15 Spooky Movies Perfect for Scaredy Cats to Get Into the Halloween Spirit

Halloween is the ideal season for horror movie lovers, but it can make people who scare easily feel left out. But fear not — you don’t have to watch terrifying films to get into the spirit of this holiday. In fact, you can easily do it by simply having fun.

We at Bright Side are on a mission to spice up your Halloween and have the perfect films to do so. Also, we’ve rated each movie on a 1 to 5 pumpkin (🎃 ) scale so that you know exactly how much spookiness to expect from them.

1. Death Becomes Her (1992)

Plot: Women experiment with immortality and it goes horribly and hilariously wrong. Add Meryl Streep, Goldie Hawn, and Bruce Willis to this quirky situation and you have a great flick on your hands.

Spooky meter: 🎃🎃🎃

2. Happy Death Day (2017) and Happy Death Day 2U (2019)

Plot: A college girl relives her death day over and over again until she finds who the killer is. Think Groundhog Day but with masks and murder. You’d think this sounds silly, but Jessica Rothe delivers a highly likable performance that keeps you on the edge of your seat until the very end. Both movies are equally fun, so you can pull a double-feature!

Spooky meter: 🎃🎃🎃🎃

3. Coraline (2009)

Plot: This is a dark fantasy animation about a girl trapped in a parallel universe. Everything seems better than her world at first until she begins discovering unsettling secrets. It’s perfectly moody and suitable to watch with the kids.

Spooky meter: 🎃🎃

4. Goosebumps (2015)

Plot: If you loved the original series in the ’90s, this film will hit the spot. Jack Black plays the actual Goosebumps creator, R.L. Stine, who has to deal with his own scary creations that come to life during Halloween. There’s even a sequel.

Spooky meter: 🎃

5. The Rocky Horror Picture Show (1975)

Plot: If you’re looking to spend your Halloween fabulously, Dr. Frank-N-Furter (played by Tim Curry) and his crew are the way to go. The songs are so catchy, you’ll be singing them till Christmas. As the movie’s tagline says: “Give yourself over to absolute pleasure.”

Spooky meter: 🎃🎃🎃

6. Scooby-Doo (2002)

Plot: The film version of the Scooby-Doo animation has arguably the best casting possible (Matthew Lillard was born to play Shaggy). In it, the Scooby gang heads over to a party island that holds a very dark secret. Old friends need to settle their personal issues in order to save the entire place.

Spooky meter: 🎃🎃

7. The Final Girls (2015)

Plot: This spoof of every horror movie known to existence shows a young girl stuck in her scream-queen mother’s most famous film. It effectively makes fun of every scary movie cliché and keeps the audience entertained along the way. But beware, it gets bloody.

Spooky meter: 🎃🎃🎃🎃

8. Beetlejuice (1988)

Plot: A ghost couple is unhappy when a new family moves into their home and calls on a creepy spirit to drive them out. It has music, dancing, and Michael Keaton. While it’s not necessarily scary, it flawlessly personifies Halloween.

Spooky meter: 🎃🎃🎃

9. Trick ’r Treat (2007)

Plot: The film follows several scary stories that are happening on the same Halloween night, so you’ll definitely find something you can enjoy. It’s probably the most violent movie on this list, but extremely fun at the same time. If you can handle gore but don’t want to be terrified, this one is a must-see.

Spooky meter: 🎃🎃🎃🎃🎃

10. What Lies Beneath (2000)

Plot: Taking a break from the comedy-horror genre, we have an option that any classic thriller lover can enjoy. A woman (played by Michelle Pfeiffer) believes that her husband’s (played by Harrison Ford) house is haunted, when in reality, something else is going on. It’s very suspenseful and contains incredible performances.

Spooky meter: 🎃🎃🎃🎃

11. Warm Bodies (2013)

Plot: If you like weird love stories, Warm Bodies is the Halloween flick after your own heart. In a world riddled with zombies, one of them forms a meaningful connection with a living girl. This film explores what it means to be human and proves that love knows no boundaries.

Spooky meter: 🎃🎃

12. Tremors (1990)

Plot: Kevin Bacon is fighting giant underground worms in a very small town. Everyone tries to survive while being cut off from the world and not make any noise, otherwise, they’re done for. It’s not really Halloween-y but fun and thrilling all the same.

Spooky meter: 🎃🎃

13. The Haunted Mansion (2003)

Plot: A realtor and his family spend a night in a mansion full of ghosts and creepy things. Eddie Murphy’s character tries to save his family and finds a new appreciation for the things he previously neglected. Kids will love this one.

Spooky meter: 🎃

14. Swallow (2019)

Plot: This is another serious flick for a more mature audience. A young woman gets an uncontrollable urge to swallow small inedible objects while her husband makes her feel worse instead of helping. The film explores compulsive tendencies and the trauma behind it. It’s beautifully shot and brilliantly acted.

Spooky meter: 🎃🎃🎃

15. The Witches (2020)

Plot: This 2020 remake of the classic 1990’s film of the same name is the most anticipated release for every Halloween fan. We already know Anne Hathaway is going to blow it out of the water. The film is scheduled to come out on October 22 on HBO Max. It’s perfect to watch with the kids and is the epitome of this spooky season, hence our rating.

Spooky meter: 🎃🎃🎃

What are your favorite movies to watch around Halloween? Have they changed since your childhood?