If you’re filled with dread at the thought of watching The Exorcist , The Shining , or The Texas Chain Saw Massacre , that’s perfectly alright. After all, everyone deserves to enjoy Halloween time, and even if you hate horror, there are still ways to get in on all the seasonal fun.
We at Decider are committed to finding films and shows for everyone to enjoy, no matter their interests or phobias. So if you’re easily frightened, that’s okay, we’ve got a scaredy-cat-approved list of movies to watch for Halloween that range from the sinfully silly to fractionally frightening. We’ve got terrific titles with witches, the undead, ghosts, monsters, and murders, with at least one sure to catch your eye without making you run for the hills like a full-fledged horror movie might.
So without further ado, here are the 13 best Halloween movies for scaredy cats to watch all October long.
This dark fantasy comedy horror hit is so unapologetically goofy and original you’re definitely more likely to leave entertained than frightened. Beetlejuice follows a recently deceased young couple, Adam (Alec Baldwin) and Barbara Maitland (Geena Davis), as they attempt to scare away the family that has since moved into their home. In a fit of desperation, they turn to sleazy bio-exorcist demon Betelgeuse (Michael Keaton), only to unwittingly unleash his chaos on everyone around.
Clue is a deeply underrated comedic murder mystery inspired by the classic board game of the same name. The film follows six blackmail victims who are anonymously invited to an isolated mansion where their host is killed, turning each of them into a suspect. It’s up to the eccentric guests and house staff to solve the murder before anyone else becomes a victim.
Based on the beloved cartoon characters created by Charles Addams, The Addams Family is a supernatural black comedy film that follows the titular wealthy and macabre family as a man (Christopher Lloyd) claiming to be Gomez Addams’ (Raul Julia) missing brother Fester enters their lives on the orders of con artists attempting to fleece the family of their fortune.
Push past the body horror of this satirical black comedy fantasy film and you’ll get an entertaining experience that will fuel you through Halloween and beyond. Death Becomes Her revolves around frenemies Madeline Ashton (Meryl Streep) and Helen Sharp (Goldie Hawn) as they engage in a tug-of-war with the same man (Bruce Willis) that leads both women on a destructive path to immortality at any cost.
“I ain’t ‘fraid of no ghost” is exactly what you’ll be saying while you watch this beloved supernatural comedy that’s a lot more feel-good than fearsome. Ghostbusters centers on parapsychologists Peter Venkman (Bill Murray), Ray Stantz (Dan Aykroyd), and Egon Spengler (Harold Ramis) who set up a ghost removal service in New York City after getting fired from their university jobs. Their growing business leads them to hire Winston Zeddemore (Ernie Hudson), and together, the four Ghostbusters work to save the city from the paranormal, including a shapeshifting god of destruction.
Sisters Sally (Sandra Bullock) and Gillian Owens (Nicole Kidman) descend from a long line of witches. The two were raised in a small Massachusetts town by their unconventional aunts (Stockard Channing and Dianne Wiest) after a family curse killed their parents and have grown up mostly avoiding witchcraft save for some practical magic. But after Sally accidentally kills abusive Gillian’s boyfriend (Goran Visnjic), the sisters must give themselves a crash course in forbidden magic to end the family curse and stop an evil spirit from destroying them all.
Hocus Pocus (1993) WHO ARE THOSE WITCHES? Winifred Sanderson (Bette Midler), Mary Sanderson (Kathy Najimy), and Sarah Sanderson (Sarah Jessica Parker) Three condemned witches of Salem return from beyond the grave to get their revenge, but they have a lot to learn if they’re going to cut it in the ’90s. [ Where to stream Hocus Pocus ] Photo: Buena Vista; Courtesy Everett Collection
The only thing scary about Hocus Pocus is how much this movie roasts a teen boy for being a virgin (I guess that’s the ’90s for you). This fantasy comedy film follows the aforementioned virgin, Max Dennison (Omri Katz) in the wake of moving to Salem, Massachusetts, where he struggles to fit in. His problems only grow after an exploration of an abandoned house with his sister Dani (Thora Birch) and crush Allison (Vinessa Shaw) leads Max to accidentally awaken the trio of evil witches (Bette Midler, Sarah Jessica Parker, Kathy Najimy) who used to live there. It’s up to the three kids and a magic cat (Sean Murray) to stop the witches from returning to their full power and wreaking havoc on the entire town.
This clever Tim Burton and Henry Selick musical classic is sure to delight scaredy cat viewers of all ages with its artful stop-motion and rich, lived-in world. The Nightmare Before Christmas revolves around the King of Halloween Town, Jack Skellington (Chris Sarandon and Danny Elfman), as his discovery of Christmas Town inspires him to bring Christmas to his home, leading to a confusing and chaotic mixture of the two holidays.
This PG-rated parody brings the laughs with a farcical comedy horror follows respected medical lecturer Dr. Frederick Frankenstein (Gene Wilder) as he learns to embrace the work and legacy of his mad scientist grandfather after inheriting the late scientist’s Transylvanian estate. However, things swiftly grow complicated after the doctor’s new experiments lead him to successfully reanimate a dead body into his own living, breathing, and dancing Monster (Peter Boyle)
ParaNorman is a stop-motion animated comedy horror film that revolves around a misunderstood 11-year-old boy named Norman (Kodi Smit-McPhee) who has the ability to speak to the dead. Often preferring to be around the deceased instead of the living, Norman suddenly has the chance to become a hero to humanity by saving his town from a witch’s newly awakened centuries-old curse.
Shaun of the Dead (2004) Shaun of the Dead Rotten Tomatoes Score : 92% Shaun (Simon Pegg) is a shop salesman with absolutely no direction in his life. Shaun’s girlfriend Liz (Kate Ashfield) dumps him and it seems like the end of the world, but shortly after a zombie apocalypse hits London. Shaun must prove himself and his coolness in hopes of saving his family, friends, and the rest of humanity from the end of the world. [ Stream Shaun of the Dead on Netflix ] Photo: Everett Collection
Shaun of the Dead is an R-rated zombie rom-com that sees the uneventful life of dull, 30-something electronics salesman Shaun (Simon Pegg) quickly become a whole lot more interesting upon the advent of a zombie apocalypse. Determined to get his act together, a freshly dumped Shaun and his disheveled best friend Ed (Nick Frost) devise a plan to protect Shaun’s mother (Penelope Wilton) and ex-girlfriend Liz (Kate Ashfield) from the undead.
Embrace absolute Adam Sandler absurdity with Hubie Halloween , a comedic horror-mystery movie where dimwitted but good-natured Salem, Massachusetts delicatessen worker, Hubie Dubois (Sandler) finds himself embroiled in a crime. The longtime object of ridicule for the entire town (kids and adults alike), Hubie is suddenly Salem’s best hope of saving Halloween from the dastardly kidnapper attempting to ruin the holiday fun.
No Halloween season is complete without a viewing of this cult classic R-rated musical comedy horror film. The Rocky Horror Picture Show follows newly-engaged couple Brad (Barry Bostwick) and Janet (Susan Sarandon) as a flat tire during a storm leads them to take refuge at the otherworldly mansion of Dr. Frank-N-Furter (Tim Curry). The lovebirds soon lose their innocence amidst the doctor’s wild goings-on, including a rowdy party, skillful seductions, and bringing a muscular blonde man (Peter Hinwood) to life.
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