When we were kids (or even now), a lot of us picked up a children’s movie with a spooky cover. Maybe it seemed perfect for a stormy night, or we just wanted to feel a bit more grown-up. Since we couldn’t join our parents or siblings for real horror movies, we watched these instead, only to realize, a few minutes in, that they were actually scary. Turns out, we weren’t the only ones who got creeped out!
It’s also wild to think about when some of these films came out. Most are from a time (especially the 1980s) when movie ratings were way more relaxed. What counted as a kids’ movie back then might get a totally different label today. Older movies weren’t afraid to be a little weird, dark, or even emotionally intense, sometimes more so than many of today’s releases.
BEWARE THERE WILL BE SOME SPOILERS BELOW!
So, whether you want to get that spooky thrill for the first time, revisit a film that once gave you goosebumps, or finally see what made your siblings so weirdly traumatized by a cartoon, this list is for you. Happy haunting, courtesy of the ghosts of childhood VHS shelves.
1) The Rescuers
▪︎ Year Released: 1977
▪︎ Scariness Rating: 1/5
▪︎ What Still Haunts Me: The main villain in the film, Madame Medusa, is a true criminal among others in the Disney universe, a child abuser and kidnapper driven by greed. The way she holds herself is unsettling and frightening, but very true to life. Scary in a more realistic way.
▪︎ Where to Watch: Disney+
2) Watership Down
▪︎ Year Released: 1978
▪︎ Scariness Rating: 5/5
▪︎ What Still Haunts Me: This one is probably the scariest on the list. Just because it’s animals instead of people doesn’t make it less terrifying. The deaths and violence are graphic and pull no punches. This was rated G for years (seriously) and was only recently changed to PG. For many, this is the original traumatizing kids’ movie.
▪︎ Where to Watch: HBO MAX
3) The Secret of Nimh
▪︎ Year Released: 1982
▪︎ Scariness Rating: 3/5
▪︎ What Still Haunts Me: In the opening scenes, our main character is almost killed! The lab scenes with animal testing are seared in my memory, and the glint of the needle still haunts me. As children, we really don’t understand the scary and grown-up elements in this movie, but looking back, the themes definitely hit harder.
▪︎ Where to Watch: Free – Tubi & Pluto TV
4) The Last Unicorn
▪︎ Year Released: 1982
▪︎ Scariness Rating: 3/5
▪︎ What Still Haunts Me: While extremely beautifully animated, the darker characters are, if anything, unsettling. The witch, the harpy, and the alcoholic skeleton were all frightening. The most heartbreaking for me was the distressing cry made by Molly Grue when she first met the unicorn. Her distress as a child, while not understandable to me, made me feel sad for her. Guaranteed existential crisis with this one.
▪︎ Where to Watch: Free – Tubi & Prime Video
5) The Dark Crystal
▪︎ Year Released: 1982
▪︎ Scariness Rating: 4/5
▪︎ What Still Haunts Me: The first time my dad put this on, I was scared out of my mind. Thank goodness my older brother stepped in and asked if it was even appropriate because these puppets are nightmare fuel. The opening scene starts with two deaths. (Fun fact: it’s made by the same guy who created The Muppets and Labyrinth.)
▪︎ Where to Watch: Free – YouTube, Tubi, Pluto TV
✨Bonus!✨ For fans of The Dark Crystal, Netflix released an award-winning prequel in 2019 called Age of Resistance, though it was unfortunately cancelled after one season.
6) Unico in the Island of Magic
▪︎ Year Released: 1983
▪︎ Scariness Rating: 2/5
▪︎ What Still Haunts Me: This one wasn’t on my radar as a kid. I only watched it recently, after an English adaptation of the book was released. Originally from the mind of manga legend Osamu Tezuka. Throughout the story, poor Unico can’t catch a break: he’s abandoned at the start, and it only gets worse from there.
▪︎ Where to Watch: Free – Pluto & on Crunchyroll
7) Something Wicked This Way Comes
▪︎ Year Released: 1983
▪︎ Scariness Rating: 3/5
▪︎ What Still Haunts Me: An evil wish-granting carnival rolls into town, giving everyone what they want for a price. If you’re not scared of aging or spiders, you will be!
▪︎ Where to Watch: Previously available only on DVD, it is now finally on Disney+, as of this month!
8) The NeverEnding Story
▪︎ Year Released: 1984
▪︎ Scariness Rating: 2/5
▪︎ What Still Haunts Me: The loss of a beloved pet, while heartbreaking, is not the scariest element in this film. The concept of “the nothing” is foreign to many kids who are not yet aware of their “existence” as humans. However, the introduction of “the nothing,” made up of endless despair and emptiness, is unsettling in a lasting way.
▪︎ Where to Watch: For rent – YouTube & Prime Video, DVD
9) The Black Cauldron
▪︎ Year Released: 1985
▪︎ Scariness Rating: 2/5
▪︎ What Still Haunts Me: The skeletons clawing their way up through green smoke, the laughter echoing in the background, and the eerie green light filling the room — it’s all true nightmare fuel. It’s also the first Disney film to ever earn a PG rating!
▪︎ Where to Watch: Disney+
10) Return to Oz
▪︎ Year Released: 1985
▪︎ Scariness Rating: 2/5
▪︎ What Still Haunts Me: A scary sequel to The Wizard of Oz, this film shows us how the real world would look at Dorothy talking about Oz. Her Aunt tries her best to help her by booking her an electroshock therapy appointment. But she escapes back to Oz and fights against unsettling villains on wheels and a witch that collects beautiful heads.
▪︎ Where to Watch: Disney+
11) Legend
▪︎ Year Released: 1985
▪︎ Scariness Rating: 3/5
▪︎ What Still Haunts Me: A young Tom Cruise in a fantasy land with unicorns sounds like fun, but in the same setting, we see Tim Curry play the Devil. Need I say more?
▪︎ Where to Watch: For rent – YouTube & Prime Video
12) The Great Mouse Detective
▪︎ Year Released: 1986
▪︎ Scariness Rating: 2/5
▪︎ What Still Haunts Me: A kid’s intro to Sherlock Holmes had no business being this creepy: a killer cat, a menacing henchman, and a child gets kidnapped. Who knew a mouse movie could feel more like a noir thriller than a bedtime story?
▪︎ Where to Watch: Disney+
13) The Brave Little Toaster
▪︎ Year Released: 1987
▪︎ Scariness Rating: 4/5
▪︎ What Still Haunts Me: What isn’t scary about this movie? I still feel guilty getting rid of old appliances because of it. And trust me, you’ll never see an air conditioner the same way again.
▪︎ Where to Watch: Disney+
14) FernGully: The Last Rainforest
▪︎ Year Released: 1992
▪︎ Scariness Rating: 3/5
▪︎ What Still Haunts Me: Hexxus was terrifying enough, but it’s the forest dying that really stays with you. You can’t fight smoke, and you can’t reason with destruction. Warning: if you don’t recycle, you will after this one.
▪︎ Where to Watch: Free – Tubi & Pluto TV
15) Chicken Run
▪︎ Year Released: 2000
▪︎ Scariness Rating: 2/5
▪︎ What Still Haunts Me: In the making of this list, this was the first movie that came to my mind. Years ago, my partner mentioned to me that this was one of the scariest films from their childhood. And while there are occasionally bright spots in the film, the fear of death is always the main plot theme. The shadow hatchet scene is always scary on the adult rewatch.
▪︎ Where to Watch: Netflix
**Bonus!** After more than 20 years, Netflix released Chicken Run: Dawn of the Nugget in 2023, the long-awaited sequel to the beloved original.
16) Spirited Away
▪︎ Year Released: 2001
▪︎ Scariness Rating: 2/5
▪︎ What Still Haunts Me: Watching Chihiro’s parents turn into pigs? Terrifying. It’s not just the transformation, it’s her helplessness. No-Face and the Big Baby are scary at first, too, but end up kind of lovable.
▪︎ Where to Watch: HBO MAX
17) Mickey’s House of Villains
▪︎ Year Released: 2002
▪︎ Scariness Rating: 1/5
▪︎ What Still Haunts Me: Mickey’s House of Villains feels like an award show, with all the villains gathered to watch short skits. Each one has a strange or unsettling twist, and the music adds to that creeping feeling. They’re playful, but still the kind of scary that stays with you.
▪︎ Where to Watch: For rent – Apple TV & Prime Video, Unavailable on Disney+ & hard to find on DVD
18) Where the Wild Things Are
▪︎ Year Released: 2009
▪︎ Scariness Rating: 1/5
▪︎ What Still Haunts Me: This was a secret comfort movie for me in middle school. It’s both magical and unsettling. The creatures tower over Max, and their emotions are huge and unpredictable. When one loses control at the bonfire, their world suddenly feels real and fragile. By the end, Max returns home changed, and that’s what sticks with you.
▪︎ Where to Watch: For rent – YouTube & Prime Video, DVD
19) Coraline
▪︎ Year Released: 2009
▪︎ Scariness Rating: 4/5
▪︎ What Still Haunts Me: While this film has always been an intro to horror movies for many a child, the other mother is deeply unnerving and made us question our parents’ legitimacy at times.
▪︎ Where to Watch: Free – Tubi & Pluto TV
20) Toy Story 3
▪︎ Year Released: 2010
▪︎ Scariness Rating: 1/5
▪︎ What Still Haunts Me: While this movie overall isn’t really scary, the scene where Lotso tries to incinerate everyone really showed his murderous intent, changing the tone of the film entirely.
▪︎ Where to Watch: Disney+
21) Tim Burton’s Alice in Wonderland
▪︎ Year Released: 2010
▪︎ Scariness Rating: 2/5
▪︎ What Still Haunts Me: When is Alice in Wonderland ever not scary? This version is no different. The Red Queen’s cruelty is dialed up, and the whole film has a strange, grotesque vibe. It’s not the bright, colorful Wonderland you expect; its muted tones make the whimsy feel eerie, like something fun that got lost along the way.
▪︎ Where to Watch: Disney+
Let me know your thoughts down below and tell me your additions!
Happy Halloween!
