5 Not-So-Scary Halloween Movie Picks for Families and the Squeamish

If blood, guts, and gore aren’t your idea of a good time, we understand. We’ve put together our picks for slightly less scary, and a little more campy Halloween horror movie favourites! If you’re looking for some mildly spooky fun to satisfy the nervous nellies in your house, we’ve got you covered. Take a peek and find some frighteningly good family-friendly fare.

Addams Family (2019)

An updated take on the classic spooky family and characters created by the legendary Charles Addams. When Home Renovation TV personality Margaux Needler takes a gander at the Addams Family Mansion, she has several ideas on how to turn it into her ultimate flip-and-sell real estate project! The Addams Family invite her into their home, then venture out into their town for the first time in years, only to discover things may not be all that they seem! Will they be able to save their home and protect their beloved hometown?

Perfect for some good, clean all-ages fun. A little spooky, a lot goofy, and certainly very campy.

Goosebumps (2015)

This campy horror-comedy draws its inspiration from the 1990s beloved horror book series for children. When Zach moves from a bustling metropolis to small town suburbia, he learns that his newfound friend and neighbour, Hannah, is actually the daughter of beloved author R.L. Stine. After a series of mishaps unleashes some hellish ghouls and mysterious monsters on the town, Zach and Hannah must work together with Stine to save the town from certain doom!

Perfect for brave kids, middle-grade ages, and parents who are hankering for a taste of nostalgia.

The House with the Clock in its Walls (2018)

Based on the book by the same name, this horror-fantasy-comedy film is a kid-friendly offering from the infamous Eli Roth. When a young boy named Lewis moves into a creaky, crumbling, eerie old home with his strange uncle, Jonathan, he begins to wonder if there is more to things than meets the eye. When Lewis accidentally awakens the dead, he learns of some dark, spooky family secrets and mysterious magic! He must work together with his madcap uncle and their zany neighbour, Mrs. Zimmerman, to save the town from dangerous witches, deadly curses, and other nasty villains!

Perfect for kids who like mild thrills and chills, magical wizards like HP, and for those who need something a little less scary than Goosebumps. Friendly enough to be fairly safe for Kindergarten and up; tolerable for the older crowd and adults.

Anna and the Apocalypse (2017)

This charming addition to our list can definitely pull double-duty in the Holiday Horror fare much the same as the beloved “Nightmare Before Christmas.” Set in Scotland, this delightfully cheery horror-comedy is reminiscent of Disney friendly fare like High School Musical, but with an apocalyptic twist: ZOMBIES! When the adults of the town turn into zombies and begin to overrun all of Little Haven, it’s up to Anna and her band of misfit classmates to save the day. Putting their great brains together and mustering all the heart that they can, Anna and her friends fight to save their future!  Will they get to their loved ones in time to rescue them from impending doom?

Perfect for non-squeamish kiddos in late middle school through high school, and perfect for adults looking to break the status quo of depressing viral apocalypse vibes.

Max Reload and the Netherblasters (2020)

If you’re a fan of retro 80s/90s classics that straddle the horror/sci-fi and comedy line, this one is most assuredly for you. A goofy band of suburban gamers and video store clerks must band together to save the town from forces of evil after one of them accidentally unleashes said forces from a cursed console video game. This one combines the best humorous vibes of campy classics like Gremlins, Bill and Ted, Wayne’s World, and other late 80s/early 90s movies. Perfect for retro and modern gamers with a hint of humor in the vein of Kevin Smith. Is it brilliant? Not in the least. Is it entertaining for a non-threatening night of slightly-spooky laughter and enjoyment? Absolutely. There’s a lot of little meta jokes in here as well as a few cameos. Bonus points: plenty of extra bonus scenes during the credits as well as a blooper reel.

Perfect for the mature middle-grade gamer kids, Gen Z, Millennials, and even the Boomer set. Lots of jokes for the tech nerds and gamers amongst us that might be otherwise lost on you if you’re not-so-technologically-savvy, though.

Other great picks to try if you’re looking for more mild horror antics for middle grades, teens and adults: Ghostbusters, Gremlins, Gremlins 2, Frankenweenie, Paranorman, Monster House, Hotel Transylvania, Shaun of the Dead, Zombieland, Zombieland 2, What We Do In The Shadows, Dark Shadows, Beetlejuice, Coraline, The Boxtrolls.

See something we left off the list?

Let us know in a comment or retweet our link with your picks for your faves!