The spookiest day of the year is nearly here! While some like to use Halloween as an excuse to scare the pants off themselves with haunted houses and slasher flicks, others would rather cozy up with a hot cup of apple cider and celebrate the holiday in a way that isn鈥檛 nightmare-inducing. If you fall into the latter category, you鈥檙e going to love these lighthearted Halloween movies.
“Hocus Pocus”
It鈥檚 a universal rule that you can鈥檛 celebrate Halloween without watching 鈥淗ocus Pocus.鈥 The movie shines due to the iconic and comedic evil witches known as the Sanderson Sisters, played by Bette Midler, Kathy Najimy and Sarah Jessica Parker. This film is great if you鈥檙e feeling nostalgic for the days of trick-or-treating and pumpkin carving. If nothing else, you at least have to refresh your knowledge before you watch the new sequel, 鈥淗ocus Pocus 2!鈥
“The Rocky Horror Picture Show”
While definitely the least wholesome option on this list, the ahead-of-its-time 1975 classic 鈥淭he Rocky Horror Picture Show鈥 is way more fun than frightening. It follows a newly engaged couple who wind up at the house of Dr. Frank N. Furter during a storm and quickly fall down a rabbit hole of seduction and self-discovery. This movie-musical will draw you in with its quirky cast of characters, mysterious haunted house and, most importantly, its soundtrack. It鈥檚 a campy, eccentric and entertaining film that will have you doing the Time Warp for the rest of the year.
“Frankenweenie”
This is your replacement for the basic 鈥淣ightmare Before Christmas鈥 addition you鈥檇 expect to see on this list. Tim Burton鈥檚 鈥淔rankenweenie鈥 tells the story of a boy who tries to bring his beloved dog back from the dead, and chaos quickly ensues. It鈥檚 a movie for children, sure, but the dark atmosphere and Burton鈥檚 signature creepy aesthetic will certainly put you and your friends in the spooky spirit. Also, who doesn鈥檛 love dogs?
“Addams Family Values”
No Halloween season would be complete without the spookiest family of all. The 1993 sequel is arguably better than its 1991 predecessor, 鈥淭he Addams Family,鈥 with its dark, dry comedy and iconic performances by Anjelica Huston, Christina Ricci and Joan Cusack. There鈥檚 a ton of wacky things that happen in this film, from Wednesday and Pugsley Addams trying to get rid of their newborn brother, Pubert, to a gold digging scheme carried out by Cusack鈥檚 character, Debbie Jelinksy. Classic films are considered classics for a reason, and this is one you do not want to miss!
“Halloweentown”
What more could you possibly want in a Halloween movie besides a giant jack-o鈥-lantern, a family of witches and Debbie Reynolds? This is arguably one of the best Disney Channel Original Movies and will never get old no matter how many times we watch it. Whether you鈥檙e nine or 19, you will definitely find something in this movie to enjoy! Can we get one-way tickets to Halloweentown, please?
Sure, Halloween can be about blood, guts and gore, but sometimes it鈥檚 more fun to kick back with your friends and watch something everyone will enjoy. Hopefully we were able to prove that you can still celebrate the spooky season without actually needing to be spooked.
The Peel wishes you a happy Halloween!
Written By Madison Manczko ’24, S.I. Newhouse School of Public Communications