19 Best Non-Scary Films To Watch This Halloween – And Where To Stream Them

With the peak of spooky season in sight, it’s time to finally get your Halloween watchlist together.

For many, that’ll mean diving into the horror vault to find something suitably scary.

But, if you’re someone for whom your typical horror movie requires a 30-minute pep talk beforehand, multiple tea breaks midway through, and a one-hour cool-down afterwards, picking something to watch on Halloween can be… well… a bit of a frightful task.

That’s why we’ve put together this no-tricks, all-treats list of Halloween-friendly movies that still pack in a spooky thrill, without haunting your nightmares for days afterwards.

Bette Midler, Sarah Jessica Parker and Kathy Najimy chewing the scenery as a coven in this family-friendly Halloween treat is camp enough as a concept, but when you throw the mix of costumes, wigs and musical numbers into the witches’ brew it just makes it even more irresistible.

Hocus Pocus’ legacy feels even more well-earned when you factor in that it initially underperformed at the box office, but eventually found a cult audience among home viewers, leading to it becoming valuable property for Disney at this time of year (let’s just not talk about that 2022 sequel, alright?).

Practical Magic is what happens if you mix the autumnal cosiness of Gilmore Girls, the modern witchy vibes of The Craft and the sheer Oscar-winning acting greatness of Nicole Kidman and Sandra Bullock.

Weirdly, it sort of came and went when it was first released in the late 1990s, but eventually went on to become a bona fide cult classic, to the point it spawned a long-awaited sequel reuniting almost all of its cast earlier this year.

But let’s face it, the original is always going to be the best.

Stream it on: Netflix, Amazon Prime Video and Now

Sorry, Jenna Ortega, but Christina Ricci is forever the true Wednesday Addams in our eyes.

One of those few sequels that’s actually better than the original, Addams Family Values puts your usual domestic comedy through a twisted lens and the results are not just hilarious, but also suspenseful, spooky, sexy and surprisingly heartwarming.

If you’ve still not treated yourself to this movie, consider the fact it’s currently available on three different UK streaming services as your indication to finally see what the fuss is all about.

Stream it on: Now, Paramount+ and Amazon Prime Video.

Forget Lady Gaga, Heidi Klum and even Jenna Ortega – Addams Family Values and The Witches prove that the Queen of Halloween title still belongs to Anjelica Huston.

If you’ve not watched The Witches since childhood and you’re curious as to whether it’s still deeply unsettling despite its alleged “family friendly” label, we’re here to assure you that, yes, it absolutely is.

Stream it on: Amazon Prime Video, Now and HBO Max

This cult classic send-up of Hollywood B-movies is a tale as old as time.

Boy meets girl. Boy proposes to girl. Boy heads out to share the happy news with their old college professor. Boy breaks down at the side of the road and seeks shelter in an old castle inhabited by a cross-dressing alien who seduces both of them in a bid to teach the world about indulging in all of life’s pleasures.

It’s just a jump to the left!

Come on, it wouldn’t be Halloween without a bit of Tim Burton, would it? When it comes to setting the scene at this time of year, opening numbers don’t come any more perfectly than This Is Halloween, and who doesn’t love a film where both the hero and the villain are deliciously spooky characters?

If you think this one is more of an alternative Christmas movie than an on-brand Halloween one, cool. Good for you, see you in December. For everyone else, happy streaming!

Another offering from Nightmare Before Christmas director Henry Selick that’s perfect for spooky season is Coraline, in which the titular teenager stumbles upon a secret world while home alone that she quickly discovers is more sinister than it first appears.

The stop-motion movie has gained a loyal cult following since its release in 2009, and is now considered a game-changer within the world of animation.

Stream it on: ITVX and Amazon Prime Video

Already onto your millionth stream of Golden and Soda Pop, despite KPop Demon Hunters coming out a year ago? Us too! But come on, it’s Halloween… why not make it a million and one?

This game-changing supernatural comedy spawned a thousand spin-offs, sequels and reboots but as with so many franchises, it’s pretty hard to improve on the original, isn’t it?

Good luck getting that iconic theme tune out of your head before Bonfire Night, though…

Tim Burton was truly firing on all cylinders when he put together 1988’s original film Beetlejuice, earning his title as prince of weirdos the world over.

Michael Keaton is having the time of his life as the film’s central anti-hero, leading an all-star cast that includes the late, great Catherine O’Hara, Geena Davis, Alec Baldwin and, of course, Winona Ryder in one of her own earliest oddball roles.

Never more appropriate a watch than on Halloween, the film boasts some of the most memorable, imaginative and truly ridiculous sequences in Tim Burton’s entire career.

Stream it on: Now, HBO Max and Amazon Prime Video

While we’re celebrating Tim Burton’s oeuvre, this month Corpse Bride is celebrating its 20th anniversary, so what could be a more ideal moment to revisit this dark and imaginative animated musical?

Stream it on: Now, HBO Max and Amazon Prime Video

Labyrinth served as an ambitious collaboration between Jim Henson, George Lucas and David Bowie, which is how it manages to incorporate expansive set-pieces, irreverent humour and a couple of Bowie bops into what’s otherwise, let’s be frank, a deeply weird fantasy set-up.

Stream it on: ITVX, Amazon Prime Video and Plex

You might be wondering exactly what Toad of Toad Hall and The Wind In The Willows have to do with Halloween. And the answer to that question is… nothing at all!

However, it’s the second half of this early-years Disney package film we’d encourage you to watch this spooky season, as it tells the story of The Legend Of Sleepy Hollow.

And while people are quick to highlight the nightmare fuel Disney provided us with in The Black Cauldron, Pinocchio and Snow White, among others, trust us when we say you’re not quite ready for how eerie this oft-overlooked offering from the studio gets, either.

Already a seasonal staple across the pond, this Peanuts Halloween special was finally available to stream in the UK for Apple TV+ users in the last few years.

Often celebrated as the pinnacle of Charlie Brown, Snoopy and co’s small-screen offerings, this 25-minute episode is utterly charming and guaranteed to appeal to viewers of all ages.

Off the back of Pirates Of The Caribbean’s success, Disney has tried several times to adapt other park attractions for the big screen, including Jungle Cruise and Tomorrowland.

After past iterations of The Haunted Mansion were met with varying levels of success, who could have guessed that all Disney would need to really bring the brand to life would be chucking the Muppets into the mix?

Yes, after dominating the festive season for the last few decades, the Muppets turned their attention to Halloween in 2021, and we have to say the results worked surprisingly well.

A film that has aged like a fine wine, this live-action reimagining of the classic Scooby-Doo cartoons boasts an impressive all-star cast, multi-layered humour that all generations can appreciate, gorgeous costumes and an absolute banger of a soundtrack thanks to Allstars’ Things That Go Bump In The Night.

If it’s been long enough now that you don’t instinctively know every twist and turn as it comes, we can’t recommend giving this one a stream enough (and the oft-overlooked sequel Monsters Unleashed is also available, too, if you wanted to make it a double feature).

Stream it on: Netflix, Amazon Prime Video and Disney+

A guaranteed hit if you have sensitive or younger viewers you need to keep entertained for an hour or two this Halloween, but at the very least, Hotel Transylvania makes for a fun guessing game as you try to work out which celebs on the A-list cast have lent their voice to each of the spooky characters.

Stream it on: ITX, Amazon Prime Video and Now

Taking Gilmore Girls and pumpkin spice in general out of the equation, nothing says autumn quite like revisiting Bella and Edward’s infamous love story, right?

And, much like Pringles, even if you think you can just stop at one – Disney+ has the entire Twilight saga available to stream, so good luck not hitting “continue watching” when those credits start rolling and you find yourself in need of another immediate nostalgia hit…

Stream it on: ITVX and Netflix

No, Mean Girls probably isn’t your traditional “Halloween film”, but its Halloween party section features so many iconic moments – “I’m a mouse, duh!”, “why do you look so scary?!” “It’s Halloween!”, “yeah, but he’s my first cousin…” – we’ve included it on this list regardless.

Besides, who actually needs an excuse to watch Mean Girls? See you again in December when we’re ready to do the Jingle Bell Rock with the Plastics…

Stream it on: Paramount+, Netflix and Amazon Prime Video