Three Not-So-Scary Halloween Movies

When I was little, I didn’t go trick-or-treating often. I was pretty sensitive as a kid, and I was terrified of running into someone in a scary costume. In order to help us feel like we weren't missing out on anything, my parents would put together little carnival-style games at home for me and my sister. I have fond memories of playing the beanbag toss in our family room and winning a VHS copy of My Fair Lady.

I still don’t like super-scary things, especially horror movies, so I thought I’d share a few movies for those of you who also like to get into the Halloween spirit without all the “boos.” I’ll still rank them from least to most scary as a precaution, though.

The Ghost and Mrs Muir

In general, this is a great autumn movie, but the ghost element moves it into Halloween territory without viewers having to endure all the spookies. BRB, going to go buy a seaside cottage in hopes that it’s being haunted by a handsome sea captain.

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Murder by Death

A wonderful spoof of famous cinematic private detectives. It’s the slightest bit creepy, but more in a mystery/film noir way than in a supernatural way. The cast is stellar, and includes Peter Falk as Sam Diamond, and David Niven and Maggie Smith as sleuthing couple Dick and Dora Charleston.

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Young Frankenstein

While very tame compared to other honest-to-goodness horror content, this spoof still contains some unpleasant images, hence being last in our ranking. Another warning: being a Mel Brooks film, there are some inappropriate scenes. But I’m willing to look past those elements because the movie is so endlessly quotable: “Well, they were wrong then, weren’t they?”, “Suit yourself. I’m easy!”, and “I don’t know… a little paint, a few flowers, couple of throw pillows…” are among the things I say on a weekly basis.

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I hope you’re all having a lovely Sunday! Stay safe this Halloween.

Becca