11 Spooky Kids Movies And TV Episodes That Aged Like Fine Wine
It's officially spooky season! And if you’re anything like me, that means it’s time to rewatch some old childhood favorites!
Disney / Via giphy.com
After rewatching tons of spooky movies and TV show episodes from my childhood over the past few years, I can confidently say there are some that just, unfortunately, don’t hold up as an adult. I’m looking at you The Suite Life of Zack & Cody’s "The Ghost in Suite 613." (I know this is a fan-favorite, please don't yell at me!)
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That's not to say they're unwatchable. They're perfect if you're craving a little nostalgia. But if there's really no nuance or atmosphere to them, it becomes reallllllly noticeable that you're watching something aimed at kids — to a distracting degree.
There are, however, some beloved movies and TV show episodes that do hold up on the adult rewatch — here are 11 of the best ones:
1.The Midnight Hour (1985)
In a decade full of teenagers getting naked and filleted in horror movies on the big screen, the Halloween-set made-for-TV movie The Midnight Hour was just a good, old-fashioned, family-friendly teen comedy. Five high school friends accidentally raise the dead, including a witch from the 1600s who begins turning the whole town into demonic creatures, starting with unsuspecting teens at a big Halloween costume party.
This movie's got such atmosphere — old school Halloween decorations covering the walls, constant fog, dead leaves blowing in the wind — you can almost feel that autumn chill in the air! It's exactly what I'd always wished my New England Halloweens looked like as a kid. PLUS, it's got an iconic soundtrack, three incredible Black leads (Shari Belafonte, LeVar Burton, and Jonelle Allen), and a song and dance number that gives Hocus Pocus' "I Put a Spell on You" a run for its money!
You can watch the scene here:
2.Goosebumps: "The Haunted Mask" (1995)
Goosebumps has some really solid episodes, but nothing beats the two-part premiere, "The Haunted Mask." Based on R.L. Stine's 11th Goosebumps book, the story follows shy, naive, and perpetually-scared Carly Beth as she slowly loses herself after a Halloween mask she bought from a mysterious shop owner won't come off of her. Not only does this have actually suspenseful scenes, it has sophisticated (for a kids show) Michael Myers-esque POV shots and an award-nominated performance from Kathryn Long, the actor who plays Carly Beth!
Loss of identity is a huge theme in this episode as well, which has a long history in the horror genre (Invasion of the Body Snatchers, The Thing, etc), and in my opinion, is always scary! It elevates the story to something that a person of any age can see as terrifying.
3.Buffy the Vampire Slayer: "Halloween" (1997)
Speaking of loss of identity, in "Halloween," Buffy, along with anyone in Sunnydale who rented their costume from a new shop in town, gets supernaturally transformed into whatever costume they're wearing.
And while we all love to see Buffy stake some vamps, seeing her as a helpless woman from the 18th century while Xander, Willow, and even Cordelia take charge, is a nice change of pace for the series. And, it makes for a super fun and memorable episode that also allows us a chance to see deeper into the other characters that make up the Scooby Gang, all the while exploring the theme of identity and the duality of human nature.
4.Casper (1995)
On the surface, Casper may seem like a fun, lighthearted romp where three annoying ghosts haunt a young girl, Kat (Christina Ricci), and her dad, while simultaneously bullying their also-dead nephew, Casper. BUT, it's so much more than that.
While the slapstick Three Stooges-style comedy that packs the first half is a bit stale for me as an adult, it's that ending that gets me every time! It's so beautifully shot and so well-acted; it 100% still holds up.
And when that little ghost boy, now in human form (Devon Sawa), descends the staircase to dance with Kat, I swear it's the first time I remember seeing anything even remotely close to the female gaze.
5.Boy Meets World: "And Then There Was Shawn" (1998)
It's rare that a comedy TV show produces such an amazing Halloween episode, but Boy Meets World succeeded when it released "And Then There Was Shawn" in Season 5. It manages to be fun, scary, and even riffs on Scream. It has all the traits of a typical scary movie — a creepy janitor, spooky 1920s themed music, a horror movie "expert" — all jam-packed into one half-hour episode.
But it's more than that. The best and most memorable horror acts as a metaphor for something deeper (Ginger Snaps: getting your period, It Follows: STDs, The Descent: trauma). In "And Then There Was Shawn," the masked killer symbolizes Shawn's anger, sadness, and grief over the loss of Cory and Topanga's relationship, something he viewed as the only constant in his life. So, while this episode is super fun and filled with comedic elements, I think it really holds up because of its depth.
Plus, it has my favorite joke of the whole series:
6.Return to Oz (1985)
A nightmare-inducing sequel to The Wizard of Oz, this movie follows Dorothy as she makes her return to a now-deserted-looking Oz and finds all of her friends turned into statues. She gets captured by horrifying (even by today's standards) creatures known as the Wheelers and imprisoned by a head-switching witch known as Princess Mombi who steals the heads of other women so she can "wear" them. Mombi is one of my favorite villains of all time; I'm absolutely terrified of her, and yet I want to be her.
It's a spooky, dark, and unsettling movie for literally any age.
7.Are You Afraid of the Dark?: "The Tale of the Dream Girl" (1994)
If you sift through this painfully '90s Nickelodeon series, you'll actually find some hidden gems. (Don't get me wrong, though, even AYAOTD?'s worst episodes are must-see TV for their camp factor!) In Season 3, we get "The Tale of the Dream Girl," in which a young man is haunted by the ghost of a beautiful and mysterious teenager.
Besides the standout performances from the two leads — Andrea Nemeth and underrated '90s heartthrob Fab Filippo (I'm still swooning), the episode is surprisingly emotional for a kids show, and extremely well-written. Rumors floated for years that it inspired M. Night Shyamalan to write The Sixth Sense; however, apparently he's never even heard of the show. Even though it's false, I think that rumor's very telling of the quality of this episode!
And, like The Sixth Sense, it's got a twist that's even better on a rewatch!
8.The Halloween Tree (1993)
This TV movie, without fail, always gets me into the Halloween spirit. It's written by Ray Bradbury, based on his 1972 novel, so you know it's gonna be good. Bradbury even won an Emmy for it!
It's a story of friendship, loss, and sacrifice, as four kids try to save their friend's life on Halloween night. And since I might as well get a history lesson while I'm absolutely enthralled in this emotional story, it also includes the origins of Halloween, as the kids travel back in time to Egypt during the feast of the ghosts and to Mexico during Día de los Muertos.
And if all that isn't enough, the film's composer, John Debney, did the music for Hocus Pocus, too, so the score has that perfect balance of childlike hope and wonder mixed with mystery and spine-chilling tension — all of which really sets the Halloween mood!
9.Are You Afraid of the Dark?: "The Tale of the Closet Keepers" (1995)
This episode is sooo ahead of its time! It truly feels like a predecessor to both A Quiet Place and Nope.
After "keepers" who run an Earth-themed zoo kidnap children in order for space aliens to gawk at them through a glass window, a deaf girl and her bully have to find a way out. The keepers use sound as a weapon in the form of a high-pitched noise to control their captors. Just like in A Quiet Place, the main character's deafness is her strength. Since she doesn't hear the noise, which incapacitates hearing people, she's able to save all the captured children. There's also heavy themes of exploitation, spectacle, and privilege that it's hard not to draw parallels to Nope.
Also, the detail is incredible in this episode, down to a watchful eye printed on the main character's T-shirt.
10.Sabrina the Teenage Witch (1996)
Months before the premiere of the series, we were gifted with this TV movie of the same name. It has some pretty notable differences from the TV show, but it's just as good! And it totally stands on its own, too, so you don't need to watch the show to get a resolution (although you should).
Even though it doesn't have a laugh track, and its tone is definitely more mature and more serious than the series, it's still tons of fun!
Oh, and the fashion is sooo good. It's toned-down Clueless meets whimsigothic, and I'm completely here for it!
11.And finally, The Simpsons: "Treehouse of Horror V: The Shinning" (1994)
I've heard people say that Treehouse V is regarded as the best of the series, and it's really no surprise considering the first segment, "The Shinning."
As a kid, before I even saw The Shining, this parody had me cackling. After seeing the movie a handful of times, it remained funny to me throughout the years. And now (I already watched it this year), I'm still audibly laughing. Clearly, there's something here for every age group, which really makes the episode hold up against the test of time!
What spooky movies or TV shows do you think still hold up? Let me know in the comments!
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