33 Not-Scary Halloween Movies to Stream in 2024
From hilarious parodies and ’90s classics to beloved musicals
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October is sure to be a difficult time for Halloween lovers who can’t quite stomach horror movies. Is there any decent way to get into the Halloween spirit that doesn't require terrorizing one's own mental health for the duration of the entire season? Thankfully, there's still an abundance of other appropriately festive films that don’t ever dabble in demon exorcisms or paranormal activity.
Whether you’re looking for Halloween-coded comedies, romances, or coming-of-age tales—you got options! Ahead, we rounded up the 33 best non-scary Halloween movies to watch in 2024.
Zombieland (2009)
This rompy 2009 comedy chronicles the struggles of a group of survivors making their way through a post-apocalyptic world in which most humans have been turned into zombies. It’s as funny as it is gory, and includes an early career snapshot of some of today’s biggest movie stars like Emma Stone and Jesse Eisenberg.
Freaks of Nature (2015)
Fans of Mean Girls and Easy A will likely enjoy this hilarious Halloween high school comedy, which is jam-packed with celebrity appearances from Nicholas Braun, Bob Odendirk, Joan Cusack, Vanessa Hudgens, and Ed Westwick. The story depicts the odd social hierarchy of a small Midwestern town, in which vampires sit at the top of the food chain, zombies sit at the bottom, and humans hover awkwardly in the middle.
Harry Potter (2001—2011)
A Harry Potter movie marathon should be required October viewing for any self-prescribed lover of Halloween. Sure, the films feature a few noseless Ralph Fiennes jump scares here and there, but the overarching story about a young wizard finding his chosen family at a magical boarding school is the true beating heart of this franchise.
Kiki‘s Delivery Service (1989)
This classic Studio Ghibli film follows the journey of Kiki, a young witch who launches her own flying courier service. The movie is a tender and adventurous coming-of-age story, one that offers a heartfelt take on the challenges of growing up.
The Phantom of the Opera (2004)
Calling all musical theater nerds! This 2004 adaptation of the beloved Andrew Lloyd Webber musical brings a haunting gothic romance to life. A masked figure living beneath a Parisian opera house plots his way closer to the heart of a young and rising singer, who has reconnected with a childhood friend. If the spectacular music and extravagant costumes don’t entice you, then maybe the palpable chemistry between Gerard Butler and Emmy Rossum will.
The Witches (2020)
Based off of the 1983 Roald Dahl novel of the same name, this 2020 adaptation follows Charlie (Jahzir Bruno), a little boy who must flee the schemes of the Grand High Witch (Anne Hathaway), who wants to turn children into mice. The Witches is decidedly a kids’ movie, which will surely make it an easy watch for anyone who can’t handle a traditional scary movie.
Coraline (2009)
Not quite horror and not quite not-scary, Coraline is the perfect middle ground for Halloween lovers who want to watch something with a little extra kick. Based off of the 2002 children’s novel by Neil Gaiman, the stop-motion fantasy film follows a young girl named Coraline (Dakota Fanning) who enters an alternate reality when she crawls through a small door in her parents’ new house. Though enchanted by the change of scenery at first, Coraline quickly learns that not everything is as it seems. Ultimately, the movie is a whimsical venture into animation—and totally worth the occasional spook here and there.
Twilight (2008—2012)
Okay, fine, Twilight isn’t technically a Halloween movie… But isn’t it kind of? Vampires, werewolves, rainy landscapes, and gothic romanticism—it has all the makings for this generation’s next Halloween classic. Besides, who wouldn’t welcome another excuse to binge the Twilight movies again for the umpteenth time?
Beetlejuice (1988)
A pair of ghosts hate the new residents in their old home, and enlist the help of “bio-exorcist” Beetlejuice (Michael Keaton) to make them leave. However, Beetlejuice makes an unexpected connection with the family’s teenage daughter, Lydia (Winona Ryder). A sequel starring Jenna Ortega is on the way.
Double, Double, Toil and Trouble (1993)
If you fancy a true blast from the past, then Double, Double, Toil and Trouble is the perfect choice. Mary-Kate and Ashley Olsen star as twins who are tasked with saving their family home and must break an old and evil curse.
Edward Scissorhands (1990)
Edward Scissorhands is the creation of a scientist who tragically died before he could finish his work. Left with scissors for hands, Edward fails to integrate into normal society, while falling in love with the beautiful Kim (Winona Ryder). A dreamy Halloween classic.
Fun Size (2012)
Victoria Justice stars as a young woman who has to spend Halloween babysitting her little brother. But when he goes missing, she must frantically search for him and forgo the Halloween parties she’s been invited to.
Ghostbusters (2016)
The 2016 Ghostbusters reboot stars Melissa McCarthy, Kristen Wiig, Leslie Jones, and Kate McKinnon as the titular spirit exterminators. Chris Hemsworth provides some added comedy relief as their hapless assistant in a film filled with funny, gruesome ghosts, comedic hijinks, and cameos aplenty.
Goosebumps (2015)
Based on the work of R.L. Stine, Goosebumps follows a group of teenagers fighting some of the horror author’s most iconic monsters. Without meaning to, Zach (Dylan Minnette) releases all of Stine’s monsters from his books, and then must join the author on a quest to put them back where they belong.
Halloweentown (1998)
It wouldn’t be Halloween without a visit to Halloweentown. When Marnie turns 13, she discovers she’s a witch, and she travels to the magical land of Halloweentown. There, witches and other beings live free, but they’re also forced to fight evil spirits and curses.
Hocus Pocus 2 (2022)
Both 1993’s Hocus Pocus and 2022’s Hocus Pocus 2 follow the Sanderson sisters—played by Bette Midler, Sarah Jessica Parker, and Kathy Najimy—a group of witches set on tormenting children. In this sequel, when the sisters are inadvertently resurrected, all hell breaks loose.
Hubie Halloween (2022)
Hubie (Adam Sandler) spends his Halloweens protecting the town of Salem, which is made all the more challenging when news breaks that a dangerous criminal is on the loose. No one seems to take Hubie seriously, but that doesn’t stop him from springing into action. Costarring Kevin James and Noah Schnapp.
Jennifer’s Body (2009)
Megan Fox stars as Jennifer, a teenage girl who gets possessed by a demon and develops a taste for blood. Basically, none of the boys at school are safe, and her friend Needy (Amanda Seyfried) wants to put a stop to the murders. The perfect horror-comedy that only gets better with age.
Little Shop of Horrors (1986)
This big-screen adaptation of the off-Broadway musical features some seriously catchy songs and some incredibly special effects. During a solar eclipse, floral shop employee Seymour finds an unusual plant he dubs Audrey II after a co-worker. Unfortunately, as Audrey II grows, so does the plant’s appetite for blood, and Seymour is stuck sourcing bodies to feed it.
Practical Magic (1998)
Sisters Sally (Sandra Bullock) and Gillian (Nicole Kidman) turn to witchcraft in an attempt to bring Gillian’s dead boyfriend back to life. However, the spell doesn’t quite go to plan, with the women accidentally bringing an evil spirit into the picture instead.
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