15 Best Spooky Movies For Kids

Parents and caretakers spend most of their time trying to protect kids. So why would they show kids scary movies?

The best answer comes from author Neil Gaiman, in the introduction to his creepy, kid-friendly novella Coraline. “Fairy tales are more than true,” he writes, paraphrasing English writer George MacDonald, “not because they tell us that dragons exist, but because they tell us that dragons can be beaten.”

Thus, caretakers who show kids scary movies don’t just give the tykes a thrill. Through scary movies, caretakers help kids deal with the frightening parts of real life, making them more well-rounded people overall.

1. Goosebumps (2015)

Author R.L. Stine has terrified pre-teens and kids for decades with his Goosebumps series of books. But the 2015 movie, directed by Rob Letterman and written by Darren Lemke, took it to another level by blurring fiction and reality.

Jack Black plays Stine, who lives with his daughter Hannah (Odeya Rush) in a quiet Delaware town. When Hannah befriends her new neighbor Zach (Dylan Minnette), the teens disobey Stine’s orders and open his restricted books, which brings to life the monsters from his Goosebumps stories. The movie captures the tones of the books, geared to spook, but not traumatize, youthful readers.

2. Poltergeist (1982)

Make no mistake, Poltergeist is very scary. The scene at the end, in which a clown doll animated by the invisible ghost attacks middle child Robbie (Oliver Robins) still haunts viewers old and young.

Yet, Poltergeist focuses less on the unknown and more on the way parents protect their kids. Directed by Tobe Hooper and written by Michael Grais, Mark Victor, and producer Steven Spielberg, Poltergeist takes place in a quiet suburban house, where the titular spirits kidnap Carol Anne (Heather O’Rourke), daughter of Reaganites Steve (Craig T. Nelson) and Diane Freeling (JoBeth Williams).

Poltergeist challenges kids in the middle, but those who make it through will come out braver than ever.

3. ParaNorman (2012)

A stop-motion feature from the studio LAIKA, which also made the film adaptation of Coraline (more on that soon), ParaNorman gets at the heart of the issue of fear while still turning in a scary flick.

Directed by Sam Fell and Chris Butler, based on a script by Butler, ParaNorman stars Kodi Smit-McPhee as Norman, a quiet suburban kid who can talk with the dead. Often dismissed as a misfit by even his own family, Norman becomes the hero the town needs when undead pilgrims arrive with an apparent thirst for revenge. ParaNorman emphasizes empathy for the unknown, a lesson that benefits every kid.

4. Ernest Scared Stupid (1991)

Yes, Ernest Scared Stupid is an entry in the Ernest franchise, which starred Jim Varney as the titular TV pitchman turned children’s entertainer. To that end, Ernest Scared Stupid, directed by John Cherry and written by Charlie Gale and Coke Sams, has all the broad jokes and in-your-face mugging of Varney’s other films.

However, Ernest Scared Stupid is also quite scary. The film boasts excellent effects by the Chiodo Brothers, who reuse the creatures they created for Killer Klowns from Outer Space, and solid kid acting. Between these elements and a great performance by Eartha Kitt, Ernest Scared Stupid offers enough scares and gags to entertain viewers of any age.

5. Return to Oz (1985)

Film fans point to the flying monkeys from the original 1939 Wizard of Oz as some of cinema’s scariest monsters. But the classic has nothing on the Disney-produced sequel from decades later, which saw Dorothy Gale (Fairuza Balk) return to the magical world to find it in disrepair.

Directed by legendary editor Walter Murch, who co-wrote the screenplay with Gill Dennis, Return to Oz hews closer to the L. Frank Baum books more than the 1939 film. That verisimilitude results in some haunting scenes, including unsettling henchmen called the Wheelers and a moment when disembodied heads scream at Dorothy.

6. The Sixth Sense (1999)

Caretakers should use their discretion when deciding who should watch The Sixth Sense, as it does have some intense moments. The PG-13 rating doesn’t prepare everyone for a nasty subplot about a cruel mother or some shocking imagery.

However, writer and director M. Night Shyamalan makes heart and humanity the highest priority of The Sixth Sense. The bond that psychologist Malcolm Crowe (Bruce Willis) forms with troubled kid Cole Sear (Haley Joel Osment) provides reassurance, even when things look bleak.

7. Abbott and Costello Meet Frankenstein (1948)

Classic movies can offer a mixed bag for some kids. Some find their implied terror and familiar monsters the right first steps into an intimidating genre, while others worry that watching old movies will make them look uncool among their friends.

Abbott and Costello Meet Frankenstein avoids that problem by foregrounding the great comedy duo Bud Abbott and Lou Costello. The fast-talking comedians dazzle the cynical and respond with genuine fright at the Universal Monsters they encounter, which include Béla Lugosi as Dracula and Lon Chaney Jr. as the Wolf Man.

8. M3GAN (2023)

Chances are, kids know more about M3GAN than their parents, thanks to the film’s constant presence on TikTok. Studio Blumhouse, which specializes in low-budget, PG-13 horror, knew how to use viral marketing to promote the movie, including a parade of people cosplaying as M3GAN and a dance clip featuring the character.

That said, M3GAN plays as more than a mere stunt. Directed by Gerard Johnstone and written by Akela Cooper, M3GAN tells a fun story about a recently-orphaned girl (Violet McGraw) who bonds with the titular toy robot (voiced by Jenna Davis and performed by Amie Donald), created by her new caretaker, her distant aunt Gemma (Allison Williams). At once relatable and funny, M3GAN will delight kids who want to get scared while looking cool.

9. Coraline (2009)

As the introduction to this article demonstrates, Neil Gaiman understands how to strike the right scary balance for kids. Animator Henry Selick, best known for The Nightmare Before Christmas, maintains that balance for his adaptation Coraline, which features the voice talents of Dakota Fanning, Teri Hatcher, and Ian McShane.

Coraline works so well because it builds from an emotion that every kid understands. When she and her parents move from Michigan to Oregon, Coraline feels like her mom and dad care more about themselves than her. That impulse draws the attention of a witch, who tempts Coraline with a world made just to her liking, complete with doting parents. Coraline teaches an important lesson about gratitude without ever feeling like homework.

10. Tremors (1990)

In Tremors, a group of neighbors, led by Val McKee (Kevin Bacon) and Earl Bassett (Fred Ward), defend their isolated desert town from giant worms they dub “graboids.” Drawn to the surface by pounding rhythms, the graboids threaten to devour the townspeople whole unless Val and Earl can find a way to distract them.

No, Tremors does not have quite the same wholesome attitude as other entries on this list. However, it makes the cut because of the infectious fun that director Ron Underwood and screenwriters Brent Maddock and S. S. Wilson inject into the proceedings. Actor Michael Gross, best known as the dad on Family Ties, also gives a very memorable performance. At its most tense moments, everyone in Tremors has such a good time that timid viewers will keep watching, waiting for the next thrill.

11. The Gate (1987)

The cult favorite The Gate doesn’t often get mentioned among ideal scary kid’s movies, but it deserves more attention, thanks to its child protagonists. Left alone with his sister Al (Christa Denton) for the weekend, twelve-year-old Glen (Stephen Dorff) and his best friend Terry (Louis Tripp) discover a hole in their backyard that goes straight into the netherworld.

Without their parents to help, the trio must fight back against the demonic hordes that escape. The script by Michael Nankin sticks to basic plot beats, but that sparseness gives director Tibor Takács to have fun with the material. From stop-motion beasties to foreboding lights and fogs, The Gate suggests that the scariest place for a kid might be their own backyard.

12. The Birds (1963)

Most of Alfred Hitchcock’s work would alienate most young viewers. They’re either too intense, as with Psycho, or too focused on espionage and subtle tension to appeal to those looking for a quick thrill.

The Birds offers the lone exception. Written by Evan Hunter and based on the story by Daphne du Maurier, The Birds has such as simple and primal premise that no kid can resist. When the feathered population of Bodega Bay, California turns murderous, nice guy Mitch (Rod Taylor) and local girl Melanie (Tippi Hedren) must protect the innocents, including a class of school kids.

13. Charlie and the Chocolate Factory (2005)

When it comes to movie versions of Roald Dahl’s book, almost everyone chooses the 1971 film over the 2005 remake by Tim Burton, with Johnny Depp as Wonka. One reason for that preference might be that the later film works much more like a horror movie, even if it does not include killing.

Charlie and the Chocolate Factory has a simple premise. Wonka invites a group of children and their caretakers, including Charlie Bucket (Freddie Highmore) and his Grandpa Joe (David Kelly) to tour his factory. One by one, each other kid gets ejected from the tour because they break a rule and suffer some ironic fate. In other words, Charlie and the Chocolate Factory operates like a classic slasher.

14. The House With the Clock in the Walls (2019)

Most of the entries in director Eli Roth’s filmography are disturbing horror movies, including his breakout Cabin Fever and the recent crowd-pleaser Thanksgiving. With The House with a Clock in Its Walls, Roth softens his approach for an inexperienced audience.

Based on the book by John Bellairs and written by Eric Kripke, The House With the Clock in the Walls is about exactly that, a creepy house belonging to warlock Jonathan Barnavelt (Jack Black). When orphan Lewis (Owen Vaccaro) comes to live with Jonathan, they must enlist the help of witch Florence Zimmerman (Cate Blanchett) to keep the house’s secrets from the evil Selena Izard (Renée Elise Goldsberry). Roth still has his horror chops in place but keeps them on a level appropriate for impressionable viewers.

15. It (2017)

Even though the movie makes this list, It earns its “R” rating. Based on the famous Stephen King novel, It includes some upsetting moments right from the book, including the brutal death of innocent little kid Georgie (Jackson Robert Scott), right at the start.

That said, It might be the perfect choice for mature kids who love Stranger Things. Director Andy Muschietti and screenwriters Chase Palmer, Cary Fukunaga, and Gary Dauberman take the hit Netflix show as their key inspiration, giving the movie more of a summer adventure feel than that of a relentless horror film. That said, when the horror does come, most often in the form of Pennywise the Clown (Bill Skarsgård), the scary stuff comes hard and fast.