THE WITCHES (1990)

The Witches is a film that I watched more times than I can count as a child, and it gives me a distinctively nostalgic feel every time I watch it, especially since I love Roald Dahl's books and his other film adaptations. The image of the witches shedding their disguises and the Grand High Witch’s (Anjelica Huston) grotesque transformation has always stuck with me, and the fear I had of the young Luke (Jasen Fisher) getting caught whilst hiding and watching them was almost unbearable. I can still see the close-up images of the congregation of witches, their faces twisted into contorted excitement as the Grand High Witch explains her devious plan to eradicate all the children in England. It’s not scary in a horror sense, but in a campy sense that is honest to the dark wit of the original book, built on theatrical costuming, excessive performances (including an iconic Huston), unsettling make-up, and Jim Henson’s incredible prosthetics and animatronics.

THE HAUNTED MANSION (2003)

Admittedly, The Haunted Mansion gave me nightmares when I first saw it at age five. Specifically, the part where Eddie Murphy quietly enters a dark, mysterious room and checks himself out in an ornate mirror, is startled by a lone crow, and then looks back at the mirror to discover his own decomposing face looking back at him. Still, I have a lot of great memories of watching this film countless times when I was younger — always on Halloween — making it a nostalgic favourite of mine. Re-watching it at age 25, the CGI is laughable and Murphy’s performance is even funnier, but the film stands up as a solid Halloween watch. With the lavish, cobweb-covered set design, hilarious cast of ghostly characters, and fun, cheesy family feel, I’m confident that the scary parts won't be too much for young viewers and will still entertain older viewers. 

CORPSE BRIDE (2005)

I obviously needed to include at least one Tim Burton film on this list, so I’ve chosen another childhood favourite, Corpse Bride, which offers a gateway to body horror for young viewers through its dark visual humor and macabre but endearingly upbeat undead characters who are in various states of decomposition. It’s also romantic in a gothic way that I’ve always found enchanting, perfect for some lightly spooky viewing with real heart and a tender, emotional story. Plus, it simply looks beautiful with its meticulously crafted stop-motion animation, not to mention it features a joyously catchy score by Danny Elfman, as well as an iconic voice cast, including Helena Bonham Carter, Christopher Lee, Johnny Depp, Emily Watson, Joanna Lumley, and Richard E. Grant.

MONSTER HOUSE (2006)

I have many fond memories of watching Monster House, and I think people of all ages can find something they love about this film. It encapsulates the nostalgic feel of 80s movies to create a cozy, autumnal vibe alongside a tense atmosphere, and with the formidable house and gorgeous cinematography that closely emulates real camera movements, the animation is incredibly imaginative. The terrifying old man, Nebbercracker (Steve Buscemi), is delightfully mean-spirited, genuinely frightening me as a kid, and the way the house’s detailed cross-sections reflect parts of the human body is creative, compelling, and very creepy. The tragic story of Constance (Kathleen Turner) is heartbreaking, too. Yet, the film also has a touching story that explains why Nebbercracker is so hateful, and alongside the endearing trio of young characters, we learn about his genuinely sweet and emotional backstory. The dynamic between the children is charming, and they speak and act like children in a way that a lot of modern animated films seem to get wrong, exploring coming-of-age themes and childhood innocence authentically and satisfyingly. Plus, “Ohh…so it’s a girl house” is still one of the most hilarious lines ever.  

CORALINE (2009)

Coraline is easily one of the best horror movies made for children, and although I’ve never understood the claim that it's too scary for young viewers, it is undoubtedly very unsettling and incorporates lots of creepy imagery. I, personally, think Coraline is one of the most effective introductions to scary-ish content for younger viewers without being too challenging due to its use of stop-motion animation, which adds physicality to the more harrowing scenes whilst offering enough distance to prevent it from becoming too scary. Thematically, Coraline speaks to universally relatable childhood experiences, from boredom and curiosity to feeling ignored by emotionally absent parents. Not only this, but the animation is spellbinding, using rich and juxtaposing colour pallets to highlight the differences between the worlds Coraline (Dakota Fanning) finds herself in whilst bringing the strange and inspired characters to life.  

A HAUNTING IN VENICE (2023)

In my opinion, A Haunting in Venice is the best of Kenneth Branagh’s lavish Agatha Christie adaptations. I love its intoxicating gothic horror aesthetic (it’s dark AND you can actually see!) and the clear inspiration Branagh has drawn from the techniques of classic cinema, creating an old-fashioned yet extremely well-crafted and entertaining film. In my review when it was first released, I said “the film is perfect, if tame, viewing for the coming Halloween season: fun, silly, and spooky without ever being scary,” which I completely stand by. The film has a light sense of suspense and tension, with fleeting shadows, eerie fog, and a ghostly atmosphere, but it doesn’t have jump scares or intense horror. Plus, it has an incredible cast that includes Michelle Yeoh and, of course, Kenneth Branagh as his best version of Poirot.