The top family-friendly Halloween films

Gather the family around and work your way through our pick of the best Halloween films. Who said they had to be scary?

hocus pocus 2

by Jack White |
Updated on

Now that we've entered the month of October, the countdown to Halloween is officially on.

A huge part of that countdown, and arguably the best part of spooky season, is watching Halloween movies.

Whilst horror movies might not be for everyone (and that's okay!) we've come up with a list of the best spooky films to watch this Halloween that everyone can enjoy, without feeling like you've got to sleep with the lights on.

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Family-friendly Halloween films

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CREDIT: Disney

Hocus Pocus & Hocus Pocus 2

We're starting out strong here. What more could you want than Bette Midler, Sarah Jessica Parker and Kathy Najimy as the infamous Sanderson sisters. If one movie wasn't enough, Hocus Pocus 2 is now available on Disney+ where the cast have returned over 25 years later, better than ever.

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CREDIT: Disney

The Nightmare Before Christmas

Ahh. The age old debate about whether it's a Halloween film or a Christmas film. Who says it can't be both? The Nightmare Before Christmas is just one of Tim Burton's (the unofficial king of halloween) amazing spooky movies. With an amazing soundtrack from Danny Elfman, who voice Jack Skellington himself, it's safe to say we'll definitely be watching this again at Christmas.

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CREDIT: Universal

Casper the Friendly Ghost

Starring a young Christina Ricci, Casper the Friendly Ghost proves that not all ghosts are bad, making it the perfect family friendly movie to watch this October.

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CREDIT: Warner Bros.

Beetlejuice

Possibly one of the best Halloween films of all time, Beetlejuice is yet another masterpiece from Tim Burton. Starring Micheal Keaton and a young Winona Ryder, Beetlejuice is a film that both adults and children alike can enjoy.

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CREDIT: Warner Bros.

Practical Magic

Practical Magic is a wildly underrated Halloween film in our opinion. Starring Sandra Bullock and Nicole Kidman as sister witches haunted by a family curse, Practical Magic didn't initially do well when it was released in 1998 but has since become a cult-classic.

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CREDIT: Warner Bros.

Scooby-Doo

Despite there being so many Scooby-Doo movies and TV shows, this one is a hands down winner. With Sarah Michelle Gellar and Freddie Prinze Jr as Fred and Daphne (and one of our favourite celeb couples irl), Linda Cardellini as Velma and Matthew Lilard as Shaggy, the Mystery Inc gang are sent to Spooky Island to uncover some spooky happenings at the theme park.

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CREDIT: 20th Century Fox

Edward Scissorhands

Johnny Depp stars as Edward Scissorhands ,the man who has scissors for hands, as he is taken in by Peg Boggs and thrown into the real world. He then falls in love with Pegs daughter Kim played by the queen of Halloween herself, Winona Ryder. Be prepared for a good cry towards the end.

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CREDIT: Netflix

Hubie Halloween

We love Adam Sandler in any movie he stars in, particularly when it involves Halloween. Hubie Halloween follows a Halloween-loving Hubie Dubois (Sandler) who must save the town of Salem from a kidnapper.

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CREDIT: Paramount Pictures

The Addams Family

One of the most popular Halloween films of all time, The Addams family are an eccentric,macabre, aristocratic family who reconnect with who they believe to be long-lost relative Fester Addams.

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Ghostbusters

Who you gonna call? Although this is one that pretty much everyone has seen, that is for good reason. With a soundtrack just as iconic as the film itself, Ghostbusters is fun for all the family.

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CREDIT: Columbia

Monster House

Another underrated film is Monster House. The film follows three children who discover that their neighbours house is a monster and they decide to try and kill it.

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CREDIT: Warner Bros.

The Corpse Bride

Helena Bonham Carter voices Tim Burtons corpse bride Emily who marries Victor (Johnny Depp) whilst he is practising his wedding vows in the woods to another woman.

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CREDIT: Disney

The Haunted Mansion

Based on the Disneyland ride of the same name, 2003's Haunted Mansion follows realtor Eddie Murphy and his family as they are trapped in a haunted mansion.

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CREDIT: Disney

Frankenweenie

Entirely in black and white, Frankenweenie tells the story of a boy who who brings his dead dog sparky back to life.

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CREDIT: Universal

Coraline

Despite this Coraline being marketed as a children's film, we'd say that it is creepy at the best of times for adults too. We'll be having nightmare about button eyes for a while now.

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