13 Spooktacular Movies to Watch this Halloween – Family Friendly

Jack Skellington, the pumpkin king of Halloween Town, is bored with doing the same thing every year for Halloween. One day he stumbles into Christmas Town, and is so taken with the idea of Christmas that he tries to get the resident bats, ghouls, and goblins of Halloween Town to help him put on Christmas instead of Halloween — but alas, they can’t get it quite right.

After delving into the supernatural one time too many, the scientists and ambitious paranormal researchers, Dr Peter Venkman, Dr Raymond Stantz, and Dr Egon Spengler, find themselves out of work. Intent on proving everyone wrong, the team comes up with “Ghostbusters”, a paranormal search-and-destroy service, targeting the Big Apple’s rogue spirits, until they come face-to-face with the ancient shape-shifting demon, Gozer the Destructor. Now, the possessed former client, Dana Barrett, and her love-smitten neighbour, Louis Tully, are up to something, eager to usher in a new era of evil. For the first time in their career, the Ghostbusters are on to something big; however, do they have what it takes to thwart the interdimensional entity’s malevolent plans?

300 years ago, the Sanderson sisters had practiced witchcraft and been punished. Now it’s Halloween 1993 and Max Dennison has lit the candle that is said to bring the witches back to life. Now Max, his girlfriend Allison, and his kid sister Dani must save all the kids in Salem from the witch sisters including leader Winifred, goofy Sarah, and high-strung Mary who will steal the lives of children.

The Addams Family steps out of Charles Addams’ cartoons. They live with all of the trappings of the macabre (including a detached hand for a servant) and are quite wealthy. Added to this mix is a crooked accountant and his loan shark and a plot to slip the shark’s son into the family as their long-lost Uncle Fester. Can the false Fester find his way into the vault before he is discovered?

When Coraline moves to an old house, she feels bored and neglected by her parents. She finds a hidden door with a bricked up passage. During the night, she crosses the passage and finds a parallel world where everybody has buttons instead of eyes, with caring parents and all her dreams coming true. When the Other Mother invites Coraline to stay in her world forever, the girl refuses and finds that the alternate reality where she is trapped is only a trick to lure her.

The eternally irritable Ms. Carrigan Crittenden (Cathy Moriarty) discovers that the only thing she’s been left in her recently departed father’s will is a rickety old house in New England. Naturally, the woman is furious about this, until her “close personal friend” and assistant, Paul “Dibs” Plutzker (Eric Idle), discovers a secret message that a treasure may be concealed somewhere in the house. The two take off for Friendship, Maine, only to learn that the house is haunted by Casper (Malachi Pearson) “the friendly ghost” and his three ghostly uncles Stinkie (Joe Alaskey), Stretch (Joe Nipote), and Fatso (Brad Garrett). After futilely recruiting an exorcist (Don Novello, as Father Guido Sarducci from Saturday Night Live (1975)) and a “professional ghost exterminator” (Dan Aykroyd), she brings in “ghost psychiatrist” Dr. James Harvey (Bill Pullman) and his daughter Kat (Christina Ricci). Innocently attracted to the young girl, Casper befriends Kat as they try to save the ghosts’ home from the evil Carrigan. Eye-popping special effects highlight this magical story that touches (albeit lightly) on the theme of what lies at the heart of human desires.

Victor Van Dort, son of fish merchants, finds himself in an arranged marriage with Victoria Everglot, a high-society woman whom he’s never even spoken to. After Victor horribly messes up the wedding rehearsals, he ventures deep into the woods while practicing his vows. However, once he finally gets them right, he discovers he accidentally recited them to a corpse. His new, dead bride takes him with her to the Land of the Dead, while his living fiancé waits desperately for his return in the Land of the Living. With two brides both pining for him, Victor must decide between his love-at-first-sight fiancé Victoria, or his tragic corpse bride Emily.

The Peanuts gang celebrates Halloween, with Linus hoping that, finally, he will be visited by The Great Pumpkin; while Charlie Brown is invited to a Halloween party.

Marnie, Dylan, and Sophie Piper have their first out of many adventures! On Halloween, while Marnie is arguing with her mother Gwen, the kids’ grandmother Aggie comes to visit. Aggie wants to start Marnie’s witch training before her 13th birthday or Marnie will lose her powers forever. But there is another reason for Aggie’s visit. Something dark & evil is growing in Halloweentown & Aggie wants help to defeat it. While Aggie & Gwen are arguing, Aggie uses magic which Marnie observes. After Aggie leaves to return to Halloweentown, Marnie, Dylan and, unknown to Marnie and Dylan, Sophie follow her onto the return bus. Soon afterwards, Gwen follows the children to Halloweentown. While there, Aggie & Gwen are attacked by the dark force in a movie theater. Marnie, Dylan & Sophie race to get the ingredients to activate Merlin’s Wand to stop the evil.

On Halloween night, two precocious little girls try to save their parents from their nasty old capitalist aunt’s greedy clutches. Magic abounds and they meet mysterious new friends along the way.

In 1895, Dracula builds a resort in Transylvania, hidden from the humans, to raise his beloved daughter Mavis in a safe environment. In the present, the place is the Hotel Transylvania, where monsters bring their families to vacation far from the frightening humans. Dracula invites his friends – Frankenstein and his wife Eunice; Wayne and Wanda, the werewolves; Griffin, the invisible man; Murray, the mummy; Bigfoot, among others – to celebrate the 118th birthday of Mavis. When the party is ready to start, the 21-year-old Jonathan is walking through the forest and stumbles upon the hotel. Dracula sees Jonathan and disguises him as a monster to hide Jonathan from the guests. But Mavis also sees Jonathan and Dracula forces him to pose as a monster. Soon Mavis believes that Jonathan is the “zing” of her life despite the advice of her father about humans.

When young Victor’s pet dog Sparky (who stars in Victor’s home-made monster movies) is hit by a car, Victor decides to bring him back to life the only way he knows how. But when the bolt-necked “monster” wreaks havoc and terror in the hearts of Victor’s neighbors, he has to convince them (and his parents) that despite his appearance, Sparky’s still the good loyal friend he’s always been.

In the magic realm of Coventry, the twin sisters Artemis and Apolla are saved by their protectors Illeana and Karsh from the Darkness and brought to another dimension. They are adopted by different families but in their twenty-first birthday, their protectors force them to meet each other. Alex Fielding lost her mother three months ago and is alone seeking a job while Camryn Barnes lives with her beloved wealthy parents. Once together they find that they have magic powers and they should return to Coventry to save their biological mother and their kingdom from the Darkness.

Try these 13 movies for a more family friendly spooky experience. If you would like a film list for a more mature audience check out my previous article: 13 Spooktacular Movies to Watch this Halloween – For Older Teens and Adults. Kids of all ages out there, have a safe and spooktacular Halloween.

Tech on and have a happy Halloween.