If you’re scrambling trying to figure out how to entertain the little ones this Halloween, have no fear! Grab some popcorn, candy, and your costume-clad kids, and head to the couch for a wholesome night of Halloween movies.
1. Hocus Pocus
A young Max Dennison lights a candle in a historical cottage in Salem that accidentally unleashes a coven of witches seeking immortal life. He must work with his sister Dani, new friend Allison, and a magical black to stop the witches’ evil plan.
2. The Nightmare Before Christmas
Jack Skellington, the pumpkin king of Halloweentown, becomes tired of the same routine every year. He stumbles into Christmastown and decides he wants to kidnap Santa Claus and take his job. Jack soon learns that the grass isn’t always greener on the other side.
3. Halloweentown
Marnie, a young girl who has always felt out of place, decides to follow her mysterious Grandmother home. Her siblings Sophie and Max tag along and the whole gang stumbles into Halloweentown. The children soon learn that their grandma, Aggie, is a witch and they all are too. Throughout the 4 movies, the children, particularly Marnie, learn to use their powers and fight off evil forces.
4. Casper
Casper is a friendly ghost who doesn’t care for haunting humans to the dismay of his rambunctious uncles. A specialist, James Harvey, moves into Casper’s home with his daughter Kat in the hopes of communicating with ghosts. Casper soon befriends Kat and falls in love with her which leads to many complications. A heartfelt yet spooky film perfect for the family.
5. Hotel Transylvania
When monsters want to get away, they vacation at Count Dracula’s Hotel Transylvania. All is well until a human stumbles into the hotel and quickly falls in love with Dracula’s daughter Mavis. There are 3 movies currently in this saga and the 4th is slated for 2021.
6. The Addams Family
The Addams Family follows a dark, creepy, and macabre family comprised of father Gomez, mother Morticia, daughter Wednesday, song Pugsley, butler Lurch, Grandmama, and a long lost Uncle Fester. The story begins as a man arrives at the Addams’ mansion claiming to be Uncle Fester. The family grows paranoid as the man knows very little of Fester’s life. The con man is able to get the family evicted and now the Addams clan must do everything to get their home back.
7. Corpse Bride
Victor, a young and timid man, decides to practice his wedding vows in the forest on the eve of his arranged marriage. A tree branch that turns into a hand drags Victor down into the land of the dead where he find Emily, a woman murdered by her husband who only married her for money. Emily, desperate for love in the afterlife, thinks she has found a kindred spirit with Victor and wants to marry him. Before he can go through with it, Victor finds out that his fiancée in the land of the living, Victoria, is destined to marry the same man as Emily, so he must go back to save her.
8. The Haunted Mansion
Jim Evers, a workaholic real estate agent, is badgered into taking a family vacation with his wife and kids. Jim makes a detour at a large mansion for sale hoping for a fat commission but soon finds out the house is haunted. The ghosts believe Jim’s wife, Sara, is the key to breaking the curse of the house. Jim must do everything he can to make sure that his family is able to escape the house and the ghosts.
9. Gremlins
A gadget salesman is looking for the perfect gift for his son’s Christmas gift. He stumbles into a shop in Chinatown and is fascinated by a creature known as a “mogwai.” The shopkeeper reluctantly sells it and warns to never expose it to bright light, water, or feed after midnight. Despite the shopkeeper’s warning, accidents happen and soon a gang of gremlins terrorizes the town on Christmas Eve.
10. Beetlejuice
After Barbara and Adam die in a car accident, they soon realize they are ghosts in their own home. Their house is sold to a new family whose mysterious daughter Lydia discovers the ghosts. Barbara and Adam do their best to haunt the Deetz family away with no luck. Desperate for help, they summon Beetlejuice, a rambunctious spirit, which soon causes trouble for both the ghost and the Deetz family.