(Credits: Paramount Pictures)

There was a time when horror movie marathons were the perfect Sunday tradition. The ritual required nothing more than a close-knit family armed with just enough popcorn, a blanket, and of course, the remote, because once you hit play, no one’s leaving to search for it alone.

While horror is such a genre that can catch anyone off guard, here are the five best family-friendly horror movies to transport you back to the good old days. A perfect combination of spooky joy and a slightly chilling case of drama.

These films are the perfect trip down memory lane, steeped in terror that makes you want to snuggle closer to your loved ones. And once you’re in, there’s no going back. Some may spark terrors of nostalgia. The others might leave you trembling and giggling till morning.

But the best part? You’re not really alone on this journey. So, get your little siblings and hold them close, because this time, Netflix is your one-stop solution to all things scary and sometimes, funny.

The five best family-friendly horror movies

The Addams Family (Barry Sonnenfeld, 1991)

There is something truly unsettling about families that spill intergenerational terror. And clearly, no one does it better than The Addams Family. The 1991 film is based on Charles Addams’ cartoon characters. It revolves around the outcast family, their macabre shenanigans, and their reunion with their long-lost relative, Fester Addams.

While Netflix already gave the Addams family story a 21st-century spin with Wednesday, fill in the two-part season gap with this terrific blast from the past that never really gets old.

Nightbooks (David Yarovesky, 2021)

There are many go-to horror stories that everyone has grown up reading or listening to. One of the unforgettable is JA White’s Nightbooks. The Netflix adaptation is a perfect fit for family-friendly horror nights. It’s an incredible mix of spooky, creepy, and adventure. Nightbooks follows Alex, a young boy with a passion for writing scary stories, who mysteriously gets trapped in a witch’s apartment.

In order to survive and make it through the night, Alex must narrate one story every night. Although the crux is terrifying, the film has a heart. In fact, Nightbooks doesn’t make you uncomfortable. The jump scares are more fantastical than violent. However, fans mustn’t underestimate the pace and intensity.

A Babysitter’s Guide to Monster Hunting (Rachel Talalay, 2020)

If you want a bit of a fun journey even amid spooky theatrics, A Babysitter’s Guide to Monster Hunting could fulfil those blues. It follows the “Monster Girl,” Kelly, also a first-time babysitter, who goes above and beyond to save the son of her mother’s boss, who’s been abducted by the Boogeyman, The Grand Guignol, and the Toadies.

A Babysitter’s Guide to Monster Hunting includes fearsome entities mostly found in children’s books. However, the film hits the perfect balance of scary and comedy, making it just the bill for family viewing. While this one ought to be a children’s favourite, it also caters to followers of light-hearted horror.

We Have a Ghost (Christopher Landon, 2023)

Ghosts have always had a bad reputation, especially to kids. But if you want your siblings and kids to look at this otherworldly phenomenon a bit differently, We Have a Ghost is the perfect starter. The film is a poignant story of a friendship between a ghost living in the attic, Randy, and the newly moved Presley family’s youngest, Kevin.

We Have a Ghost is completely light-hearted with very few mild scares. It’s equally fun, adventurous, and to some extent, a bit emotional. So, if you ever thought what it would look like befriending a ghost, this film has the answer.

Beetlejuice Beetlejuice (Tim Burton, 2024)

If you love the brand of horror that brings goth and comedy along with creepy elements, watch Beetlejuice Beetlejuice. The film excels with satire and humour, making the journey a complete family-friendly package. It is set three decades after the original movie, which revolves around Lydia Deetz, now a mother, slogging to keep her family intact amid the return of Betelgeuse.

Coming from the coattails of Wednesday creators, this sequel is a must-watch for family nights.