Our chill factor rating helps parents determine just how scary these Halloween movies and shows from Paramount Plus are
Whether you and your kids love Halloween for costumes and candy or the scares, the holiday can be an amazing time to reconnect as a family. While shopping for costumes and trick-or-treating is fun, not every Halloween activity has to involve loading everyone into the car or strolling through the neighborhood. Gathering in the living room for a family movie night is a simple way to get the family together in one spot, and our list of family-friendly Halloween movies on Paramount Plus is sure to keep parents and kids both entertained and scared.
The movies are rated from 1 chill (👻) to 4 chills (👻👻👻👻) so you can decide what to introduce to your kids. One chill means your child won’t be begging you the check the closet for monsters, four chills might mean an uptick in your electric bill due to (even older tweens) kids needing to sleep with the lights on for a night or two.
Of course, when it comes to what your kid can tolerate in terms of scary movies, mom and dad will know best, regardless of what a movie might be rated or how many jumps and thrills it contains.
Are You Afraid of the Dark?
This reimaging of the Nickelodeon horror anthology promises parents who grew up watching the series in the '90s a return to the terrifying tales of their youth. In the remake, the kids of the Midnight Society gather once again to scare each other, themselves, and audiences with the story of a carnival that isn’t what it seems. While the original version of the series offered minor made-for-TV scares, the modern reboot features zombies and clowns and is best suited for tweens and teens.
Age: 11+
Chill factor: 👻👻👻👻
The Addams Family
Based on the 1964 sitcom, which was based on the Charles Addams cartoons, this film remake opens with Uncle Fester’s return from the Bermuda Triangle. While the whole eccentric Addams family, including Morticia, Gomez, and their spooky offspring Pugsley and Wednesday are eager to welcome Uncle Fester, he doesn’t seem to be his unusual self. Featuring an A-list cast including Anjelica Huston, Christopher Lloyd, Raul Julia, and a young Christina Ricci, the movie does feature some dark humor and images so it may be best for older tweens and teens.
Age: 11+
Chill factor: 👻👻
The Addams Family 2
In this newer animated version, the spectacularly spooky Addams family loads into their camper and hit the road. On their trip, they run into all sorts of dangerously delicious fun. Remaining true to the franchise, the film features macabre humor and images, which means parents should watch with kids who are a bit older.
Age: 7+
Chill factor: 👻
Monster High: The Movie
Kids will enjoy watching all their favorite dolls and animated monsters including Clawdeen Wolf, Draculaura, and Frankie Stein come to life in this movie based on the popular dolls and series. In this musical fantasy and tale of friendship, the girls band together to save Monster High. While the film is more funny than fierce, the movie does feature some scenes that might upset viewers under the age of seven.
Age: 7+
Chill Factor: 👻
Related: 35 Not-So-Spooky Halloween Movies for Kids
The Boy Who Cried Werewolf
When Jordan Sands’ family inherits a Romanian castle, she accidentally turns into a werewolf. The cast features Brooke Shields and tween favorites Chase Ellison and Victoria Justice. While this movie is often more funny than frightening, some violence and visual scares make this best for tweens and teens.
Age: 10+
Chill factor: 👻👻👻
Aaah!!! Real Monsters
In this animated series, three child monsters go to school and learn how to scare humans, which often leads to some funny moments. While the show isn’t scary, gross situations and darkly comedic elements may keep some parents from watching it with their younger children. Tweens and teens may enjoy the potty humor and be better able to tolerate the gore.
Age: 10+
Chill factor: 👻👻
Are You Afraid of the Dark?
When it ran on Nickelodeon in the ‘90s, this series featured up-and-coming actors JoAnna Garcia Swisher and Elisha Cuthbert telling frightening stories as a part of the Midnight Society. Though the ghost stories the teens swap while sitting around a campfire in the woods can be truly creepy, they don’t feature gore and can be a nice way to ease older kids into scary stories.
Age: 10+
Chill factor: 👻👻👻
Related: 13 Scary Flicks for Your Budding Horror Movie Fan
The Haunted Hathaways
After moving from New York City to New Orleans, the human Hathaway family finds they are not alone in their new home. The previous residents, the deceased ghostly Prestons (jazz musician dad Ray and his two sons) have never left. This haunted house series is more sweet than scary and can be enjoyed by the whole family regardless of age.
Age: 5+
Chill factor: 👻
Liar, Liar Vampire
In this family comedy, Australian teen Davis becomes popular at his new American school after queen bee, Caitlyn mistakenly believes he’s a vampire. Keeping up the charade at school leads to all sorts of issues. The film offers some laughs for parents and is more comedic than creepy and will be most appreciated by kids nine and up.
Age: 9+
Chill factor: 👻👻
House of Anubis
American teen, Nina arrives at an English boarding school just as a student goes missing in this Nickelodeon show. The teens must work together to figure out what happened as they navigate life at Anubis House. What really happened to Joy? Is the attic haunted? And what is the deal with that caretaker? While the show has no gore, some scary and intense moments make this series best for older kids.
Age: 11+
Chill factor: 👻👻👻
Hunter Street
Set against a backdrop of European adventure, five kids work together to find out what happened to their foster parents after they disappear. With positive messages and scares that are more funny than creepy, Hunter Street can be enjoyed by both parents and kids six and up.
Age: 6+
Chill factor: 👻
Archie’s Weird Mysteries
Mummies, zombies, and a fifty-foot woman all come to life in this spooky installment in the Archie comic franchise. When a high school lab experiment goes wrong, strange things happen in Riverdale. This journey with Archie, Betty, Veronica, and the gang proves fun for kids and adults of all ages.
Age: 2+
Chill factor: 👻
Related: 15 Magical Witch Movies to Watch with Your Kids This Season
Every Witch Way
This Nickelodeon series feels more like a teen soap opera than a scary show. Parents and kids will get caught up in the devious doings of the kids at Iridium High, where good girl Emma finds out she is a witch and battles against bad witch Maddie for both her special powers and the affections of golden boy Daniel. The TV-G rating means parents can watch it with kids from eight-18, though the wholesome plotlines may prove boring for teens.
Age: 8+
Chill factor: 👻
WITS Academy
In a spinoff of Every Witch Way, Emma’s (The Chosen One) best friend Andi becomes a Guardian at the highly-esteemed WITS Academy, a training ground for wizards and witches. She must live up to her reputation, but being the only human Guardian is bound to have its challenges. A fun series for the whole family.
Age: 4+
Chill factor: 👻
Invader Zim
This animated comedic series ran for two seasons and centers around Zim from the planet Irk. The alien comes to Earth, where he attends elementary school while plotting to take over the planet. With its dark themes and graphic nature, it may be more appropriate for older kids and tweens.
Age: 9+
Chill factor: 👻👻
The Bureau of Magical Things
More fantasy than horror, this Australian series finds the magical and human worlds collide when teen Kyra gains magical powers. With a G-rating and no violence or frightening images, this show is ideal for kids six and up.
Age: 6+
Chill factor: 👻
Sabrina the Teenage Witch
Based on the Archie comics, this 1990s television series focuses on teenager Sabrina Spellman (played by Melissa Joan Hart) who, on her 16th birthday, discovers she is a witch. Sabrina does her best to lead a normal life while living with aunts Hilda and Zelda (who are also witches), and a talking black cat named Salem. The show, which originally ran on ABC, is family-friendly for all but will probably appeal most to kids eight and over.
Age: 8+
Chill factor: 👻
Monsters vs. Aliens
In this series based on the 2009 DreamWorks film of the same name, Susan (aka Ginormica) continues to work with the team of monsters to defend the planet against aliens and other villains. These short segments are funny and cute with jokes that will resonate with both parents and kids alike though there are some violent scenes that may prove too much for younger kids.
Age: 7+
Chill factor: 👻
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