33 Not-Scary Halloween Movies

Zombieland (2009)

Everett

This rompy 2009 comedy chronicles the struggles of a group of survivors making their way through a post-apocalyptic world in which most humans have been turned into zombies. It’s as funny as it is gory, and includes an early career snapshot of some of today’s biggest movie stars like Emma Stone and Jesse Eisenberg.

Watch on Netflix Watch on Prime Video

Freaks of Nature (2015)

vanessa hudgens in a dress
©Columbia Pictures/Courtesy Everett Collection//Everett

Fans of Mean Girls and Easy A will likely enjoy this hilarious Halloween high school comedy, which is jam-packed with celebrity appearances from Nicholas Braun, Bob Odendirk, Joan Cusack, Vanessa Hudgens, and Ed Westwick. The story depicts the odd social hierarchy of a small Midwestern town, in which vampires sit at the top of the food chain, zombies sit at the bottom, and humans hover awkwardly in the middle.

Watch on Prime Video Watch on YouTube

Harry Potter (2001—2011)

a group of people in clothing
©Warner Bros/Courtesy Everett Collection//Everett

A Harry Potter movie marathon should be required October viewing for any self-prescribed lover of Halloween. Sure, the films feature a few noseless Ralph Fiennes jump scares here and there, but the overarching story about a young wizard finding his chosen family at a magical boarding school is the true beating heart of this franchise.

Watch on Peacock Watch on Max

Advertisement – Continue Reading Below

Kiki‘s Delivery Service (1989)

a cartoon of a person holding a broom
Photo 12 / Alamy Stock Photo//Alamy

This classic Studio Ghibli film follows the journey of Kiki, a young witch who launches her own flying courier service. The movie is a tender and adventurous coming-of-age story, one that offers a heartfelt take on the challenges of growing up.

Watch on Max Watch on Apple TV+

The Phantom of the Opera (2004)

a woman holding a man
©Warner Bros/Courtesy Everett Collection//Everett

Calling all musical theater nerds! This 2004 adaptation of the beloved Andrew Lloyd Webber musical brings a haunting gothic romance to life. A masked figure living beneath a Parisian opera house plots his way closer to the heart of a young and rising singer, who has reconnected with a childhood friend. If the spectacular music and extravagant costumes don’t entice you, then maybe the palpable chemistry between Gerard Butler and Emmy Rossum will.

Watch on Prime Video Watch on Apple TV+

The Witches (2020)

a person wearing a garment
Entertainment Pictures / Alamy Stock Photo//Alamy

Based off of the 1983 Roald Dahl novel of the same name, this 2020 adaptation follows Charlie (Jahzir Bruno), a little boy who must flee the schemes of the Grand High Witch (Anne Hathaway), who wants to turn children into mice. The Witches is decidedly a kids’ movie, which will surely make it an easy watch for anyone who can’t handle a traditional scary movie.

Watch on Prime Video Watch on Apple TV+

Advertisement – Continue Reading Below

Coraline (2009)

a doll holding a sign
©Focus Features/Courtesy Everett Collection//Everett

Not quite horror and not quite not-scary, Coraline is the perfect middle ground for Halloween lovers who want to watch something with a little extra kick. Based off of the 2002 children’s novel by Neil Gaiman, the stop-motion fantasy film follows a young girl named Coraline (Dakota Fanning) who enters an alternate reality when she crawls through a small door in her parents’ new house. Though enchanted by the change of scenery at first, Coraline quickly learns that not everything is as it seems. Ultimately, the movie is a whimsical venture into animation—and totally worth the occasional spook here and there.

Watch on Prime Video Watch on Apple TV+

Twilight (2008—2012)

a man and woman kissing
TCD/Prod.DB / Alamy Stock Photo//Alamy

Okay, fine, Twilight isn’t technically a Halloween movie… But isn’t it kind of? Vampires, werewolves, rainy landscapes, and gothic romanticism—it has all the makings for this generation’s next Halloween classic. Besides, who wouldn’t welcome another excuse to binge the Twilight movies again for the umpteenth time?

Watch on Prime Video Watch on YouTube

Beetlejuice (1988)

best not scary halloween movies
Everett

A pair of ghosts hate the new residents in their old home, and enlist the help of “bio-exorcist” Beetlejuice (Michael Keaton) to make them leave. However, Beetlejuice makes an unexpected connection with the family’s teenage daughter, Lydia (Winona Ryder). A sequel starring Jenna Ortega is on the way.

WATCH ON PRIME VIDEO WATCH ON BBC AMERICA

Advertisement – Continue Reading Below

Double, Double, Toil and Trouble (1993)

best not scary halloween movies
Everett

If you fancy a true blast from the past, then Double, Double, Toil and Trouble is the perfect choice. Mary-Kate and Ashley Olsen star as twins who are tasked with saving their family home and must break an old and evil curse.

WATCH ON PRIME VIDEO WATCH ON APPLE TV+

Edward Scissorhands (1990)

best not scary halloween movies
Everett

Edward Scissorhands is the creation of a scientist who tragically died before he could finish his work. Left with scissors for hands, Edward fails to integrate into normal society, while falling in love with the beautiful Kim (Winona Ryder). A dreamy Halloween classic.

WATCH ON HULU WATCH ON PRIME VIDEO

Fun Size (2012)

best not scary halloween movies
Everett

Victoria Justice stars as a young woman who has to spend Halloween babysitting her little brother. But when he goes missing, she must frantically search for him and forgo the Halloween parties she’s been invited to.

WATCH ON HULU WATCH ON PRIME VIDEO

Advertisement – Continue Reading Below

Ghostbusters (2016)

best not scary halloween movies
Everett

The 2016 Ghostbusters reboot stars Melissa McCarthy, Kristen Wiig, Leslie Jones, and Kate McKinnon as the titular spirit exterminators. Chris Hemsworth provides some added comedy relief as their hapless assistant in a film filled with funny, gruesome ghosts, comedic hijinks, and cameos aplenty.

WATCH ON PRIME VIDEO WATCH ON TBS

Goosebumps (2015)

best not scary halloween movies
Everett

Based on the work of R.L. Stine, Goosebumps follows a group of teenagers fighting some of the horror author’s most iconic monsters. Without meaning to, Zach (Dylan Minnette) releases all of Stine’s monsters from his books, and then must join the author on a quest to put them back where they belong.

WATCH ON PRIME VIDEO WATCH ON NETFLIX

Halloweentown (1998)

best not scary halloween movies
Everett

It wouldn’t be Halloween without a visit to Halloweentown. When Marnie turns 13, she discovers she’s a witch, and she travels to the magical land of Halloweentown. There, witches and other beings live free, but they’re also forced to fight evil spirits and curses.

WATCH ON DISNEY+ WATCH ON PRIME VIDEO

Advertisement – Continue Reading Below

Hocus Pocus 2 (2022)

best not scary halloween movies
Everett

Both 1993’s Hocus Pocus and 2022’s Hocus Pocus 2 follow the Sanderson sisters—played by Bette Midler, Sarah Jessica Parker, and Kathy Najimy—a group of witches set on tormenting children. In this sequel, when the sisters are inadvertently resurrected, all hell breaks loose.

WATCH ON DISNEY+

Hubie Halloween (2022)

best not scary halloween movies
Everett

Hubie (Adam Sandler) spends his Halloweens protecting the town of Salem, which is made all the more challenging when news breaks that a dangerous criminal is on the loose. No one seems to take Hubie seriously, but that doesn’t stop him from springing into action. Costarring Kevin James and Noah Schnapp.

WATCH ON NETFLIX

Jennifer’s Body (2009)

best not scary halloween movies
Everett

Megan Fox stars as Jennifer, a teenage girl who gets possessed by a demon and develops a taste for blood. Basically, none of the boys at school are safe, and her friend Needy (Amanda Seyfried) wants to put a stop to the murders. The perfect horror-comedy that only gets better with age.

WATCH ON HULU WATCH ON PRIME VIDEO

Advertisement – Continue Reading Below

Little Shop of Horrors (1986)

best not scary halloween movies
Everett

This big-screen adaptation of the off-Broadway musical features some seriously catchy songs and some incredibly special effects. During a solar eclipse, floral shop employee Seymour finds an unusual plant he dubs Audrey II after a co-worker. Unfortunately, as Audrey II grows, so does the plant’s appetite for blood, and Seymour is stuck sourcing bodies to feed it.

WATCH ON PRIME VIDEO

Practical Magic (1998)

best not scary halloween movies
Everett

Sisters Sally (Sandra Bullock) and Gillian (Nicole Kidman) turn to witchcraft in an attempt to bring Gillian’s dead boyfriend back to life. However, the spell doesn’t quite go to plan, with the women accidentally bringing an evil spirit into the picture instead.

WATCH ON PRIME VIDEO WATCH ON HULU

Headshot of Amy Mackelden

Amy Mackelden is a freelance writer, editor, and disability activist. Her bylines include Harper’s BAZAAR, Nicki Swift, Cosmopolitan, Marie Claire, ELLE, The Independent, Bustle, Healthline, and HelloGiggles. She co-edited The Emma Press Anthology of Illness, and previously spent all of her money on Kylie Cosmetics.

Headshot of Chelsey Sanchez

As an associate editor at HarpersBAZAAR.com, Chelsey keeps a finger on the pulse on all things celeb news. She also writes on social movements, connecting with activists leading the fight on workers’ rights, climate justice, and more. Offline, she’s probably spending too much time on TikTok, rewatching Emma (the 2020 version, of course), or buying yet another corset. 

 

preview for Harper's BAZAAR Culture Playlist

Advertisement – Continue Reading Below

Advertisement – Continue Reading Below

Advertisement – Continue Reading Below