Halloween is a special time for families, especially those who enjoy a good scare together. Like many, our family has a tradition of watching horror movies during this spooky season. Over the years, my wife and I, being responsible adults, have curated a selection of age-appropriate Halloween movies for our son. This task is more challenging than it sounds, especially with a demanding junior film critic in the house. Many online parent’s guides either recommend obvious movies for very young children or suggest films inappropriate for kids. Some sites even recommend showing kids extremely gory films like An American Werewolf in London or intense and violent movies like Alien and Friday the 13th. The goal here is to share a sensible set of suggestions for parents who know their horror but are also mindful of their children’s age and emotional well-being. Hopefully, these insights will help you discover some hidden gems to share with your kids without causing them future therapy bills.
Young Children: The Gateway to Horror is Scooby-Doo!
When our son was younger, his initial interest in horror stemmed from his fascination with dinosaurs. One afternoon, I put on Scooby-Doo! and the Loch Ness Monster. He became fixated with the monster and the “meddling kids” premise. Scooby-Doo, Where Are You! was my gateway to all things gothic. For young children, Scooby-Doo is a great place to begin celebrating Halloween. It features traditional horror archetypes, but everything is explained logically. The franchise has numerous incarnations to explore, from the original TV show to the live-action films and animated movies. These films are well-made, engaging, gothic, and not too scary.
Some recommended Scooby-Doo movies include:
- Scooby-Doo on Zombie Island
- The Witch’s Ghost
- Legend of the Vampire
- Where’s My Mummy?
- Camp Scare
Also, check out the Cartoon Network series Courage the Cowardly Dog for similar humor and gothic sensibility.
With young children, stick to animation. The Hotel Transylvania films offer friendly monsters. Other options include Monster Family and the 1967 Rankin/Bass Mad Monster Party. Tim Burton’s stop-motion films like Nightmare Before Christmas, Corpse Bride, and Frankenweenie are also great choices, but a little darker, so save them for slightly older children (7-8 years old). Coraline (by Neil Gaiman) also fits in this category.
Other animated options:
- Igor
- Monster House
- ParaNorman
- The Book of Life
- Coco
- Wallace & Gromit: The Curse of the Were-Rabbit
For very young children, The Trap Door and Will o’ the Wisp are worth tracking down. The Cosgrove Hall Count Duckula and the 70s BBC kid’s show Rentaghost are lovely options too. The original Addams Family show (1964) is fun, but save the 90s movies and Wednesday for older kids. The 2019 Addams Family animated film and its sequel are great for younger kids.
Infant School Age: Embracing Retromania in Horror
As children grow, finding movies that align with the Halloween spirit and remain child-friendly becomes crucial. The goal is to avoid swearing, threats to children, violence, menacing content, drugs, and any nudity or adult content. My advice here is to explore old movies. Classic cinema is mind-broadening, offering stories less generic and more engaging than modern CGI-driven films.
A good starting point for younger kids is 1950s B-movies. Films like Forbidden Planet, This Island Earth, and The Thing from Another World are great examples. If your child likes dinosaurs, start with The Beast from 20,000 Fathoms and the original 1956 Godzilla, King of the Monsters!
Classic 50s sci-fi shockers include:
- The Day the Earth Stood Still
- Them!
- The Incredible Shrinking Man
- Tarantula
- Invasion of the Body Snatchers
- The War of the Worlds
- The Blob
Many of these films are out of copyright and available in cheap DVD boxsets. Also explore Ray Harryhausen stop-motion fantasy and monster movies.
Some Harryhausen films include:
- The 7th Voyage of Sinbad
- Jason and the Argonauts
- Clash of the Titans
- First Men in the Moon
- The Valley of Gwangi
Don’t forget the original King Kong, by Harryhausen’s mentor Willis O’Brien.
Japanese kaiju movies are generally safe for children. These movies typically feature actors in monster suits fighting each other. The 1960s films are colorful and action-packed, such as:
- Son of Godzilla
- Ghidorah: The Three-Headed Monster
- Destroy All Monsters
- King Kong vs. Godzilla
- Mothra
During this period, we also included Ghostbusters, Casper, Tim Burton’s Beetlejuice, and Young Frankenstein, which are too funny to be taken seriously.
As our son grew, he transitioned from 50s sci-fi and monster movies into the Universal horror films of the 30s and 40s, marking an entry into true gothic cinema. These classic films include:
- Frankenstein
- Dracula
- The Wolfman
- The Mummy
- The Invisible Man
- Creature from the Black Lagoon
These old movies carry the essence of gothic film and literature and influenced everything that followed in the genre.
Junior School: From Dracula to Goosebumps
When our son reached 10, we explored early Hammer films and other content from that era, following the Universal monsters. Kolchak: The Night Stalker was a good transition. The BBC Ghost Stories for Christmas adaptions of M.R. James stories are also suitable.
Early Hammer films to consider include:
- Quatermass films
- Frankenstein films (up to Frankenstein Created Woman)
- The first Dracula
Films like The Mummy, The Reptile, The Devil Rides Out, and Plague of the Zombies are also good choices. If 60s Hammer films are suitable, then American International ‘Poe Cycle’ films starring Vincent Price, such as The Fall of the House of Usher, The Pit and the Pendulum, and The Masque of the Red Death, are also great.
Another important transitional step was Goosebumps – the books, the films, and the original TV series. The films are great and reminded me of some older teen horror adventure films, most notably Goonies and The Monster Squad. We also explored Something Wicked This Way Comes and The Twilight Zone movie.
High School: “This Is My Boomstick!”
By the pandemic, our Halloween film sessions became epic. Over the last few years, we have pushed the boundaries a bit more. We started to explore modern 15s movies after vetting them in advance.
Here are some movies we have let our son see in the last year or so as he hit high school:
- Psychomania (1973)
- Shock Waves (1977)
- The Haunting (1963)
- Tales from the Crypt (1972)
- The Fog (1980)
- Poltergeist (1982)
- The Others (2001)
- Invaders from Mars (1986)
- House (1986) and House 2 (1987)
- The Lost Boys (1987)
- Army of Darkness (1992)
- World War Z (2013)
This Halloween: “You Are What They Eat!”
This year, our son is 12. He has already presented us with his speculative Halloween film list, which includes Critters 1, 2, 3, and 4, Poltergeist II and III, Big Trouble in Little China, and It.
When selecting Halloween movies for your kids, be guided by your instincts about what your kids can handle. Utilize the IMDB parent’s guides and Common Sense Media, and trust the BBFC age ratings. Our baseline limits have always been:
- Violence and gore
- Level of menace
- Threats to children
- Adult material
- Drugs and alcohol
- Profanity
To summarize, start with cartoons for very young children. As they grow, introduce old black-and-white sci-fi and monster movies. By junior school, you can introduce early Hammer films and Vincent Price films. By high school age, you can explore more modern films, assessing the content carefully. As a final note, even though old, some of the classic 80s slashers and zombies are still far too gory and full of hormone-fueled teenagers for younger viewers. Always consider your child’s maturity level and sensitivities.
Have a very happy Halloween!
