• “Little Shop of Horrors” (1986) 

“Little Shop of Horrors” is a horror, comedy, and musical all rolled into one. This spooky classic is about a sad little flower shop on Skid Row that struggles with business. One day, the employee who loves to experiment with different kinds of plants ends up with a peculiar variant of the plant that ends up saving the business (at the cost of some people’s lives).  While the premise is a little morbid, the musical numbers are fantastic. 

• “Hocus Pocus” (1993) 

“Hocus Pocus” has been a fan favorite for many years, and it’s safe to say it has become a         cult classic. This story takes place on Halloween in Salem, Massachusetts, and is the result of what happens when three infamous witches are accidentally resurrected by a couple of teenagers. This witchy film stars Sarah Jessica Parker, Bette Midler, and Kathy Najimy and is a must show to your friends who think that tales of the past are “just a bunch of Hocus Pocus.”

• “Casper” (1995) 

“Casper” has been remade plenty of times, but in this version of “Casper, Casper meets a girl who needs a friend as much as he needs a friend. Together, they try to fix a machine that can bring people back from the dead. It’s sad, wholesome and nostalgic. There are many elements of humor to laugh at but it’s mostly just a great adaptation of a timeless tale.

• “Practical Magic” (1998) 

“Practical Magic is a movie starring Nicole Kidman and Sandra Bullock and is about a family of cursed witches and their attempts to break the rules and fall in love. What’s great about this movie is its anti-stereotypical witch portrayal, and instead focuses on the good of being a witch.

•  “Halloweentown” (1998) 

“Halloweentown” is less spooky and more fun, making it a good choice for the whole family. It is about an off-beat teenager who is obsessed with Halloween discovering that she is a very powerful witch. The movie follows her and her siblings as chaos and adventure ensue. 

•  “Mom’s Got a Date With a Vampire” (2000) 

Coming from deep within the vault of Disney Channel Original Movies, “Mom’s Got a Date With a Vampire” is a movie about what happens when kids try and set their mom up on a date, and it doesn’t quite go to plan. It’s family-friendly, includes some cannon vampire lore and is also wholesome.

• “The Haunted Mansion” (2003)

Disney’s “Haunted Mansion” is a family-friendly flick that’s based on the ride at Disneyland. This movie is about a family that gets tied up in the tragic past of a very haunted mansion. Their quest ends up being to try and make it out alive while helping some ghosts along the way. It’s full of friendly and unfriendly spirits and jump scares, comedy and heartfelt moments.

•  “Shaun of the Dead” (2004) 

“Shaun of the Dead” is credited as being the first-ever romantic, comedy zombie film. It set the stage for the entire genre of funny horror zombie films. The best part of this movie is its underlying themes of bravery, ordinary people stepping up to the plate in times of trouble, and friendship. It’s much more than just a movie about zombies, and it’s not too gory either. 

• “The Corpse Bride” (2005) 

Directed by Tim Burton, this claymation film is incredibly well-done and the soundtrack is hauntingly beautiful. This film involves arranged marriages, wealth, a trip to the world of the dead and a plot to murder. If you have yet to see it, you should add it to your list.

• “Coraline” (2009)

Last but not least, “Coraline” is probably the scariest movie on this list. “Coraline” is disturbing but brilliant, and has a lot of lessons embedded in the film. The movie is based on the book, but the book is more detailed and therefore has scarier elements than the movie. This film is not necessarily a Halloween-based movie, it can be watched year-round, but if you’re on the lookout for something a little spooky this season, definitely check it out.