20 Movies to Scare You and Your Kids

 

 

20 Movies to Scare You and Your Kids  

                Halloween is quickly approaching and kids like to celebrate as much, if not more, than the adults.  Kids have sleep overs and parties and movies  can be a big part of this. Or maybe you’re looking for something scary to watch as a family but are wary of exposing them to something that they may not be ready for.

                Horror is not just an adult entertainment. Being scared is a part of the human experience, and even fun sometimes. Why else ride a roller coaster? Fear is a normal, universal, human emotion. Horror gives kids a chance to feel and express those emotions in a safe, controlled setting. What better time to explore those emotions than on Halloween?  

Even if you don’t have young children, there are other times when it might be useful to have some kid-safe horror movies. Maybe you’re a teacher or a librarian and you are looking for something meaningful with which to entertain kids. Or maybe, like Laurie Strode, you’ll be babysitting someone this Halloween and would like to enjoy a horror movie or two without having to worry about angry parents afterward.

                If you’re just looking for something that’s “kid safe” (i.e. no nudity, minimal profanity or gore) there are a few general things you can keep in mind. Generally, anything made before 1970 is “safe”. This is not always true but it’s usually true (Rosemary’s Baby was made in 1968 and I definitely wouldn’t show that to kids). The 70s was the era when sex and violence really took off in horror movies. Even Hammer Studios, who was always pushing the envelope, held off on most of the sex and blood until 1970.  Any of the old Universal Horror movies are safe and anything in the Godzilla franchise is safe.

                But something being “safe” for kids is not the same as being appropriate or even entertaining for kids. Creating something that is both scary and accessible to kids is not easy. The 1931 Dracula with Bela Lugosi is "safe" but would probably bore a lot of kids to death. The 1978 version of Invasion of the Body Snatchers, while "safe" would probably be confusing and over the heads of most kids and even younger teens. The 1979 version of Salem's Lot, while "safe" and easy to understand, is also 3 hours long, which may be asking too much for some younger viewers.

        Kid brains aren’t adult brains. They think much more concretely than adults so subtle context and implications may be lost on them. Kids also lack the decades of adult life experience that allow us to quickly categorize and dismiss new situations. Any new experience is likely to captivate a kid as they try to make sense of it. On the other hand, kids haven’t developed adult cynicism and the firm adult belief that one’s perceptions are all encompassing. Kids are much more likely to accept the fantastic at face value and without skepticism. 

        Teens, on the other hand, while missing the life experience of adults, have developed some abstract thinking skills and are able to appreciate things that children can't. Teens also develop so quickly that things that held their interest just a few years before, now seem childish and boring. 

             

 

        I should also say that there are a lot of Halloween themed kid friendly movies out there. I mean, who isn’t going to watch Hocus Pocus this season?  But in the list that follows are movies actually designed to be scary. Most, if not all, of the films listed are available on streaming or Youtube. You’ll notice that a lot of these movies are made by Disney. If your only knowledge of Disney is from the last 30 years, you may be surprised at some of the gems hidden away in their vault. Disney today may be a multi-billion dollar corporation, but they used to be very experimental, especially in the 1980s. Of course, in the 80s they could make movies like this without worrying that they might anger some group that would launch a social media campaign against them. Remember, Disney once made a movie, starring Bill Cosby, about children selling their souls to the Devil! Well, times change, I guess.

                One more thing about the appropriateness of these films; all children are different. Kids mature at different rates. It’s not possible to specifically say something is appropriate for all 8 years olds. And what actively engages one kid may utterly bore another. I’ve rated these movies with a very informal and fluid scale. “All ages” are movies that I think are safe to show any kid, no matter how old they are. “Older children and teens” are films that feature themes that may be over the head or too mature for young children but would be OK for older kids. If I wrote "with supervision" that doesn't mean the parent needs to watch the movie with the kid but that the movie may not be appropriate for everyone or there may be things you'll want to discuss. 

            I’ve tried to tell you enough about the film for you to decide if it’s right for the kids you have in mind. Toward the end are movies that I reserved only for teens. It’s not that I think children shouldn’t see these films, but be mindful of the situation and the maturity of the child.

 

The Adventures of Ichabod and Mr. Toad (1949)

                This is a Disney classic that you probably saw as a kid but may have forgotten about its power.

Its actually 2 stories, one narrated by Bing Crosby, the other by Basil Rathbone. The Mr. Toad story is a bit childish and not scary in the least. The Ichabod story however, adapted from Washington Irving’s  The Legend of Sleepy Hollow, is filled with creepy imagery.

                It’s a classic Halloween story and great for setting the mood. Its Disney from the 40s so you don’t have to worry about objectionable content. Small children will probably like the Mr. Toad story, but older kids will enjoy the Sleepy Hollow part as well. Also each story is about 30 minutes, so its easily consumed by those that might have a hard time sitting still or paying attention  long enough for a feature length movie.

Age appropriateness- all ages

 

-The Black Cauldron (1985)- This animated Disney film is an adaptation of the first two books of The Chronicles of Prydain series by Lloyd Alexander. The Horned King is a sorcerous villain trying to gain control of The Black Cauldron, an ancient relic powered by the evil spirit of a dead king. Possession of this cauldron will allow its owner to raise an undead army. His scheme is thwarted by a motley crew that includes, a princess, a swineherd, an ageing bard, and a mischievous hairy beast.

                This is not horror but it is dark fantasy. It does however, have lots of scary visuals and, at times, a dark atmosphere that will help get you into the Halloween mood. This is a Disney cartoon so there is a complete lack of nudity, profanity, or gore making it appropriate for even the youngest viewer. However, it has plenty of high adventure to keep it interesting.

                Fans of cinema will appreciate its cast of voice actors which includes John Hurt (Alien, Hellboy, Harry Potter), John Byner (Transylvania 6500, Wishmaster), Nigel Hawthorne (Watership Down, Demolition Man), Phil Fondacaro (Willow, Bordello of Blood) and Freddie Jones (Satanic Rites of Dracula, Dune, Krull).

Age appropriateness- All ages

The Secret of NIMH (1982)

                This is an animated movie from Don Bluth (All Dogs Go to Heaven, Anastasia, Land Before Time), based on the book, Mrs. Frisby and the Rats of NIMH.

                The story follows the plight of Ms. Brisby, a field mouse who is preparing to move her children from their home before the field is plowed. Her plan is made more difficult by a sick child she must care for and the dangers of the natural world, like a prowling tomcat that has taken the lives of many of the mice.

                She goes on a quest for help that takes her to a great owl, a city of rats and a magical destiny. The film very much feels like a classic fantasy despite its everyday setting of a farm.

                Its not a horror film but it incorporates frightening ideas and imagery, giving some of the scenes a real sense of danger. The film is rated G so is appropriate for all ages. It features an interesting voice cast with stars that were popular in the 80s ( Dom DeLuise, Peter Strauss) older stars (horror legend John Caradine) and actors that would become stars later ( like Shannen Doherty).

Age appropriateness- All ages

 

-Return to Oz (1985)- This Disney film is a kind of sequel to the original classic but the name is all they have in common. The difference in tone couldn’t be more drastic. This film is actually an adaptation of the 2nd and 3rd Oz novels, The Marvelous Land of Oz and Ozma of Oz.

                It picks up a year after the first film. Dorothy is back in Kansas and no one believes her about her trip to Oz. She can’t sleep anymore, thinking about Oz, and her aunt and uncle decide it’s time for intervention. They take her to a doctor who will use electric shock to get rid of all those pesky fantasies.

                Before that can happen she escapes to Oz but it is not how she left it. The Emerald City has been decimated. Its citizens, including the Tin Man and the Cowardly Lion have been turned to stone. The Scarecrow has been kidnapped by an evil being called the Nome King. A new witch, one with detachable, interchangeable heads, leads an army of maniacal cyclists.

                There is a complete lack of profanity or sex so theoretically it’s safe for all ages. This film can be disturbing in places though. It’s definitely dark fantasy and at times outright horror. It’s a great Halloween film for anyone that’s a fan of The Wizard of Oz.

                Adults will appreciate the cast. Nicol Williamson (from Exorcist 3 but known to most as Merlin from Excalibur) stars as the evil Nome King.  The real attraction here though is an impossibly young Fairuza Balk as Dorothy. She sells it really well and you can see her talent even though she was only 10 years old. This might be a nice companion piece to watch with The Craft.

Age appropriateness- All ages

Over the Garden Wall (2014)

                The story follows two step brothers as they venture through a vaguely fantastical land, trying to find their way home. They encounter various creatures and characters ranging from the mundane to the bizarre.  The story is broken down into 10 episodes, each about 10 minutes a piece. Viewing together they form one story.

                None of the episodes are “scary” but they all contain an element of menace and peril. The fact that the story can be consumed in 10 parts is perfect for those kids (or adults) with short attention spans that may not be able to make it through a 90 minute movie.

                The story feels like a fairy tale with the boys always journeying through the woods and meeting talking animals. Kids will enjoy the beautiful animation and strange characters. Adults will appreciate the story telling and notice a plethora of recognizable voices including Elijah Wood (Lord of the Rings), Christopher Lloyd (Back to the Future), John Cleese (Monty Python) and Tim Curry (Rocky Horror, Legend, It).

Age appropriateness- all ages

 

-Black Hole (1979)- One of the few Disney science fiction films, and one of the few films on this list not based on a book. A group of space explorers run across a starship that was thought to be long lost. It sits, precariously, on the event horizon of a black hole threatening to pull it in.

                The ship only has one surviving member; Dr. Hans Reinhardt, a once brilliant scientist now apparently gone mad.  The rest of the ship is filled with faceless drones and robots. Reinhardt’s chief servant is a rather satanic looking robot called Maximillian. Reinhardt plans to pilot the ship into the black hole, believing that he has found a way to navigate through it.

                While this sounds like a typical sci-fi premise, this film is filled with dark and scary imagery such as when Maximillian dispatches someone with his rotating blades. The ending of the film is especially disturbing when we see what looks like Hell on the other side of the Black Hole. The film originally got a PG rating for some profanity and violence. I’d say the imagery itself is the thing to be aware of. This would be an excellent Halloween film for any young science fiction fan that you may know.

                It has a great cast of top actors from the era including Earnest Borgnine (The Devil’s Rain, The Wild Bunch), Robert Forester (Alligator, Jackie Brown),  Maximilian Schell (A Bridge too Far, John Carpenter’s Vampires) and Norman Bates himself, Anthony Perkins. Of special note are the voices of two of the robots; Slim Pickens (Dr. Strangelove, The Howling) and Roddy McDowell (Planet of the Apes, Fright Night).

Age appropriateness- All ages but may need some guidance with younger viewers.

Want to know more? Read a review here.

Spirited Away (2001)

                This anime (Japanese cartoon) was a big deal when it came out, though that was literally a generation ago, and a lot of younger movie viewers may not have seen it. It was brought to us by Hayao Miyazaki and Studio Ghibli who have made the most consequential cartoons since the golden age of Disney. I said all that to say, this is high quality entertainment.

                Sen is a little girl who has just moved to a new neighborhood and accidentally enters the world of the kami (Japanese spirits). Her parents are turned into pigs by a witch. Sen, hoping to free her parents,  takes a job at a bath house that serves the local monsters and spirits. The movie is fun and breathtakingly beautiful. It has a sense of menace sometimes with various fantastic creature, especially the enigmatic No-Face. It really feels very much like a classic fairy tale though set in Japan rather than  Europe.

                When Spirited Away was made, anime and manga (Japanese comics) were just starting to develop a real foot hold in America moving from niche status to mainstream pop culture acceptance.  Today, millions of kids watch anime and read manga. Any of those kids would love Spirited Away. I’d also recommend it for creative kids who will love the vast array of fantastic creatures. But don’t worry. Even if you’re not familiar with the Japanese arts, you and the kids who watch it will totally appreciate it. There is no sex, profanity or realistic violence, so I can’t see much that anyone can take issue with. The only warning I would give is that it has a 2 hour run time, so keep that in mind with young kids.

Age appropriateness- all ages but may be too long for younger children

Coraline (2009)

                This is a stop motion animated film based on Neil Gaman’s novel of the same name. Coraline is an 11 year old girl moving into a new home after her family has travelled across the country.  In a new home, with no friends, and parents that are a bit out of touch with her, Coraline is unhappy.

                She discovers an entrance, hidden in the house, to a parallel world that mirrors her own except  that the people have buttons in place of their eyes. In most ways the alternate world seems superior to her own, including the alternate versions of her parents. She is given the chance to make that world her permanent home but it comes at a gruesome price.

                Coraline is a dark fantasy and has a persistent feeling of menace and dread. It was made by the same people that gave us Nightmare Before Christmas, so you know that you can expect quality animation.  This is a perfect movie for that quirky child who may sometimes see themselves as an outsider. While there is no nudity or gore, it may be a little too scary, and possibly over the head of small children.

Age appropriates- older children and teens

-Watcher in the Woods (1980)- Yet another Disney movie from the early 80s, this one is based on the book of the same name by Florence Engel Randall .

Jan is the oldest daughter in a family that has just taken up residence in an English manor with a gloomy, eccentric old woman (played by Bettie Davis). Almost immediately Jan experiences supernatural phenomenon including visions of a girl her age, trapped and blind folded.

                Her investigation into these occurrences unravel a Lovecraftian mystery including an alien presence lurking in the woods, alternate dimensions and children performing occult rituals. There is absolutely no sex, profanity or gore. Despite this, this film is so abstract that I think it would be over the heads of most children (and many adults for that matter). However, for a precocious older child or teen who likes the bizarre or mysterious, this might be a very engaging movie,

                Adults might recognize several of the cast members. Obviously there is Bettie Davis. The lead role of Jan is played by Lynn-Holly Johnson from Ice Castles and the Bond film, For Your Eyes Only.  Kyle Richards plays her younger sister. She appeared in Tobe Hooper’s Eaten Alive, The Car, Halloween, and Halloween Kills. She is also, interestingly, Paris Hilton’s aunt. David McCallum plays the father. He’s best known for his role as Illya Kuryakin in The Man from U.N.C.L.E. The mother is played by Carol Baker who had the title role in the erotic Italian film Baba Yaga

Age appropriateness- Older children and teens.

-Something Wicked This Way Comes (1983)-  And yet another Disney film! This movie, based on Ray Bradbury’s book of the same name, is probably the darkest on this list. Two young boys are caught up in the machinations of a carnival that comes to town led by the enigmatic Mr. Dark (Jonathan Pryce who shows up again a little later on this list).

                Mr. Dark is an obvious Luciferian figure. The carnival, which had come through the town many years before, is really a means for trapping people’s souls by tempting them with their darkest desires and unfulfilled dreams. Mr. Dark has a crew of mysterious villains to help him including the seductive Dust Witch (played by Pam Grier).

                The film is ultimately an examination of evil, exploring its eternal nature and how easily it worms its way into our psyches. The film is rated PG. There is no nudity and nothing in the way of violence or profanity that stands out. However, I do think the threatening nature of the film would be lost on most kids. The idea of losing your soul is pretty abstract for the mainly concrete mind of a child. Very mature older children and teens might be able to appreciate it, though of all the films on this list, this is probably the most intellectual. Save it for that young deep thinker that you know.

Age Appropriateness- Teens and some older children.

Want to know more? Read a review here.

-The Witches (1990)- This dark fantasy was brought to us by the marvelous mind of Jim Henson based on the book of the same name by Roald Dahl.

                The story centers around a young boy who runs afoul of a group of witches. They turn him into a mouse and in this form he must work with his grandmother to defeat the witches who plan to do the same thing to other kids as well.

                This is definitely a fairy tale with all of the menace usually associated with that genre. The witches hate children and seem really happy about doing them harm. The film starts off with a witch killing a little girl just to make sure that you know what you’re getting into. If you know Jim Henson’s other works, Labyrinth and The Dark Crystal, you have a good idea of what to expect.

                For adults it stars Morticia Adams herself, Angelica Huston, as the head witch. This film was also made before CGI took over so you can marvel at all the things they used to do with good old fashioned practical effects.

Age Appropriateness- Entertaining for older children and teens, but would probably be really scary for younger children.

Want to know more? Read a review here.

 

 

-Brothers Grimm (2005)- If you are familiar with the works of Terry Gilliam you know he always had a soft spot for mythology and fantasy and he could get quite dark and bizarre at times.

                In this tale, the Brothers Grimm (Matt Damon and Heath Ledger) are early 19^th century ghostbusters only they are sham artists. They make fake hauntings and then charge ignorant villagers a fortune to get rid of the “evil spirits.” The tables are turned on them when they are tasked with solving a real supernatural mystery.

                An evil, undead queen (Monica Bellucci) is kidnapping young girls for a nefarious scheme. At her command is an enchanted forest, a huntsman turned werewolf and various evil creatures.

                This movie has some stunning, creepy visuals. It was beautifully made and really conveys the feeling that you are in a fairy tale come to life. It was rated PG-13 but that is mainly due to its disturbing visuals like when a little girl has her face stolen, or another girl is swallowed whole by a horse. There is no sex, profanity or gore.

                Adults can appreciate the layered storyline and the awesome cast. Not only does it feature Heath Ledger, Matt Damon and the gorgeous Monica Bellucci, it features , Peter Stormare (Fargo, Constantine) Jonathan Pryce (from Something Wicked this Way Comes, Pirates of the Caribbean, Game of Thrones) and Lena Headey 2 years before  she was the Queen of Sparta and 6 years before she was Cersei Lannister.

Age appropriateness- Some older children and teens

Arachnophobia (1990)

                This is the story of a small town doctor (Jeff Daniels)  dealing with a plague of super deadly spiders that are over running his community and killing the towns people. It’s a well put together film with a supporting cast that includes John Goodman and horror veteran Julian Sands (Warlock).

                Its PG-13. There is some mild language and no nudity, though there is a scene with a girl in the shower but the camera stops short of showing anything. There are, however, lots of scenes to make your skin crawl, especially if you have a fear of spiders.

                A good movie if you want something to creep the whole family out.

Age appropriateness- older children with supervision and teens

Tremors (1990)

                This is a pretty popular movie, but it is almost 35 years old, so its possible that a lot of horror fans haven’t seen it or may not have realized its potential as a “kid friendly” movie.

                Two hard working losers (Kevin Bacon and Fred Ward) bust their butts trying to save money to leave the tiny desert town in which they live. Their plans are foiled when the town is besieged by subterranean monsters that are stalking the townfolk. The fellas team up with a colorful cast of characters including  Reba McEntire and Victor Wong (Big Trouble in Little China, Golden Child and Prince of Darkness).

                Tremors is a really entertaining movie with the perfect blend of action, humor and horror. There is some profanity, but it is not excessive and there is no sex.. It moves at a fast pace and is perfect for anyone with a cell phone shortened attention span.

Age appropriateness- older kids and teens

Van Helsing (2004)

                This super fun monster mash stars Hugh Jackman (known to the world as Wolverine) as the legendary monster hunter, Van Helsing. He is sent on a quest to save a family from Dracula. He is joined by Kate Beckinsale (Selene from the Underworld movies). Besides Dracula, he must face Frankenstein’s monster, a werewolf, and Dracula’s Brides.

                This is a fast paced, fun movie that adults and kids will both enjoy. Its PG-13. The violence is cartoonish and there is minimal profanity. There is no sex or nudity but Dracula’s Brides are pretty sexy. A great movie for young monster fans.

Age appropriateness- older kids and teens

Buffy the Vampire Slayer (1992)

                Plenty of people are familiar with the Sarah Michelle Gellar TV series but they may not have seen the movie that inspired it. The movie is very different from the series, having a much more comic, tongue in cheek feeling.

                The plot involves Buffy, a high school cheerleader, who finds out that she is destined to be a vampire killer and must deal with an undead menace that threatens her high school. The movie has a clever script and a great cast including Kristy Swanson, Luke Perry, Rutger Hauer, Paul Reubens and Donald Sutherland. Its funny with good special FX.  There is mild profanity and no sex. Its PG-13 rating is mainly for images of vampires being killed.

Age appropriateness- older children with supervision and teens  

The Mummy (1999)

                This is another film that was super popular but it is 25 years old so a lot of horror fans may not have seen it or think about it as something for kids.

                An ancient Egyptian lord, who died thousands of years ago, returns as a living mummy and brings with him a host of terrible things. A group of adventurers including a bookish archeologist, her scheming brother, and a charming rogue must defeat the evil.

                The movie is fast paced and fun from beginning to end. Its PG-13. There is a little profanity and no sex, though there is one scene with a scantily clad Egyptian queen. The visual imagery and themes (a man being buried alive, another man being eaten by beetles) is probably why it got a PG-13 rating. A fun movie that will entertain adults and kids alike.

Age appropriateness- older kids and teens

The Monster Squad (1987)

                Count Dracula has arrived in a small town with a whole cast of monsters in tow; the Mummy, the Wolfman, the Creature and Frankenstein’s Monster. The various adults in the town are oblivious to the threat and only a group of kids who are obsessed with monsters stand between Count Dracula and doom.

                The movie is really fun, told almost entirely from the perspective of the kids. It has beautiful practical FX and the monsters are wonderful modern reimaginings of the Universal classics. There is a fair amount of violence but most of it is of an exaggerated, cartoonish nature and not likely to bother anyone. The language is the only part of the film that people might find objectionable.

                The cast is young kids and they use the kind of accurate language that is the common parlance amongst junior high school kids. And, as is common among young kids, they are often abusive to each other (one of the characters is often referred to only as “Fat Kid”) and there is a smattering of homophobic language which, while common in the 80s, would definitely raise eyebrows today, so be aware of your audience.

Age appropriateness- older kids with some supervision and teens 

 

-House (1986)-This is a classic from the video store era of horror. Roger (William Katt) has inherited his recently deceased aunt’s house. She always believed that the house was haunted and he has good reason to believe her. His son disappeared inside the house without a trace. Now Roger hopes to solve the mystery of his missing son. He has to deal with interdimensional doorways, monsters, and the vengeful ghost of an old Army buddy.

                The movie is scary at times but has a weird humor that takes the edge off; not really a dark comedy as much as a horror movie that embraces the absurd. There is no nudity and almost no profanity. There is a fair amount of violence but nothing that even approaches the violence of most modern video games. The movie is rated R but I think that’s due to  its frightening imagery.

                Adults will like its interesting story. Generation Xers will find a lot of familiar faces. William Katt starred in Carrie and The Greatest American Hero. It also features Richard Moll (Bull from  Night Court) and George Wendt (Norm from Cheers).

Age appropriateness- Teens and possibly some older children

Red Riding Hood (2011)

                This story takes place in a vaguely medieval setting in an isolated village that has a werewolf problem. The people believe that they’ve found their solution by offering up an animal sacrifice every full moon. Eventually though , the werewolf starts claiming human victims. A zealous witch hunter (Gary Oldman from Dracula) is brought in.  He terrorizes the town in an effort to find out who is the werewolf. In the middle of all of this is Valerie (Amanda Seyfried, from Jennifer’s Body) who is in the middle of a love triangle with two good looking bad boys, both vying for her affection.

                The movie is PG-13 and not only is it appropriate for teens, it is essentially made just for them. While not reaching Twilight proportions, it is heavy on the young romance angle. Adults might roll their eyes at the tropes but young hormonal teens will probably eat it up. Despite all of this, it is actually a competent werewolf story as the villagers try to figure out who is the wolf amongst them.

Age appropriateness- teens

Lisa Frankenstein (2024)

                The story follows Lisa, a high school student who is having trouble dealing with both the trauma of her mother’s death and her new step-mother who treats her like an outsider.  Events conspire to bring a corpse in the local cemetery back to life. Lisa forms a friendship with the new zombie and their relationship turns romantic.

                There is a fair amount of violence though its of the cartoonish variety. The film is silly and though it is filled with horror imagery, this is the only film on the list that I would say is not scary at all. Its rated PG-13, not really for the imagery but for some of the themes. There is some sexual humor, drug/ alcohol use, and a scene where a boy tries to take advantage of a girl at a party while she is under the influence. I would imagine that nothing in the film is worse than the things that teens hear and see in their every day lives, but you need to be aware that those themes are present.

                It’s a good movie for goth teens or those with a quirky sense of humor.

Age appropriateness- younger teens with supervision and older teens

 

-Silver Bullet (1985)- A werewolf is terrorizing a small town. The only person to see the beast and live is Marty, a young, wheelchair bound boy. He enlists the help of his older sister and his uncle in an effort to uncover the monster’s identity and fight it.

                This is a fun movie but genuinely scary at times.  It has a Hardy Boys /Nancy Drew vibe. The climax of the film, which has the kids staying up late waiting for the werewolf would be a great way to cap off a night of staying up late to watch horror movies.

It has an R rating but there is no sex and little profanity. There is some gore but not that much. Ironically, it’s not the horror but some of the real world themes in the film that are more likely to be unsettling to a younger viewer. The film features some pretty down to earth subjects like family conflict, alcoholism, divorce, and suicide not to mention a very rocky relationship between Marty and his sister. I think this makes the movie all the better for some younger viewers who may see their life reflected in the lives of the protagonists.

                Adults will find a cast of recognizable favorites including Corey Haim, Gary Busey, Terry O’Quinn and Everett McGill.

Age Appropriateness- Teens

Ginger Snaps (2000)

                Two sisters, Ginger and Bridgette are a little odd (their hobby is making fake photographs of themselves as murder victims). They are also a little delayed in their physical development in that neither has started their period despite being well into adolescence.  Some unknown creature has been stalking the town, killing people’s pets. Ginger finds out, the hard way, that it’s a werewolf when she is attacked by it.

                Unlike most werewolf movies where the person changes on full moons, in this film, Ginger is slowly turning into a wolf, her appearance becoming more feral as the film progresses. Her werewolf transformation also coincides with the arrival of her period and her hormones are in overdrive. She becomes aggressive,  alienates herself from her sister, and gets really interested in boys.

                The  genius of this movie is turning lycanthropy into an analogy for puberty. There is some profanity, but not to the point of being shocking. There is a moderate amount of gore and violence.  There  is no nudity , but there are sexual situations as Ginger’s sex drive ramps up.

                This would be a good monster movie for any teenage horror fan but may be especially good for girls who may identify with the two main characters.

Age appropriateness- teens, maybe with some supervision

Want to know more? Read a review here.

-Sleepy Hollow (1999)- Tim Burton’s  movies usually have a heavy dose of the macabre but this dark fantasy is the only one of his films that is truly a horror film. It’s not an adaptation of the Washington Irving story, rather the film is inspired by it.

                In this story, Ichabod Crane (played by Johnny Depp from Ninth Gate, Edward Scissorhands) is a police inspector dispatched to the rural village of Sleepy Hollow to solve the mystery of various gruesome deaths. The village elders tell him that the culprit is The Headless Horsemen, an evil soldier from the Revolutionary War who has returned from Hell to claim heads. Crane insists that is just superstition and he believes that there is a rational explanation for what has happened.

                There is no nudity or profanity in the film. Its R rating comes from its gory violence of which there is a decent amount. I mean, it’s the Headless Horsemen. He cuts off heads. A lot of heads. There are some adult themes as well including a witch seducing the town minister but nothing that would be shocking if seen on network television. In fact, if it weren’t for the blood, the film could be shown uncut and easily get a PG rating.

                Of all the films on this list, this one has the most Halloween feel. It’s creepy and has a cold, autumn mood to it. The bleak cinematography adds to that as well as Danny Elfman’s score. It also stars Wednesday Adams herself, Christina Ricci.  If you have goth kids you’re spending Halloween with, this film is likely to be something they would enjoy.

                Adults will recognize a lot of the cast. Besides Depp and Ricci the film features Christopher Lee (Star Wars, Lord of the Rings and Dracula), Michael Gambon (the Harry Potter franchise), Casper Van Dien (Starship Troopers), Jeffrey Jones (Beetlejuice, The Devil’s Advocate), Richard Griffiths (also from the Harry Potter franchise), Michael Gough (Batman, Horror of Dracula),  Miranda Richardson (The Crying Game and yes, also the Harry Potter franchise), Christopher Walken (The Dead Zone, Prophecy), and the Emperor from Star Wars himself, Ian McDirmid.

Age Appropriateness- Teens

Want to know more? Read a review here.

The Company of Wolves (1984)

                This is a surreal anthology adapted from Angela Carter’s short story of the same name. All of the stories are about werewolves and involve the central character, Rosaleen, a teenage girl. The film is very much a fairy tale and feels like a Brothers Grimm story.  It’s a beautiful looking film with macabre environments and nightmarish imagery. It was directed by Neil Jordan, the man who would give us Interview with a Vampire ten years later. It has an excellent supporting cast including Angela Lansbury and David Warner.

                Its rated R. There is no profanity that I can think of. There is slight brief nudity for about one second. I think the R rating probably came from the scary visuals, a lot of which involved gruesome transformations of people into werewolves.

                However, its probably not the content, but the context of the film that you need to be aware of as far as deciding whether its appropriate for kids. The film is about werewolves, but tis also about the adolescent change from childhood to womanhood. While there is no sex in the film there is a kind of awareness of sexuality. Personally, I think this probably gets lost on most adults much less kids, but its something to be aware of.

                As I said before, its surreal and may be over the heads of a lot of kids. But if you have a mature teen that likes to read fantasies and fairy tales it would be perfect for them, likewise for a creative teen that might appreciate the dreamlike presentation.

Age appropriateness- teens with some supervision

                Well, I hope this list helps.  Have a happy Halloween!