October typically means horrors and haunts for Halloween lovers, but amidst all the guts and gore of memorable slashers, sometimes you might just want to cozy up under the candlelight and watch something milder—spooky. Not terrifying.
If you don't want to worry about jump scares or murders or endless amounts of fake blood, there are plenty of Halloweentime films for all ages that won't scare you, but will definitely spook you.
'The Nightmare Before Christmas' (1993)
Tim Burton-produced The Nightmare Before Christmas is a 1993 stop-motion horror musical that may not have any scary scenes, but it certainly has plenty of spooky characters who reside in the town of Halloween.
Between Jack Skellington, the head skeleton who refers to himself as the Pumpkin King, his eerily beautiful ragdoll love interest Sally, and the ghastly Oogie Boogie who wishes to take over Halloweentown, this film hops between Halloweentime haunts and a holly jolly Christmas.
'Ghostbusters' (1984)
While there have been multiple remakes and adaptions of Ghostbusters, nothing compares to the spooky special effects that brought everyone Slimer, the Dream Ghost, and the Marshmallow Man.
Ghostbusters premiered in 1984 and followed a group of men who go from cushy jobs to ghostbusting after finding a gateway to an evil dimension and taking it upon themselves to save New York from ghosts running amuck.
'Hocus Pocus 2' (2022)
Hocus Pocus is, arguably, not a movie meant for the youngest of young eyes, and has its fair share of scary moments, from depicting the Salem Witch Trials to the Sanderson Sisters' pastime of straight-up killing children. But the 2022 sequel kept the nostalgia of the first time while being more family-friendly.
It may not have ghostly children or hangings, but it keeps the spooky vibes with witches, spells and a black cat when the Sanderson Sisters arrive back in Salem 29 years after they were defeated by Max, Allison and Dani.
'Monster House' (2006)
Monster House is an animated children's horror starring The Goldbergs' Sam Lerner, Hannah Montana alum Mitchel Musso and actor Steve Buscemi in a tale of three kids' journey to discovering a haunted house that's come to life in their neighborhood.
When friends DJ, Chowder and Jenny learn that the neighborhood's old, decrepit house is not only haunted, but alive and eager to devour trick-or-treaters on Halloween night, the three come up with a plan to stop the monstrous house before they're next.
'Twitches' (2005)
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Twin acting duo Tia Mowry and Tamera Mowry took over Disney Channel in the early 2000s, not only with Sister, Sister, but as the twin witches known as twitches Alex and Camryn.
After these two twins reunite on their 21st birthday, they learn their wicked witch powers are stronger together when it's left up to them to save the world they were born in where their birth mother still resides.
'The Haunted Mansion' (2003)
Much like the iconic ride at Walt Disney World and Disneyland, Haunted Mansion may be nothing like Bates Motel or The Overlook Hotel, but it's certainly full of spooky songs and characters like the Hitchhiking Ghosts and Madame Leota.
When a real estate agent is tasked with selling an eerie, old mansion, he and his family discover the mansion is haunted by its former master, his butler and his servants, who all reside in the mansion as ghosts eager to break the curse.
'Corpse Bride' (2005)
Tim Burton often adds just the right amount of creepy to his films and characters that make them not-so-scary Halloween hits, and 2005's Corpse Bride is no different.
The film puts a new spin on arranged marriage when Victor is brought to the land of the dead by a murdered, young wife who wants him all to herself, leaving Victor's fiancee Victoria stuck in a new arranged marriage with the evil Barkis.
'The Addams Family' (1991)
The Addams Family is a Halloweentime classic the entire family can not only enjoy, but sing and snap along to. Several adaptions exist, from the 1964 television show to Netflix's upcoming Wednesday series, but the 1990s film trilogy is arguably the most recognizable version of this creepy and cooky family.
Starring Christopher Lloyd and Christina Ricci among the talent, the film followed the creepy family who gets tricked out of their home by a man claiming he's Gomez's missing brother Fester, but it really a con artist attempting to get his hands on the family's fortune.
'Beetlejuice' (1988)
Possibly the most well-known horror icon to not be a killer or a slasher, if you say this ghostly demon's name three times, you may just summon his movie.
Beetlejuice is a horror comedy with a superstar cast that follows the spirits of a deceased couple who are trapped inside their home despite a new family moving in, and decide to summon Beetlejuice to come scare them away.
'Halloweentown' (1998)
Halloweentown isn't just a DCOM; it's a spooky-time classic and a must-watch every Halloween. Less scary and more spooky, this is the movie where Marnie Piper taught every millennial that "Halloween is cool."
When the Halloween-loving Marnie follows her grandmother to a place called Halloweentown, she learns Grandma Agie's wicked secret about being a real-life witch and the hereditary powers she must learn to control in order to help save the town from the evil Kalabar.