Spooky season is one of my favorite times of the year. We decorate for Halloween on October 1st, are well into the making of our costumes, and are ready for the seasonal favorite Halloween movies. I am sure you have your traditional favorites, but have you tried searching for Halloween Movies?

Real Halloween movies are so hard to find. I am not a fan of Slasher and Horror films, and it seems like every time you search for Halloween movies, Slasher and Horror are what show up. Halloween is supposed to be a little scary but not gory.

The tradition of Halloween dates back to the early Celts, sometime before the 5th century. It was part of their fall harvest festival and was a time to remember the dead. It was believed that during Halloween, the veil between the spirit world and the physical world was very thin, allowing our ancestors to visit us. However, if good spirits could come to visit so could the bad. The Irish would carve turnips and dress up like spirits to ward off or confuse the bad spirits while getting to visit their loved ones.

See, Halloween is supposed to be a little scary but not gory. I hope you find this mix to be the perfect mix fun and scary.

This list is family-friendly, but please use your best judgment. Personally, I would not let kids under 12 watch a few on my list. Some of these can be hard to find for free. Check your local library. Ours has most of these. Don’t forget to check their online database too!

31 Days of Real Halloween Movies

1. It’s The Great Pumpkin Charlie Brown (1966)
   • An adorable story about a group of kids dressing up and celebrating Halloween. All except one who believes there is a Great Pumpkin, much like Santa Clause, that brings gifts to the good kids who wait up in the pumpkin patch. It’s short and sweet. Perfect to get the season started!
2. Pooh’s Huffalump Halloween (2005)
   • Another great seasonal kick-off! Everyone will enjoy this quirky group of characters as they try to explain Halloween. When there’s a risk of no candy for Halloween, two of the youngest members of the Hundred Archer Woods try to search for the Gob-loon to wish for more candy. This classic Halloween show is about love, friendship, and bravery a recipe for the perfect holiday no matter how little candy you have.
3. Corpse Bride (2005)
   • While not officially a Halloween movie, it’s close enough for our family. This a story about a trapped spirit bride who misunderstands a groom practicing his wedding vows. The Corpse Bride believes the groom has married her. To fix the mistake while not hurting the bride’s feelings, the young groom must solve the mystery of the Corspe bride.
4. Nightmare Before Christmas (1993)
   • Some say it’s Christmas, but we count it as Halloween. The Pumpkin King wants to know what Christmas is and decides that he should be Santa. After, several mishaps, he realizes his place during Halloween. It’s just fun and more fitting for him.
5. The Book of Life (2014)
   • Technically, for the day after Halloween, Dia de los murtas. This movie is a heartwarming story about true love and remembering our deceased loved ones. While saving his true love, he is bitten by a snake and dies. He travels to the land of the dead visiting, loved ones and trying to return home to the physical world.
6. Coco (2017)
   • Another Dia de los murtas story. This one follows a young boy who wants to be a musician but does not understand his family’s importance. The boy is tricked and ends up the in land of the dead. Where he finds the truth about his family’s history and the true meaning of family love. He must fight to escape the land of the dead and save his desisted loved ones from the enteral darkness.
7. Hotel Transylvania (2012)
   • The monster family you’ve always wanted. When Dracula’s daughter turns 118 years old, she wants to see the world. Dracula is worried the world won’t accept her, so he tries to scare her into staying. The plan is working until an unsuspecting human finds his way to the castle and Dracula’s plan starts to unravel. This is a cute story about letting your kids grow up and trusting in the unknown.
8. Casper (1995)
   • A girl and her father move into a spooky old haunted house. The girl’s father is desperate to connect with the spirit world and find his lost wife. The ghosts of the house don’t want them there, but the father won’t give up.
9. Muppet Haunted Mansion (2022)
   • This is a corny but classically cute Muppet show starring Gonzo as he tries to escape the Haunted Mansion. It follows the Disney ride, the Haunted Mansion. 
10. Hocus Pocus (1993)
    • Three witches from the 17th century awaken mistakenly. As they try to steal the souls from children on Halloween night, the boy who released them must find a way to stop them.
11. Halloween Town (1998)
    • A young girl finds out she is a witch but has to complete a ritual to keep them before Halloween night ends. When her mother forbids it she goes to Halloween to receive them anyway.
12. Twitches (2005)
    • Twin witches are separated at birth. On their 21st birthday, Halloween, they must defeat an evil darkness set to take over the land. Love is more powerful than any evil.
13. House with a Clock in it’s Walls (2018)
    • A boy’s parents die and he is sent to live with his crazy uncle in a creepy house. He soon finds out that the uncle has powers and the house seems to be alive. This fast-paced mystery reveals itself with the help of the boy, but not before betrayal and misunderstanding get in the way.
14. Goosebumps (2015)
    • After the pages of the Goosebumps stories start coming to life, the writer’s daughter and a friend must find a way to stop it.
15. Hubie Halloween (2020)
    • Hubie, a child-like adult, loves his town and wants to keep it safe on Halloween. However, those running the town think he’s an idiot and treat him as such. When people go missing, it’s up to the town misfit to find them in time. The love Hubie shows to even the people who mistreat him shines through in this feel-good Halloween comedy.
16. Young Frankenstein (1974)
    • A classic Mel Brooks movie. Turning the dark story of Frankenstein into a comical story with a happy ending. It’s ridiculous humor makes this a must-watch for everyone this season.
17. October Kiss (2015)
    • When a young woman can’t figure out what she wants to do with her life and a young widower needs a nanny for his kids the magic begins. The deceased mother used to love Halloween, but the father does not have the time or the desire to celebrate. The new nanny must help this family heal from their loss, celebrate the spooky season, and fall in love.
18. Ghostbusters (1984)
    • Three down-on-their-luck friends start a ghost-hunting company after losing their jobs. At first, the calls are few and far between, but when something more sinister and powerful than a few random ghosts starts to torment the city, who you gonna call GHOSTBUSTERS!
19. The Addams Family (1991)
    • Halloween is everyday life for this creepy, kooky, family, but when imposters with fake family ties get the Addams kicked out of their own house the mystery is afoot. The family must work together to solve this case and get their home back.
20. All Hallows’ Eve (2016)
    • On Halloween night, Eve discovers she is a witch and accidentally summons a relative to want to take over the town.
21. Vampire Dog (2012)
    • A boy adopts a 600-year-old, who ends up being a talking vampire. They find out that together they can do anything.
22. Nelly Rapp: Monster Agent (2020)
    • Nelly and her dog spend autumn break with her uncle. What she doesn’t know is that he is a monster agent.
23. The Monster Squad (1987)
    • When Count Dracula and his monster buddies threaten their hometown, it’s a group of monster enthusiasts to save the day.
24. Something Wicked This Way Comes (1983)
    • A terrible circus led by a demonic proprietor preys upon a small American town.
25. The Village (2004)
    • In a chilling tale of a monster guarding the woods around a small town, a blind girl must brave the woods in hopes of saving the man she loves. With so many twists and turns, we can’t say much without revealing too much. This is a great suspense movie that will keep you on the edge of your seat until the end.
26. Dracula Untold (2014)
    • In this retelling of the classic story of Dracula, we find out how he came to be and the lengths he went through to save his family.
27. The Worst Witch (1986)
    • Witch school isn’t everything she thought it would be. Simple spells and broom flight are a mess, but when evil lurks it’s up to the little witch to stop him.
28. Beetlejuice (1988)
    • When a family moves into a deceased couple’s house. The ghosts want the family out! They seek the help of a sinister ghost to help frighten the family away. This silly ghost movie is more comedy than frightening, but it’s worth the watch.
29. Edward Scissorhands (1990)
    • Another version of the Frankenstein story. Before Edward’s creator is finished, he dies leaving Edward alone and with multiple scissors for hands. He ventures into town when the town’s people are unsure of him. Eventually, they love him but with most Frankenstein stories that’s not how it ends.
30. The Ghost and Mr. Chicken (1966)
    • An awkward typesetter wants to become a reporter. While investigating a murder, he must spend the night in a haunted house.
31. The Canterville Ghost (1996)
    • When a family moves into a mansion haunted by a 300-year-old ghost, it’s up to one girl to unravel the clues to the mystery and send the ghost home.

“Trick or Treat again” -Eeyore “I gotta rock.” -Charlie Brown

What Halloween movies do you watch each year? Let us know in the comments.

As always, Thanks for stopping by for some Salty Inspirations! HAPPY HALLOWEEN!