It’s Spooky Season, and if you’re anything like me, horror movies scare the socks off of you. I could watch one in broad daylight with all of the lights on and still have trouble sleeping for a week! So, to help my fellow scaredy-cats who still want to get into the seasonal spirit, I made a list of my top 5 favorite non-scary halloween movies that anyone can enjoy for a nice Halloween movie night!
5. Hubie Halloween
Rating: PG-13
Where to Watch : Netflix
I am a HUGE Adam Sandler fan, and when I watched Hubie Halloween last year for the first time I was pleased to find it funny and heartwarming. The story is based in Salem, where Halloween enthusiast Hubie finds himself in the middle of murder mystery on his favorite night of the year. The plot is light and filled with the Halloween spirit that allows for a good movie night with zero jumpscares.
While IMDB only gave this movie a 5/10, I think it deserves a 7/10. It’s not my favorite Halloween movie, but it deserves some credit for creativity and overall good Halloowen vibes.
4. Beetlejuice
Rating : PG
Where to Watch: MAX
Tim Burton is the king of Halloween movies, and Beetlejuice is one of his most iconic films. With a star-studded cast and classic Burton aesthetic, this is one of the classics to watch for Halloween, even if you do like horror movies. The plot centers around a ghost couple who are plagued by an obnoxious family who has moved into their home. The couple’s efforts to get rid of them go downhill when they hire a poltergeist to get the family out, but maybe he will be worse than the family ever was.
IMDB puts Beetlejuice at 7.5/10, and I’m going to raise that one point to 8.5/10. The whole Burton look, plotline and Halloweeny feel is just perfect for a movie night.
3. Ghostbusters
Rating: PG
Where to watch: Hulu
Ghostbusters is an iconic Halloween staple. Everyone knows it. This summer, when I was in Eastern Europe, I heard the Ghostbusters theme playing while I was eating breakfast at the small bed and breakfast we were staying. The plot revolves around four professors whose mission is to stop increased paranormal activity in New York City, at all costs.
The IMDB rating for this classic is 7.8/10, and I think that’s around the score I would give it too. The movie isn’t really scary, but younger audiences (me in 7th grade) may not like it as much. That aside, it is a Halloween classic that everyone should enjoy this time of year.
2. The Nightmare Before Christmas
Rating: PG
Where to Watch: Disney +
If this wasn’t on my list, it really wouldn’t be a Halloween movie list. And yes, this is a Halloween movie. I thought at first it would be scary, but it's not! I actually didn’t see it until I was in 8th grade, but this one is an instant classic. Burton strikes again with a wonderfully spooky clay-mation aesthetic that just makes the Halloween season. The movie is about the King of Halloween: Jack Skeleington, who has discovered Christmas land and decides to have Halloweentown host Christmas with their own unique spin to it!
IMDB says that this movie is a 7.9/10, but I think that it is a solid 9/10. Simply the way the movie looks alone earns this rating, but the music and plot just reinforce this rating even more!
1. Scared Shrekless
Rating: PG
Where to Watch: Netflix
This is the highest point of non-scary Halloween cinema. We thought cinema had peaked with the original Shrek, but this brings it to a new level. It’s really just a series of shorts about Shrek doing Halloween things, but it’s still the perfect vibes for Halloween.
I completely disagree with the 6.5/10 that IMDB gave this. What? Shrek a 6.5? No, this is 10/10 and no one can change my mind.
