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Original poster

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:
onelittlefrog · 04/10/2021 03:36

This is a 7 year old that has watched Rocky Horror and most of the other suggestions on here. So, not really that shocking of a suggestion lmao

It doesn't really matter - she's still 7. Sleepy Hollow isn't appropriate (neither is Rocky Horror, Gremlins or Poltergeist).

The fact that a child has seen one or two age-inappropriate movies doesn't then mean you just shrug and let them watch anything.

People really underestimate the effect these movies can have on kids.

I was a child who was allowed to watch a lot of age inappropriate stuff and I used to brag about how I'd seen the exorcist when I was 9 or whatever and it didn't affect me, but actually these movies are scary for children, who are less able to differentiate reality vs fiction.

OP I would really recommend sticking with things that are age appropriate or at least a 12 that has been screened by you first.

Ponoka7 · 04/10/2021 03:39

Grizzly tales for gruesome kids, is on YouTube. Has she seen the black cauldron? Lots of children are scared by the wheelers in return to Oz. Mary and the Witch's flower isn't scary as such, but it's in with the theme. If she likes Spirited away, there's kiki's delivery service. Wallace and gromit the curse of the were-rabbit is watchable for everyone. Me and my DD are big horror fans. My DD was watching Poltergeist at 8, but it came naturally. I'd steer her to enjoy a range of films and not just go for scares, as said you can't take it back. My DD was really unsettled by a Courage the cowardly dog, return the slab, episode.

wandawaves · 04/10/2021 03:42

Frankenweenie is one of my favourite movies! Coraline is also creepy.

But seriously OP you don't have to increase the amount of horror in films you show to your 7 year old just because she says so! You need to keep it age appropriate. You're the parent.
My kids started asking to read my Stephen King books when they were so little (they read ALL the goosebumps books, yes, ALL) and other scary books. You know what I said? No! Then when they were old enough for a couple of the more mild SK books, they read them, loved them, asked for more... and I said.... no! I told them they had to wait until they were older.

Anotherdayanotherdollar · 04/10/2021 08:33

@SpicyPickle22

So she never has any unsupervised access to the internet? hmm

Erm… no!

Because that would be v irresponsible... Grin
Original poster
SpicyPickle22 · 04/10/2021 08:40

I was looking for more old school suggestions. Nothing that actually going to frighten her. Kind of sad that people think that’s my goal.
I was thinking along the lines of super old horror where you can still see the strings on the puppets and are just over the top ridiculous. Like killer shrews. Which was just Dalmations with rugs strapped to them Grin

OP posts:
TinyTear · 04/10/2021 08:41

Nightmare Before Chirstmas, watched it with my 7yo and now it's an annual tradition

MiddleClassProblem · 04/10/2021 08:42

I think it’s worth noting that children, even mature ones, don’t have a full grasp of consequences or able to process adult behaviour in the same way.

That’s why you can have certain violence in PGs and 12As but if the intent changes the rating is upped.

Also, things we watched as kids are being given higher ratings all the time so it’s always worth checking why before showing it to your kids in case it’s something you don’t recall.

Finally, just because a child says they are fine with something doesn’t mean that long term they actually are. They might think they are too but we as adults have to say no sometimes because we can see the bigger picture. It’s not a no forever.

My DD is 6 and she has seen 12As but things like Captain Marvel and Harry Potter. There are PGs like Back To The Future we are holding off on because of the sexual assault scene. I won’t be watching any 15s with her until she’s at least 13 depending on the film.

We watched all manner of things with female objectification in, wenches being groped, women in tight dresses paraded around. The was a subliminal message to us that this was part of being a women, to be manhandled and lusted over, to expect it and take it. I’m not doing that to DD.

bookworm14 · 04/10/2021 08:55

It astonishes me how many people on here seem almost proud of the fact that they allow their young children to watch entirely inappropriate films/shows. There is no way on earth that Rocky Horror (or half the other suggestions here) is appropriate for a seven year old. My DD is 6 and gets frightened at the earthquake scene in the first Paddington film!

Cirin · 04/10/2021 09:05

Stranger Things is not for 7 year olds, Jesus Christ.

LookAtMoiPloise · 04/10/2021 11:55

It astonishes me how many people on here seem almost proud of the fact that they allow their young children to watch entirely inappropriate films/shows

Who said that?

dottiedodah · 04/10/2021 12:03

Gee whiz ! Some of these suggestions are horrifying ! I would be scared stiff now as an adult. Please don't take her literally. She means a tingle down the spine ,not unable to sleep alone for a week!

bookworm14 · 04/10/2021 12:34

@LookAtMoiPloise

It astonishes me how many people on here seem almost proud of the fact that they allow their young children to watch entirely inappropriate films/shows

Who said that?

There are a number of threads in which people are incredibly blasé about allowing their kids to watch entirely inappropriate stuff. There was one the other day where several posters saw nothing wrong in allowing youngish kids to watch Squid Game. I find it completely bizarre.
BarbedButterfly · 04/10/2021 13:15

What about the old Monster Club movie? That is pretty cheesy in places but fun. Lady in White from 1988?

I have always been obsessed with horror. I was reading adult horror novels at 8, watched Nightmare on Elm Street and others by 10 and nothing scared me, but I was also surprised at Rocky Horror. Think I was 11 when I "borrowed" that from my mum. Grin

laurenlodge · 04/10/2021 13:18

Might have been said, but the live action Scooby Doo films are really good and a little creepy!

VaguelyInteresting · 04/10/2021 13:21

Ummm OP have you let your DD watch the Archie comics Sabrina on Netflix? At 7? I’m pretty blase about most stuff, but I don’t think that that series is for 7 year olds- certainly not the first series which is very dark indeed...

everythingthelighttouches · 04/10/2021 15:37

E.T
The goonies
Labyrinth
Never ending story

Not Halloween but definitely have that creepy feel and tension to them.

For full on theme I would say Harry Potter 1 and hocus pocus.

Isn’t there a fairly new Disney about the afterlife??

Tempusfudgeit · 04/10/2021 16:04

So apparently parental guidance means nothing these days. Who knew? OP, as a teacher, hearing a child talking about watching 15/18 films would trigger safeguarding procedures. Just so you know.

Coronado2 · 04/10/2021 16:29

@VaguelyInteresting

Ummm OP have you let your DD watch the Archie comics Sabrina on Netflix? At 7? I’m pretty blase about most stuff, but I don’t think that that series is for 7 year olds- certainly not the first series which is very dark indeed...
Yeah, I wondered this too. I watched the first episode and it was too dark for me
Briony123 · 04/10/2021 16:34

@TimeForTeaAndG

I'd be concerned that letting her watch something with an actual scare wouldn't be as fun for her as she thinks. You can't take it back once she's watched it.

Saying that though, what about Gremlins?

Gremlins is a Christmas film!
GrandTheftWalrus · 04/10/2021 16:46

I didn't know gremlins was an 15/18 (can't remember which one) and I watched it when I was very young.

Same with lost boys. If that was reclassified it would probably be a 12 now.

I also watched nightmare on elm Street very young, I taped it from sky movies and almost wore the tape out. I was well below 18 and got my mum to get them out of the video shop for me.

I wont let dd watch them yet though as she's only 4 and far too young.

MiddleClassProblem · 04/10/2021 17:47

Gremlins was a 15 but in 2012 it became a 12a.

Opposite with Jaws. It was a PG and is now a 12a, also 2012.

I think they were both re released that year so got reclassified and Gremlins may have been edited. Crazy to think Jaws was a PG when I was a kid but it did seem to be on sometimes on a Sunday afternoon…

recededpronunciation · 04/10/2021 18:05

Gremlins (though it’s more gruesome than you will remember) or Monster House. Mine how is now 18 and very into horror films loved those at that age.

recededpronunciation · 04/10/2021 18:05

Coraline is good too.

recededpronunciation · 04/10/2021 18:06

@MiddleClassProblem

Gremlins was a 15 but in 2012 it became a 12a.

Opposite with Jaws. It was a PG and is now a 12a, also 2012.

I think they were both re released that year so got reclassified and Gremlins may have been edited. Crazy to think Jaws was a PG when I was a kid but it did seem to be on sometimes on a Sunday afternoon…

The 12a was a new classification that wasn’t available when Gremlins, Jaws, Jurassic Park etc first came out.
Confrontayshunme · 04/10/2021 18:07

The Witches (old one, as the new one is just weird)