A Definitive List of Must-Watch Halloween Movies For People Who Don't Like Being Scared Silly

Halloween movies can be enjoyed without shaking in your boots!

Elana

• Published in Funny
• October 23, 2019

Halloween is when all things spooky come out to play. We delight in the macabre and we seek joy in thrills, chills, and shrieks of combined horror and joy. While some people are seeking out the scariest, most fear and panic inducing horror houses in the vicinity and coming home to a marathon of Michael Myers and Freddie Kruger, the rest of us are celebrating Halloween in much less traumatic ways.

Carving pumpkins, bobbing for apples, and trick-or-treating: the peaceful side to this delightful, Autumn holiday. Those of us who enjoy Halloween for the less-than-spooky aspects can also treat ourselves to a movie marathon! And we've nailed down the absolute best selections that need to be on your list.

ParaNorman

Norman is a quirky young kid who can speak to the dead, and thus he prefers their company to that of the living. However, when he learns he is the only one who can prevent catastrophe courtesy of a curse on his town, things get interesting.

Casper

Casper the Friendly Ghost is a beloved 90's classic featuring the first ever CGI main character. The story is about a ghost who just wants a friend and an unsuspecting girl who becomes that friend when she and her father move into a haunted mansion.

Practical Magic

Witchy sisters Sally and Gillian abandon their rejection of the family's magical abilities to manage the unexpected death of Gillian's abusive boyfriend. Meaning... they resurrect him to ward off the attraction of local police, but it's not his spirit who comes back to his body!

Of course, nothing with Sandra Bullock could be spooky, it's just a fun girl-power sort of Halloween movie!

Nightmare Before Christmas

While Tim Burton usually gets all the credit and adoration for this flick directed by Henry Selick, Nightmare Before Christmas is a cultural phenomenon that is easily enjoyed half the year. Jack, the Skeleton King of Halloween stumbles across Christmas and tries to recreate it in his own image. The music is memorable, the art is unbelievable, and the characters are iconic, it's definitely a must-watch this Halloween season.

Coraline

The film adaptation of British author Neil Gaiman's Coraline is an incredible work of art and fantasy. The story is about a young, spirited girl, unhappy with her new living arrangements when she discovers a door in her home that leads to an alternative world similar to her own but nefariously different.

Beetlejuice

Beetlejuice, Beetlejuice, Beetlejuice! Recently deceased couple Barbara and Adam want the family inhabiting their home to get out, but their attempts to haunt them away on their own were failures. So, they end up with the "help" of Beetlejuice who really takes things up a notch. Plus, it has Winona Ryder, so you gotta add it to your Halloween binge list!

Halloweentown

Halloweentown was a beloved classic for most 90's kids and up, so make sure this fun-filled tale of a family of witches is on your binge list!

Disney's Coco

If you haven't seen this musical masterpiece put out by Disney about Dia De Los Muertos and a budding young musician's visit to the Land of the Dead in search of his family's blessing, then this is the year to make it happen.

Double Double Toil and Trouble

90's twin icons Mary-Kate and Ashley Olson's second feature length film is about twin sisters who need to save their family home. To do so, they must defeat their aunt... a witch!

The Witches, 1990

The movie adaptation of Roald Dahl's classic The Witches is about discovers a group of witches' plot to turn all the children into mice. The movie is being re-made to launch next Halloween as well, but according to Anne Hathaway, who is set to star in the reboot, says it won't be anything like the 1990 movie and instead will be more to the tune of Dahl's story. So, get your The Witches fix in this year!

Teen Witch

Louise Miller is a teenaged nerd. That is, until she learns from a psychic that she has magical abilities she'll be able to use on her 16th birthday. Does she use them? Of course! What for? The same thing every teenage girl in the 80's wanted... popularity.

Ghostbusters, 1984

I promise you'll never regret watching the original Ghostbusters movie!

There wasn't enough money in science alone for this small team so they turned fighting the supernatural into a for-profit system that came with plenty of humor, a little macabre and slime on the side.

The Addams Family, 1991

The Addams Family has taken on a new face recently when an animated film was released but to stay true to your ultimate Halloween experience you definitely need to watch the 1991 original, about a devoted and loving albeit macabre family, The Addams.

Shaun of the Dead

It's not unheard of for comedy and "horror" to collide when it comes to zombie lore, but if anyone has ever nailed it? It was definitely the team behind Shaun of the Dead. The hilarious story of a bumbling slacker, his girlfriend, and his lazy best friend is guaranteed to add a delightful adult element to your Halloween movie marathon while having you laugh along the way.

Ghostbusters, 2016

When the female-led cast of Ghostbusters hit theaters in 2016, people weren't exactly optimistic. However, it's a funny movie and has a lot of the same elements that made us fall in love with the original from 1984. Make sure it's on your list, too!

The Labyrinth

As if David Bowie alone isn't a reason to make sure The Labyrinth is on your must-watch list, the story and puppetry is excellent, too! Sarah is only a teenager when she has to travel through a maze if she wants to rescue her baby brother from The Goblin King!

The Witches of Eastwick

A mysterious man played by Jack Nicholson courts three women (played by icons like Cher, Susan Sarandon, and Michele Pfiefer,) whom he clues in are witches... however, his intentions are less than pure and they're going to get to the bottom of it.

Interview With A Vampire

Louis, born in the 18th century as a Lord, is a bicentennial vampire telling his life story to a biographer. Louis is played by Brad Pitt, what more do you need?

Young Frankenstein

If you think any Halloween is complete without watching Young Frankenstein at least once, you're wrong. Gene Wilder plays respectable Dr. Frederick Frankenstein, who wanted nothing to do with his family's notorious history of creating monsters until he learned that he inherited the estate in Transylvania. Naturally, he travels there and finds himself falling down a familiar path...

The Rocky Horror Picture Show

Without a doubt, this cult classic about a transvestite scientist who takes in a lost, innocent couple and introduces them to absolute debauchery (and iconic music) is a mandatory watch every Halloween.

The Lost Boys

The epitome of 80's badassery combined with teenage vampires. What more could your Halloween need?

Little Shop of Horrors

A story about the nerdy underdog who wants the girl? Check. Incredible music? Check. Man-eating plant? Check.

Hocus Pocus

The ultimate Halloween classic is definitely Hocus Pocus. Three ancient, child-eating witches are awakened by the new kids in town, ready to finish the job and live youthfully for all eternity.

Elana