15 Non-Scary Halloween Movies

After months of long, sunny days, breezy beach trips, and sweltering temperatures, the end of summer gives way to what’s arguably the best season of the year: spooky szn. While Halloween is usually characterized by all things that go bump in the night, Oct. 31 doesn’t always have to feel so eerie and bone-chilling, especially when autumn is such a cozy and happy time. Here are 15 non-scary Halloween movies to watch this fall that’ll have you laughing or smiling instead of trembling in fear.

Sure, actual scary movies give an adrenaline rush like no other, but these 15 films are just as entertaining while also being much more palatable for the scaredy-cats in your life. From classic Disney originals to newer animated hits, this list covers some of the most fun movies to watch during Halloween. Don’t worry, just because these films aren’t filled with dangerous demons, ghoulish ghosts, or creepy clowns, it doesn’t mean they’re boring. If anything, most of these movies are even more enjoyable than your average scary flick because they’re a mashup of genres and fun for everyone to watch together.

So, grab some candy corn and pumpkin spice lattes, and enjoy one — or perhaps all — of these fun Halloween movies this fall.

1. Hocus Pocus

A movie that needs no introduction, Hocus Pocus is No. 1 on this list for obvious reasons. Set in eerie Salem, Massachusetts, and with Bette Midler, Kathy Najimy, and Sarah Jessica Parker leading the cast as evil witches reincarnated from the 17th century, the movie is a must-watch every Halloween. Though creepy at times, the film is heartwarming more than anything else, as it follows a group of teens on a mission to steal the witches’ spellbook and save their town.

2. Hubie Halloween

In this Netflix original, Adam Sandler once again did what he does best: make a hilarious oddball comedy. Hubie Halloween follows the story of Hubie, a 30-something-year-old who still lives with his mom and takes Halloween very seriously, despite the rest of the town not taking him seriously at all. But when a murder takes place in his community, Hubie makes it his mission to find the killer.

3. Halloweentown

Disney Channel has blessed fans with a ton of original films throughout the years, including Halloweentown, a classic most of us have watched countless times. After finding out she’s a witch, 13-year-old Marnie and her siblings follow their grandmother into an alternate dimension known as Halloweentown. But when an evil force begins to suck the life out of all the residents, including their grandma (played by none other than Debbie Reynolds), Marnie must save the day. There are three more films in the franchise, though the first stands out as the best.

4. Scary Movie

With comedic stars like Anna Faris, Marlon Wayans, and Regina Hall, Scary Movie is probably the funniest horror movie around. A spoof of classics like The Sixth Sense, Scream, and I Know What You Did Last Summer, the film follows a group of students as they make a ton of very questionable (and hilarious) decisions when they find themselves in some not-so-fun situations. If you’ve already seen the first, no worries, there are four more Scary Movies to watch after.

5. Twitches

Twitches, another Disney Channel classic, stars Tia and Tamera Mowry as long-lost sisters who serendipitously reunite only to find out they’re witches. If that wasn’t enough, they also learn their birth mother lives in a parallel universe and is the queen of an entire magical kingdom called Coventry. But darkness lurks in Coventry, and the twin witches are determined to help their mother banish the evil. Twitches is a ton of fun and also stars Jennifer Robertson, who fans will recognize as Jocelyn in Schitt’s Creek. Plus, there’s a sequel conveniently called Twitches Too.

6. Coraline

From the mind of author Neil Gaiman and director Henry Selick, Coraline tells the tale of a young girl who finds a parallel universe to her own, where everything is much better than her real home... but is it really? The film can be slightly unnerving at times, but it’s also imaginative and full of quirky characters.

7. Hotel Transylvania

Hotel Transylvania is a fun animated movie that the whole family can enjoy this season. The film includes a stacked cast with Adam Sandler, Selena Gomez, Andy Samberg, and Kevin James lending their voices, to name just a few. Set at a hotel where all kinds of “scary” creatures live, Hotel Transylvania follows Dracula’s hesitancy to let his daughter, Mavis, grow up and be around actual humans. It’s perfect for a Halloween marathon, as there are four films in the franchise, with the final installment released in 2021.

8. The Witches

Sure, there’s a 2020 remake starring Anne Hathway, but no one can beat Anjelica Huston as the grand high witch in the original The Witches. Adapted from a Roald Dahl book of the same name, the movie is equal parts, innovative, spooky, and, frankly, plain weird. From little boys turning into mice to eccentric witches plotting to annihilate children, the film is sure to be unlike anything you’ve watched before.

9. Practical Magic

Defying genre conventions, Practical Magic is a Halloween staple. The film is a mix of a romantic comedy, thriller, and tragedy all in one as it follows the lives of two sisters and witches, played by Hollywood icons Sandra Bullock and Nicole Kidman. After avoiding witchcraft for most of their lives, the sisters must turn to it once they become responsible for an accidental death.

10. The Addams Family

What’s October without Morticia and Gomez Addams? The Addams Family has all the aesthetics of a scary movie — the eerie mansion, the dark cemetery, and the creepy walking hand named Thing — without actually being scary. Instead, the film is really more of a comedy as it follows a conman trying to steal the Addams fortune. Not only is there a sequel with the original cast, but there are also two animated films that give a new take on the beloved classic

11. The Nightmare Before Christmas

Is it really the holiday season if Jack Skellington and Sally haven’t graced your screen yet? Tim Burton’s The Nightmare Before Christmas revolves around two of the most fun holidays: Halloween and Christmas. Once Jack, the pumpkin king who lives in Halloween Town, stumbles upon Christmas Town and learns of the holiday, he realizes there’s more to life than monsters and scary things and becomes obsessed with Christmas. But not everyone is happy with his newfound passion.

12. Enola Holmes

In the same cinematic universe as Sherlock Holmes, Enola Holmes follows Sherlock’s young sister as she searches for their missing mother who doubles as her best friend. Millie Bobbie Brown plays the titular character, and even though there are no ghosts, witches, or demons in the film, its central mystery finds Enola in some pretty spooky situations. Good thing she’s a badass.

13. Beetlejuice

Another Tim Burton classic, Beetlejuice is a Halloween movie that’ll have you laughing out loud. The film follows the recently deceased Maitlands who are trying to haunt the new owners of their house, the Deetzes, away. When they’re unsuccessful, they call on Beetlejuice, a wacky spirit, to help them, but things quickly get out of hand. Along with being a lot of fun, Beetlejuice has an impressive cast that includes Michael Keaton, Winona Ryder, Alec Baldwin, Catherine O’Hara, and Geena Davis all starring in the film.

14. Happy Death Day

One of the many Groundhog Day inspired films, Happy Death Day follows college student Tree Gelbman, who must relive her death over and over again until she finds the killer — so she can not only save herself but her friends, too. Though the film has a few scary moments, it’s more of a whodunit than anything else.

15. Spirited Away

A Studio Ghibli and Walt Disney studios collaboration, Spirited Away is a beloved — and highly unusual — animated film. Directed by the legendary Hayao Miyazaki, the movie finds a 10-year-old girl trapped in an amusement park filled with supernatural creatures who’ve transformed her parents into pigs. Although there are spirits running around amok in this film, let's just say they’re not your typical ghosts.