21 Halloween Movies That Aren't Scary at All

It's October, which means it's time to watch one type of movie and one type only: scary movies. But what if you don't like horror films? There are a number of people out there who would rather watch any other genre. Thankfully, these people have options as well. There are plenty of Halloween movies that aren't scary at all, meaning those who aren't big on slasher films can still get into the spirit of the year's spookiest season.

So many non-scary movies out there are either about Halloween, are associated with Halloween, or feature ghosts, witches, and goblins. Granted, some of these flicks owe their non-scariness to the fact that they are kids movies, but who doesn't want to watch something they loved as a kid on Halloween? But just in case you're looking for something a little more adult for your Halloween celebration, you'll find plenty to love in that department as well. So take a look at these 21 Halloween movies that aren't scary at all, and you'll have no trouble falling asleep on October 31.

1. Rocky Horror Picture Show (1975)

One of the strangest movies ever made, it probably has a midnight showing on Halloween in your local theater. While it won't be the same without all the audience participation bits, RHPS is still 100% worth the watch for its offbeat, campy humor. Oh, and Tim Curry in drag. What's not to love?

Available on Hulu.

— Jessica Lachenal

2. Halloweentown (1998)

Debbie Reynolds is the best witchy grandmother a kid could ask for in Halloweentown, the childhood favorite of many Halloween holiday fans. Fun fact: Halloweentown is a real town you can visit. The film was shot in St. Helens, Oregon, and they embrace this fact every year as they recreate many of the sets from the film for visitors.

Available on Disney+.

— Jessica Lachenal

3. It's the Great Pumpkin, Charlie Brown (1966)

Most Peanuts specials are heartwarming, but this one just hits different, especially if you love Halloween. Remember when you were a kid and anything was possible, even if that "anything" just happened to be a giant, flying pumpkin? This will get you back there.

Available on Apple TV+.

— Jessica Lachenal

4. Buffy the Vampire Slayer (1992)

If you were super late to the Buffy the Vampire Slayer television fandom, then you might be forgiven for not knowing that it's actually based on a cult film, one that starred the late, great Luke Perry. It's part teen movie, part horror fantasy, but all classic '90s film.

Available to rent on iTunes, Amazon, Google Play, and YouTube.

— Jessica Lachenal

5. Teen Witch (1989)

Originally set to be a quasi-sequel to the Michael J. Fox-led Teen Wolf, Teen Witch eventually transformed into its own standalone film, one with impromptu rap sequences and all the '80s high school movie clichés you could shake a flying broom at. This one's another cult classic for the vault.

Available to stream on HBO Max, to rent on Apple TV and Amazon.

— Jessica Lachenal

6. Twitches (2005)

Tia and Tamara Mowry bring some Sister, Sister love to the teen witch genre in another Disney Channel Original Movie that might not be quite as iconic as Halloweentown but definitely stands alongside it as a classic Halloween flick for kids who grew up in the '90s and early-aughts.

Available on Disney+.

— Jessica Lachenal

7. Practical Magic (1998)

Sandra Bullock and Nicole Kidman in an extremely '90s romcom with occult, witchy flavor. This one lands firmly in the "has a montage with dancing in the kitchen to music" flavor of rom-com, but still, it's perfect for your palate cleanser after a particularly scary horror movie marathon.

Available to rent on iTunes, Amazon, Google Play, and YouTube.

— Jessica Lachenal

8. The Nightmare Before Christmas (1993)

You can cover two of your three end-of-year holiday movie needs with just one stop-motion classic. This movie is one of the more truly iconic Tim Burton visions, and inspired one of the longest-running overlays for a classic Disneyland attraction.

Available on Disney+.

— Jessica Lachenal

9. Ghostbusters (1984)

Speaking of iconic Halloween movies: Ghostbusters is yet another true Halloween-time classic, thanks to its incredible comedic gags, eye-popping practical visual effects (for the time), and immensely quotable script. Everybody knew somebody who wanted to be a Ghostbuster for Halloween, at least once — provided that somebody wasn't you.

Available to rent on iTunes, Amazon, Google Play, and YouTube.

— Jessica Lachenal

10. Ghostbusters (2016)

A worthy successor to the Ghostbusters throne, Ghostbusters (2020) updates a lot of the classic gags and spins a clever, fun new yarn that's just as hilarious as the original. Both movies live and die on their casts, and this cast really brings something new and original to what could have been a quick and dirty retread.

Available to rent on iTunes, Amazon, Google Plus, and YouTube.

— Jessica Lachenal

11. Frankenweenie (2012)

The saddest part in any movie is when the dog dies, but in this film he comes back to life.

Available on Disney+.

12. Monster House (2006)

Steven Spielberg and Robert Zemeckis reunite for this surprisingly fun haunted house tale. It'll have you think twice about going into that one creepy house on the block... if you weren't already thinking twice about it.

Available to rent on iTunes, Amazon, Google Plus, and YouTube.

13. Beetlejuice (1988)

Yet another film that really benefitted from Tim Burton's surreal style, Beetlejuice is another cult classic that hits perfect around Halloween. It's got demons, the undead, visions of hell, giant worms, and, oh yeah, a really young Winona Ryder as Lydia, the proto-goth kid many other goth kids based their attitude and style on for decades after.

Available on iTunes, Amazon, and Google Play.

— Jessica Lachenal

14. ParaNorman (2012)

ParaNorman is a fantastic display of Laika's legendary stop motion animation skills. It's easy to forget you're watching actual little figurines and not hand-drawn or computer-generated animation.

Available on Netflix.

— Jessica Lachenal

15. Casper (1995)

Yes, it's a children's movie, but it's also a fairly sweet love story. Granted, it's a love story between a ghost and a young girl, but there's been plenty of weirder love stories. This one just happens to be plenty endearing, thanks in no small part to the Christina Ricci and Bill Pullman's father-daughter duo.

Available on iTunes, Amazon, Google Play, and YouTube.

— Jessica Lachenal

16. The Haunted Mansion (2003)

While it's not quite as iconic as the Disneyland ride, Haunted Mansion is still a fairly good romp for the entire family. Fans of the original ride might enjoy the numerous nods to the attraction peppered throughout, like so many Hidden Mickeys.

Available on Disney+.

— Jessica Lachenal

17. The Monster Squad (1987)

Another quintessentially '80s film, The Monster Squad features two young boys up against some classic Universal horror villains like Dracula, The Mummy, The Wolfman, Frankenstein's Monster, and The Gill-Man (i.e., The Creature from the Black Lagoon).

Available on iTunes, Amazon, Google Play, and YouTube.

— Jessica Lachenal

18. Sleepy Hollow (1999)

It may masquerade as a horror film, but it's really not scary at all. Also, this is the fourth movie on this list with Tim Burton's involvement, making him the king of non-scary Halloween movies.

Available on Netflix.

19. The Addams Family (1991)

There's so much to love about The Addams Family. It's a family that truly loves and cares about one another, even if that love might look a little different to those sitting on the outside. Also: Morticia and Gomez Addams? Relationship goals. No joke.

Available on Prime Video.

— Jessica Lachenal

20. Ernest Scared Stupid (1991)

As a kid, I thought this was the scariest movie of all-time. I still think that, but most sane people would probably disagree.

Available on iTunes, Amazon, Google Play, and YouTube.

21. Hocus Pocus (1993)

About as iconic as Halloween movies come, Hocus Pocus is the non-scary Halloween movie to watch this year and every year. It's got curses, witches, black cats, and an ending that definitely made more than a few kids tear up watching it the first time around. (Me, I'm that kid.)

Available on Disney+.

— Jessica Lachenal