The Best Family-Friendly Halloween Movies on Netflix

There's no other holiday more suited to watching horror films than Halloween, is there? On this day, it's all about the gory, bloody, goosebumps-inducing, and psychologically thrilling flicks! The scarier they are, the more fitting to watch on this special day. But what if the little ones want to join in on the fun? Surely they can't handle these sorts of movies, right? Of course, however, that doesn't mean you still can't have some family movie time this Halloween. On the contrary, if you choose any of these family-friendly films to stream on Netflix, you're sure to have a good time!

The Witches (1990)

Before Anjelica Huston became Morticia Addams in the 1991 hit movie, 'The Addams Family,' she played another bewitching character named Eva Ernst in the similarly successful 1990 horror-comedy, 'The Witches.' The film tells the story of Luke Eveshim (played by Jasen Fisher) and his grandmother, Helga (played by Mai Zetterling), when they go on vacation in Norway and stumble upon the witches in the area. Luke and Helga go head-to-head with Ernst and her coven of children-hating witches as the latter plan to turn all the little ones into mice and cook them in their confections. Source: Movieclips Classic Trailers YouTube Channel

Shrek (2001)

The first-ever recipient of the Academy Award for Best Animated Feature Film, 'Shrek' was already a historic movie to begin with. But it's also among the funniest family-friendly flicks that are perfect for Halloween. Starring a grumpy green ogre as the protagonist, with a talkative donkey as his sidekick, the movie is one big hilarious spin on all your favorite fairytales. It's as if Dreamworks took all the fairytale tropes that Disney movies set forth and turn them all on their heads. This is the perfect description of how much of a game-changer 'Shrek' was in the world of cinema. Source: Movieclips Classic Trailers YouTube Channel

Spirited Away (2001)

As far as Non-Disney animated movies go, the 2001 anime film, 'Spirited Away' has definitely topped many lists over the years. The Studio Ghibli film, directed by the legendary Hayao Miyazaki, tells the story of Chihiro Ogino who, along with her parents, gets spirited away into another realm. While there, her parents turn into pigs, and in order to save them, Chiro offers to work at Yubaba's bathhouse, meeting other sorts of spirits, monsters, demons, and the like. As she struggles to survive, save her parents, and get back to the real world, she is helped by a dashing spirit named Haku, a mysterious boy who has a history with Chihiro. Source: Madman Anime YouTube Channel

Corpse Bride (2005)

Trust Tim Burton and his twisted yet fantastical vision to turn a tale about an undead bride into a heart-wrenching romance. His 2005 stop-motion animated musical film, 'Corpse Bride,' became an instant classic, not just because of the fascinating animation, but also with the catchy songs, the fascinating plot, and the dark fantasy put on on-screen. Johnny Depp and Helena Bonham-Carter, two of Burton's frequent collaborators, voice the movie's to protagonists, Victor Van Dort and Emily the Corpse Bride. The latter forces the former to become his groom and whisks him away into the land of the dead. A fun, frightening, and musical adventure ensues! Source: Movieclips Classic Trailers YouTube Channel

Monster House (2006)

Movies about haunted houses are practially a dime a dozen but there aren't as many about houses that are the actual monsters themselves. At least, not many are as famous as the 2006 computer-animated supernatural comedy, 'Monster House.' The film tells the story of D.J. Walters, a wimpy and easily scared young boy who is neighbors with a grumpy elderly old man, Horace Nebbercracker. After Nebbercracker dies, which D.J. feels responsible for, he notices that strange things start happening in his former house. And as he investigates further with his friends, Chowder and Jenny, he finds that the house truly has a monstrous side to it. Source: Movieclips Classic Trailers YouTube Channel

Hotel Transylvania (2012)

One of the most famous monsters in history, the vampire known as Dracula, has always been known as a dashing and debonair count who lures people into his castle and sucks their blood. But what if, instead of draining them of their blood, Count Dracula provides excellent service and scary good accommodations? Well, that's what the 2012 computer-animated monster comedy film, 'Hotel Transylvania,' is all about. In his infamous hometown of Transylvania, instead of wreaking havoc among the humans in sight, Dracula transforms his castle into a monsters-only hotel where other famous creatures like Frankenstein's monster, the Invisible Man, and a fat mummy are frequent guests. Source: Sony Pictures Entertainment YouTube Channel

Monsterville: Cabinet of Souls (2015)

R.L. Stine's 'Monsterville: Cabinet of Souls' is the kind of live-action comedy horror flick that's always tons of fun and is perfect to stream on Halloween. The story follows Beth (played by Dove Cameron) and her friends, Kellen, Nicole, and Luke. During their annual Halloween festival, an unknown carnival called 'Dr. Hysteria's Hall of Horrors' suddenly appears, capturing everybody's attention. Little do they know, the carnival actually turned people into monsters, making them Dr. Hysteri's new attractions against their own will. After many of her friends turn into all sorts of creatures, it's up to Beth to save them and turn her small town back to normal. Source: Universal Pictures All-Access YouTube Channel

Nightbooks (2021)

Having premiered just last September 15, 2021, 'Nightbooks' is a new dark fantasy film that's perfect for Halloween this year. It tells the story of Alex (played by Winslow Fegley), a young boy who lives in Brooklyn, New York, and has a penchant for scary stories. As he shuts himself off from the real world and focuses his attention on his scary stories, he finds himself trapped in a magical world by a witch named Natacha (played by Krysten Ritter). As he tries to escape, he meets Yazmin (played by Lidya Jewett), who the witch trapped years prior to being her own maid. Both kids then go on one adventure after another just to get away from Natacha and go back home. Source: Netflix YouTube Channel

Just because Halloween is all about scary stuff, it doesn't mean the kids can't join in on the fun. On the contrary, these family-friendly Halloween movies prove that this holiday is for the whole family. Let the little ones have fun by streaming these flicks on Netflix.