I’m going to be honest here: Finding something to watch as a family that will get my kids into the Halloween spirit — but won’t send them creeping into my room at 2 a.m. trembling from a nightmare — is one of my greatest challenges. It takes just the right mix to get that perfect spooky (but not too spooky) feel so that the whole family is left ready to hit the neighborhood, pillowcases in hand, for a festive Halloween. 

So grab your costumes and a bucket of fun-sized candy and dive into these 13 films and shows that will do just the trick (or treat) — including a few slightly scarier options for those who might want to be a little more daring this season.

Wednesday

Wednesday is the perfect way to get you and your family in the creepy, kooky spirit. It’s a Tim Burton production at its best, with all that dark imagery and offbeat humor — a show that isn’t too scary, but just haunting enough to fill the room with the perfect Halloween vibe. The cast includes Luis Guzmán and Catherine Zeta-Jones as Gomez and Morticia and Jenna Ortega as the iconic Wednesday. As a father of teenagers, I absolutely loved this show for the interactions between Wednesday and her parents. Yes, it all happens in the most Addams Family kind of way, like when Morticia mentions giving Wednesday her first “grave-robbing kit,” as if that’s a casual coming-of-age milestone. The eye rolls from Wednesday every time she interacts with her absolutely doting parents are familiar to any parent raising a teen who’s ready to leave the nest. When my family watched this together, my wife and I kept giving each other knowing looks that seemed to say, “This show understands the parenting struggle.” At the same time, our two teens were giving each other a similar look, only their eyes seemed to say, “This show understands the teenager’s struggle.” A second season has already been announced, and this Halloween would be a great time to get ready for the next Wednesday adventure. 

Wednesday

2022

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Troll

This 2022 Norwegian film is one of the best new introductions to the monster movie genre. When it was burning up the Netflix Top 10 last December, my family decided to give it a shot, and — no lie — my kids spent 70 of its 101 minutes on the edge of our sectional with their mouths open. The movie kicks off with a drilling operation tunneling through the Norwegian mountains, which results in an eruption that awakens a monstrous troll, who goes on to wreak havoc on surrounding communities. The film has a number of winks and nods to monster movie pioneers like Godzilla and King Kong, lots of action, and a wonderful take on the Norwegian troll myth. I will, however, qualify this recommendation by noting the film might just be a little too intense for younger children. But if you have older kids who are fascinated by monsters, Troll is a fun family way to invite a new creature feature to your Halloween festivities. 

Troll

2022

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Mr. Harrigan's Phone

This film is based on a haunting novella from the horror master himself, Stephen King. If you have older kids, particularly teens who spend a lot of time on their phones, this movie is almost too perfect. Here’s the premise: Craig (Jaeden Martell) is a teen who befriends Mr. Harrigan (Donald Sutherland), a curmudgeonly local billionaire. As a gift, Craig gives Mr. Harrigan his first smartphone. When Mr. Harrigan dies, Craig discovers that he can still communicate with his deceased friend via his phone — and then, in the most Stephen King way possible, chilling things begin happening to people who happen to cross Craig. My teenagers loved the movie, and while it didn’t keep them up at night, at one point I caught both of them looking at their phones with the same sort of wide-eyed caution they once saved for a dark bedroom closet. And then — brace yourself — they actually put their phones away. For a father with phone-obsessed teens, this was extremely satisfying to see.

Mr. Harrigan's Phone

2022

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Lemony Snicket's A Series of Unfortunate Events

This show is dark and just a little spooky, but ultimately, it’s an absurd comedy that is incredibly true to the original books. I don’t know if I could ask for someone more fit to play the wonky and evil Count Olaf than Neil Patrick Harris, living in his gothic, rundown estate. Ultimately, the whole show gave me the opportunity to talk about how excellent these books are, and got my kids interested in reading them as a lead-up to Halloween.

Lemony Snicket's A Series of Unfortunate Events

2004

Remind Me

Hubie Halloween

I watched Hubie Halloween last year with my teenage son, and we laughed — sure, because Adam Sandler. And yes, I understood twice as many jokes as he did, seeing as how the movie seems to be perpetually winking and nodding at previous Adam Sandler characters (cue Ben Stiller as Hal the Orderly). But what really makes this a great Halloween family movie is the wacky mixed with creepy, as Sandler’s goofy and charming Hubie saves his town on Halloween night. It‘s also loaded with offbeat jokes and characters that will leave the whole family giggling and excited for spooky season.

Hubie Halloween

2020

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Goosebumps

Parents who grew up in the ’80s, ’90s and 2000s, this is your chance to introduce your kids to the awesomeness that is Goosebumps. There seemed to be 800 million of these books at the school library when I was a kid, and this series stays true to R.L. Stine’s delightfully creepy source material. It’s just like you remember: eerie, but never too frightening. One of the fun things my family did was flip through episodes that I remembered, talked about haunted villains that were popular (the mummy, the dummy…) and just soaked in the Goosebumps vibes as we ate some skeleton-shaped gummy candy.

Goosebumps

1995

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DreamWorks Spooky Stories

Can we all just agree that Shrek is the best? This is one of the few unanimous opinions held among my family of five, and believe me, that says a lot. I can’t even get my kids to agree on, well, anything. So when I suggested we check out Dreamworks Spooky Stories to get ready for Halloween, it was the easiest sell of my life. Top to bottom, regardless of opinions or pending sibling arguments, all the kids excitedly signed on. This series contains three hilariously spooky episodes, including the classic “Scared Shrekless” and a “Monsters vs. Aliens” short. You’ll hear some members of the original voice cast (like Mike Myers and Antonio Banderas) and the whole vibe is perfect fodder for a fun family Halloween adventure.

DreamWorks Spooky Stories

2009

Remind Me

The Spooky Tale of Captain Underpants Hack-a-ween

I find Captain Underpants hilarious. Maybe it’s because I’m still a preteen at heart. I read the books with my son, and they got him interested in reading. In fact, for a long time, they were the only thing he’d read. We did the same thing with my youngest daughter, and now it’s the only thing she’ll read. Thus, The Spooky Tale of Captain Underpants Hack-a-Ween was a huge hit. Yes, it contains a lot of Captain Underpants–style low-brow humor. No surprises there. But if you have young readers who are obsessed with Captain Underpants, this movie is a surefire way to get in the Halloween spirit, while also instigating a lot of snort-laughing in your living room. Trust me, I know.

The Spooky Tale of Captain Underpants Hack-a-ween

2019

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A Babysitter's Guide to Monster Hunting

My teenage daughter recommended this one, mostly based on the title alone (she’s a huge fan of The Baby-Sitters Club), and it didn’t disappoint. It’s the story of a very precocious teen babysitter, Kelly Ferguson (Tamara Smart, leading a wonderfully multicultural cast), who discovers that there are boogeymen and monsters set out to terrorize children at night. And as the title suggests, she learns to hunt them. The monsters are scary, but a little wacky at the same time. What my kids loved the most, particularly my two daughters, is that they were left with this feeling that, with enough gumption, they could give the monsters of this world a run for their money.

A Babysitter's Guide to Monster Hunting

2020

My List

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Scaredy Cats

My daughters have had this show on repeat since its release last October. When we went on a family vacation over the summer, they downloaded it for the drive, and anyone who’s ever prepped for a long road trip knows that’s a high mark of praise. It has good and evil, black cats, witches and magic. It’s imaginative, with quirky kiddos learning about a new world, and last year my youngest daughter abandoned her original Halloween costume to be a witch, simply because of this show.

Scaredy Cats

2021

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Chickenhare and the Hamster of Darkness

The whole family was a little blindsided by how fun this movie was, my teenagers included. It has this wholesome Indiana Jones adventure vibe, with a creepy evil uncle and the true Halloween hook: the green, glowing Hamsters of Darkness. It’s the story of Chickenhare, living a fish-out-of-water life, longing to be a treasure-seeking adventurer like his adoptive father but never fitting in as a chicken or a hare. There’s a lively skunk, Meg, who had all of us giggling, particularly when she skunked out a tavern during a brawl. Every time the Hamsters of Darkness made an appearance, my two youngest snuggled a little closer to me on the sofa, but by the end they couldn’t stop talking about how much fun this movie was.

Chickenhare and the Hamster of Darkness

2022

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Enola Holmes

This year, we’ve talked about pairing the original film with its 2022 sequel for a fun double feature. It’ll make for the perfect opportunity to throw a pre-Halloween Sherlock Holmes party, with detective costumes and magnifying glasses. But honestly, do you need an excuse to be poorly dressed Victorian-era detectives? Indubitably not.

Enola Holmes

2020

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Nightbooks

My family really loved this movie. But I will say, if you have kids who are easily frightened, you might want to hold off on this one. It’s a modern retelling of Hansel and Gretel, but there’s also a hint of Baba Yaga, with a dash of The Shining. It’s the story of Alex Mosher, a young boy who loves writing scary stories. He ends up trapped in a magical apartment controlled by a witch who makes him write her stories each day. The film is produced by famed Evil Dead and Army of Darkness director Sam Raimi, and anyone who loves horror films will see a number of winks and nods to the classics, making this a wonderful gateway for kids who might be interested in scarier movies.

Nightbooks

2021

My List

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