- Trick or Treat! 20 Family-Friendly Shows and Movies Perfect for HalloweenCostumes optional, but encouraged.By Clint Edwards and Ananda DillonOct. 15, 2025
Finding something to watch as a family that will get the kids into the Halloween spirit — but won’t give them nightmares — can be quite the challenge. It takes just the right mix to get that perfect spooky (but not too spooky) feel so that everyone is left ready to hit the neighborhood, candy buckets in hand, for a festive Halloween.
These 20 movies and shows make it easy for the whole family to enjoy some fun frights together — including a few slightly scarier options for those who might want to be a little more daring this season. So grab your costumes, candy, and, of course, the kiddos for a ghoulishly good time with these family-friendly Halloween watches.
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A Babysitter’s Guide to Monster Hunting
The story of a very precocious teen babysitter, Kelly Ferguson (Tamara Smart), who discovers that there are boogeymen and monsters who set out to terrorize children at night makes for a fun family watch. As the title suggests, Kelly learns to hunt these monsters. The monsters are scary, but a little wacky at the same time. Kelly’s adventures will leave the whole family believing that, with enough gumption, they could take on the monsters of this world and have fun doing it.
A Babysitter’s Guide to Monster Hunting
1h 38m K 2020My List
Casper
At 30 years old, Casper is a certified family Halloween classic. Based on the children’s comic book character, the friendly ghost resides in a spooky old mansion known as Whipstaff Manor. A spoiled heiress is determined to find a treasure buried somewhere in the house and hires James Harvey (Bill Pullman), a recent widower and self-ascribed therapist to the dead, to try to tame the trio of poltergeists who scare off anyone who enters the house. When James and his daughter Kat (Christina Ricci) move in, Casper works to befriend them — with hilarious results.
1h 40m K 1995Remind Me
Chickenhare and the Hamster of Darkness
This fun watch has a wholesome Indiana Jones adventure vibe, but with an evil uncle and a lot of adorable but creepy glowing hamsters. It’s the story of Chickenhare, a half-chicken, half-hare who longs to be a treasure-seeking adventurer like his adoptive father, but who feels his hybrid nature puts him at a disadvantage. Set on proving himself, he sets out with a couple of friends to track down the artifact known as the Hamster of Darkness, but when it falls into the wrong hands, the group needs to act fast and save their town.
The Curse of Bridge Hollow
Conjure this film on your screens for a night of family-friendly Halloween fun. The story follows teenager Sydney (Priah Ferguson) who moves with her parents, Howard (Marlon Wayans) and Emily (Kelly Rowland), from Brooklyn to the Halloween-obsessed town of Bridge Hollow. But adjusting to their new home becomes the least of Sydney’s problems when she accidentally frees an evil spirit and has to team up with her skeptical dad to prevent it from wreaking supernatural havoc on the small town. If you have kids in your life who like a few bumps in the night but aren’t ready for more grown-up spooky fare, this could be their perfect brew.
1h 31m T13 2022My List
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. The series stays true to R.L. Stine’s delightfully creepy source material, stories that are eerie, but never too frightening. Introduce the kids to these spooky story classics, such as the living dummy and the haunted mask for a perfect Halloween watch.
K 1995Remind Me
Mr. Harrigan’s Phone
This film is based on the haunting novella by the horror master himself, Stephen King, and is better for the slightly older kids. Craig (Jaeden Martell) is a teen who befriends Mr. Harrigan (Donald Sutherland), a curmudgeonly local billionaire. Craig gifts Mr. Harrigan his first smartphone. Mr. Harrigan passes away but 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.
1h 46m T13 2022My List
Hubie Halloween
Obviously, the standout response to this light Halloween comedy is to laugh, because: Adam Sandler. Yes, the movie is 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 in with the creepy. Sandler is the strange but affable Hubie, an upright citizen determined to save his town on Halloween night from a very real threat. The film is loaded with offbeat jokes and characters that will leave the whole family giggling and excited for the holiday.
1h 43m T13 2020My List
I Woke Up A Vampire
Perfect for families with middle-schoolers, this fun series covers all the ups and downs of the most confusing adolescent years with a spooky twist. When she awakes on her 13th birthday, Carmie (Kaileen Chang) finds herself floating above her bed and able to hear her dog talking to her. Later in the day, she discovers she has the powers of both super-speed and super-strength. With the help of her best friend Kev (Niko Ceci), and some informative comic books, she learns that she’s a “vampling,” a hybrid half-human, half-vampire, which means the birth parents she never knew must have had some deep secrets. Consider this a light and humorous entry in vampire lore.
2 Seasons T16 2023My List
KPop Demon Hunters
Yes, the title hints at some of the spookier elements in this animated musical, but the film is not scary so much as it is a lesson in Korean mythology for the whole family. In KPop Demon Hunters, pop group HUNTR/X are superstars made up of Rumi (Arden Cho), Mira (May Hong), and Zoey (Ji-young Yoo) who perform for stadiums of fans, using their songs to strengthen the Honmoon, a protective barrier keeping demons from wreaking havoc on the world. Not only are the girls the perfect costume inspiration, their epic battles with the demons — including a rival demon boy band — fit the season just right.
1h 39m K 2025My List
Nightbooks
As a modern mashup of Hansel and Gretel meets One Thousand and One Nights, this film can get a little dark for any younger eyes watching, but is full of colorful characters many kids will find fascinating. Alex Mosher (Winslow Fegley) is a boy who loves writing scary stories. He is entrapped in a magical apartment controlled by a witch (Krysten Ritter at her wicked best) who makes him write her scary stories each day to keep him alive. Alex, along with the other residents of the apartment — a science-smart girl and a disappearing cat — have to contrive a way out of the apartment and the witch’s clutches. The film is a perfect early gateway to other classic horror films with its many references.
1h 43m K 2021My List
Scaredy Cats
This imaginative series has black cats, witches, and magic. On her 12th birthday, Willow Ward (Sophia Reid-Gantzert) learns that her mother is a witch, and she’s inherited an amulet heirloom. With evil witches out to take the amulet from her, Willow and her friends have to scramble to learn magic and protect the amulet. When they find a way to turn themselves into cats, the games get even more mischievous.
9 Episodes P 2021My List
The School for Good and Evil
In this fantasy film, best friends Sophie (Sophia Anna Caruso) and Agatha (Sofia Wylie) yearn to break out of their small town and learn about magic. When they are both swept up by a supernatural bird and taken to a school that teaches both types of magic, they are confused to find Agatha has landed at the good school and Sophie at the evil one, very much in opposition to their natures. Together they try to learn magic and find their way in this rivalrous environment. With extraordinary duels, nefarious double-crossers, and teen drama, this one is great for families with slightly older children.
2h 29m T13 2022My List
A Series of Unfortunate Events
With a macabre sense of humor and an absurd assortment of characters, this series manages to toe the line between dark and heartwarming. The three Baudelaire children are orphaned and sent to live with the evil Count Olaf (Neil Patrick Harris) in his dilapidated estate. Based on the beloved book series of the same name, the Baudelaires bounce between one eccentric distant relative to the next, in search of a home and for answers to the mystery of their parents’ death. The black comedy will have the entire family chuckling.
A Series of Unfortunate Events
3 Seasons K 2017My List
Sing: Thriller
The Sing gang’s all here for this spooky animated short. After putting together a performance of Michael Jackson’s “Thriller” at the New Moon Theater, Buster Moon, Johnny, Meena, Miss Crawly, Ash, and Gunter head to a Halloween party at Clay Calloway’s house. But something is amiss because when the friends arrive at the party, they notice a mysterious, multicolored ooze has taken over. Suddenly, Clay and his party guests are dancing like the characters in the theater production. The short features many of the original Sing cast members, including Matthew McConaughey, Tori Kelly, Nick Kroll, Scarlett Johansson, Taron Egerton, and Garth Jennings.
0h 14m P 2024My List
The Spooky Tale of Captain Underpants Hack-a-ween
Based on the hilarious coming-of-age book series, this short special includes the trademark Underpants–style low-brow humor. Mr. Krupp and Melvin are out to cancel Halloween, but Harold and George make a plan to save the holiday. Putting together an epic haunted house, they remind the other kids just how fun it is to get a nice scare on Halloween.
The Spooky Tale of Captain Underpants Hack-a-ween
0h 46m K 2019My List
Troll
This 2022 Norwegian film is a great introduction to the monster movie genre. A drilling operation tunneling through the Norwegian mountains results in an eruption that awakens a monstrous troll, who goes on to wreak havoc on the surrounding communities. The film has a number of winks and nods to monster movie pioneers like Godzilla and King Kong, plus lots of action and a fresh take on the Norwegian folklore around trolls. Ideal for older kids or those who are fascinated by monsters, this is a great way to include a creature feature in your family’s Halloween festivities.
1h 43m T13 2022My List
Wednesday
As the original creepy and kooky, mysterious and spooky family, this series based on the eldest Addams daughteris a perfect family Halloween watch. With all of Tim Burton’s trademark dark imagery and offbeat humor, the show isn’t tooscary, but has just enough dark jokes, heartwarming friendship, and a collection of lovable but creepy outcasts. The cast includes Luis Guzmán and Catherine Zeta-Jones as Gomez and Morticia Addams and Jenna Ortega as the iconic Wednesday. Perfect for families with teens also facing those tumultuous self-exploration years, the series revolves around a thrilling mystery that will keep the entire family guessing. Plus, with the second season now streaming, this one will keep everyone entertained for a while.
2 Seasons T16 2022My List
We Have a Ghost
When the Presley family moves into their new home, they don’t realize the house is already occupied … though not by anyone living. Ernest (David Harbour) is a friendly ghost who resides in the attic. Teenager Kevin (Jahi Di’Allo Winston) discovers the specter and the pair strike up an unlikely friendship. Ernest has no memory of how he died and needs Kevin’s help working through some unfinished business. But when Kevin’s dad, Frank (Anthony Mackie), finds out about the ghost, all he sees is an opportunity to make some money by posting videos of Ernest online. Now everyone wants a piece of Ernest — including the CIA. We Have a Ghost is based on the short story “Ernest” by Geoff Manaugh and features a stellar cast, including Tig Notaro and Jennifer Coolidge.
2h 7m T13 2023My List
Wendell & Wild
Why not invite two demons to your movie night to cause a little chaos? Directed by Henry Selick (The Nightmare Before Christmas), this stop-motion animated tale features dynamic duo Keegan-Michael Key and Jordan Peele voicing the titular Wendell and Wild, demon brothers sentenced to a life of boredom and servitude. But when the scheming duo meet an orphaned teen named Kat (voiced by Lyric Ross), they hatch a plan to bust out of the underworld for good. The surreal vibes and darker fantasy elements might be better suited for older kids and teens, but those who watch are in for a devilishly good time.
1h 46m T13 2022My List
The Worst Witch
Based on the children’s book series of the same name, the four seasons of this show will provide plenty of Halloween fun for the family. Mildred Hubble (Bella Ramsey in Seasons 1–3, Lydia Page in Season 4) is more than a little surprised to learn that she’s a witch, especially having not been born into a magical family. Suddenly she’s attending Cackle’s Academy and fumbling through lessons in spells and broomstick riding. She may not be the best student, but she finds loyal friends along the way who appreciate her bravery and join her in tackling the evil people who threaten the school.
