PG Halloween movies on Netflix to watch on Halloween 2022

NIGHTBOOKS. KRYSTEN RITTER as NATACHA in NIGHTBOOKS. Cr. CHRISTOS KALOHORIDIS/NETFLIX © 2021
NIGHTBOOKS. KRYSTEN RITTER as NATACHA in NIGHTBOOKS. Cr. CHRISTOS KALOHORIDIS/NETFLIX © 2021

Halloween season means carving pumpkins, eating candy, and watching scary movies! Netflix has plenty of terrifying horror movies, but what about those looking for more kid-friendly scares they can enjoy with their whole family? Luckily for you, Netflix also has a handful of PG Halloween movies that can be enjoyed by just about anyone, regardless of age.

Whether you’re in the mood for a fairy tale-esque witch story like Nightbooks or a monster-hunting adventure like A Babysitter’s Guide to Monster-Hunting, Netflix has a nice mixture of scary and not-too-scary content for subscribers to enjoy.

PG Halloween movies on Netflix to watch on Halloween 2022

NIGHTBOOKS. KRYSTEN RITTER as NATACHA in NIGHTBOOKS. Cr. CHRISTOS KALOHORIDIS/NETFLIX © 2021
NIGHTBOOKS. KRYSTEN RITTER as NATACHA in NIGHTBOOKS. Cr. CHRISTOS KALOHORIDIS/NETFLIX © 2021

Nightbooks (2021)

Krysten Ritter is a glittery witch in this fun, kid-friendly movie. A dark fantasy film based on the children’s book by J. A. White, Nightbooks follows two kids kidnapped by a witch named Natacha, who forces them to tell her scary stories each night under threat of death if they don’t comply. Yasmin and Alex soon form a friendship as they bond in captivity and work together to take down Natacha for good.

This story has a Hansel & Gretel/dark fairytale vibe that makes it a little darker than most family-friendly fare, helping the film become enjoyable for adults and young audiences alike.

Scooby-Doo (2002) & Scooby-Doo 2: Monsters Unleashed (2004)

Netflix has done us all a favor and blessed us with both live-action Scooby-Doo movies from the early 2000s starring Matthew Lillard, Sarah Michelle Gellar, Freddie Prinze Jr., and Linda Cardellini as the Mystery Inc. crew.

The first movie follows them to the tropical resort Spooky Island where the gang soon realizes that something strange is afflicting visitors. Scooby-Doo 2 is also available to stream and features another supernatural mystery.

The Boy Who Cried Werewolf (2010)

This made-for-television Nickelodeon movie is a surprisingly fun little horror-comedy starring Victoria Justice and Brooke Shields. The Sands family has fallen on hard times, so imagine their surprise when their long-lost relative dies and wills them his old gothic manor in Wolfsberg, Romania. Not having much left in their hometown, the Sands pack up and move to their new home, where they discover supernatural secrets and the mysterious Madame Varcolac.

A Babysitter’s Guide to Monster Hunting: Tom Felton as Grand Guignol. Cr. Justina Mintz/NETFLIX © 2020
A Babysitter’s Guide to Monster Hunting: Tom Felton as Grand Guignol. Cr. Justina Mintz/NETFLIX © 2020

A Babysitter’s Guide to Monster Hunting (2020)

A high schooler and her friends must battle the Boogeyman (Tom Felton) and his army of monsters when he kidnaps the child she’s babysitting in this dark fantasy feature based on the book trilogy by Joe Ballarini. Tamara Smart and Oona Laurence also star.

The Little Vampire (2017)

Not to be confused with the live-action movie of the same name (although they are both based on the same source material), The Little Vampire is an animated movie about a kid who befriends a vampire and helps him and his family when they’re targeted by a merciless vampire hunter. This one is actually rated TV-G, so if you have any really young kids, they should be able to watch, too!

Lemony Snicket’s A Series of Unfortunate Events (2004)

Netflix has two versions of the iconic A Series of Unfortunate Events series from Lemony Snicket, the 2004 film starring Jim Carrey, and the three-season television series. Of the two, the television show is much better, in my opinion.

However, the 2004 movie isn’t bad either. It’s not necessarily a great adaptation of the books, but it is very entertaining. Besides Carrey, the film also stars a talented ensemble that includes Emily Browning, Timothy Spall, Catherine O’Hara, Billy Connolly, Cedric the Entertainer, Luis Guzmán, Jennifer Coolidge, Dustin Hoffman, and even Meryl Streep!

I recommend watching this one and then checking out the Netflix series afterward, but if you want to watch the movie, make sure you do it quickly! The last day to watch is on October 31.

Gnome Alone (2017)

To be blunt, Gnome Alone comes across as a lesser version of Coraline, so usually, I would say watch Coraline, but since it isn’t on Netflix, you can settle for this one. And to its credit, it’s cute and harmless. The film follows a young girl who discovers that the garden gnomes in front of her house can talk, and she helps them take up the fight against their enemies, the Troggs.

Coraline director Henry Selick also has a new spooky stop-motion animated feature, Wendell & Wild, coming to Netflix on October 21 and it’s already getting rave reviews on Rotten Tomatoes. The only reason I didn’t include it is because it is rated PG-13, like the next entry on this list, but it’s probably okay for families, too!

The Curse of Bridge Hollow - Netflix
The Curse of Bridge Hollow. (L to R) Priah Ferguson as Sydney, Marlon Wayans as Howard in The Curse of Bridge Hollow. Cr. Frank Masi/Netflix © 2022.

The Curse of Bridge Hollow (2022)

The Curse of Bridge Hollow is actually rated TV-14 and not PG, but it is the newest family-friendly Netflix Halloween movie on the service, so it felt right to include it.

The film earned a TV-14 rating due to language, but if your kids have seen Stranger Things, they should be fine to watch this one, especially as it shares a star with Priah Ferguson. Ferguson plays the daughter of Marlon Wayans’ character as the father-daughter duo team up to take down a mischievous spirit bringing Halloween decorations to life.

Which of these PG Halloween movies do you plan on watching this year?