Halloween movie night is one of the easiest ways to get everyone in the spooky spirit without leaving the couch. Whether you’ve got a toddler who scares easily or a tween who wants proper chills, there’s something below for every age and every comfort level.
We’ve split this list by age group so you can jump straight to what suits your crew, plus a few marathon pairing ideas if you’re planning a whole night of it. Always double check the rating against your own kids, since “family-friendly” can still mean different things depending on how brave your little one is feeling.
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New & Worth Watching | Littlies (2–6) | Primary School Kids (6–12) | Halloween TV Specials | Whole Family Classics | Tweens & Teens | Properly Spooky (Teens 15+)| Movie Marathon Ideas | FAQ
New & Worth Watching (2026)
Shaun the Sheep: The Beast of Mossy Bottom
The third feature film from Aardman’s beloved claymation flock, releasing in Australian cinemas from 18 September 2026. Mossy Bottom Farm is gearing up for Halloween when the Farmer wrecks the pumpkin patch, and Shaun’s attempt to fix things with a science experiment goes hilariously wrong. Gentle, funny and genuinely suitable for the whole family, including younger kids who aren’t ready for anything scarier. Rating TBC (previous Shaun the Sheep films have all rated G).
Littlies (Ages 2–6)
Room on the Broom
Based on the much-loved Julia Donaldson book. A friendly witch and her cat pick up new animal friends along the way, and nothing here is remotely scary. A lovely first Halloween film for toddlers and preschoolers. Rated G.
Spookley the Square Pumpkin
A gentle story about a square pumpkin who doesn’t fit in with the round ones, with a simple message about acceptance. Low stakes, low scare factor, perfect for little ones. Rated G.
Super Monsters: Halloween for Everyone
A team of friendly preschool monsters get their town ready for Halloween. Cute rather than creepy, and a good option if your child loves the Super Monsters Netflix series already. Rated G.
Super Monsters: Vida’s First Halloween
The Super Monsters take turns sharing their favourite Halloween traditions as newcomer Vida experiences her first one. Another safe, sweet pick for the youngest trick-or-treaters. Rated G.
Casper
The friendly ghost classic. There are a couple of mildly spooky moments but nothing that should trouble most preschoolers, and it’s a nice entry point into “ghost stories” before moving on to spookier fare. Rated PG.
Hotel Transylvania
Dracula runs a hotel for monsters and has to keep his human guest a secret from the other guests. Colourful, silly and light on scares, though the sequels lean slightly older as the humour gets a bit cheekier. Rated PG.
Primary School Kids (Ages 6–12)
Hocus Pocus
Three witches are resurrected in Salem and set about trying to regain their youth. A genuine Halloween classic that’s spooky in tone but not graphic, and works well for kids who are ready for a proper “witch movie.” Rated PG.
Hocus Pocus 2
The Sanderson sisters return for another Halloween in Salem. Similar tone to the original, so if your kids handled the first one, this is a safe follow-up. Rated PG.
Monsters Inc
Not strictly a Halloween film, but the monster-in-the-closet premise fits the theme perfectly, and it’s genuinely funny with almost nothing scary for sensitive kids. Rated G.
Coco
Set around Día de los Muertos, this Pixar film explores family, memory and the Land of the Dead with warmth rather than fright. One of the better options if you want something with real heart alongside the spooky theming. Rated PG.
Goosebumps
Based on the R.L. Stine books, a teenager discovers his neighbour is the author of the Goosebumps series and that the monsters in the books are real. More adventure than horror, and a great gateway for kids who love the books. Rated PG.
Goosebumps 2: Haunted Halloween
A haunted Halloween night in a small town, again leaning more into fun spookiness than genuine scares. Works well as a double feature with the first film. Rated PG.
The Addams Family
The animated version follows the family as they clash with a reality TV host threatening their spooky way of life. Quirky and funny rather than frightening, with plenty of Halloween atmosphere. Rated PG.
The Curse of Bridge Hollow
A teenager and her dad accidentally unleash an evil spirit in their new town and have to team up to stop it. A solid “just spooky enough” pick for kids who like a few bumps in the night but aren’t ready for anything more grown-up. Rated PG.
The Spiderwick Chronicles
Siblings discover a hidden world of magical creatures after moving into their family’s old estate. More fantasy-adventure than horror, with a good mix of wonder and mild peril. Rated PG.
Halloween TV Specials
Shorter than a full film, these are a good option for a quick dose of Halloween spirit before bed, or for littlies who won’t sit through a whole movie.
It’s the Great Pumpkin, Charlie Brown (1966)
The gold standard of Halloween specials. Linus waits in the pumpkin patch for the Great Pumpkin while the Peanuts gang go trick-or-treating. Gentle, nostalgic and genuinely suitable for all ages. Rated G.
Toy Story of Terror!
A Pixar short special where the Toy Story gang get stuck in a motel on a stormy night and start disappearing one by one. Funny with just enough spookiness to feel like a proper Halloween watch. Rated PG.
Garfield’s Halloween Adventure (1985)
Garfield and Odie go trick-or-treating before stumbling into an old pirate ghost story. A nostalgic pick that still holds up for littlies and primary schoolers. Rated G.
Scooby-Doo Halloween Specials
There are several across the decades, and they’re reliably good filler for primary schoolers who want mystery-solving over real scares. Rated G to PG depending on the special.
The Simpsons: Treehouse of Horror
An annual anthology of three short horror parodies within regular episodes, and a genuine pop culture institution each Halloween. The satire and dark humour skew older than the other specials on this list, so it suits tweens, teens and adults better than littlies.
Whole Family Classics
Ghostbusters (1984)
A team of scientists turned ghost hunters save New York from a supernatural invasion. Spooky enough to be exciting for older kids, silly enough that younger family members can usually handle it too, making it a genuine whole-family pick. Rated PG.
The Goonies
Technically an adventure film rather than Halloween-specific, but the treasure hunt through spooky tunnels and booby traps gives it the right atmosphere for a Halloween movie night. Rated PG.
Gremlins
A boy accidentally breaks the rules for looking after his new pet, unleashing chaos in his small town. Rated PG here, but it’s genuinely darker and gorier than the rating suggests (it’s one of the films that led to the creation of the PG-13 rating overseas), so it’s worth previewing if your kids are more sensitive and better suited to older primary schoolers and up.
Beetlejuice
A ghostly couple hires a “bio-exorcist” to scare off the new family living in their house. Quirky, darkly funny and a genuine Halloween staple, best suited to kids who are comfortable with a bit of Tim Burton weirdness. Rated PG, with a warning for coarse language.
Corpse Bride
A stop-motion Tim Burton film about a man accidentally marrying a dead bride. Visually stunning and more melancholy than scary, it plays well for kids who enjoyed Coco. Rated PG.
Frankenweenie
Tim Burton’s black-and-white stop-motion film about a boy who brings his beloved dog back to life using science, with unexpected consequences. Heartfelt as much as spooky, and a nice pairing with Corpse Bride for a Tim Burton double feature. Rated PG.
Tweens & Teens
Beetlejuice Beetlejuice
The 2024 sequel brings back the chaotic ghost with a new generation of the family in the crosshairs. Considerably gorier and edgier than the original, with coarse language and comic-but-graphic violence, so this one suits teens rather than younger tweens. Rated M.
Hubie Halloween
A well-meaning but socially awkward Halloween monitor tries to keep his town safe on the spookiest night of the year. Broad, silly humour that lands well with tweens and up. Rated PG.
Scooby-Doo
Mystery Inc reunites to solve a mystery at a theme park. Perfect for kids who like their spookiness paired with plenty of jokes, and a good stepping stone toward slightly more grown-up mystery-horror. Rated PG.
The Nightmare Before Christmas
Jack Skellington from Halloween Town stumbles into Christmas Town and decides to take over the holiday. A stylish, musical crossover that works just as well in October as it does in December, and suits kids who like something a bit more gothic. Rated PG.
Properly Spooky (Teens 15+)
If your teens have outgrown “family-friendly spooky” and want something with real scares, these sit a step up in intensity. None of these are appropriate for younger kids, and it’s worth checking the current rating before watching, since a couple of these can shift between M and MA15+ depending on the cut.
A Quiet Place
A family must survive in near-total silence to avoid deadly creatures that hunt by sound. Tense rather than gory, this is a strong “gateway” pick for teens who want a genuine scare without excessive violence. Typically rated M.
The Others
A woman and her two photosensitive children believe their house is haunted, in this slow-burn gothic ghost story with a genuinely unsettling twist. Atmospheric rather than graphic. Typically rated M.
Insidious
A family discovers their comatose son is being targeted by malevolent spirits from another realm. Leans heavily on jump scares and unsettling imagery rather than gore, making it a solid pick for teens easing into horror. Check current rating before watching, as it sits around M to MA15+.
Crimson Peak
A young woman marries into a mysterious family and moves into their crumbling, haunted estate. Visually stunning gothic horror with romance woven through it, better suited to older teens given some violence. Check current rating before watching.
Halloween Movie Marathon Ideas
If you’re planning a full night of it rather than just one film, try pairing by mood instead of just age. Hocus Pocus followed by Hocus Pocus 2 makes an easy double feature for primary schoolers, while Beetlejuice and Beetlejuice Beetlejuice works nicely for a family with older kids.
For a gentler night, Room on the Broom followed by Casper suits littlies who want two short, low-stakes films rather than one longer one.
Frequently Asked Questions
Room on the Broom or Spookley the Square Pumpkin are both gentle enough for toddlers and preschoolers, with nothing genuinely scary in either.
Both lean spooky rather than frightening, and are generally fine for primary school aged kids. If your child is sensitive to jump scares or witches, it’s worth previewing the first ten minutes together first.
What’s the best Halloween movie for the whole family, including adults?
Ghostbusters and Beetlejuice both hold up well for parents while still being accessible for older kids, making them solid whole-family choices.
Availability shifts throughout the year, so it’s worth checking your usual streaming platforms like Netflix, Disney+, Stan and Prime Video closer to Halloween, as several titles rotate on and off each season.
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