Just like Christmas and December, October and Halloween go hand in hand. The spooky month wouldn’t be complete without carving pumpkins, trick-or-treaters, a few pumpkin spice delicacies, and, of course, scary movies. While classics like Nightmare on Elm Street, Halloween, and Scream are great options to binge-watch, there are also plenty of family-friendly films worth watching before October 31.
If you prefer shows over movies, Hulu and Disney Plus have assembled a full lineup of debuts to get you into the Halloween spirit, like Grotesquerie, the return of American Horror Story, Hold Your Breath, Mr. Crocket, and Carved. There’s also Marvel’s Agatha All Along, a Simpsons Halloween-themed short film, The Most Wonderful Time of the Year, and a Family Guy Halloween Special.
If you’re a movie buff and want something family-friendly that’s suitable for most ages, we’ve got you covered. We’ve compiled a list of the 13 best family-friendly Halloween movies available to watch on streaming services right now.
Family-friendly Halloween movies
Hocus Pocus (PG)
- WHERE TO WATCH: Disney+
Hocus Pocus follows a teenage boy, Max Dennison, as he explores an abandoned house with his sister, Dani, and their friend, Allison. The tale gets spooky when Max accidentally frees a group of three witches who used to live in the haunted house, the Sanderson sisters. The three youngsters implore the help of a magic cat to help them steal the witches book of spells before they become immortal.
This PG-rated classic, starring Sarah Jessia Parker, Bette Midler, and Kathy Najimy, has been a fan favorite since it was released in 1993. Despite its 20-year age, the movie continues to land well with fans of all ages. It’s a great film to set the mood before trick-or-treating.
Hocus Pocus 2 (PG)
- WHERE TO WATCH: Disney Plus
When you finish Hocus Pocus, don’t forget to watch Hocus Pocus 2, which is also available on streaming on Disney Plus. The long-awaited sequel, released in 2022, picks up 29 years after the Black Flame Candle was lit and awakened the Sanderson Sisters.
All three ladies reprised their roles in this film. The question is, can a group of three high school students stop the ladies before they wreak havoc on Salem this time around? You’ll have to watch and see.
Beetlejuice (PG)
- WHERE TO WATCH: Max
Beetlejuice follows the spirits of a deceased couple, Barabara and Adam Maitland, who are harassed by a family that has moved into their former home after they die in a car accident. The Deetz family, and specifically their teen daughter Lydia, are almost scared away by the haunted couple. That’s when Beetlejuice comes into the mix.
Lydia enlists the creepy but funny character to help her try to get rid of the home of its dead spirits.
The Addams Family (PG-13)
- WHERE TO WATCH: Paramount Plus (try it for free!)
If The Addams Family doesn’t scream Halloween, we don’t know what does. It’s the perfect holiday flick to watch before Oct. 31. In this classic, Morticia, Gomez, and Wednesday fight to save everything after an evil doctor attempts to steal their fortune by creating a fake version of their Uncle Fester, who has been missing for 25 years.
Haunted Mansion (PG-13)
- WHERE TO WATCH: Disney Plus
In this fun family adventure, a doctor and her 9-year-old son relocate to an affordable mansion in New Orleans only to find out that the place is haunted. It doesn’t take the mother-son duo long to figure out why the place was so affordable — you get what you pay for, right?
The family enlists a group of spiritual experts, including a priest, to rid the haunted mansion of its supernatural squatter.
It’s the Great Pumpkin, Charlie Brown (TV-G)
- WHERE TO WATCH: Apple TV+ (try it for free!)
This timeless animated classic has all of the Halloween elements in it. Join Charlie Brown, Snoopy, Lucy, and the gang as they celebrate Halloween. In this film, the animated characters prepare their Halloween costumes for trick-or-treating and stop at the pumpkin patch.
The Sixth Sense (PG-13)
- WHERE TO WATCH: Hulu
Arguably the scariest movie on our list, The Sixth Sense has just enough spookiness in it to scare even the oldest Halloween fans. In this 1999 film, Malcolm Crowe, played by Bruce Willis, tries to help a young boy, played by a young Haley Osment, overcome his ability to “see dead people.”
Coco (PG)
- WHERE TO WATCH: Disney Plus
No, this isn’t actually a Halloween movie. BUT… Coco shares a common ancestor with Halloween (the Catholic All Souls Day) as this film revolves about the Day of the Dead, also known as Día de los Muertos. The two celebrations are very different, but it doesn’t mean that Coco isn’t the perfect film to watch if you’re a Halloween fanatic.
The film follows 12-year-old Miguel, who is accidentally transported to the Land of the Dead. When he gets there, Miguel seeks the help of his deceased musician great-great-grandfather, to help him return to his family and reverse their longstanding music ban.
Casper (PG)
- WHERE TO WATCH: Peacock
Casper is a true ode to the 90s with Christina Ricci, Bill Pullman, Ben Stein, a ghost-human love interest (yes, really) and a heart-warming take on ghosts that challenges how you think about supernatural spirits. In this film, Casper peacefully haunts a Maine mansion, minding his own business most of the time. When a young girl named Kat, played by Ricci, enters his home, he quickly falls in love. But how, exactly, does a ghost date a human? You’ll have to watch and see.
The Nightmare Before Christmas (PG)
- WHERE TO WATCH: Disney Plus
The Nightmare Before Christmas tells the story of Jack Skellington, the Pumpkin king of Halloween Town. After stumbling upon Christmas Town, Jack decides to try to bring the joyful holiday back to his home, but it’s not without its own fair share of drama. Follow Jack, his rag doll-loving friend Sally, and his friends as they try to stitch things back together for a happy ending.
Halloweentown (TV-G)
- WHERE TO WATCH: Disney Plus
In this 1998 classic, Marnie and her family follow their estranged grandmother, Debbie Reynolds, to her home in Halloweentown. Reynolds, who happens to be a good witch, lives amongst goblins, vampires, and other witches.
Marnie soon discovers that she, too, is a witch and must step up to help save the day after an evil force takes over everything.
Toy Story of Terror (TV-G)
- WHERE TO WATCH: Disney Plus
Who doesn’t love a little Buzz Lightyear and friends? In this 2013 Halloween special, the toys find themselves at the center of their very own horror movie. The drama begins when the gang’s vehicle gets a flat tire on the way to Grandma’s house. The toys end up staying in a spooky roadside motel and disappearing one by one. Can Jessie save the day?
Zombies (PG)
- WHERE TO WATCH: Disney Plus
The first film in this Disney Channel trilogy features the teens of Zombietown who attend school with the students of Seabrook High. The students have to learn how to get along despite their differences. If you like this one, Zombies 2 and Zombies 3 are also available for streaming on Disney Plus.
Published: Oct 8, 2024 06:43 pm