Lockwood & Co - How we made the teenage ghost-hunt drama
Jan 26 | 4 min readThe best Halloween films for kids and families: Kid-friendly spooky movies on Netflix, Amazon, NOW and BT TV Store
We pick the best family and kid-friendly movies for Halloween to stream, rent and buy. Perfect for people who like their spooky season not to be too scary.
Choosing the right Halloween movie is a tricky challenge if you’re watching with kids. You probably want something with a few shocks and surprises, but nothing that’s going to give your children nightmares for a month.
To help you out, we've picked a selection of the very best scary films that are suitable for children of all ages across Netflix, Prime Video, NOW and on the BT TV Player.
Here are the best films for families and kids to enjoy at Halloween – or whenever you fancy something just a little bit scary.
Best kids' Halloween films on Netflix
Ivy + Bean - The Ghost That Had to Go
Cold, white mist. Clanking pipes. And an eerie voice coming from the drain...
When Ivy discovers the school bathroom is haunted, Bean helps her harness her witchlike powers. With the help of their classmates, Ivy and Bean orchestrate a ritual that will free the ghosts, save the school, and also mess up Nancy’s day.
Spooky Ivy + Bean adventure starring Keslee Blalock and Madison Skye Validum.
Suggested age rating: For kids 7 and over
Monster House
A visually stunning modern classic which perfectly captures the blend of magical children’s movie and supernatural, fright-filled fun.
Featuring the voices of Steve Buscemi, Maggie Gyllenhaal and Kevin James, lots of nods to classic horror and witty dialogue, this classic story of a haunted house terrorising a neighbourhood is a Halloween classic.
Suggested age rating: 10 and over
A Babysitter's Guide to Monster Hunting
Teen angst, Halloween frights and some girl power come together in Netflix’s family horror, which stars Harry Potter’s Tom Felton, Indya Moore, Tamara Smart and Oona Laurence.
The story follows a babysitter on a mission to find a child who has been kidnapped by the Boogeyman.
Suggested age rating: 10 and over
A Witches' Ball
Beatrix can't wait to be inducted as a witch, but an unfortunate incidents threatens to take her pending title away if she doesn't act fast.
Based on The Witches Ball by David Steinberg, this Canadian film stars Morgan Neundorf, Karen Slater, Loukia Ioannou, Will Ennis and Renee Stein.
Suggested age rating: Best for kids 8 and over
Goosebumps
The much-loved R.L. Stine scary book franchise was finally given the Hollywood treatment in 2015 with the help of Jack Black.
The story follows a young boy who teams with Stine, played by Black, to save his town from the monsters and creatures that are escaping from books.
Full of imagination, colour and the perfect amount of kid-friendly bumps and spooks, parents and kids alike will get a kick out of this adventure.
Suggested age rating: Perfect for 9 and upwards
Best kids' Halloween films on Prime Video
Roald Dahl's The Witches
A young orphaned boy, in late 1967, goes to live with his loving Grandma in rural Alabama. As the boy and his grandmother encounter some deceptively glamorous but thoroughly diabolical witches, she wisely whisks him away to an opulent seaside resort.
Supernatural comedy based on the classic children's book, directed by Robert Zemeckis (Back to the Future) and starring Anne Hathaway, Octavia Spencer, Stanley Tucci and Chris Rock.
Suggested age rating: Best for kids aged 9 and over
Ghostbusters 2
Older kids and parents will enjoy a nostalgia trip with this 80s classic starring Bill Murray, Dan Aykroyd, Harold Ramis and Ernie Hudson.
Big on laughs and spooky scares that pose a threat to New York City, if you’ve never watched these movies, it’s the perfect time to find out why they’re so beloved.
Suggested age rating: Best for kids aged 12 and over
Beetlejuice
Another Tim Burton entry on our list, starring Michael Keaton, Geena Davis, Alec Baldwin and a young Winona Ryder.
Beetlejuice is the story of a pair of ghosts who want to scare away a family from moving into their house. It has earned cult classic status and Michael Keaton’s title character remains one of the most imitated Halloween costumes of all time.
Suggested age rating: Best for kids aged 12 and over
Scoob!
A 2020 update on the much-loved Mystery Machine gang is filled with cute Easter eggs for parents who remember the original and a rollicking fun adventure that kids will enjoy,
Revealing the origin story of Shaggy Rogers, talking stray dog Scooby-Doo and the Mystery Inc gang, the impressive voice cast includes Will Forte, Mark Wahlberg, Gina Rodriguez, Zac Efron, Amanda Seyfried and Jason Isaacs as Dick Dastardly.
Suggested age rating: Best for kids aged 6 and over
Best kids Halloween films on Sky Cinema with NOW
Gremlins
Don’t be fooled by the cuddly and cute Gremlins, these critters are up to no good.
This 80s classic packs plenty of laughs and scares in a terrifying adventure that has endured and will still be loved by older kids.
Suggested age rating: Definitely one for older kids, aged 12 and over
Ghostbusters: Afterlife
Thirty-two years after the events of Ghostbusters II, the Ghostbusters have disbanded and their legacy is mostly forgotten until a family move into their deceased relative's rural Oklahoma home only to discover he had learned a frightening secret about the area.
Stars Finn Wolfhard, Mckenna Grace, Bill Murray, Paul Rudd and Ernie Hudson and directed by Jason Reitman.
Suggested age rating: One for the over-12s
Little Vampire
A friendship forms between an orphan schoolboy and a never-aging but bored 10-year-old vampire who wants to meet kids his own age, but a moon-headed monster throws obstacles in their paths.
French horror-comedy animation written and directed by Joann Sfar and nominated for a César award in 2020.
Suggested age rating: 10-year-olds can watch with parents for family fun!
Daphne and Velma
Years before Mystery Inc., two high school students form an unlikely partnership to investigate some spooky goings-on. Scooby-Doo spin-off starring Sarah Jeffery and Sarah Gilman as the mystery-solving pair.
Suggested age rating: 8 and above
Best kids Halloween films to buy or rent in the BT TV Store
The House With a Clock in Its Walls
Jack Black and Cate Blanchett go to town in this adaptation of John Bellairs' novel about a young orphan who moves in with an eccentric uncle.
Filled with witches, warlocks, a creaky house and magic arts, the films blends fantasy, kid-friendly horror and fun.
Suggested age rating: Perfect for kids aged 11 and over
Watch The House With a Clock in Its Walls in the BT Player
Frankenweenie
Disney and Tim Burton come together in this hilarious, offbeat and heartwarming tale about a boy and his dog. After unexpectedly losing his beloved dog Sparky, young Victor harnesses the power of science to bring his best friend back to life - with just a few minor adjustments.
An enchanting family film made with beautiful black-and-white stop-motion animation, it’s a clever twist on the classic Frankenstein story.
Suggested age rating: Best for kids aged 9 and over
The Nightmare Before Christmas
Is it a Christmas film or a Halloween film? You can spend all day arguing about it or just enjoy watching it from October through to December.
The groundbreaking stop-motion classic from Tim Burton is an annual must-watch.
Suggested age rating: Best for kids aged 8 and over
