Your Halloween Watchlist: 10 Frights for Kids, and 10 for the Older Ones
What Should You Watch Early, and What to View After the Kids Fall Asleep
By: Keaton Marcus
MORE FOR THE CHILDREN, BUT STILL AWESOME
The Nightmare Before Christmas 85/100 “sweet”
Consensus: Visually arresting, and boasting astonishing performances, The Nightmare Before Christmas combines Tim Burton’s delcious direction with an emotionally resonant storyline.
Age Minimum: 5 years
Length: 1 hour 16 minutes
ParaNorman 85/100 “sweet”
Consensus: Another Burton-helmed modern-classic, ParaNorman delivers sufficient spooky fun for younger audiences, while additionally handing older movie-goers enough intelligence for a balanced diet.
Age Minimum: 6 years
Length: 1 hour 33 minutes
Goosebumps 75/100 “sweet”
Consensus: While it doesn’t have too many fresh ideas, this Goosebumps adaptation is an entertaining, Halloween-themed romp with a game performance by Jack Black.
Age Minimum: 6 years
Length: 1 hour 43 minutes
The Addams Family Values 75/100 “sweet”
Consensus: The Addams Family Values is deliciously funny, and a substantial improvement over its predecessor, although it still never reaches classic-type level.
Age Minimum: 5 years
Length: 1 hour 34 minutes
Coraline 90/100 “sweet”
Consensus: An excellent way to spend Halloween, this Burton-type feature hits an extremely high note yet with Coraline, an inventive kids film that gives its terrifying fair share.
Age Minimum: 7 years
Length: 1 hour 40 minutes
The Goonies 70/100 “sweet/sour”
Consensus: While it’s not even close to Steven Spielberg’s best, The Goonies is a suitably entertaining, fluffy adventure for the kids.
Age Minimum: 8 years
Length: 1 hour 54 minutes
E.T.: The Extra-Terrestrial 90/100 “sweet”
Consensus: Spielberg’s masterful classic E.T. is a wonderfully mysterious, 80’s film about aliens that works perfectly on Halloween night with a good amount of candy.
Age Minimum: 6 years
Length: 2 hours 1 minute (s)
Monster House 65/100 “sweet/sour”
Consensus: The animation quality is questionable, and it certainly isn’t great, but Monster House is a fast-paced, and ultimately harmless romp.
Age Minimum: 6 years
Length: 1 hour 31 minutes
FrankenWeenie 80/100 “sweet”
Consensus: FrankenWeenie yet again gives Burton a high-point in his career, hauling in beautiful, colorless animation, and a deliciously creative and odd story.
Age Minimum: 7 years
Length: 1 hour 27 minutes
It’s the Great Pumpkin, Charlie Brown 75/100 “sweet”
Consensus: Another simple, yet adorable Charlie Brown adventure, this tangle with the great pumpkin is short and sweet perfection.
Age Minimum: 3 years
Length: 25 minutes
NOW WE GET TO THE REAL STUFF
The Shining 85/100 “sweet”
Consensus: Phsychotic and terrifying, Stanley Kubrick’s The Shining is almost too wierd, showcased perfectly by an odd, yet masterful performance by Jack Nicholson.
Age Minimum: 15 years
Length: 2 hours 26 minutes
Edward Scissorhands 80/100 “sweet”
Consensus: Brought to life by a comical outing for Johnny Depp, Tim Burton’s Edward Scissorhands is both funny, and occasionally creepy.
Age Minimum: 10 years
Length: 1 hour 45 minutes
Poltergeist 75/100 “sweet”
Consensus: Get ready to suspend your disbelief with Spielberg’s fun Poltergeist, a silly, but solid supernatural horror flick.
Age Minimum: 12 years
Length: 2 hours
Alien 80/100 “sweet”
Consensus: Despite moving a little slow, Alien is a bloody, fantastic combo of sci-fi and horror while featuring a star-making performance by Sigourney Weaver.
Age Minimum: 15 years
Length: 1 hour 57 minutes
A Quiet Place 85/100 “sweet”
Consensus: While it’ll test whether you can imagine, A Quiet Place is a sharply directed, and keenly put-together horror thriller.
Age Minimum: 13 years
Length: 1 hour 30 minutes
IT 75/100 “sweet”
Consensus: The second IT adaptation doubles down on the emotional storyline behind the novel, and features some compelling performances at a slight expense of CGI-worn jump-scares.
Age Minimum: 14 years`
Length: 2 hours 13 minutes
The Birds 80/100 “sweet”
Consensus: The Birds further proves Alfred Hitchcock’s prowess for horror films with a infrequently ridiculous, but excellent fright.
Age Minimum: 12 years
Length: 2 hours
Jaws 90/100 “sweet”
Consensus: Steven Spielberg’s Jaws is more than chummy enough. It’s got everything: a massive shark, a quirky captain, and well…a massive shark.
Age Minimum: 12 years
Length: 2 hours 10 minutes
Ghostbusters 85/100 “sweet”
Consensus: A fun, entertaining ghost movie—Ghostbusters is a classic haunter that’s great for nearly all-ages.
Age Minimum: 10 years
Length: 1 hour 47 minutes
Aliens 90/100 “sweet”
Consensus: Aliens is the perfect lesson on how to beat an already competent predecessor, delivering increasing thrills, and a fast-paced story.
Age Minimum: 15 years
Length: 2 hours 34 minutes