An Into to Horror Movies for Kids
5. Scary Stories to Tell in the Dark
We’re halfway through this gauntlet of horror movies for kids and starting to get into some actually scary movies. 2019 brought a staple of my childhood to the big screen with the adaptation of Scary Stories to Tell in the Dark. If you were like me, you loved reading those books as a kid because they were just scary enough to be unnerving without being nightmarish. The film captures that spirit as it handpicks some of the best stories from the book and gives them the big-screen treatment with an original story to tie them all together. It’s scary enough that even adults might jump at a few parts, but is far from traumatizing. If you’re looking to seriously ease your children into horror movies, this is definitely a great litmus test to see if they’re ready for the real deal or not.
4. Critters
Full disclosure, I seriously traumatized my little sister with Critters when I was a kid. So, keep that in mind before you show this to anyone under the age of eight. The film is about tiny furry aliens that escape a galactic prison and come to Earth ready for a four-course meal. They land in a small town and start eating anyone and anything they can get their little hands-on, while a team of intergalactic bounty hunters tries to track them down. While the aliens might be tiny and cute, people actually die in this movie (though not “horrifically”). It raises the stakes compared to a lot of the horror movies for kids on this list but still manages to stay safely PG-13. Fair warning though, the sequels go downhill quickly. So you might want to stick with the original.
3. Tremors
So, your kid came home from school complaining about how Timmy’s dad lets him watch scary movies all the time. While you don’t want to be a total tool like Timmy’s dad, you don’t want to be uncool either. Well, let’s see how your kid does with Tremors. The film features giant monsters that tunnel underground and surface only to kill their prey. They’re basically big worms that hunt using sound. While they can be pretty scary at times, they’re shown sparingly (mostly to save on budget). Tremors is also filled with wise-cracking colorful characters that help to take a bit of the edge off some of the more intense moments. Still, there are plenty of jump-scares and even blood as these creatures terrorize a small town.
2. Arachnophobia
Alright, your kids have made it this far and it looks like they might actually be old enough to watch some legitimately scary movies. If you’re still not sure if they’re ready for the big leagues or not, you can test them with Arachnophobia. The film is about killer spiders from South America that end up in a small town. For the first time on this list, something you see on a daily basis is being given a horror twist as they mercilessly kill with their potent venom. It’s filled with tense moments as they spiders scurry around unseen by their victims until it’s too late. As far as horror movies for kids go, this is getting dangerously close to the real deal. However, it teaches an important lesson as the main character has to overcome his own fear to save his family and the town.
1. Poltergeist
Your kid is a trooper if they’ve made it this far down the list. Heck, you might have a future horror fan on your hands. Before you introduce them to Freddy or Jason though, try Poltergeist on for size first. Don’t let the PG rating fool you, because this movie was released before PG-13 was a thing. It’s filled with nightmarish sequences from that creepy clown doll to the swimming pool full of corpses. There’s some seriously terrifying stuff going on in this movie. Probably because it was made by horror icon Tobe Hooper (The Texas Chainsaw Massacre). It was also produced by Steven Speilberg, so the film really takes it’s storytelling seriously. Even as an adult, I have a hard time walking into a dark room after seeing this movie. If your kid can make it through this one, then they’re ready for the real deal.
If you’re looking to edge your kids into horror movies, this gauntlet is the best bet to see if they’re ready or not. Be sure to take it nice and slow with them, and for goodness sake, be in the room with them when they are watching them. That way you can stop it if things get too intense and remind them that you’re there to keep them safe. As always, I’d love to hear what “scary” movies you think are good to introduce kids to the genre, as well as any thoughts on the movies I’ve picked. Remember, horror isn’t for everyone and if your son or daughter can’t make it through this list of horror movies for kids, there are plenty of low-key scary movies they can enjoy instead.