on All Hallow’s Eve…
The Halloweentown Series (1998-2006)
Hear me out on this one. Is it terrible? Yes. Is it low budget? Yes. Is it fun as heck despite all this? Absolutely. Debbie Reynolds plays everyone’s dream grandmother, arriving on the eve of Halloween to tell her grandchildren about their secret magical witch heritage. While most of the set looks like it was bought from a high-end dollar store, I can’t help but love the skeleton taxi driver. The sequels aren’t necessarily as good as the first, but they do make for a good marathon of seasonal movies that you don’t mind people talking through or poking fun at.
Teen Witch (1989)
If you liked The Princess Diaries but secretly wished it were about witches instead of royalty, I’ve got great news! That is basically this movie. But set in the 80s. Be very aware that it is set in the 80s before going in. A teen girl discovers that she is a witch with magic on her sixteenth birthday and then proceeds to use her powers for just a little bit of selfish personal gain in her high school. Things go wrong from there.
Hocus Pocus (1993)
Another movie featuring witches, this time as the villains! A group of kids and a magic cat accidentally awaken an evil coven of witches when they wander into a haunted house. They must then stop the coven from becoming immortal and taking over the town. Set in Salem, with most of the action occurring on Halloween night itself, this one will definitely get you in the seasonal spirit. Scariness factor of the evil witches: one of them rides a vacuum cleaner into the night at one point during the film.
There are more where these came from, of course! Have fun getting spooky without getting scared.