Halloween has arrived, and with it comes the perfect opportunity to dim the lights, cozy up on the couch, and dive into some spooky films. It’s even more enjoyable when you can share the thrills with your entire family because let’s face it, almost everyone loves a good scary movie from time to time, even the youngest members of the clan. However, the challenge is finding a movie that won’t leave the kids (and consequently, you) wide awake all night.
Your search ends here! Here’s a curated selection of the finest family-friendly Halloween movies for kids to enjoy in 2023, offering just the right amount of spooky fun for young minds:
Coco (2017)
Coco follows Miguel as he embarks on a quest to become a musician—a quest that lands him in the colorful and fantastical Land of the Dead. There, he learns the meaning and importance of culture and family.
Frankenweenie (2012)
Frankenweenie tells the story of Victor, who experiences elation when he successfully revives his beloved pet dog, Sparky. However, when his schoolmates attempt their own experiments in resurrection, the situation takes a chilling turn.
Hotel Transylvania (2012)
One of the best kids Halloween movies out there! Even though Count Dracula is raising his daughter, Mavis, in the lovely “five-stake” monsters-only hotel he’s built in Transylvania, he allows her to explore the human world on her 118th birthday. And for fans, there are sequels to enjoy: Hotel Transylvania 2, Hotel Transylvania 3: Summer Vacation, and Hotel Transylvania: Transformania.
Goosebumps (2015)
Goosebumps draws inspiration from the popular ’90s horror book series by R.L. Stine. In this 2015 film, the author, portrayed by Jack Black, and his family must rescue their hometown from impending doom as all the monsters from his stories come to life.
Monster House (2006)
In Monster House, a seemingly ordinary house reveals itself as a malevolent, living creature. When three young friends uncover this unsettling truth, they embark on a daring mission to save the town’s children from the house’s sinister grip.
Paranorman (2012)
To say Norman Babcock isn’t your average 11-year-old boy is quite an understatement—considering he can communicate with ghosts! Now he must use his powers to save his small town from an ancient curse.
Hocus Pocus 2 (2022)
A modern sequel to the 1993 film, Hocus Pocus 2 tells the story of three young girls who accidentally bring the Sanderson sisters to current-day Salem.
The Addams Family (2019)
The first animated comedy about the famously creepy and kooky Addams Family offers tons of kid-friendly frights and fun. This is a great alternative for kids who are interested in the new hit show Wednesday but still a little too young to watch.
The House With A Clock In Its Walls (2018)
The movie follows a 10-year-old kid who, after he’s sent to be watched over by an eccentric uncle (Jack Black) and and his friendly neighbor (Cate Blanchett), is pulled into an ancient rivalry between witches and warlocks.
Haunted Mansion (2023)
A woman and her son enlist a motley crew of so-called spiritual experts to help rid their home of supernatural squatters.
The Goonies (1985)
This beloved adventure follows a motley crew of misfits known as The Goonies on an action-packed treasure hunt to save their homes.
The Boxtrolls (2014)
While the rest of the world fears and despises them, a young human boy named Eggs considers the Boxtrolls his family. In The Boxtrolls, Eggs must confront an evil exterminator determined to eradicate his beloved clan.
A Babysitter’s Guide to Monster Hunting (2020)
Kelly Ferguson accepts a babysitting gig on Halloween night — only to have her charge captured by the Boogeyman. Luckily, she learns of a secret society of child guardians who can help her learn to fight monsters.
Gnome Alone (2018)
When Chloe moves into a new home with her mother, she finds something unexpected: a group of garden gnomes who say the neighborhood is under attack by underground beasts. It’s up to Chloe to help the gnomes save the world.
Scary Stories to Tell in the Dark (2019)
Scary Stories to Tell in the Dark is designed for teens (PG-13) who have outgrown the most family-friendly horror films but aren’t quite ready for the likes of Nightmare on Elm Street. This film, inspired by the spine-tingling book series from our childhoods, centers on a group of young investigators who must confront local legends that begin to materialize and pose real threats.
(Note: This movie is darker and more mature than many others on this list, intended for older viewers.)
Animation has come a long way since the early days of hand-drawn cartoons, and over the years, Hollywood has delivered a number of animation movies that have performed consistently well at worldwide box office.
Disney films have enjoyed lucrative re-releases prior to the home video era, and also enjoyed later success following the acquisition of Pixar in 2006, of which the Toy Story films, Finding Nemo films, and Inside Out have been the best performers. Beyond Pixar animation, the Shrek, Ice Age, Madagascar and Despicable Me series have met with the most success.
Animation Movies Success – Worldwide:
Animation Movies Success – Middle East:
So, what’s the draw to animated movies? It can’t just be the kids’ attraction – is it the parents’ attraction too? Or is it because with a fair amount of violence and nefarious activity in our modern world, it’s nice to occasionally escape with a family-friendly movie that warms our adult hearts and gives us hope?
Animation movies are clever at weaving parts of the adult and children’s’ worlds together. They are cute and funny – which is why they appeal to kids, but also depict deeper meaning and complex visual stories – appreciated and enjoyed by older audiences as well.
It’s a genre similar to that of fine wine – it gets better with age!
Here are 4 reasons why adults enjoy animated films as much as kids:
1. They remind us of our childhood
Remember the good old days when ‘nap time’ was a requirement, rent and bills were non-existent, and a trip to the cinema meant watching a movie on a giant screen, with lots of giggles and plenty of popcorn. Who doesn’t like reminiscing on the glory days of being a child?
Animation movies give us adults a taste of our youth while simultaneously warming our cold and bitter grown-up hearts. As the saying goes, age is nothing but a number, and childlike wonder is attractive at any age.
2.They universally speak to all generations
Animated movie characters speak to the importance of close relationships found in family and friends and encourage bravery, open-mindedness, kindness and loyalty. Then there is the appeal of happy endings – whilst most of characters experience some challenges and make mistakes along the way, they always end up where they belong and alongside the people they belong with. They are movies about overcoming obstacles, forming friendships and growing up, and they offer valuable life lessons to all audiences regardless of age or experience.
3.We finally get all of the jokes
While the jokes never fail to enrapture children in laughter, there is also a layer of more discreet, mature humor that you only understand once you watch the film as an older viewer. In fact, mature audiences take away a whole different message from many of the films than do young viewers.
For instance, Disney/Pixar’s most popular and profitable properties Toy Story featured more than just a few adult jokes – which possibly flew above our heads as kids:
When Buster needs to get out of the room, Jessie hops on a toy car and rides it like a skateboard, launching herself on the door handle to help Buster escape. A wide-eyed Buzz is clearly awestruck and his wings shoot up – fully ‘perpendicular’.
When the Barbies at Al’s Toy Barn draw a lot of attention from the other toys, who are obviously attracted to them. When Mr. Potato Head later finds himself next to Tour Guide Barbie, he repeats to himself, “I’m a married spud, I’m a married spud…”
And If you’ve seen the original Madagascar, remember Marty the zebra who occasionally exclaimed ‘Sugar Honey Iced Tea!’. As kids, this meant nothing to us, but as adults we can distinguish that the first letter of each word spells out a somewhat frequently used ‘not-so-kid-friendly’ term – and that knowledge alone is simply remarkable!
4.The morals hit far closer to home now than they did when we were kids
Remember that time that Andy from Toy Story had to move away to college and decided to give away his beloved toys?
Or being able to identify with Nemo’s need for independence as he grows and understanding Marlin’s difficultly with accepting his son’s growth, as our own parents have had to learn to accept?
There’s no denying that animated movies are awesome!
As per research conducted by IPSOS in the UAE, 68.5% of cinemagoers enjoy watching animation movies – of which 71.6% are aged between 25-34 and 67.2% are aged 35+.
With appeal across multiple age groups and having continued to deliver extraordinary results (in terms of box office earning and admissions) over the last couple of years, animation movies provide advertisers with a platform to target larger audiences.
Upcoming blockbuster animation movies in 2019 include:
*Movie release dates are subject to change.
Contact a member of our sales team for cinema advertising opportunities alongside upcoming animation movies.
Sources: Cult Critic, The Bottom Line, The Artifice, The Odyssey Online, Ranker, BBC Magazine, Mic Network Inc, The Numbers, Wikipedia, MVM-IPSOS Report and MVM Analysis.
The Shape of Water led the 90th Academy Awards, winning best picture and best director (for Guillermo del Toro). The film also nabbed prizes for production design and original score.
Gary Oldman won the lead actor award for his work as Winston Churchill in Darkest Hour. Frances McDormand earned her second best actress Oscar for her role as a grieving mother in Three Billboards Outside Ebbing, Missouri.
Meanwhile, Sam Rockwell (Three Billboards Outside Ebbing, Missouri) and Allison Janney (I, Tonya) picked up supporting actor and actress honors.
Here’s the full winners list.
Best Picture:
“The Shape of Water” (WINNER)
“Call Me by Your Name”
“Darkest Hour”
“Dunkirk”
“Get Out”
“Lady Bird”
“Phantom Thread”
“The Post”
“Three Billboards Outside Ebbing, Missouri”
Actress:
Frances McDormand, “Three Billboards Outside Ebbing, Missouri” (WINNER)
Sally Hawkins, “The Shape of Water”
Margot Robbie, “I, Tonya”
Saoirse Ronan, “Lady Bird”
Meryl Streep, “The Post”
Actor:
Gary Oldman, “Darkest Hour” (WINNER)
Timothée Chalamet, “Call Me by Your Name”
Daniel Day-Lewis, “Phantom Thread”
Daniel Kaluuya, “Get Out”
Denzel Washington, “Roman J. Israel, Esq.”
Director:
“The Shape of Water,” Guillermo del Toro (WINNER)
“Dunkirk,” Christopher Nolan
“Get Out,” Jordan Peele
“Lady Bird,” Greta Gerwig
“Phantom Thread,” Paul Thomas Anderson
Original Song:
“Remember Me” from “Coco,” Kristen Anderson-Lopez, Robert Lopez (WINNER)
“Mighty River” from “Mudbound,” Mary J. Blige
“Mystery of Love” from “Call Me by Your Name,” Sufjan Stevens
“Stand Up for Something” from “Marshall,” Diane Warren, Common
“This Is Me” from “The Greatest Showman,” Benj Pasek, Justin Paul
Original Score:
“The Shape of Water,” Alexandre Desplat (WINNER)
“Star Wars: The Last Jedi,” John Williams
“Dunkirk,” Hans Zimmer
“Phantom Thread,” Jonny Greenwood
“Three Billboards Outside Ebbing, Missouri,” Carter Burwell
Cinematography:
“Blade Runner 2049,” Roger Deakins (WINNER)
“Darkest Hour,” Bruno Delbonnel
“Dunkirk,” Hoyte van Hoytema
“Mudbound,” Rachel Morrison
“The Shape of Water,” Dan Laustsen
Original Screenplay:
“Get Out,” Jordan Peele (WINNER)
“Three Billboards Outside Ebbing, Missouri,” Martin McDonagh
“The Big Sick,” Emily V. Gordon & Kumail Nanjiani
“Lady Bird,” Greta Gerwig
“The Shape of Water,” Guillermo del Toro, Vanessa Taylor
Adapted Screenplay:
“Call Me by Your Name,” James Ivory (WINNER)
“The Disaster Artist,” Scott Neustadter & Michael H. Weber
“Logan,” Scott Frank & James Mangold and Michael Green
“Molly’s Game,” Aaron Sorkin
“Mudbound,” Virgil Williams and Dee Rees
Live Action Short Film:
“The Silent Child,” Chris Overton, Rachel Shenton (WINNER)
“DeKalb Elementary,” Reed Van Dyk
“The Eleven O’Clock,” Derin Seale, Josh Lawson
“My Nephew Emmett,” Kevin Wilson, Jr.
“Watu Wote/All of Us,” Katja Benrath, Tobias Rosen
Documentary Short Subject:
“Heaven Is a Traffic Jam on the 405,” Frank Stiefel (WINNER)
“Heroin(e),” Elaine McMillion Sheldon, Kerrin Sheldon
“Edith+Eddie,” Laura Checkoway, Thomas Lee Wright
“Knife Skills,” Thomas Lennon
“Traffic Stop,” Kate Davis, David Heilbroner
Film Editing:
“Dunkirk,” Lee Smith (WINNER)
“Baby Driver,” Jonathan Amos, Paul Machliss
“I, Tonya,” Tatiana S. Riegel
“The Shape of Water,” Sidney Wolinsky
“Three Billboards Outside Ebbing, Missouri,” Jon Gregory
Visual Effects:
“Blade Runner 2049,” John Nelson, Paul Lambert, Richard R. Hoover, Gerd Nefzer (WINNER)
“Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2,” Christopher Townsend, Guy Williams, Jonathan Fawkner, Dan Sudick
“Kong: Skull Island,” Stephen Rosenbaum, Jeff White, Scott Benza, Mike Meinardus
“Star Wars: The Last Jedi,” Ben Morris, Mike Mulholland, Chris Corbould, Neal Scanlan
“War for the Planet of the Apes,” Joe Letteri, Dan Lemmon, Daniel Barrett, Joel Whist
Animated Feature:
“Coco,” Lee Unkrich, Darla K. Anderson (WINNER)
“The Boss Baby,” Tom McGrath, Ramsey Ann Naito
“The Breadwinner,” Nora Twomey, Anthony Leo
“Ferdinand,” Carlos Saldanha
“Loving Vincent,” Dorota Kobiela, Hugh Welchman, Sean Bobbitt, Ivan Mactaggart, Hugh Welchman
Animated Short:
“Dear Basketball,” Glen Keane, Kobe Bryant (WINNER)
“Garden Party,” Victor Caire, Gabriel Grapperon
“Lou,” Dave Mullins, Dana Murray
“Negative Space,” Max Porter, Ru Kuwahata
“Revolting Rhymes,” Jakob Schuh, Jan Lachauer
Supporting Actress:
Allison Janney, “I, Tonya” (WINNER)
Mary J. Blige, “Mudbound”
Lesley Manville, “Phantom Thread”
Laurie Metcalf, “Lady Bird”
Octavia Spencer, “The Shape of Water”
Foreign Language Film:
“A Fantastic Woman” (Chile) (WINNER)
“The Insult” (Lebanon)
“Loveless” (Russia)
“On Body and Soul” (Hungary)
“The Square” (Sweden)
Production Design:
“The Shape of Water,” Paul D. Austerberry, Jeffrey A. Melvin, Shane Vieau (WINNER)
“Beauty and the Beast,” Sarah Greenwood; Katie Spencer
“Blade Runner 2049,” Dennis Gassner, Alessandra Querzola
“Darkest Hour,” Sarah Greenwood, Katie Spencer
“Dunkirk,” Nathan Crowley, Gary Fettis
Sound Mixing:
“Dunkirk,” Mark Weingarten, Gregg Landaker, Gary A. Rizzo (WINNER)
“Baby Driver,” Mary H. Ellis, Julian Slater, Tim Cavagin
“Blade Runner 2049,” Mac Ruth, Ron Bartlett, Doug Hephill
“The Shape of Water,” Glen Gauthier, Christian Cooke, Brad Zoern
“Star Wars: The Last Jedi,” Stuart Wilson, Ren Klyce, David Parker, Michael Semanick
Sound Editing:
“Dunkirk,” Alex Gibson, Richard King (WINNER)
“Baby Driver,” Julian Slater
“Blade Runner 2049,” Mark Mangini, Theo Green
“The Shape of Water,” Nathan Robitaille, Nelson Ferreira
“Star Wars: The Last Jedi,” Ren Klyce, Matthew Wood
Documentary Feature:
“Icarus,” Bryan Fogel, Dan Cogan (WINNER)
“Abacus: Small Enough to Jail,” Steve James, Mark Mitten, Julie Goldman
“Faces Places,” JR, Agnès Varda, Rosalie Varda
“Last Men in Aleppo,” Feras Fayyad, Kareem Abeed, Soren Steen Jepersen
“Strong Island,” Yance Ford, Joslyn Barnes
Costume Design:
“Phantom Thread,” Mark Bridges (WINNER)
“Beauty and the Beast,” Jacqueline Durran
“Darkest Hour,” Jacqueline Durran
“The Shape of Water,” Luis Sequeira
“Victoria and Abdul,” Consolata Boyle
Makeup and Hairstyling:
“Darkest Hour,” Kazuhiro Tsuji, David Malinowski, Lucy Sibbick (WINNER)
“Victoria and Abdul,” Daniel Phillips and Lou Sheppard
“Wonder,” Arjen Tuiten
Supporting Actor:
Sam Rockwell, “Three Billboards Outside Ebbing, Missouri” (WINNER)
Willem Dafoe, “The Florida Project”
Woody Harrelson, “Three Billboards Outside Ebbing, Missouri”
Richard Jenkins, “The Shape of Water”
Christopher Plummer, “All the Money in the World”
Source: Variety
