Buzzfeed
17 Halloween Movies For Easily Scared People
Andy Neuenschwander
BuzzFeed Staff
October 4, 2014
If this is you watching scary movies”¦
”¦then you could probably use some movie suggestions for Halloween that AREN’T super scary. We got your back.
1. Hocus Pocus (1993)
Hocus Pocus is most definitely a movie for kids, but the nostalgia factor for those who grew up watching it makes it a Halloween necessity. For other adults, the delight of watching Bette Midler, Kathy Najimi, and Sarah Jessica Parker play the Sanderson sisters makes for good October entertainment.
Scariness Factor: 💀
2. The Addams Family (1991)
The perfectly cast movie adaptation of the classic TV show makes for great family-friendly viewing around Halloween, especially since there are enough jokes in here to keep the grown-ups entertained. You could watch Addams Family Values, too, but that’s best saved for Thanksgiving.
Scariness Factor: 💀
3. Beetlejuice (1988)
Scary only in the most cartoonish, Tim Burton”“ish sort of way, Beetlejuice sets the perfect tone for Halloween without specifically being a Halloween movie. Also, Michael Keaton is a national treasure.
Scariness Factor: 💀
4. Shaun of the Dead (2004)
If you’re feeling a little more bold, you can check out the first movie in the Cornetto Trilogy, Shaun of the Dead. Simon Pegg and Nick Frost star as lovable losers who face the zombie apocalypse with their friends and family, armed with nothing but their wits, a cricket bat, and maybe a pint if they’re lucky. Sure, there are zombies, but the comedy cuts down on the scariness.
Scariness Factor: 💀💀💀
5. Casper (1995)
This 1995 movie hasn’t aged particularly well, but Bill Pullman and Christina Ricci are just charming enough to make it worth a watch if you’ve exhausted some of your other Halloween viewing options.
Scariness Factor: 💀
6. Coraline (2009)
Based on the book by Neil Gaiman, Coraline is a beautifully animated stop-motion movie about a girl who finds an enticing but dangerous parallel world in the house her family just moved into. Don’t let the whimsy fool you: This one gets a little spooky at points.
Scariness Factor: 💀💀
7. ParaNorman (2012)
ParaNorman comes from the same studio that made Coraline, and the animation is just as gorgeous this time around. There are tense moments in ParaNorman, but ultimately the monsters are less scary and more sympathetic.
Scariness Factor: 💀
8. Fun Size (2012)
If you’re looking for something that ditches the magic and macabre for more real-life situations, Fun Size is your jam. The movie is more of a teen comedy that just so happens to take place on Halloween than a traditional Halloween movie, which makes it a nice departure from the norm.
Scariness Factor: Nonexistent
9. Ghostbusters (1984)
It’s Ghostbusters. What more do you need to know?
Scariness Factor: 💀
10. It’s the Great Pumpkin, Charlie Brown (1966)
There’s a Charlie Brown special for pretty much every holiday, and Halloween is no exception. If you want something with absolutely zero scares, you won’t be disappointed with It’s the Great Pumpkin, Charlie Brown. Or, at least you’ll be less disappointed than Linus is every year.
Scariness Factor: Nonexistent
11. The Nightmare Before Christmas (1993)
The greatest quandary in life is this: Do I watch The Nightmare Before Christmas at Halloween or at Christmas? The easy answer is to just do both.
Scariness Factor: 💀
12. The Corpse Bride (2005)
More love story than ghost story and more sweet than scary, The Corpse Bride is another Tim Burton offering that works perfectly for the Halloween season. The movie’s charm is only strengthened by the voice work of Johnny Depp and Helena Bonham Carter.
Scariness Factor: Nonexistent
13. Practical Magic (1998)
Rom-coms at Halloween? Sure, why not? Nothing wrong with a few spells and murders as long as it’s Sandra Bullock and Nicole Kidman doing the deeds. There’s some crime and witchcraft here, but not a lot else that would be considered scary.
Scariness Factor: 💀
14. Teen Witch (1989)
A teen comedy about using witchcraft to become more popular in high school, Teen Witch is one of the more family-friendly Halloween options out there. The only thing truly scary about it is how quintessentially late ’80s/early ’90s it is.
Scariness Factor: Nonexistent
15. The Witches (1990)
Since it’s based on the Roald Dahl book of the same name, The Witches is bound to have some scary parts – or at least grotesque ones. Dahl could get a little intense at times. Still, the movie is kid-friendly enough to work for families or those who would prefer to not have nightmares thank you very much.
Scariness Factor: 💀💀
16. Young Frankenstein (1974)
One of Mel Brooks’s greatest comedies is also a great Halloween movie for the horror-averse. Is there anything scary about Frankenstein’s monster singing “Puttin’ On the Ritz”? We think not.
Scariness Factor: Nonexistent
17. Cabin in the Woods (2012)
A horror movie from Joss Whedon was bound to be brilliant, and Cabin in the Woods did not disappoint. There are scary moments to be sure, but the comedy and the meta-ness of it all removes you from the fray just enough so you are more of an observer of the violence, rather than a participant. You’ll definitely be frightened at points, but chances are you’ll lie awake thinking about the movie’s brilliance instead of worrying about monsters.
Scariness Factor:💀💀💀💀
