Top 10 Most Wholesome Halloween Movies

We’ll admit it: we didn’t foresee so many installments plunging us into the world of Dracula’s accommodations for out-of-town visitors, but we’re not mad about it. They’re all easy watches with the first entry of the franchise widely regarded as the strongest. There’s a star-studded monster cast (and Andy Samberg as your token human guy), an interesting setting, fun gags, and the main selling point: a great love story. You don’t have to look too far for a balance of tricks and treats with this one. And, honestly, Adam Sandler as Dracula is more than the cherry on top. It’s the, uh, candle in the jack-o’-lantern? The Reese’s on top of the candy pile? We’ll work on the Halloween-themed jokes.

This one derives its wholesomeness from its host of characters. They’re well-written and forces to be reckoned with, especially as they develop over the course of the movie and band together to save the town. Norman in particular is a likable protagonist. He doesn’t care that he’s an outcast. In fact, he prefers it that way – because Norman isn’t friendless. It’s just that few of his friends are actually alive. At the end of the day, for all its supernatural elements and a spectacular twist rooted in real history, it’s the heart of this movie that endears it to people so much.

What we weren’t going to do was leave a film about a boy and his dog off a list about wholesome movies. Of course, it wouldn’t be a Halloween flick without the added spooky context. It’s a retelling – or maybe a prequel to – “Frankenstein” where the scientist is aged down and Frankenstein’s Monster becomes Frankenstein’s dog, Sparky. After the unthinkable happens, Victor Frankenstein is inspired to reanimate his dog with that classic strike of lightning. And, miraculously, it works! Victor is reunited with Sparky. The problem is, he isn’t the only kid in town with a dead pet.

While the element of mystery is certainly the focus of the “Scooby-Doo” world, we’re not going to try to pretend like every story is best suited for Halloween time. There are, however, a few chronicles that merit their annual watch during the fall months. “Happy Halloween, Scooby-Doo!” and “Trick or Treat Scooby-Doo!” directly reference the holiday. “Scooby-Doo on Zombie Island”, as well as its sequels “Scooby-Doo! and the Witch’s Ghost” and “Return to Zombie Island” are also well-matched to the spirit of the season. If you do want to branch out in the franchise, you’ll be in for creepy mysteries and sweet friendship moments no matter what you choose to watch.

It’s them! It’s the spooky family. And the best part is, there are a plethora of films to choose from that have continued to release since 1995. If you’re looking for the really old stuff, though, we’re afraid you’ll have to turn to TV. As for the feature films, there are two live-action movies released by Paramount, a stand-alone direct-to-video, and another two animated entries as of the time of writing. There’s really something for everyone and, at the center of all the chills and thrills is the theme of family that always keeps us coming back.

What is it about stop-motion animation that manages to be so homey but so freaky at the same time? We’re definitely in Tim Burton’s wheelhouse now. Despite this movie’s horrifying imagery and sinister trilling, it’s hard to deny how loveable Jack Skellington is. As a result of his sheer passion and conviction, we immediately get on board with his mission to bring Christmas to Halloween Town, even if we know it’s probably not going to go as seamlessly as he hopes. The budding relationship between Jack and Sally really seals the deal for our shipping hearts, too.

Although the way in which Casper’s life came to an end was tragic, he’s not called “Casper the Friendly Ghost” for no reason. There’s plenty of lighthearted entertainment here. Being largely considered the best of the three, the first movie still holds up rather well today thanks to its creative decisions and that balance of jest and depth so much of ‘90s kids media seems to have. We like to pretend the second movie doesn’t exist at all but we’d be remiss to overlook the third, where Hilary Duff joins the cast as ​​Wendy the Good Little Witch.

If you grew up on Disney Channel, you know how vital these films were to the holiday. It just wasn’t Halloween without Halloweentown. The movies’ strongest point is probably their world-building and mise-en-scène. They make the town feel like a real place, somewhere where all the stuff from the spooky legends are real. While these movies are definitely a product of their time, they’re a whole nostalgia buffet we can never resist getting seconds from. If you’re looking for a Halloween flick that’s safe to doze off to, you can’t go wrong with something from this franchise.

Does it get more wholesome than Snoopy? This special plays nearly every year on TV and something about that makes it extra near-and-dear to us. It just hits different watching it on cable. “Peanuts” is a franchise that constantly makes references too old for its target audience and often leaves us feeling bad for poor Charlie Brown. But, its nostalgia factor is undeniable. This short actually has us feeling bad for Linus, which is a slight change in pace. He dedicates his Halloween to the Great Pumpkin, a figure who’s supposed to rise up in the pumpkin patch on Halloween night and hand out toys to all the kids who believe in him. Linus, unfortunately, is the only one who believes and, spoiler alert, he ends up pretty disappointed.

Here’s a movie that’s just too charming for its own good. The storyline is engaging, the characters are well-casted, and the vibes are immaculate. It’s a classic for a reason and one we diligently plan our watching party for every year. Both the first and second film follow teenagers as they inadvertently resurrect the Sanderson sisters, three witches who were put to death in the 1600s. While the sequel doesn’t really hold a candle – a Black Flame Candle, if you will – to the original, it’s still worth a watch for all the call-backs and the cool Halloweeny atmosphere. Plus, we’ll never say no to more Bette Midler.

Which Halloween-themed movie did you think would be wholesome but ended up being terrifying? Let us know in the comments.