Top 15 Family Halloween Movies
Top 15 Family Halloween Movies
I posted this on my old site and it was so popular I had to publish it here too. These are the top five Halloween Movies the whole family can view together. Each title is a link that will take you to the parental guide on IMDb. Mnay of these films are vintage and lack the visual effects that can make a movie frightening. The dated look adds to the charm. Many of these films you you may have seen as a child. So you will love them too.
Hocus Pocus was on last week's list too and for good reason, Hocus Pocus is a classic. Planned as a Disney Channel Original movie. It ended up being released in the theaters, and I am forever grateful. This is one of the best family movies out there. This movie is spooky but not scary. It’s also hilarious. Bette Midler steals all the scenes as Winifred Sanderson because she is amazing. Bette said shooting Hocus Pocus was the most fun she ever had on a movie set. That Hocus Pocus was her favorite movie she’s ever made, and I can’t blame her for it.
Mr Boogedy by Disney. I remember watching this as a kid and bought it when I found it on Amazon so my kids could see it too. The Movie follows the Davis family whose father sells novelty products. They move into a house haunted by the titular Mr. Boogedy. Mr Boogedy is one of the Sunday, Walt Disney's Wonderful World of Color movies. As a parent, you can rest assured its family friendly and filled with 80s goodness. Richard Masur from My Girl, IT, and The Thing stars as Mr Davis the father. David Faustino from Married With Children co-stars. Kristy Swanson, the original Buffy also headlines this 1986 classic that is hard to find on DVD. You can find it on Disney Plus.
The Worst Witch, the classic 1986 version is magical. Mildred Hubble is played by Fairuza Balk. Tim Curry also stars as the Grand Wizzard. The Worst Witch special effects are laughable now. But I find it adds to the film’s charm. Tim Curry's music video for anything can happen on Halloween is amazing. The Worst Witch is fun and not scary at all. It also features the late and wonderful Charlotte Rae.
Halloweentown stars the late Debbie Reynolds and Kimberly J. Brown. This beloved family classic is wholesome and cheesy yet entertaining. It’s low budget (well for Disney at 4 million) and campy but still a fun movie. Halloweeentown is one of those films you think is cheesy yet you can’t turn Halloweentown off. Children love this movie. Since the Disney Channel shows this every Halloween most kids have seen this. So chances are your older kids will watch it for nostalgic reasons. Either way you cannot go wrong by picking this movie.
Last but not least, we have Casper. Cute and friendly, this ghost won't scare most children. The 1995 classic stars Bill Pullman as Dr. Harvey a paranormal investigator. Dr Harvey, who moves into Casper's mansion with his daughter. Christina Ricci plays his daughter Kat, who befriends Casper. Casper also features a few great cameos. If you have not seen Casper yet, watch Casper soon.
Tower of Terror is another Wonderful World of Disney. This gem aired in 1997 and stars Kirsten Dunst and Steve Guttenberg. Guttenberg stars as Buzzy, a tabloid journalist. With the help of his niece Anna, stumble across a story that may save his career. Together they solve the mystery of what happened on Halloween 193. Five people disappeared from the Hollywood Tower Hotel elevator after lightening struck it. This included Sally Shine a child actress
Tower of Terror was a movie that tied in the famous Walt Disney World attraction. Party mystery part supernatural this movie is fun and spooky but never too scary. This is a great choice for families with older children.
The Addams Family is a classic. Anjelica Huston’s performance of Morticia Addams was delightful. This movie has an all-star cast with some amazing performances. I dislike modern adaptations of classic tv shows, but the Addams Family is funny, well acted, and has a great plot.
This movie has some over the head risqué jokes and dark humor, but is not anything I would concern myself about. The Addams Family is kid friendly and adults will love it.
If you love Toy Story, then you will love Toy Story of Terror. The toys who are traveling with Bonnie and her mom end up at a motel. When the toys start to disappear, they need to figure out why.
This movie is not feature length. The running time is 22 minutes, but the movie is fun for all ages. It is also full of Disney/Pixar Easter Eggs which are always fun to look for. Many of the dvd’s feature a few Toy Story Toons which are great too!
Disney’s 2003 feature film The Haunted Mansion is underrated. Yes, this movie can be cheesy but it's still a good family movie. My main gripe is the cheesy storyline with Master Gracey. Eddie Murphy is funny in this film. His scenes with Madame Leota and the singing busts are worth the cheesiness.
The Haunted Mansion is kid friendly and follows the Evers family. Who is trying to get some quality time with workaholic dad Jim, played by Eddie Murphy? Some humor is not in good taste, but most kids will not get it. This is one of the few Halloween movies I can get everyone to watch together.
Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone is an amazing movie! One of the best movies to get Spooky Season started. Freeform plays Harry Potter non-stop in October. Most of us know about Harry Potter and what the books and the films are about.
I love the books and I am also fond of the movies. The entire family can watch Harry Potter together. Harry Potter can be a little scary but it is also heartwarming and delightful. If you worry your child will feel scared show them a picture of Voldemort first. The reaction to picture lets you know if your child finds him scary. Many children aged 5-6 can watch the movie without feeling frightened.
I updated this for 2021 and added 2 new fantastic family movies.
I don’t know why E.T. The Extra-Terrestrial wasn’t on the list to begin with? Because ET’s a kind of Halloween movie. One of the best scenes is when they go trick-or-treating, I mean, how many of you have seen that picture of ET dressed in a wig and a dress?
E.T. is amazing, even if you’re not into science fiction. It’s still totally enjoyable, it’s about a little boy named Elliott who finds an alien who just wants to go home. By now if you don’t know what this movie is about it, I don’t want to spoil it for you because it’s one of the best movies you could ever watch. E.T. is fantastic, and your kids will love it and you will too. And if you were a kid in the 80s, you can sit down with your kids and share some 80s nostalgia with them, they actually will like.
The Little Vampire, which was released in 2000 and all of my children have seen it. My oldest son and my youngest daughter especially love this movie. The little vampire follows a little boy named Tony whose parents have moved him to Scotland to live in a castle, and he befriends a little vampire named Rudolph. And Rudolph’s entire family has been cursed. I don’t want to spoil the rest of the movie for you it’s actually a cute, fun movie. There are some vampire cows and you know the theme of vampires and Common Sense Media does it seem to think this is appropriate for children under the age of eight, I disagree with them. The Little Vampire is a great family Halloween movie.
Twitches is a 2005 Disney Channel original movie starring Tia and Tamera Mowry. The twins star as sisters Alexandria and Cameron, who were separated as babies and adopted. They’re from the land called Coventry, it’s a magical dimension and they have to travel back to Coventry and save it. It’s cheesy but if you’re a Schitt’s Creek fan, you will be delighted by a young Jennifer Robertson’s performance as Ileana. Iliana and her boyfriend Karsh are also from Coventry and have been tasked with protecting the sisters. Some things that happen this movie are pure early 2000 Disney Channel original movie cheesiness, but it’s still entertaining. My daughter loves it. Twitches is worth watching, especially with your kids because it’s what we all need at some point, a cheesy happy feel good Halloween movie with a happy ending.
The House with a Clock in its Walls is a movie that was drafted by Eli Roth that was released in 2018. I found this baby to be not only delightful and charming, but perfect for Halloween and for families. Starring Cate Blanchett, Jack Black and Owen Vaccaro. This phone follows Louis, who goes to live with his uncle Jonathan after the death of his parents. He discovers his uncle is a warlock and Florence Zimmerman the neighbor is a witch. I love Cate Blanchett in this movie she’s charming. It’s a fun family friendly movie and we even get treated from a performance by Kyle McLaughlin as the villain. I love Kyle McLaughlin even if he’s the bad guy. And don’t let Eli rock scare you off this is a very good family friendly movie and you will enjoy it I never read the book but I’m sure the adaptation is an excellent representation of the book because the movie was delightful and charming.
I would love to add Goosebumps but because of the feedback I have read, I have gone with the second film, Goosebumps 2. Some parents were unhappy with the graveyard scene and zombies in the first film. The second film is fun, but the monsters seem to be a little goofier and less scary. My 8-year-old loves both films but some parents have said the first film is a little too scary, so while I recommend the second film if you think your child can handle a graveyard scene and some zombies I would watch both. The first film is more serious and has more Jack Black, and the second one is more playful with juvenile humor.
There are so many movies I could add to this list but they may be more appropriate for older kids and teens and I wanted this list to be family friendly so that none of the littles get scared. Please check out my other posts under movies! And please pin this post to your Pinterest boards or bookmark it for future refrence.
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