Top 10 Halloween Movies To Watch With Your Teen

The best part of getting prepped for Halloween is watching Halloween Movies with my kids. Not all Halloween movies are family friendly. It is easy to find kids movies but not all are mom and dad friendly. The movie is boring, the plot sucks, or the movie is annoying.

Teens and older kids, though, can be so hard to please.

It is hard to find a movie everyone will like. The title of each movie will take you to the IMDb parents guide to help you decide if each title is right for you. As the mother of two adults and a tween it is hard to find a movie, you can enjoy with them.

Too much sexuality or nudity makes it awkward. You are embarrassed or your kids may turn red or avoid you. We do not want that to happen.

I grew up in the 1980's and 1990's. Things were different back then. We did not have the internet and parents took their kids to movies not knowing what would happen.

Parents sat and watched films that would be questionable with their kids today and it was no big deal. Most of the mature jokes go over your head until you are a certain age so younger kids would not get it. Older kids and teens well they laughed along.

We did not have internet back then as I mentioned. Most parents had to give their children the talk by 6th grade. Most subject matter in movies was not embarrassing or anything we had not already discussed before. I watched most of these movies with my parents.

These are Halloween movies I am comfortable watching with my older children. My kids love these movies. I love these movies. We can sit together and enjoy them together.

1. Hocus Pocus no matter how old you are, this Disney cult classic is beloved by adults and kids alike. And why not Bette Midler gave one of her best performances. Winifred Sanderson is one of the best movie villains ever. The perfect balance of scary and funny. I saw this in the theater the summer it was released and loved it since. Max, Dani, and Allison's adventure was entertaining. But the Sanderson Sisters steal the show.

 2. The Monster Squad is a classic. This is one of the best monster movies from the 1980's. The movie follows Sean and his friends as they form the Monster Squad. The boys and girl fight Dracula, the Mummy, Frankenstein, and Gill Man. Rated PG-13, there is a little sexual humor and swearing. Compared to what we see on television these days, it's mild. Remember, even Hocus Pocus had sexual humor that only the parents would get. Check the IMDb parents guide for detailed descriptions. You can decide if this film is appropriate for your family.

 3. The Lady in White is another gem from the 1980's. It has mature themes. However, the movie is not that scary. Rated PG-13 I must warn you someone murders a child in the film and there are references to sexuality. I encourage you to read the IMDb parents guide. Most lists rarely mention this movie and is fantastic despite the cheesy trailer. We follow Frankie as he tries to solve the mystery of what happened to the little girl in the cloak closet he saw during an attack.

 4. Elvira Mistress of the Dark. I saw this in the theater. So many kids were there. Besides Elvira's cleavage and some sexual jokes and innuendos, the movie is not as bad as you think. As a kid, these jokes like the ones in Hocus Pocus went over my head. Campy, this cult classic is funny. The trailer packs together all the boob and sex jokes. So it seems like a little much. But the movie is not that bad. It's a preference, though if you're not a fan of gaudy jokes, I would skip this one. The gist is Elvira thinks she has hit the Jackpot when a distant relative dies. Elvira finds out she inherited more than she bargained for.

 5. Beetlejuice is a classic and although Beetlejuice has little screen time. Beetlejuice is more of a dark comedy. Poor Adam and Barbara wanted to enjoy the afterlife in peace. Instead, the couple find themselves trapped in their home with Delia, the wife of the new owner. Delia is destroying their dream house. They develop a bond with Lydia the daughter of the new owner and hilarity ensues. This movie is tame by today's standards. It is worth a watch.

6. Fun Size is more of a comedy movie that takes place on Halloween. If your teen does not like scary movies, this one is a safe bet. Some jokes/gags a raunchy but honestly an episode of Riverdale is raunchier than this. It also stars Victoria Justice and pre fame Chelsea Handler. This movie follows Wren (Justice) a teen girl who loses her little brother on Halloween. The ratings may be mediocre but Fun Size is fun and a Halloween movie that does not get mentioned enough. Especially when you are looking for something new to watch.

7. Poltergeist is one of the most iconic movies ever made. Poltergeist follows Diane and Steve Freeling and their three children. Who have strange and unsettling experiences in their home. When little Carol Anne goes missing they realize that their house is haunted. That the ghosts have Carol Ann. Poltergeist is scary but not too scary and a classic. By today’s standards Poltergeist may not be scary but it's still a good movie. If you want to watch a scary movie with your teen, this is a good movie to start with.

8. The Lost Boys is a classic, we all remember that saxophone player, right? Brothers Michael and Sam move to Santa Carla a town filled with Vampires. This cult classic features and all-star cast, including the Two Coreys. At this point I think almost every person on the planet has seen this movie since it is a classic. This movie is scary but not too scary and perfect for teens and parents to watch together.

9. The Sixth Sense is a movie most of us have seen. Bruce Willis, Haley Joel Osment, and Toni Collette gave amazing performances. Cole (Osment) is being bullied and his mother (Colette) hires Dr Malcom Crowe (Willis) to help her son. As Malcom helps Cole, you realize things are not what they seem. The ending was one of the biggest twist endings ever. I love to watch this when I carve pumpkins with my kids.

10. The Frighteners is one of Peter Jackson's most underrated gems. This is one scary movie that does not end up on a lot of lists. Why? I do not understand. Michael J. Fox stars as Frank Bannister. Bannister after experiencing trauma becomes psychic. Bannister uses this ability to make run cons and make a living. But then Frank has to use his ability to help his community before it’s too late. Part comedy and part horror, this movie is fun to watch.

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