Ten Family Friendly Movies for Halloween

I thought I would do something a little bit different in the run up to Halloween, rather than just my usual reviews. I've created a list of movies that I think are suitable for the whole family, rated either U or PG.

10. Don't Look Under The Bed

Strange things have been happening in the town of Middleberg, with animals ending up in unusual places, pranks being played on people and buildings, and even gelatin in the school swimming pool. Who could be behind these peculiar phenomenon? Frances seems to be getting the blame, and she has no idea what is going on or why. Wanting to get to the bottom of everything and clear her name she consults her friend Larry who informs her that the Boogeyman is to blame. Frances begins to question what she has done to deserve this and the timing of it all. All will be revealed when she discovers more about her closest friend...

9. The Haunted Mansion

Eddie Murphy stars as a workaholic realtor who, along with his family, is summoned to a mansion which is not all it seems. The strange phone call came from a gentleman named Ramsley, and once they arrived they discover that he is the butler of the home. There's a storm coming in, and he kindly offers that they stay at the premises. With some of the group caught up in conversations and others are disted, the family end up split across the mansion surrounded by unusual happenings. They deduce that it is in fact... haunted! But will they escape the ghouls and ghosts who reside, or is it those appearing to be human that they need to be scared of?

8. Monster House

Usually you find that there's a monster in a house, rather than a house being an actual monster. This story begins with teenager DJ observing his neighbour Nebbercracker. When his parents leave the area on Halloween he's left with a babysitter. With boredom setting in he calls his bestie Chowder to come over and play basketball. When the ball lands on Nebbercracker's lawn he literally has a heart attack, with the children soon discovering the house has a life of it's own! The boys rescue neighbour Jenny from the house and attempt to convince the babysitter and her boyfriend, along with two police officers that the haunted house is in fact a monster. Sadly nobody believes them though, and they turn to their video-game loving acquaintance Skull to find a resolve and destroy the evil for good!

7. Hocus Pocus

It's approaching Halloween and Max who is new to Salem has just started at a new school. With All Hallow's Eve looming, a teacher reminds Max's class of the story of the Sanderson sisters; a trio of witches who were executed in 1693 for their practices. Prior to their deaths, one of the witches made a curse which meant that when the black flame candle was lit they would return. Having stumbled upon their old residence and in an attempt to show off to his sister and friend after a night of trick or treatin', Max lights the candle, unbeknownst to him that it would restore a gaggle of grotty witches named Sarah, Mary and Winifred! The witches pursue the children but with less than 24 hours will they be able to complete their spells in time to ensure they get to remain in the realm of the living?

6. Kiki's Delivery Service

A not so scary Studio Ghibli classic but one that I think ties in nicely to Halloween, Kiki's Delivery Service is a lovely story about Kiki; a spirited young trainee witch who has reached the important age of... 13! This may seem young, but all witches must leave home for a whole year in order to gain a sense of independence and self-reliance. A very mature act for someone of such a young age! We follow Kiki on her journey to a new town and her acceptance into a fun job role which puts some of the abilities she has come to master (or not!) to the test. She does get to take her cute kitten Jiji with her though, who she is able to communicate with. There are themes throughout the movie that are relatable to people the same age as Kiki, but also some lessons to be learned too.

5. Coco

Coco follows the story of Miguel, a music lover through and through, who is deeply saddened by a generations old family ban of music within their household. Generation after generation of new family members have live with this ban, however Miguel continues to be hopeful of achieving his goal of becoming a great musician; like his town's idol Ernesto de la Cruz. Nobody will tell the budding artist the full story, but when something goes terribly wrong on the Day of the Dead our protagonist ends up in the Land of the Dead! On his exciting journey he becomes friendly with the charismatic Hector, who joins him to help discover the hidden family history and truth behind the family's dislike for music. This movie is super colourful, and visually stunning.

4. Monster's Inc

Mike and Sulley work at Monster's Inc; a workplace like no other in the city of Monstropolis, who generate power for the city using the screams of terrified children. In order to gather up those screams the monsters have to do their scariest growls, put on their meanest faces and petrify poor children. There are many doors on the scare floor that the monsters can venture through to obtain the shrieks and shrills, but they also have to be careful - children are toxic to them and the worst thing that could possibly happen would be for a kid to come back through the door with them! Enter Boo, the cutest little girl who was not at all scared by Sulley. She manages to creep back through with him and then has a little adventure once she is loose at Monster's Inc. Not all monsters are nasty, and both Sulley and Mike try their best to get her home, however evil is always around the corner...

3. The Nightmare Before Christmas

Jack Skellington; the Pumpkin King, has grown so tired of the same old thing. Jack is straight off the back of a very successful Halloween, but rather than feeling accomplished he has come to want more from life. Jack needs some job satisfaction! As he meanders through the forest he stumbles upon a portal that leads to Christmas Town, where he discovers another holiday, a shiny new holiday that he is oh so desperate to be a part of. He feels it's nothing short of unfair that this single place get's to take part in the festivities and takes it upon himself to involve Halloween Town this year. This is another of my favourite movies and I happily watch this throughout the year, not just at Halloween or Christmas.

2. Hotel Transylvania

Typically Dracula is depicted as a thirsty blood-sucking vampire, a cold-blooded killer who murders the innocent to satiate his needs, occasionally seducing very attractive ladies... whereas this movie highlights the family man that he has now become, with an energetic teenager who wants to explore the world beyond the castle walls. And when I say castle, I actually mean modern hotel for monsters. Tis the season, after all, and when the monsters aren't scaring the living daylights out of people they just want to chill out with their friends! That is, until, a human stumbles across this humble abode! Dracula must do everything in his power to ensure that his daughter Mavis does NOT fall in love with a human, which includes using his intellect and mysterious abilities.

1. Casper

One of my all time favourite movies, Casper sees a wealthy heiress attempt to find a hidden treasure belonging to her recently departed father, who ONLY left her Whipstaff Manor in his will. (how dare he only leave her a mansion... *eye roll*). There is a problem with Carrigan's treasure hunt however, as the house is currently being haunted by four ghosts who are very much enjoying the peace and quiet. Cue paranormal investigator turned therapist Dr Harvey, and his angsty daughter Kat, attempting to coax the spirits away. Whilst Casper is a friendly ghost, his three uncles are not so nice.