SALT LAKE CITY — It’s been a big year for Stephen King and R-rated horror flicks in general, with the likes of “It Chapter Two” and “Pet Sematary” hitting theaters. But if that level of scares and gore isn’t your kind of thing, there are a surprising number of family-friendly — and enjoyable — Halloween movies. It was no easy feat paring this list back, but here are seven lightly spooky films to check out.
‘Frankenweenie’ (PG)
Tim Burton is a master at mixing the macabre with family-friendly heart, and “Frankenweenie” is no exception. The 2012 stop-motion film not only tells the sweet story of Victor and his dog, Sparky, but also introduces kids to the delightful tropes of the Universal Classic Monsters like “The Bride of Frankenstein” and “The Invisible Man.”
‘Monster House’ (PG)
Kids are at the heart of “Stranger Things,” but the Netflix series may be too scary for some children. Another option for the whole family is the 2006 film “Monster House,” which tells the story of three kids exploring the cantankerous Mr. Nebbercracker’s creepy house across the street. “Monster House” is a hidden gem — genuinely scary but also surprisingly sweet with an unusual love story at its core.
‘Hotel Transylvania’ (PG)
Adam Sandler as Dracula, entertaining characters and a witty script are just some of the things to love about director and animator Genndy Tartakovsky’s “Hotel Transylvania” series. These movies have their flaws — Sandler’s Drac being a little too overprotective of his daughter, Mavis, to start — but the variety of characters and their goofy monster powers are a lot of fun. There’s enough characters to keep things from getting stale, and the franchise gets better as it goes along, with “Hotel Transylvania 3: Summer Vacation” being the best in the series.
‘Monsters, Inc.’ (G)
Monsters under the bed. It’s a classic childhood fear, and Pixar animators created a story to explain those monsters. In “Monsters, Inc.,” we learn that monsters invade the bedrooms of children to gather the energy behind their screams. Billy Crystal and John Goodman are so good as Mike Wazowski and Sulley, and the prequel, “Monsters University,” isn’t half bad either. Both make great picks for Halloween viewing.
‘The Adventures of Ichabod and Mr. Toad’ (G)
With Walt Disney animators leaving to fight during World War II and the studio busy making propaganda films for the U.S. government, Disney made a series of “package films” to try and scrape by. One of the best of this era is the dual story of “The Adventures of Ichabod and Mr. Toad.” Ichabod, in particular, is great for a Halloween watch. It’s only 34 minutes and has Bing Crosby singing and narrating along. Just the headless horseman with his demonic pumpkin head is enough to give kids the spooks.
‘Over the Garden Wall’ (PG)
Patrick McHale’s 2014 project “Over the Garden Wall” is a miniseries, but with 10 episodes that are each 10 minutes long, it feels like a movie. So many things make “Over the Garden Wall” special: the creepy world of the Unknown, the sweet relationship between stepbrothers Wirt and Greg as they learn to get along, the real scares as they look for the woodland monster called the Beast, and the haunting music. Because of the series’ fast pace, the scarier moments are quickly balanced out with brighter, lighter episodes.
‘Coraline’ (PG)
Any film from Laika Studios would be a good choice for Halloween. The studio specializes in spooky, darker aesthetics, but “Coraline” from 2009 tops the list. It’s an animated horror film with such a creepy atmosphere — not to mention the terrifying sight of the button-eyed people. But in addition to the frights, “Coraline” also has a lot of heart. Coraline has to make the difficult choice to love her parents when they aren’t very loveable — a hard decision because it’s a lot easier to fight for people who are kind to us. This spooky story and its heartwarming message should be a must-see this Halloween season.