To let 10 YO DS watch a horror film?

[ProfessorMoody]

DS10 has decided he doesn't want to trick or treat this year and wants to stay in and watch a "horror film".

He's seen most of the children's ones like Miss Peregrine, Hotel Transylvanias, The Witches etc.

He'd like to watch something a little more "grown up" but I can't seem to think of any that are suitable, or a 12A.

DH thinks Woman in Black is a good place to start but I was horrified that it's a 12 as I found it really scary and definitely unsuitable for a 10 year old!

What's your favourite mild horror?

PMSL laughing that a 4 year old loves Hotel Translyvania as a kid who loves scary films. It's hardly an 18 horror, it's aimed at children! Unlike many of the ridiculous suggestions on here.

OP you can find lots of point horror books on eBay, I absolutely loved reading them and still have my collection to pass on to my DC when they're old enough.

We like

• Lemony Snicket

-Adams family -Coraline -Harry Potter

would the Nightmare before Christmas be too Christmassy?

and most recently we have watched Ready Player One. My 10 1/2 year old son thought it was great, and it has a bit derived from the Shining but with extra added zombies, so a bit of horror.

Common sense media has a lot of info about what is suitable for what age of child and I often look at that before taking my son to see films. We are quite liberal in some ways about the "bad language" aspect but think through situations in films that are flagged up that might be too graphic of might need careful explaining.

I haven't RTFT, but what about Ghost Busters?

Or the Goonies?

Psycho behaviour? What a peculiar thing to say.

Dracula - Dead and Loving It. My dc absolutely howled (with laughter) through the whole thing. Love Lesley Neilson...

@angieloumc can I just point out I wasn't sat with my DD and thought oh this would be suitable for a 4 year old, she wasn't in the house, so I was watching it, her and my DH came back while it was on I just didn't change the channel, if she had shown any hint of being scared or upset, I would have turned it straight off, but I know my DD, she is exactly the same as me and there are some worse scenes in Lost World Jurassic Park.

Of course Darkqueen I apologise, I misunderstood how it came about she watched it, though imo it's not suitable for a 4 year old but maybe I was thinking of when mine were 4.
However umbongo your reference to 'psycho behaviour' or not is a bit over the top.

PANS LABYRINTH

this really is the thread that keeps on giving

Some of the suggestions on here are absolutely insane, I am speechless! Why are you in such a hurry? why take the risk? you don't know how your kids are going to react until they watch it, it's a risk, and they have years ahead of them to watch these movies.

I was allowed to watch the Exorcist as a kid, and I am still traumatised, my parents would have no idea.

I though I was too relaxed because I let my 11 and 7 year olds watch Jurassic Park and the first 4 Harry Potters! They are not particularly scaredy kids, especially the younger one, but why allow them to watch horrific violence and be exposed to very disturbing themes?

There are so many good movies to choose from that are more suitable!

angie why?

Goosebumps has been made into a film xxx

Snow White : a tale of terror
Haunted mansion
The Addams family values is very tame but great fun.

umbongo I just don't understand your reference to psycho behaviour after watching a horror film.

‘The Gate’ - an 80’s teen horror. Watched it recently and it’s not too bad for a 10yo who has seen other mild horror.

I'm also shocked at lots of these suggestions. Its always the way though on these threads. Someone is always delighted to tell you their five year old loves watching 18 movies.

We've been looking for a first scary film for DS2 who is 11 and a half. I'm going for the Watcher in the Woods. Its 1980s and whilst it is spooky its a PG

Adams Family Reunion is good too.

Adams Family Reunion is good too.

NOOOOOOoooooooo
I love Tim Curry but he was totally miscast in that. The film was terrible.

When I was 10 I loved Gremlins, and Zombieland. I watched IT behind my mothers back, was a bit freaked out but I soon recovered. I think it depends on the child though.

Sorry it is just The Adams Family, the one where Fester comes back with memory loss, the one before Adams Family Values, thought that was Reunion, the 1991, version.

Reunion was so bad they never even released it on DVD.

angie because people on here always conclude that if a child watches Jurassic Park or something a bit older than their age then they will be devoid of all empathy and become psychopaths.
Someone had already questioned the empathy levels of the children who grew up watching scary films.

Someone had already questioned the empathy levels of the children who grew up watching scary films

Erm, that was me and that isn't what I said. I said I'd question the empathy levels of a child who watched the shining and didn't find it scary.

Why though? Some children just know things like that aren’t real, or they just enjoy it. My mum is the most morbid person I know. She grew up watching horror, reading about serial killers, being obsessed with death etc. Probably the kind of kid you’d be really concerned about. She became an excellent forensic psychologist.