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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Halloween film recommendations for 7 year old.

159 replies

SpicyPickle22 · 03/10/2021 08:13

I have a little horror but who wants to step things up a bit this year but not sure what to watch with her! I was thinking maybe some of the older scary films as they’re not really scary anymore.
So far she’s watched and enjoyed:

Little shop of horrors
Rocky horror picture Show
Goosebumps (and read all of the books!)
Nightbooks
Addams family
A few episodes of Sabrina

Probably a few others.
She said she wants to actually feel scared for the next one.
Not too scary though please as I am a wimp!

OP posts:
SpicyPickle22 · 03/10/2021 11:19

Do you take everything so literally? That must be really tiring for you. She’s obviously read all the ones that come in the sets.

OP posts:
Mummaganoush · 03/10/2021 11:23

Sleepy Hollow? My DS 10 liked this although this is a tad gory

thepinknecklace · 03/10/2021 11:23

@SpicyPickle22

I’m reading what you’ve written Confused

SpicyPickle22 · 03/10/2021 11:24

She’s not phased by blood and stuff. She loves a medical drama. Maybe a trip down some tim burton films would be good actually as I really enjoy them too.

OP posts:
LadyMonicaBaddingham · 03/10/2021 11:27

@SpicyPickle22

Do you take everything so literally? That must be really tiring for you. She’s obviously read all the ones that come in the sets.
Not obvious at all. And seriously, Rocky Horror at 7? You're obfuscating on that one... I'd agree with PP's suggestion of Hocus Pocus and don't forget that there is a sequel to The Addams Family (Addams Family Values). My boys enjoyed Frankenweenie when they were younger, too.
SpicyPickle22 · 03/10/2021 11:29

I don’t really see the problem with rocky horror. All the sexual stuff went right over her head, she just loves the songs and costumes. It was the remake too, which isn’t as explicit.

OP posts:
feesh · 03/10/2021 11:30

I wanted my kids to see Gremlins, but when I checked it on one of those parent film websites it was totes inappropes - I can’t remember exactly why, but there seemed to have been a load of highly inappropriate stuff that I’d totally forgotten about! Mind you, the same was said for Ghostbusters, so they haven’t seen that yet.

When I was a kid I used to love a film called The Canterville Ghost, but I don’t know how that would have stood the test of time. It was spooky but not terrifying. I think there is a more recent remake.

How about the Blair Witch? I seem to remember that not being scary at all, although I can’t remember if there was any other inappropriate content.

Poptart4 · 03/10/2021 11:30

@LittleLego

Coraline is quite creepy
Coraline even creeped me out Shock
DoctorSnortles · 03/10/2021 11:31

Not really spooky but there are some slightly scary bits - The Goonies.

DressBitch · 03/10/2021 11:32

Edward Scissorhands?

DoctorSnortles · 03/10/2021 11:32

Blair Witch is totally inappropriate for a 7 year old child!

FrothyB · 03/10/2021 11:33

I'd seen Gremlins 1 and 2 many times by the time I was 7 and loved them. Gremlins is on my mandatory Christmas viewing list and can't wait untill my daughter is old enough to start watching it.

It's difficult to find the sweet spot with horror films and ages though as it's very dependant on the child. It also depends on if your daughter enjoys the Halloween spooky aesthetic, or if she wants to actually be scared.

Has she seen Ghostbusters 2? I always found Vigo and the slime more scary that Gozer, in particular the scene where a ghost like Mary Poppin figure with the face of Janos steals the baby.

Jaws really scared me as a child, to the extent I still don't like being in open water now and Jurrassic Park can be pretty intense, but I'd say guess they aren't really the "Halloween" type films your daughter is after

SpicyPickle22 · 03/10/2021 11:35

She’s seen all the ghostbusters including the remake. She got bored during jaws so we turned it off (unfortunately as I love that film!) she likes things like Jurassic park and jumpy films but at the minute she’s all a out the Halloween aesthetic. I think we might try lost boys and maybe some more episodes of Sabrina.

OP posts:
Wheresmysockgone · 03/10/2021 11:39

Nightmare Before Christmas or that Haunted Mansion film with Eddie Murphy. My DS is 7 - He loves them both Grin

But then he loves anything Disney

HeyFloof · 03/10/2021 11:42

The witches, the old one with Angelica Houston, I don't care how old you are that's scary as balls!

My 4yo likes spooky, scary stuff (he doesn't get it off me!) and he's watched both addams family films (against my judgement, dh thought they were a U) and the new ghostbusters. The first four Harry Potter films, they get a bit darker after that.

foxgoosefinch · 03/10/2021 11:43

@SpicyPickle22

Oh lost boys would be perfect!
Lost Boys and Rocky Horror Picture Show for a 7 y o? Confused
flashpaper · 03/10/2021 11:44

@FrankButchersDickieBow

7yo watched the rocky horror picture show?
This was my first thought too!! It's not even a scary film, just wildly inappropriate for a 7yo, and I say that as someone who first watched it before I started primary school!!
SarahBellam · 03/10/2021 12:01

Shaun of the Dead.

atracurious · 03/10/2021 12:08

I second haunted mansion. I saw it in the cinema aged 8 and it seemed SO grown up and scared the life out of me but rewatching it later on it was fine! So I'd say that's likely right up here street

EnjoyingTheSilence · 03/10/2021 12:09

There are some weird suggestions on here. Ratings are there for a reason. Lost Boys is a great film but not for a 7 year old. And who on earth suggested poltergeist, please that was a joke.

Mummaganoush · 03/10/2021 12:13

My DD is now 5, she has LOVED coraline since she was 2, its an odd one but she loves it, she also loves nightmare before christmas, Frankenweenie and box trolls. My DS'S 8 and 12 love Jaws which they call sharky nomnoms, as well as deep blue sea, and now the croc films too like crawl. My three all love creepy, spooky , slightly gory stuff

FlosCampi · 03/10/2021 12:17

Coraline or the Nightmare before Christmas
Not Gremlins if you want to keep Father Christmas belief going a bit longer as it's mentioned in a nasty way.

Loyaultemelie · 03/10/2021 12:21

The Witches.
Twitches (not scary but on our Halloween loves list).
Edward Scissorhands,
Halloweentown (more than 1).
Labyrinth.
Hocus Pocus. (Our ultimate favourite!)
Practical Magic (up to you some parents would some wouldn't).
Pirates of the Caribbean (my 6 year old loves these!).
A Witches Ball (not scary but fun).
All the Tim Burtons we love those.
The Crucible (Disney + again you might want to watch first but we have watched it and both dds enjoyed it, I had already told them about watching the play when I was younger so they knew the plot).
The Ghost of Buxley Hall
Maleficent (ecpecially 2) was quite dark but again we loved it!
Into the Woods
Don't look under the Bed
A Series we love on Netflix is Scaredy Cats

LyingWitchInTheWardrobe · 03/10/2021 12:24

Disney's - "Something Wicked This Way Comes", by Ray Bradbury.

I found it scary. Not gory anywhere but properly jump-out-of-your-skin scary. It's actually a terrific film.

RobinWoodPrinceofLeaves · 03/10/2021 12:24

Harry Potter
Just Add Magic (Amazon Prime) is great.