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Movies and TV | August 26, 2021


TOP 10 TERRIFYING CHILDREN’S MOVIES

by John Munoz
fact checked by Rachel Jones

Just because a movie is made for children doesn’t mean it can’t still manage to
give you nightmares. Look no further than the films on this list for children
and adults seeking a hair-raising entertaining experience at home. (Or for those
wondering how to scare your little cousin.)

Whether they be animated or live-action, old or new, turning off the light and
switching on any of these movies is guaranteed to not only thrill but outright
chill. So, though funny and lighthearted they may appear to be on the surface,
here are ten absolutely terrifying children’s movies capable of frightening
anyone no matter their age. 



Are you ready?


10 GHOSTBUSTERS (1984)

The Terror Dogs in Ghostbusters (1984)




Watch this video on YouTube



Who’re you gonna call?

While abundant with the quirky horrors of ghouls like the Stay-Puft Marshmallow
Man and accompanied by the dry wit of comedian Bill Murry, Ghostbusters is just
as filled with its own share of terrifyingly memorable moments. 

Monstrous arms rip and tear through armchairs, a decaying ghost haunts a
library, and an unsuspecting couple gets morphed into hounds from hell. This
movie about a group of guys struggling to start a ghost-busting business in New
York takes a more humorous approach to horror. But don’t let that discount its
chilling use of special and practical effects, which are still more than capable
of spooking viewers today.

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9 9 (2009)

9 – Official Trailer




Watch this video on YouTube



The ninth movie on this list is none other than Tim Burton’s 2009 animated
post-apocalyptic adventure film, 9. Animated in Burton’s familiarly unnerving
stop-motion art style, 9 follows a small part-ragdoll, part-robot being who
awakens shortly after mankind’s mysterious destruction. 

The ragdoll robot scours a decimated world filled with vicious beings created by
a giant soul-stealing machine. Alone, it searches for eight others of its kind
to unravel the mystery behind the world’s end. 

The movie features freaky fabricated machines. There are spider-bots,
pterodactyl-like winged beasts with knives and scissors for a mouth, and plenty
more ghastly creations. Kids will never look at a piece of fabric or machinery
the same way again.





8 SCOOBY-DOO ON ZOMBIE ISLAND (1998)

Scooby Doo On Zombie Island (1998) Official Trailer – Scooby Doo, Shaggy Movie
HD




Watch this video on YouTube



Scooby-Doo has long been known for its tame frights and colorful mysteries.
But Zombie Island cranks up the horror by introducing the Mystery Inc. gang to
perhaps their most seriously scary supernatural threat yet. 

Set in the thick of the Louisiana bayou, Zombie Island drops into a terrifying
tone right from the start. Pitting them up against the likes of the undead,
ghost pirates, demons, and voodoo magic, Scooby and the gang find no makeshift
masks to rip off of greedy businessmen this time. 

In fact, death plays a significant role in the story. Cranking up the scares
even further, Zombie Island surprisingly does away with the series’ usual antics
in favor of an absolutely frightening departure from traditional Scooby-Doo
adventures. Little kids will need more than a Scooby Snack to get through this
one. 




7 BEETLEJUICE (1988)

It’s Showtime! – Beetlejuice (8/9) Movie CLIP (1988) HD




Watch this video on YouTube



Directed by the connoisseur of creepy himself, Tim Burton, Beetlejuice may have
its fair share of comedy from actor Michael Keaton. Keaton, as we know, plays
the insidious, eccentric ghoul of the movie’s namesake. But don’t let comedy
distract you from several legitimately scary scenes sprawled throughout the
film. 

Meaty hands burst out of bowls grabbing onto diners’ horrified faces. Bodies are
mutilated, hanged in closets, and disappear into smoke while monstrous snakes
roam the haunted house at night and sandworms with razor-sharp teeth lurk within
the depths of the sandbox. 

And if that wasn’t enough to send a shiver down your spine, Beetlejuice, as the
skin-crawling name implies, is quite literally crawling with every sort of
creepy-crawly you can imagine. And maybe even some you can’t.

It makes me wonder how parents ever allowed their kids to watch the movie,
honestly. I’m still afraid to say “Beetlejuice” three times!








6 LEMONY SNICKET’S A SERIES OF UNFORTUNATE EVENTS (2004)

Lemony Snicket’s A Series of Unfortunate Events (2004) Trailer #1 | Movieclips
Classic Trailers




Watch this video on YouTube



While this movie adaptation of the original book series may lean too heavily
into comedy for some, comedian Jim Carey as the sinister Count Olaf manages to
become a terrifying sight to behold in the character’s excessive and downright
disturbing makeup. 

After a fire destroys their home, three siblings are orphaned into the care of a
series of relatives. All the while, Count Olaf plots to obtain the children’s
family fortune. And so, the Baudelaire children are forced to move from relative
to relative as each dies in a mysterious and thoroughly disturbing series of
unfortunate events. 

We’re talking a giant deadly viper, leech-filled waters, heights to make your
stomach churn. By the end, you’ll be left wondering, “Was that really a
children’s movie?”




5 PIRATES OF THE CARIBBEAN: THE CURSE OF THE BLACK PEARL (2003)

Pirates of the Caribbean – The Curse of the Black Pearl – Skeletons and Lady




Watch this video on YouTube



Although the only scary thing about Johnny Depp’s iconic swashbuckler Jack
Sparrow may be the amount of rum he can put back, this first installment in
the Pirates of the Caribbean series has perhaps more frights in-store than any
others. 

Indeed, The Curse of the Black Pearl boasts boat-fulls of grisly undead pirates,
a blood sacrifice, and even a zombie monkey! So, if you and your kids are
looking for a live-action adventure at sea complete with curses, skeletons, and
treasure-hungry pirates, then look no further than this spooky swashbuckling
escapade.








4 MONSTERS, INC. (2001)

Monsters inc Scare floor




Watch this video on YouTube



This Pixar classic may come as a surprise since it’s so beloved. But if you
really think about it, the movie is kind of terrifying.

Ever wonder where those monsters hiding in your closet or under your bed come
from? No? Well, whether you like to or not, Monsters, Inc. pulls back the
curtain on such children’s nightmares all without losing an ounce of eeriness. 

Though animated in Pixar’s family-friendly style and written with plenty of gags
in mind, Monsters, Inc. still manages to spook viewers with hair-raising
creature designs and dark, shadowy lighting. There is even one scene in
particular that will make it so you or your kids never look at your closets the
same way again. Now, how’s that for scary?




3 MONSTER HOUSE (2006)

Monster House (8/10) Movie CLIP – The House is Alive! (2006) HD




Watch this video on YouTube



More monsters? More monsters! Except this one’s the size of a house… Unlike the
gentle art style of Pixar in Monsters, Inc., Monster House’s gritty textures and
harsh, dark tones make it downright disturbing just to look at. 

Then comes the house.

Using teeth of splintered wood to devour people whole, the monster house is a
demon unto itself as a trio of kids set out to confront what everybody else in
the suburban neighborhood believes to be just another myth. The movie has
adventure, comedy, and a whole lot of danger – making Monster House as frighting
and nightmare-inducing as any haunted house out there for parents and kids
alike.








2 CORALINE (2009)

Coraline (9/10) Movie CLIP – No I’m Not! (2009) HD




Watch this video on YouTube



What do you get when you mix Neil Gaiman and children’s stories? A bit of a
surreal, poetic nightmare. Make it a movie, and well, let’s say that putting
images to words, in this case, makes for a pretty disturbing children’s film.

“Coraline” is the cult film adaptation of Neil Gaiman’s novella of the same
name. The story asks what happens when you find a secret portal to a reality
where your parents appear perfect? Where everything seems as it should be? Well,
you’d never want to leave, of course. That is, assuming you could. 

Coraline tells the twisted tale of a young girl finding herself trapped in the
Other World where the people have pitch-black buttons sewn over their eyes. 

This stop-motion animated film clashes together ragdoll-style characters and a
creepy color palette that switches between bleak reality and the bizarrely
bright Other World. The frights ramp up as the movie progresses, revealing the
true nature for Coraline’s spine-chilling Other Mother. Anyone scared of
creepy-crawlies, beware! 




1 THE NIGHTMARE BEFORE CHRISTMAS (1993)

THE NIGHTMARE BEFORE CHRISTMAS Movie Clip – This is Halloween (1993) Jack
Skellington Animation HD




Watch this video on YouTube



At number one on this list of the top 10 terrifying children’s movies is none
other than Tim Burton’s (yes, him again) The Nightmare Before Christmas.
Presenting the most unusual – and therefore, horrifying – holiday combination,
this animated movie follows the King of Halloween Town, Jack Skellington, who
finds himself stumbling into Christmas Town and becoming obsessed with
celebrating the winter holiday. 

Wishing to bring the celebration back to his people in Halloween Town, Jack
takes it upon himself to abduct Santa Claus and take over the role. However,
when Santa ends up in the hands of Oogie Boogie the Boogieman, Jack quickly
finds his version of Christmas is descending into a nightmare.

However, the movie manages to keep the tone relatively light with several
musical numbers and the awfully charismatic Jack Skeleton. Yet, whenever Oogie
steps on screen, the chills are bound to return.  

The Nightmare Before Christmas thrusts viewers into a stunningly spooky fantasy
where each holiday has its own world. Meanwhile, the movie’s stop-motion
animation brings a disturbing, realistic quality to the characters and
environments as the nightmarish designs of the Halloween Town denizens clash
with the soft, friendly Christmas Town residents – making for unforgettable
visuals that will haunt you for holidays to come. 


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fact checked by Rachel Jones
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