Are These 7 Classic Halloween Movies Too Scary for Your Kids?
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They may be PG, but these films might be too much for some kids.
GettyImages/Witthaya Prasongsin
Fact checked by Sarah ScottFact checked by Sarah ScottI have a very vivid, core childhood memory of my dad telling me to play elsewhere while he watched a scary movie “I shouldn’t see." Of course, curiosity got the best of me, and I had to peek.I made the mistake of looking at the screen just as a young girl about my age—with long blonde hair just like me—got nearly sucked into the fuzz of a TV screen. I went running and screaming down the hall, back to the safety of my room. That was my introduction to Poltergeist, and over 40 years later, I don’t believe I’ve ever seen it the whole way through.Yes, Poltergeist may be extreme. But I did watch other scary flicks throughout my childhood—especially during Halloween season—and they impacted me when I tried to sleep at night. I now hesitate to let my daughter watch many of those classic scary movies without sitting by her side, ready to cover her eyes, or fast forward through the scariest parts.Here are seven scary movies that you may want to proceed with caution when it comes to young kids, especially if they are easily spooked.Labyrinth I was equally fascinated, as I was horrified, by Labyrinth, the spooky Jim Henson movie starring Jennifer Connelly, which is rated PG. She plays a teen named Sarah, annoyed over being tasked with watching her baby brother. When she wishes he would go away, he actually disappears from his crib!Turns out the Goblin King (a very campy David Bowie) is to blame and Sarah must solve a labyrinth—filled with creepy muppets—to rescue her brother. Maybe this explains why babysitting was not my favorite afterschool job? And while my daughter is an only child, I fear it could deter other kids from agreeing to help out with younger siblings!BeetlejuiceBeetlejuice is one of my all-time childhood favorites that I could not wait to introduce to my daughter. She loved it and will even be dressing up as Lydia Deetz this Halloween. Clearly we’re not the only ones watching the box office hit sequel Beetlejuice Beetlejuice, released in September 2024, 36 years after the original.But rewatching the original PG one as an adult reminded me that Beetlejuice is the stuff of nightmares. I mean, the movie begins with a couple who die after their car goes over a bridge (trying to avoid a dog!) and then they discover they are dead, ghosts, and trapped in their house. To get the new owners out, they have to visit the underworld, learn to haunt them, and enlist the help of a demon (aka Beetlejuice).I don’t regret introducing this classic to my daughter, but when you break it down, it’s terrifying, and Sandworm still haunts my dreams.Ghostbusters Here’s another PG-rated movie so beloved that it’s been rebooted several times. I looked for any excuse to utter “I ain't afraid of no ghosts” and listened to the theme song on vinyl on repeat every day of 1984. But let’s be real: the premise is scary, and besides Slimer, the ghosts are spine-tingling.The opening scene takes place in the New York Public Library, where I still jump out of my skin when the librarian encounters a ghost. In fact, it took me years after moving to New York City to get the courage to visit the famed library. And what kid (and fine, adult) wouldn’t be scared to death of their city and apartment building suddenly being overrun by demons? Or a 100-foot Stay Puft Marshmallow Man?E.T. the Extra-TerrestrialHere’s the thing with E.T.—it’s a truly beautiful PG movie about friendship, family, and loyalty. But it's absolutely heartbreaking and terrifying to watch Elliott and E.T. in matching chambers, both almost dying and dependent on the other to survive.And all those government officials just taking over the house and chasing after kids on bikes? I was scared to go into my backyard for a very long time.Even though I love E.T., the thought of an alien actually existing and making his way to Earth does make my blood run cold. Edward ScissorhandsSigh, I love this weird, quirky PG-13 film so much. It even starts out as a fairy tale that Winona Ryder’s character Kim is telling her granddaughter at bedtime. But it’s really not that cutesy a story.Edward is actually an unfinished science project (his inventor died before giving him hands) turned recluse with scissors for hands, hiding from the cruelty of society in the attic of a “haunted” house. When he tries to come out of hiding, being accepted for his differences isn’t so easy.There’s a lot you can take away from the movie to start conversations about being different and treating everyone with kindness. But the spooky, fantastical backdrop might make it tough to make your point!The WitchesCan we just talk about the fact that the premise of this PG-rated movie is that a young boy accidentally discovers there’s a local covenant of witches who want to turn all the children of the world into mice? I don’t know why it took me until I was an adult to realize this was a disturbing and weird concept.In fact, the young boy (who, may I add, is recently orphaned as all this unfolds) gets turned into a mouse while trying to stop the witches. It just adds a whole new level to the “stranger danger” lessons we try to teach our kids!The Dark CrystalThis PG-rated film is another Jim Henson “creepy” creation. In this universe, strange looking Muppets are ruled by the evil Skeksis. To take him down, a shard of the dark crystal—a powerful gem that once provided balance to the universe—must be found.The idea that the fate of the world could be in the hands of a tiny piece of crystal and Muppets that were anything but cute and cuddly disturbed me to my core. For more Parents news, make sure to sign up for our newsletter! Read the original article on Parents.
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