Halloween Movies For Wimps

Halloween is almost upon us again. Every year I feel like there is a longer build-up and bigger hype up for Halloween. I have mixed feelings as we come up to this time of year. On the one hand, I love the dark, mysterious, unknown fun of it all. On the other hand, I have terrible death anxiety and was once scared of my own shadow (true story. I thought it was a cat.)

I sometimes do enjoy watching horror movies. However, I’m then scared for two months solid that what I watched is coming to get me. I’m still scared that someone will crawl out of my TV, and I haven’t watched ‘that’ movie since I was 15.

So, I kind of get stuck in between. I enjoy Halloween, but I can’t wait for it to be over so I can enjoy the magic of Christmas. It got me thinking that there are probably others out there who maybe want to join in with the fun of the time of year, but without being scared silly.

So I decided to round up my top 13 favourite Halloween Movies For Wimps. And although this list is for wimps, it is definitely not suitable for children.

1. Shaun Of The Dead

So, you might need to be a little brave to watch this movie as it contains Zombies; however, it is definitely a comedy! The movie centres around a bloke called Shaun. He is having a rough time, he has a dead-end job, his life lacks any kind of direction, he doesn’t get on with his step-dad, AND he gets dumped by his girlfriend. So, Shaun goes and gets drunk at his favourite pub, The Winchester, with his best friend.

The following morning Shaun goes to the corner shop. He fails to notice the destruction going on around him and zombies walking about freely. When Shaun and his best mate realise what is going on, they attempt to rescue Shaun’s mum and his ex-girlfriend and go to the safest place they know – The Winchester.

Lots of laughs (if you like this type of humour) and a few gross-out moments make this one of my Halloween favourites.

2. Beetlejuice

I love this movie, but as a kid, I was terrified that I might accidentally say Beetlejuice three times in a row and what would happen!

Fun Fact (or not): Beetlejuice’s name is actually spelt Betelgeuse. I’ve no idea why it is spelt Beetlejuice in the movie title.

If you haven’t seen this classic film, you’re missing out. Married couple Barbara and Adam (played by Alec Baldwin and Geena Davis) are driving home from the hardware store when they have to swerve to avoid hitting a dog. They are driving along a bridge when this happens and crash their car into the water. When they get home, some very unusual things start to happen. They discover that they actually died on that bridge.

As they’ve passed away, their house gets sold to a family, including a man, his wife, and his daughter, played by Winona Ryder. Adam and Barbara attempt to scare the new family out of their house. As it turns out, Winona Ryder can see them. They fail miserably at haunting the family out of their home, so they enlist the help of ‘bio-exorcist’ Betelgeuse, played by Michael Keaton.

3. The Nightmare Before Christmas 

So I know that this has Christmas in the title (and I included it in my must-watch Christmas list), but this is a Halloween movie and a classic one at that. 

Jack Skellington is the pumpkin king of Halloween Town. However, he grows bored with doing the same thing every year for Halloween. One day he stumbles into Christmas Town and enjoys the idea of Christmas so much that he tries his hand at spreading Christmas cheer. However, things don’t go quite to plan.

4. Practical Magic

This movie centres around two sisters called Sally and Gillian Owens (played by Sandra Bullock and Nicole Kidman). One is sensible and married with two children, and the other is a free spirit who travels and likes to meet men and party.

However, there is something a bit different about these sisters. They are witches. Unfortunately, there is a curse upon all the Owens women, which means any man they fall in love with will die an untimely death.

It’s definitely a ‘girl power’ type movie, and I love it.

5. Gremlins

Admittedly, I haven’t watched Gremlins for a few years now. When I double-checked the plot to make sure I remembered it correctly, I was shocked at how dark it was!

A man gifts his son a small, furry creature called a mogwai as a pet. When he purchased the mogwai, he was given three very specific instructions:

1. Do NOT expose it to sunlight
2. Do NOT get it wet
3. NEVER feed it after midnight

Well, you know what happens. That cute little mogwai named Gizmo gets wet accidentally. It spawns five more mogwais, which then turn into gremlins and go on a killing rampage. 

And I’d completely forgotten about the dark Santa story. If you can’t remember it, do yourself a favour and don’t Google it. I feel traumatised. I watched this as a kid!

6. The Lost Boys

Kiefer Sutherland plays a vampire; what more do you need to know?

But if you do need more information, two brothers, along with their mother, move to Santa Carla in California. There seems to be something off about this place, however.

The younger brother (Sam) makes friends with brothers called Edgar and Alan. They claim to be pair of vampire hunters and help Sam recognise the signs of a vampire. Sam’s older brother, Michael, makes friends with a biker gang, the leader of which is Kiefer Sutherland.

Kiefer Sutherland started the whole sexy vampire thing and will always remain the best. However, Damon Salvatore is a close second.

7. Hocus Pocus

Who hasn’t seen Hocus Pocus? Hands up, please!

Okay, just for that one person in the back – Hocus Pocus is a movie about three witch sisters from 1693. They absorb the youth and beauty from children. However, they are caught and hanged. Before they are executed, Winifred (Bette Midler) casts a spell that will resurrect her and her sisters during a full moon on All Hallows’ Eve when a virgin lights the Black Flame Candle.

Well, guess what happens? A virgin lights the candle, and the sisters are resurrected. When I first watched this movie, I honestly had no idea what a virgin was, and it caused me a lot of confusion.

8. Coco

This movie is about a young boy called Miguel during Día de Los Muertos (the day of the dead).

He dreams of becoming a musician. However, his family forbids it because his great-great-grandmother was married to a musician that left her and their young daughter. Miguel idolises a famous musician called Ernesto de la Cruz, who died years and years earlier.

Desperate to enter the talent show for Day of the Dead, he breaks into Ernesto de la Cruz’s mausoleum and steals his guitar to play. However, Miguel is cursed for stealing from the dead and finds himself in the Land of the Dead and must find his way back to the Land of the Living before sunrise.

9. Harry Potter (all of them)

Come on; I don’t really need to explain the plot of Harry Potter now, do I? Boy finds out that he is actually a wizard and constantly gets into trouble and nearly dies.

I adore Harry Potter and think that they are perfect for both Halloween and Christmas. 

10. Ghost Busters

I’m going to say all of the Ghost Busters in this section as I actually really enjoyed the remake with Kristen Wigg and Melissa McCarthy, don’t hate on me!

Plus, Chris Hemsworth is in the remake, so…

11. Labyrinth

16-year-old Sarah is tasked with looking after her baby brother whilst her father and step-mother go out for dinner. She grows tired and frustrated with her brother’s constant crying and wishes for him to be taken away by the goblins from a book she was reading.

To her shock, her wish is granted, and Jareth, the Goblin King, appears. He offers Sarah her dreams, but he wants the baby in exchange. Sarah declines, and Jareth gives Sarah 13 hours to solve his labyrinth and get her baby brother back. If she can’t, he will be turned into a goblin forever.

12. The Rocky Horror Picture Show (1975)

I’m almost too embarrassed to admit this, but I only watched The Rocky Horror Picture Show this week. I knew that it was a cult classic and needed to be on this list, but for some reason, I had never actually watched it!

A young engaged couple is driving in the rain when their car breaks down. Thankfully, they remember passing a castle and decide to walk back to it and ask to use the phone to get picked up.

And that’s as far as I understood the storyline. After that, things get seriously weird! The head of the house is Dr. Frank N. Furter (played by Tim Curry). He is a mad scientist but really is an alien transvestite who creates a man in his laboratory called Rocky.

It’s sexy, camp, has an excellent soundtrack, and it will also give you weird feelings towards Tim Curry.

13. The Witches (1990)

Again, another movie that traumatised me as a child.

Whilst staying in a hotel with his grandmother, a young boy named Luke stumbles across a meeting room full of women. To his horror, he discovers the women are witches. They begin removing their wigs to reveal bald spotty heads, their gloves to reveal long claws in place of their nails, and worst of all, The Grand High Witch, who removes her face (how is this a kids film?!?!) to reveal her hideous face with a long pointy nose.

Luke hears their plan of turning all the children into mice before being transformed himself.

TRAUMATISED.

Conclusion

And there are my top Halloween Movies For Wimps. What do you think of my list? Will you be watching any of the mentioned movies, or are even these too scary for you? What’s your favourite Halloween movie? Let me know in the comments!

Cover Photo by Sabina Music Rich on Unsplash