Halloween movies for children

Choose language in the box below. Some translations may be flawed or inaccurate.

On the site «Kids and Media» we give information and tips for fresh immigrants and language minorities in Norway.

This article is designed for those who are new to Norway. Below, we provide tips for movies that may be suitable for children on Halloween evening.

First, let’s explain the concept of «Halloween.» This tradition has its roots in Ireland but has since found popularity in several Western countries, particularly the United States. When Norwegians mention «Halloween,» they are referring to the tradition where children dress up in spooky attire, move in groups, and go door-to-door in their neighborhood, collecting candy on the evening of October 31st.

In Norwegian, you can also use the term «allehelgensaften»  for October 31st, which doesn’t involve children dressing up but instead serves as a day to remember the departed. The following day is known as All Saints’ Day. People can choose to light candles at the graves of their loved ones or perhaps visit a church. The practice of placing candles on graves has its origins in Catholic traditions but has been adopted by Protestants as well.

If you’re new to Norway, this is an opportunity for your child to become acquainted with some of the neighboring children. Simply inquire if your child can join a group.

On the other hand, if you don’t want children to ring your doorbell on Halloween evening, consider turning off your outdoor lights and keeping the windows facing the entrance in darkness. It’s an unwritten rule that people generally don’t wish to be disturbed.

Some celebrate Halloween, others don’t. Marking the day can take on various forms. Perhaps some would like to spend the evening watching a slightly spooky film, either with their family or friends?

In this article, we have provided recommendations for films that would be well-suited for Halloween:

Gåsehud/Goosebumps

American Horror Comedy, 2015
Age Limit: 9 Years

This adaptation of the popular book series offers a blend of horror, humor, and high-speed excitement. It’s great for kids who want a taste of horror without getting too scared. The film starts a bit slow, but it gets really fun once the story gets going.
Read Barnevakten’s Review
The film has a sequel from 2018:
Read our review of Goosebumps 2: Haunted Halloween

Coraline

American Animation Film, 2009
Age limit: 11 years

Coraline finds a hidden door and goes to a different world where her parents have button eyes, and there’s a mean witch. It’s a creepy and unique animated movie with strange characters and cool scenes. The film is really good and has a nice message. It takes us to a special and fun fantasy world that’s exciting and interesting. Some parts make us laugh, feel disgusted, get excited, and a bit scared – all at once.
Read Barnevakten’s review

The Nightmare Before Christmas

American Animation Film, 1994
Age limit: 9 years 

Denne klassikeren er kanskje den filmen som passer best til anledningen, ettersom handlingen er lagt til Halloween-feiringen. Den er laget på samme måte og av samme regissør som Coraline-filmen over. Filmen handler om den avholdte gresskarkongen Jack Skellington, som regjerer over Halloween-byen. En dag går Jack seg vill og oppdager julebyen. Jack vil gjøre denne vidunderlige verdenen til sin egen, og derfor kidnapper han Julenissen. Filmen har både skrekk og gru, humor og spenning, med originale karakterer og en flott historie. Dette er en film som er høyt verdsatt av filmelskere og kritikere.
Read more on Filmweb

No Network

Icelandic Thriller, 2007
Suitable for 9 years

In this thrilling Icelandic children’s horror film, Kalli and Ellen embark on a supernatural adventure in a beautiful winter landscape in Iceland. This is a great movie for kids aged nine and up, offering a bit of spookiness, a suitable message, and a stunning winter backdrop. The film also explores a meaningful theme where the initial animosity between Kalli and Ellen gradually improves, and when real difficulties arise, they support each other. Please remember, this movie might not be easy to find, but you can look for it on DVD.
Read Barnevakten’s Review

The Witches

American Horror Film, 2020
Age limit: 9 years

The new movie version of Roald Dahl’s book «The Witches» has lots of humor, but it’s also pretty scary. It’s about a group of really mean witches who hate kids. The story has a mix of scary and funny stuff and teaches a good lesson about being yourself and not worrying about how you look. But, there are some parts that are quite creepy. The witches transform into scary monsters with claws and weird body parts, and they have really scary smiles. This movie is meant for kids nine years and older, but some nine- and ten-year-olds might find it a bit scary.
Read Barnevakten’s review

Hotell Transylvania

American Animation Film, 2012
Age limit: 7 years

Count Dracula, or Drac as he’s called, is a little bit scary, but mostly funny. This film mixes humor and entertainment with elements of horror, but even the scariest monsters here are actually quite kind. Children as young as seven can watch this movie, but it’s a good idea to let them know that the beginning of the film is a bit spooky.
Read Barnevakten’s review
The film has several sequels.
Read our review of Hotel Transylvania 2

Corpse Bride

American Animation Film, 2005
Age limit: 7 years

The Addam’s Family

American Animation Film, 2019
Age limit: 6 years

The movie also has a funny sequel, and we have rated it the same way.
Read Barnevakten’s review of The Addam’s Family 2

Coco

American Animation Film, 2017
Barnevakten’s rating: Recommended for 6 years

This fantastic animated movie is a must-watch for anyone aged six and older. It’s not afraid to talk about important stuff like trust and death in a way that makes you think. The movie raises questions about life, death, and what comes after, which you can discuss with kids later. On the other hand, the power of music in bringing happiness is just as important, and it adds cheerfulness to the movie. But, above all, this story is about family. Miguel feels disconnected from his family, but during the adventure, he learns how crucial family is, both those who are here now and those who came before us. It’s a heartwarming tale with a good amount of humor.
Read Barnevakten’s review

Frankenweenie

American Animation Film, 2012
Age limit: 11 years, smaller children should not watch it

Young Victor brings his dog back from the dead, which leads to both scary and funny results. Once again, Tim Burton is the mastermind behind a perfect Halloween movie for kids. While the story might have some simple solutions, there’s no one quite like Burton when it comes to mixing horror and humor. The idea is really cool, with its unique twist on the Frankenstein story, a bunch of weird and funny characters, and a black-and-white world full of small scares and amusing spooky shadows. The movie is very well made, using puppets and sets that look fantastic, and the creators did a great job building a unique world.
Read Barnevakten’s review

ParaNorman

American Animation Film, 2012
Age limit: 11 years, not recommended for smaller children

«ParaNorman» is about a strange boy named Norman who can talk to ghosts and has to rescue his town from a scary witch. The stop-motion animation is really well done, the characters are great, and it has a good message. However, the story is a bit hard to follow, and there are so many overused ideas that it can be hard to watch sometimes. Still, it mixes horror and humor, making it a decent pick for Halloween.
Read Barnevakten’s review

The Boxtrolls

American Animation Film, 2014
Age limit: 7 years, can be a little scary for some seven- and eight-year-olds

The mysterious Letter Trolls live in a dark cave beneath the ancient town of Ostebro, but they aren’t as mean as people say. It’s a bit scary but also fun puppet movie with a good message about who you are. Both the mean Grafse and the kind Egg have funny ideas about themselves, and the story is all about them discovering who they really are. It’s interesting because this happens to both the good and the bad characters.
Read Barnevakten’s review

Nightbooks

American Dark Fantasy, 2021
Suitable for older children

In this Netflix horror film, Alex gets trapped in the apartment of a wicked witch. To avoid danger, Alex must share a scary story with her every night. Thankfully, he’s not alone, and with his new friends, they try to outsmart the evil witch and stay safe. The movie teaches us about sticking together and being true to ourselves. Netflix says it’s suitable for kids aged seven and up, but we think that might be a bit low. Children who are around nine or ten years old and have seen some slightly scary movies before may handle this film without getting too scared. Still, even for them, it can be a little spooky at times.
Read Barnevakten’s review

Room 213

Swedish Thriller, 2017
Age limit: 12 years, not recommended for smaller children

Is there a ghost at summer camp? Elvira, Meja, and Bea have creepy experiences in this award-winning horror movie aimed at kids aged twelve and up. The film does a great job of creating a genuinely scary atmosphere for twelve-year-old children, but it’s not nearly as terrifying as the much scarier horror films with a minimum age of fifteen. The themes in the movie are suitable for young viewers, with a focus on friendship, love, and the fear of the unknown.
Read Barnevakten’s review

Age limit and suitability

You can read more about age and content tagging of films  here. In  the Norwegian Media Authority’s film database you will find information about the age limit for films that have been released in cinemas.

Additional Tips

If you want more tips for child-friendly, yet slightly scary movies that are well suited for Halloween, we recommend that you visit the website of the American organization Common Sense Media. The following article is in English, but has many good tips for movies:

Scary Halloween Movies (But Not TOO Scary!)

Don’t you want to watch a scary movie?

Who says a cozy movie night on Halloween has to be with a slightly scary movie? For tips on movies in all genres, check out our film and TV tips articles.

You will also find a large movie database on our movie reviews page

God Halloween!

(Translated from Norwegian by Ratan Samadder)