The Halloween season is just around the corner, and with it the annual opportunity to scare the pants off of one another, dress up in outlandish costumes, and ingest copious of sugared confections. With the release of Netflix’s Nightbooks, the new David Yarovesky-directed children’s horror fantasy starring Winslow Fegley and Krysten Ritter, now’s as perfect a time as any to snuggle up on the couch and settle in for a marathon of spooky, but not too scary, movies.
Children’s horror stories are vital part of any childhood. They enliven the imagination, beguile and enthrall youngsters with colorful and unnerving oddities, and ultimately impart valuable life lessons about the value of courage, honesty, and determination. Plus, a lot of them are still wickedly hilarious even when watched as an adult.
With that in mind, we’ve assembled a list of 15 of the best children’s horror movies available to stream and rent from home. So draw the blinds, grab your safety blankets, and prepare to get spooped.
Abbott and Costello Meet Frankenstein
Photo: Universal Pictures
Bud Abbott and Lou Costello are one the greatest comedy duos of all-time, renowned for such classic skits as “Two Tens for a Five” and “Who’s on First.” Who better put at the center of a horror comedy starring Universal Pictures most iconic horror legends like Count Dracula, the Wolf Man, and Frankenstein’s Monster? Considered the “swan song” of Universal’s aforementioned Big Three, Abbott and Costello Meet Frankenstein is the perfect combination of laughs and chills; filled with hilarious dialogue, clever bits of physical comedy, a masterful performance by none other than Bela Lugosi himself as the immortal Dracula. —Toussaint Egan
Abbott and Costello Meet Frankenstein is available to rent for $3.99 on Amazon Prime Video, Apple, and Vudu.
The Addams Family
Photo: Paramount Pictures
The creepiest and kookiest family out there deserves an equally creepy and kooky movie. The 1991 live-action Addams Family movie delivers on this promise. Barry Sonnenfeld, the longtime cinematographer for the Coen brothers, made his directorial debut with the TV sitcom adaptation, matching absurd comedy with Sam Raimi-esque mayhem. Anchored by superb performances from Anjelica Huston and Raul Julia as Morticia and Gomez Addams, the film follows the macabre family as they welcome home long-lost Uncle Fester (Christopher Lloyd) — but is the mysterious uncle really who he says he is? Or is there a greater scheme at hand? The Addams family may enjoy death, darkness, and other delights of the night, but they…