Another Top 10 Creepy Kids Movies

Strange things start to happen when a family moves into an old English manor: You could slap that synopsis onto a lot of movies from the ‘80s but this one takes the creepycake. Young Jan witnesses eerie lights and overhears scary stories about a young girl who disappeared in the area 30 years ago. It doesn’t help that a 72-year-old Bette Davis is creepily watching her from behind bushes and trees. A haunting atmosphere and dark subject matter make this Disney movie a little scary for young kids.

One of those rare films with the coveted 0% rating on Rotten Tomatoes, “The Garbage Pail Kids Movie” was tailored seemingly to no demographic. Lacking any real synopsis, the film seems to be about how disgusting prosthetics and fake vomit can actually be. There isn’t really any comedy and too many people seem to get killed to make this a family friendly film. The result is a highly disturbing mess of a movie that you would never show to a child – or anyone else for that matter.

A cadaverous wizard who could put Skeletor to shame; a black cauldron that can revive the dead and create an evil army; sounds like pretty normal stuff for kids back in the ‘80s. Eerie atmospheric animation and high-tension string music really get the heart pumping regardless of your age. The movie is a Tolkien-esque adventure but with gothic elements and subject matter that might not be for kids. But this was the ‘80s so no one paid attention too closely to what children were watching. We guess.

For those of us who grew up watching Ernest get into all kinds of crazy trouble, this movie was one of our favorites. In retrospect, a 40-year-old man inviting a group of kidsup into his treehouse all alone should’ve been creepy enough. But Ernest does it again when he awakens an ancient curse that allows trolls to run rampant around town. A combination of great prosthetics, animatronics and buckets-full of gross goo make this movie just creepy enough for kids to enjoy and not be severely traumatized.

It’s Halloween in Salem, and you know what that means. Three wacky witches are brought back to life by an ancient spell and start to wreak havoc on a town that really should’ve expected something like this. While the movie is charming enough, there are a few creepy things that may not be suitable for all audiences – like a young boy transformed into a cat for all eternity or capital punishment involving witches or a cursed zombie tearing stitches out of his lip or... Bette Midler. Scary!

Dracula’s moving in and he’s brought some friends. In this romp, a group of young misfits must fight an ancient evil that has infested their town. The Wolfman, Gill-man and even Frankenstein himself show up to flip tables, chase teenagers and just generally cause havoc. If you’re a kid and you haven’t experienced the Hammer horror films or Universal monster movies, then “Monster Squad” can be a lot to handle in one sitting. The costumes and make-up are terrifying to behold for a kid who hasn’t gotten used to those classic b-movie horrors – but it is a great modern take on some old classics.

Maybe one of the most terrifying things conceived for the enjoyment of children, this Tim Burton movie caused all kinds of nightmares and changed a lot of kids’ reactions to Halloween and Christmas. An actual skeleton plots to become the next Santa Claus and delights in delivering presents that are as disgusting as they are deadly. Soon he realizes the true meaning of the holidays and returns to his Halloween land and young children everywhere are left almost too traumatized to cry. Traumatized in an endearing way, of course.

Ever wonder what would happen if a creepy old house came to life and started attacking people? No? Ridiculous, you say? Well “Monster House” explores this hackneyed premise with all the relish of a vindictive parent in a gorilla costume on Halloween night. The film makes appropriate use of the same motion capture technology that freaked everyone out in “The Polar Express” and adds in a few classic Halloween scares to create a creepy atmosphere that is sure to unsettle.

Grown men in crazy costumes live under children’s beds and try to convert them into monsters like themselves. So went the studio pitch that eventually got this nightmare to the big screen. Brian is being blamed for all kinds of shenanigans around his house that he swears he didn’t do. Howie Mandel, dressed much like a stage version of Sully from “Monsters Inc.,” shows up to take the blame. He befriends Brian and things go pretty smoothly… until the monsters kidnap Brian’s brother but that’s… “a long story.”

Before we unveil our top pick, here are a few honorable mentions:
- “The Brave Little Toaster” (1987)
- “The Last Unicorn” (1982)
- “ParaNorman” (2012)
- “Wallace & Gromit: The Curse of the Were-Rabbit” (2005)
- “Mr. Horatio Knibbles” (1971)

If some of your greatest childhood fears included drowning in a river of chocolate or expanding into a giant monstrous blueberry, then you probably watched this terrifying gem. The movie appears to tell the story of an eccentric candy maker who gives tours of his magical factory to happy children. Past the midway point, viewers are privy to several cases of suspected child-murder. Throw in some orange dwarves who don’t bat an eyelid when a kid is literally dropped into a furnace and a boat ride that looks like it came straight out of a ‘60s bad trip and you’ve got yourself a movie the whole family can enjoy.

Do you agree with our list? What kids’ movie entertained and frightened you? For more spine-tingling lists, be sure to subscribe to WatchMojo.com.