5 Halloween-Themed Movies To Watch With The Family

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It's almost Halloween. Time to start penning a list of must-watch horror movies. But what to watch? Want to binge incredible found footage horror films? Or would you rather scout Netflix for an underrated scary sci-fi flick? That's all well and good if you hang out with people your age, but what if you have a family?

While many people love a good scare during the spooky season, children are often less receptive. Sure, they love trick-or-treating, but what if your kid (or your niece, nephew, or grandkid) wants to join you on the couch for movie night? You can't exactly turn on "The Cabin in the Woods." That's way too bloody and mature. However, you can still find plenty of Halloween-themed movies that are appropriate for all (or most) ages. These movies might lack the scares you're used to or desire, but they're perfect for getting your younger family members into the Halloween season and acquainting them with the age-old pastime of watching scary movies.

Read on to find some Halloween-themed films we highly recommend watching with the family. These entries are listed in no particular order.

Let's say you want to introduce your kids to the concept of trick-or-treating, but you're not sure how to do it. You could just ask them what they want to dress as, take them door to door, and hope this trial-by-fire method doesn't backfire. Or you ease them in with an animated film about being brave.

The movie "Scary Godmother: Halloween Spooktacular" (based on the first book in the "Scary Godmother" series) revolves around Hannah, a girl who wants to go trick-or-treating with her older cousin Jimmy and his friends. Instead, they prank Hannah by locking her in a purportedly haunted house ... which just so happens to be occupied by the titular Scary Godmother. And she's throwing a Halloween party for her friends. What follows is a story that teaches audiences about inclusivity and not judging books by their covers. Not even if they're vampires.

Since "Scary Godmother: Halloween Spooktacular" is aimed at young children, scares are almost nonexistent, but comedy is plentiful. While the most direct jokes should make kids laugh, much of the subtext will land for older audiences. And at only 43 minutes, you can watch the film any time you like. Plus, you don't even need to spend your hard-earned cash on a streaming service — you can currently stream "Scary Godmother: Halloween Spooktacular" for free on YouTube. Oh, and its sequel, "Scary Godmother: The Revenge of Jimmy," is available there as well.

The "Scary Godmother" films are simple, made-for-TV movies produced by Mainframe Studios (previously Mainframe Entertainment, the company behind "ReBoot" and "Beast Wars: Transformers"). But what if you want to show your family a CG movie with a little more bite — and a bigger budget? There's always "Monster House."

As its name suggests, "Monster House" is a movie about a house that is, well, a monster. It's still a house, but it's sentient and eats anyone who comes near. Of course, nobody believes this, save for a trio of children who take it upon themselves to stop the house. It's almost Halloween, after all, and nobody wants to get eaten on Halloween.

"Monster House" is a product of its time, as it features some kid-friendly gross-out humor and light scares, but it is actually deeper and darker than one might expect from a CG movie aimed at kids. Not super dark, but dark enough for children to understand and adults to appreciate. Currently, you can stream the movie on Peacock or rent it on Fandango. While searching for the movie on Netflix brings up a page that provides a "Remind Me" button, there is no indication "Monster House" will return anytime soon. And no, even though you can use a VPN to access Netflix movies that aren't normally available in your country, this trick won't work here. The movie has seemingly been delisted from the platform the world over.

In 2022, Disney released "Hocus Pocus 2" to middling reviews. Still, while the movie isn't spectacular, it was enough to receive three Emmy nominations. But you know what they say about disappointing follow-ups and remakes: There's always the original.

1993's "Hocus Pocus" is a Halloween-themed comedy film that centers around a small coven of witch sisters after a boy accidentally revives them in, of all places, Salem, Massachusetts. And on Halloween, no less. Initially, audiences didn't like "Hocus Pocus" — Roger Ebert gave the film one out of four stars — but the general consensus has lightened up considerably over the years — look no further than the sequel for proof. Today, "Hocus Pocus" is mostly viewed as a guilty pleasure. It's not mind blowing, and some aspects are certainly dated (the movie focuses on the protagonist's status as a virgin a little too much, so much so that it's a vital plot point), but it does enough right and is campy enough to put a spell on audiences.

"Hocus Pocus" is currently available on Disney+, and you can also watch "Hocus Pocus 2" and the film's 25th anniversary celebration special through that platform. Plus, when "Hocus Pocus 3" eventually releases (yes, another sequel is currently in the works), you can also probably stream it through Disney+, too.

The "Scooby-Doo" franchise has survived since its inception in the late 1960s. The property has seen its share of ups and downs (it has the unenviable shame of spawning "Velma," one of the worst-rated shows in HBO history), but if we're being honest, "Scooby-Doo" might not be the franchise it is today if it weren't for the "Scooby-Doo" movie. And no, we're not talking about the live-action one.

"Scooby-Doo on Zombie Island" is a sequel of questionable canonicity to the original series (blame the movie "Scooby-Doo: Return to Zombie Island"). The movie stars the original characters — and some of the original voice actors — as they visit an island haunted by ghosts and zombies. In true "Scooby-Doo" fashion, the gang approaches the location under the impression that it's all just smoke, mirrors, and people in rubber masks trying to scare away locals, but the trailer assures audiences that this time, the monsters are real.

While the main plot twist is sort of ruined before the movie even begins, it still opens up the door for an adventure that is darker and with higher stakes than your average "Scooby-Doo" mystery, all without losing the original series' kid-friendly camp and silliness. Unfortunately, you can't stream "Scooby-Doo on Zombie Island" on any platform — not even the most-watched free streaming platforms, Tubi and Roku, have it. However, you can rent and purchase the film through services such as Amazon Prime Video. Just don't buy the bundle, as that comes packed with the inferior "Return to Zombie Island" movie. You're better off acting like that film doesn't exist.

Trick-or-treating is as much a childhood activity as it is a family one. Sure, children are encouraged to dress up and ask for candy, but plenty of adults join in on the costumed fun while chaperoning children. Donning matching costumes is an excellent family bonding activity. You know what they say: The family that scares neighbors together stays together. Okay, that's not really a saying, but the Addams family thinks it is.

You can't discuss families and Halloween without talking about the de facto family of spooky-and-kookiness: The Addams Family — specifically, their live-action movies, "The Addams Family" and "The Addams Family Values." These films take place in the same continuity and fittingly deal with new additions to the titular family — Uncle Fester after missing for so many years in the former, and a new baby in the latter. The "The Addams Family" movies aren't scary, which is perfect for younger audiences, but they have a dark-yet-playful sense of humor that might not be appropriate for very young children. Oh, and we have to mention that the films include some of the late great Raúl Juliá's best performances.

Currently, you can stream "The Addams Family" and "Addams Family Values" through Paramount Plus and Pluto TV. Thankfully, you won't need to worry about search engines conflating the live-action film with the more recent animated "The Addams Family" film from 2019, as that's currently only available through Peacock.