While Halloween is often associated with horror, not everyone loves the intense scares, paranormal activity, or gory visuals.
And by “not everyone,” I mean that I’m still scared just thinking of the trailer for that one movie Lights Out in 2016. I was living with a friend at the time who had the high-key creepiest house and I literally didn’t do laundry for three weeks because I refused to venture into their unfinished basement with the one hanging lightbulb that definitely wasn’t going to work when I needed it to.
A movie trailer made me afraid of the dark again. And I’m pretty sure that movie was based on a YouTube video. So yeah, I don’t normally do scary movies.
So when it comes to movie night in October, Alexis and I had a hard time figuring out how to stay festive without dipping into all the blood and gore.
I think the spookiest flick we’ve watched together otherwise is Freaky with Vince Vaughan and the latest daughter-of-Ant-Man actress.
We tried a couple of “scary” movies at the theater this year. I took a chance and saw Blumhouse’s Afraid this summer, and luckily, that was hardly horrific–unless we’re talking about the “ok boomer”-esque plot. And A Quiet Place: Day One was definitely something in the horror category that my wife and I were willing to watch, but that’s pretty much the most horror that we’ll to go see in a theater (or at all, in most cases).
But despite all this, we still wanted to get into the Halloween spirit and get spooky with our weekly movie night, and we also wanted to have some go-to movies for spooky season functions, so we (with the help of the internet) made our best list of films we think fit the Halloween vibes and get us spooked without actually getting too terrifying.
- Monster House (2006) – Animated Frights with Heart
Monster House taps into the classic haunted house setup, but with a unique twist: the house itself is the monster. It’s engaging and creative narrative without resorting to a ton of jump scares or graphic imagery; instead, they just decided to make the entire animation style creepy as sh*t.
The trio of young protagonists—DJ, Chowder (lol), and Jenny—bring a lot of humor and relatable childhood moments to the film, which lightens the overall mood. Monster House is an adventure film like The Goonies (which would also fit on this list, tbh), but the adventure in this movie is the plot of a horror flick.
And I say that because monster house doesn’t shy away from some darker themes. The house’s origin is actually pretty tragic (even though how they tell it is lowkey hilarious). But it never goes too dark; the worst part is that the house swallows up a dog and they never tell us if the dog is ok or not.
It’s nostalgic in the sense that I grew up watching this movie every Halloween, but also because Monster House captures the feeling of being a kid who’s fascinated and frightened by the mysterious house down the street. The only difference now is that I can appreciate that Kevin James is pretty much just an animated Paul Blart in this movie—he does better as a mall cop.
• Tone: Spooky, adventurous, and humorous with just the right amount of creepy atmosphere.
- beetlejuice (1988) – Spooky and Hilarious
Tim Burton’s Beetlejuice is the perfect blend of the supernatural and the absurd, bringing out the tricks in “trick or treat.” Everyone is dressed in an elaborate, spooky costume and the setting is consistently dark, giving it the perfect Halloween vibes.
The movie is packed with ghosts and afterlife antics, but the comedic tone and whimsical visuals make it far more fun than scary. Burton’s quirky characters and eccentric style create a playful spin on the idea of death and hauntings, making it a light, fun watch for Halloween.
I mean, this movie literally screams Halloween, yet the screams in the movie themselves are mostly hilarious. This feels like a new Halloween must-watch for me.
• Tone: Playful and weird, with quirky horror elements.
- The Cabin in the Woods (2012) – A Horror Comedy Twist
I don’t enjoy many horror-comedy joints because they mostly consist of the usual bloody madness and the bad guy’s just laughing really hard while doing the stabbing.
That’s an overgeneralization, I know. And it’s basically the plot of the Joker, which I’ve already admitted is a great movie. I know I have a backspace I can spam right now but I’m just too respectful to do that to you if you’ve read far enough to see me compromise my own integrity. It doesn’t take long sometimes, but thank you for reading this regardless.
The Cabin in the Woods is great because it starts like a typical slasher film, but then it flips itself on its head by satirizing the horror genre. It’s funny, self-aware, and full of twists, and best of all: it makes no fucking sense to me whatsoever. I just know Burley Bautista creeps me OUT!
The movie is kind of like a deconstruction of various horror tropes, so it’s like you’re dissecting the spooky vibes and appreciating the spook in a new way.
There’s some gore to remind you that there’s a real story happening, but the focus is on the cleverness of the plot rather than the scares. It’s so clever, in fact, that I actually still have no idea what really happens in that movie.
• Tone: Satirical, funny, and clever with some dark humor.
- Coraline (2009) – Creepy, Yet Whimsical
Coraline is an animated film that taps into childhood fears but presents them in a fantastical, dreamlike way. The Other Mother and the parallel world have enough unsettling aspects to give you the chills, but the movie is more of an eerie fairy tale than a straight-up horror film.
Even so, it’s visually stunning, and it’s got plenty of magical elements to lighten the mood. But the spooky score will keep you entranced. And the button eyes will creep you out.
We’re far enough into this post that I trust you enough to admit this to you: I’m still too creeped out to watch this one. Is it the way the characters move? Is it really just the button eyes? I was gonna drop a JPEG so you know what I’m talking about, but I honestly don’t want to let Google think I dig this in any way.
Look, it’s goth, it’s eerie, and it’s spooky. It puts The fear in atmosfear.
• Tone: Creepy but whimsical, with a focus on atmosphere rather than fear.
- Werewolf by Night (2022) – Classic Monster Fun
Of course I have a Marvel entry on this list. And of course I’m thankful that this exists because it would’ve been much harder to think of another one. I would’ve found a way to do it (Any suggestions? Asking for a friend).
This MCU “special presentation” went all out on making itself look just like a classic monster thriller, and takes itself just about as seriously as a monster movie would. With its black-and-white visual style and mysterious tone, Werewolf by Night gives off spooky vibes without actually keeping you (me) up at night.
It’s more adventurous and nostalgic than scary, evoking the vibe of old-school creature features, making it a great fit for Halloween if you’re trying to vibe with the guys and ghouls.
Blade. Blade also would’ve been a good choice for a spooky Marvel movie. And topical, with everything Ryan Reynolds did this year for Marvel’s past, present, and future.
Sh*t.
• Tone: Adventurous, mysterious, and fun.
- The Others (2001) – Chilling Without Jump Scares
This one is almost, like, cozy/spooky. Warm the kettle and grab a blankie, But maybe don’t turn the lights all the way down for this one.
The others is a seemingly low budget Nicole Kidman movie. Her accent might be the spookiest part, though. It’s post-WWII Britain but there are parts (especially in the trailer narration) where I thought for sure she was going for Irish (I also had to make sure she wasn’t actually Irish before typing this ((she’s Australian, if you didn’t know))).
But old spooky mansion movies are usually fun, right? I’m asking because I’ve always avoided them.
It’s a psychological thriller that slowly builds tension with eerie atmospherics and a mystery surrounding a haunted house, but it just never gets to that overly terrifying point that a lot of haunted house movies have to elevate to by the third act (I’m looking right at you, Monster House).
I know it’s a period piece, but I’m convinced they thought that meant that they could only use movie equipment from the 1940s. That made it more spooky, though. Two thumbs up for the vibes.
It’s also got British kids that whine a lot, which is never not unsettling. so while the movie itself may not have aged gracefully, its disturbing characteristics keep its creepiness… undead? Am I funny?
I think ChatGPT was wrong when it told me this movie didn’t have any jump scares, though (yes, I asked it for a list). Pretty off the mark on that part, but still not nearly as scary as something like The Conjuring (or The Conjuring 2 ((I haven’t seen the third one (((probably never will ((((I heard they’re still making a fourth one anyway (((((whoa, he just mentioned that there’s a fourth Conjuring movie while inside of four sets of parentheses))))))))))))))).
• Tone: Tense, eerie, and suspenseful with an underlying sense of psychological dread.
- Joker (2019) – Disturbing, But Not Horror
Though Joker is not a horror movie, its unsettling atmosphere, haunting soundtrack, and intense psychological depth make it a great choice for the Halloween season.
It explores the breakdown of Arthur Fleck’s mental state as he transforms into the Joker, which disturbs me almost as much as a doll that’s only goal in life is to terrorize families that specifically chose to live as far away from anyone else as they could (I’m talking about Annabelle: Creation, which is literally just a movie full of jump scares and is the reason I decline horror movie theater invites now).
Now, Joker is a slow burn, and Arthur does get the absolute shit kicked out of him at least twice in the movie before anything truly interesting happens, so it’s a tough watch. But the film is ultimately a dark character study that doesn’t rely on jump scares or gore—perfect for those who want to feel disturbed but not terrified.
• Tone: Dark, psychological, and tense without traditional horror elements.
- A Quiet Place (2018) – Suspenseful Without the Gore
A Quiet Place doesn’t rely on gore or paranormal elements to create fear; instead, it uses the absence of sound and the threat of unseen monsters to build suspense. I love how this movie pushes and pulls at my senses and creates a riveting story about family while also building mystery and terror around a super original alien invasion story.
I want an excuse to love on this movie. It’s suspenseful. It’s thrilling. It’s got heart. It’s got John Krasinski and Emily Blunt. I mean, come ON.
The atmosphere of A Quiet Place fits the vibes of Halloween great. I mean, you’re creeping around the woods, trying not to be heard, coming across a suicidal stranger who’s just gonna scream his toothless head off till he’s flayed alive? And how about when all of Krasinski’s cute lantern lights turn red? I love it!
I get genuinely spooked at least 5 times during this movie, but I still come back to it at least once a year.
• Tone: Suspenseful and emotional, with intense but non-gory thrills.
The Wrap-Up
Does The Mummy Work On This List?
Halloween doesn’t always have to be about terrifying horror movies. These films provide the perfect amount of spooky atmosphere without leaving you (me, again) hiding behind the couch.
Honorable mentions that I still haven’t watched but probably should: Edward Scissorhands, Harry Potter (I know; but also, just stop it already), and a Korean movie called Oldboy that my wife mentioned to me but still hasn’t told me whether she actually wants to watch it or not*.
This is very obviously a blind spot for me in the world of movies, so please feel free to share any of your Halloween go-to’s With me–especially ones that end up being not that terrifying!
*new Letterboxd list idea
