Boo! These family-friendly Halloween movies are a great addition to or alternative to Trick-or-Treat.
Grab some popcorn and beverages and hit the download button for one or more of these Spook-tacular flicks, some of which are Hollywood classics, others more recent, including animations.
Everything on our list is lighthearted and in good spirits (pun intended) and sure to make you and the kids smile, even LOL, including my own personal favorite, Young Frankenstein.
Some of these films are classics, some are recent animations, some have nothing to do with Halloween except for their general theme, but all will make you smile or laugh no matter how old (or young) you are.
Any of these films is a great way to spend Halloween night, October 31, or evenings before or after.
This list of Halloween-friendly, family-friendly flicks is available through such streaming services such as Amazon Prime, Vudu, Fandango, Twitch and others, to rent or buy from other sources such as Redbox, or available FREE from the library or on YouTube.
NYC on the Cheap is listing them alphabetically, which is the only fair way, even though it puts my personal #1 favorite lighthearted horror film all the way at the bottom of the list.
Family-friendly Halloween movies
These movies are all G or PG rated, or oldies that are NR. Most are appropriate for families of all ages.
Abbott and Costello Meet Frankenstein (NR).
A zany 1948 horror spoof with guest appearances by original monsters Bela Lugosi and Lon Chaney. As the original movie trailer says, the laughs are monstrous. Story - The Wolf Man tries to warn a dimwitted porter that Dracula wants his brain for Frankenstein monster’s body.
Abominable (PG).
A gorgeous animated adventure from DreamWorks about a teen and her mischievous friends who embark on an epic quest to reunite a Yeti with his family. Original, heartfelt, and funny.
Coco (2017, G).
Beautifully animated and thoughtful family story. Despite his family’s long history of banning music, Miguel dreams of becoming an accomplished musician. Attempting to prove his musical talent, Miguel finds himself in the stunning and colorful Land of the Dead where he ends up on an extraordinary journey to unlock the story behind his family history.
Curious George: A Halloween Boo Fest (NR).
Have a spook-tacular good time with Curious George in his first-ever Halloween movie. A fun-filled, bewitching treat for the whole family.
Hotel Transylvania (PG).
Animated tale with Dracula operating a high-end resort away from the human world. Challenges occur when a boy discovers the resort and falls for the count’s teenaged daughter.
It’s the Great Pumpkin, Charlie Brown (NR).
The Peanuts cartoon gang celebrates Halloween while Linus waits in the pumpkin patch for a visit from the Great Pumpkin.
Kiki’s Delivery Service (G).
A heartwarming, gorgeously-rendered tale of a young witch discovering her place in the world as she supports herself by running an air courier service.
![family friendly movies for halloween viewing]()
Monsters, Inc (G).
Nightmare Before Christmas (PG).
A thoroughly original and visually delightful work of stop-motion animation from Tim Burton. When the king of Halloween Town discovers Christmas Town and attempts to bring Christmas to his home, it only causes confusion.
ParaNorman (PG).
Norman Babcock never asked to see the ghosts of dead people in his daily life, but his strange inherited talent is now the only thing standing between the cursed town of Blithe Hollow and an all-out zombie apocalypse. Beautifully animated and solidly scripted.
A Shaun the Sheep Movie: Farmageddon (G ).
Farmageddon has a somewhat sinister plot most suited to Halloween. When an alien with amazing powers crash-lands near Mossy Bottom Farm, Shaun the Sheep goes on a mission to shepherd the intergalactic visitor home before a sinister organization can capture her.
Song of the Sea (PG).
A young Irish boy and his little sister, a girl who can turn into a seal, go on an adventure to free the fairies and save the spirit world. Beautifully animated saga.
Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse (2018, PG).
Animated version of the film franchise centers around Miles Morales, who takes on the Spider-Man role and bumps into web-slinging heroes from alternate dimensions.
Wallace & Gromit: The Curse of the Were-Rabbit (G).
Wallace and his loyal dog, Gromit, set out to discover the mystery behind the garden sabotage that plagues their village and threatens the annual giant vegetable growing contest.
Young Frankenstein (PG).
This Mel Brooks classic is one of my absolute favorite films any time of the year.
This is a riotous spoof on the original monster story with fantastic performances by a brilliant cast including the Gene Wilder as Dr. Frankenstein, Peter Boyle as the monster, Madelaine Kahn as the monster’s love interest, wild-eyed Marty Feldman as Igor, pronounced Eye-gor, and Kenneth Mars as a military lunatic, which may have been his on screeen audition for the similar role he played in the equally brilliant Mel Brooks film The Producers.
There are gags on the original, and gags on contemporary music, including the Wilder character asking a railroad porter on arrival at the railroad station nearest the family castle, “Pardon me, boy, is this the Transylvania Station?”
Yes, you can tell this is one of my all-time favorite films, and I never get tired of seeing it again.
We’ll be featuring truly scary Halloween movies for adults in another posting.
What’s your favorite Halloween movie?
Published originally in October 2020 and updated in 2021
What do you think about this? We welcome your comments.