To kick off the spooky season, watching these family friendly Halloween movies will especially take the month of October to a cozier level.
Charlie Brown- the Great Pumpkin
This classic peanuts tale focuses on the thumb sucking blanket holding Linus and his faith in the “Great Pumpkin”. When no one believes in the creature, Linus sets out to prove that the Great Pumpkin is no myth by spending the night alone in a pumpkin patch. This movie gives themes and a nostalgic Halloween feeling. It’s suitable for many different ages, and is a family friendly movie.
The Addams family (1991)
The 1991 movie The Addams Family follows a con artist who poses as long last Uncle Fester to steal the Addams Family fortune, but the plan goes awry when the real Festers memories are restored and he turns on his own mother. The Addams family movie is both the dark and aesthetic spooky movie for the Halloween season with its wholesome family core, a bi family movie to watch for the cozy spooky season.
Hocus Pocus
After moving to Salem, Max Dennison explores an abandoned house with his sister and their new friend Allison. After dismissing a story frees a cover of evil witches who used to live in the house. Now, with the help of a magical cat, the kids must steal the witch’s book of spells to stop them from becoming immortal. This movie is fun to watch with family and friends with genuinely spooky events.
Nightmare Before Christmas
The Nightmare Before Christmas film follows the misadventures of Jack Skellington, Halloweentown’s beloved pumpkin king, who has become bored with the same annual routine of frightening people in the “real world”.
When Jack accidentally stumbles on Christmas town, all bright colors and warm spirits, he gets a new lease on life, he plots to bring Christmas under his control by kidnapping Santa Claus and taking over the role. But, Jack soon discovers even the best laid plans of mice and skeleton men can go seriously awry. This is another family friendly movie with lots of iconic characters and a dark but humorous tone.
Haunted Mansion (2003)
A workaholic real estate agent Jim Evers is accused by his wife, Sara, of neglecting his son and daughter, so he takes the family on a vacation. Along the way, the family stops off at a sinister mansion that Jim has been asked to sell, only to discover it’s haunted by Master Gracey; his sinister butler Ramsley, and two other servants who need some help breaking a curse. The Haunted Mansion does not have terrifying themes but blends adventure with spooky. This movie s a comforting nostalgic choice for a cozy Halloween season.
Beetlejuice (1988)
After Barbara and Adam Maitland die in a car accident, they find themselves stuck haunting their country residence, unable to leave the house. When the unbearable Deetzes and teen daughter Lydia buy the home, the Maitlands attempt to scare them away without success. Their efforts attract Beetlejuice, a rambunctious spirit whose help quickly becomes dangerous for the Maitlands and innocent Lydia. Beetlejuice balances spooky supernatural elements, though some senes can be creepy, the tone is mostly playful.
Beetlejuice Beetlejuice (2024)
Still haunted by Beetlejuice, Lydia’s life gets turned upside down when her daughter discovers a primal to the afterlife. When someone says Beetlejuice’s name three times, the mischievous demon soon returns to unleash his very own brand of mayhem. Beetlejuice Beetlejuice has a nostalgic tone to it and autumnal aesthetic and family dark comedy making this movie fun to watch and can give a creepy but comfy spooky aspect.
Hubie Halloween
It’s October 31st is Salem, Massachusetts, and a town’s eccentric, devoted community volunteer and the good natured object of his fellow citizen’s derision and meanest pranks, finds himself in the midst of a real investigation, for a real murderer. Hubie Halloween is drenched in holiday spirit and focuses on the joy of the season rather than being scary.
Hotel Transylvania
When monsters want to get away, they go to Count Dracula’s Hotel Transylvania, a lavish resort where they can be themselves without humans around to bother them. On one special weekend, Dracula invites his creature friends to celebrate the 118th birthday of his daughter Mavis. However an unforeseen complication unfolds when an ordinary human unwittingly crashes the party and falls in love with Mavis. This movie reinterprets classic spooky themes in a family friendly way, creating a fun rather than frightening monster filled world.
Coraline
While exploring her new home, a girl named Coraline. Coraline discovers a secret door, behind which lies an alternate world that closely mirrors her own but, in many ways, is better. She rejoices in her discovery, until the Other Mother and the rest of her parallel family try to keep her there forever. Coraline must use all her resources to bravery to make it back to her own family and life. This movie is a little more spookier than others but isn’t considered a scary movie, this movie gives a little more spook to the season but can still be a cozy watch.
Monster House
Three teens discover that their neighbor’s house is really a living, breathing, scary monster. Teenagers TJ, Chowder, and Jenny think that after that mean old man Nebbercracker died from a heart attack at his house, they all think it’s over, but they are wrong. The Monster House gives strong fall Halloween themes and the themes of childhood friendship and team work.
Casper
A lonely ghost named Casper falls for teenage girl, Kat after her father, a ghost therapist, is hired to exorcise the manor he haunts. While Casper tries to bestfriend Kat, his three obnoxious uncles, Stretch, Stinkie, and Fatso, cause trouble. The movie Casper blends spooky themes with heartwarming elements, it focuses on friendship and family, it gives off a comforting feeling.
Scooby Doo (live action)
Two years after a clash of egos forced mystery Inc. to close its doors, Scooby Doo and his clever crime solving cohorts Fred, Daphne, Shaggy, and Velma are individually summoned to Spooky Island to investigate a series of paranormal incidents at the ultra hip Spring Break hot spot. The movie delivers comfort, playful low stakes humor. It provides the fun of spooky season film without the genuine scares.
These movies will guarantee a nice cozy Halloween season, without all of the scares. These family friendly movies are worth the watch, and will definitely upgrade the cozy Halloween season.
