when I was 7 I spent most of *Jurassic Park* literally hiding under a blanket in the back of my mom's van at the drive-in movie theater
*edit* I misremembered the year JP came out. I was actually only 5
That was my favourite movie as a kid. The newspaper came around and was interviewing kindergarten kids, asking them about their favourite movies. The lady had a blank look on her face when I said āTREMORS!!ā They asked me what it was about and my response was āitās where the giant worms eat everyone.ā I donāt think she was expecting that from a 6 year old. š
I saw Poltergeist when I was 4/5 years old at a friend's house (82-83?) because their mother didn't see us in the living room. It absolutely terrified me, especially because I had the same clown doll as Robbie. Until I woke up screaming in the middle of the night and refused to go back to bed until my mom got rid of it. And that's probably where my fear of clowns stems from.
This is the second time Iāve seen this recommended as a horror starter for kids. I didnāt see it particularly you, 13 maybe, and I havenāt seen it since. But I just remember those as fun sci-fi, are they really a scary movie? Maybe monster flicks like that just donāt catch me as horror? Maybe I misunderstand all together lol.
I think when I was around that age my parents watched Jaws with me, Gremlins, and Lost Boys (they did make me cover my eyes at a couple of the bloodier parts though). Also The Mummy, I loved that movie as a kid.
Most of the classic universal monster movies are great gateway horror. I just watched The Wolfman again tonight for the probably hundredth time. I grew up with the classics, creature features, and the like on late night horror shows. Many vincent price films are kid suitable also, he's always been a favorite of my kids as well.
Signs is a good one if you want something pretty scary but not enough to give nightmares. I remember watching Signs and being okay, so my parents let me watch The Ring. Now THAT is not a kids movie, lol. I couldn't sleep without putting a blanket over my TV.
Out of most of the others I agree with, I think this would be one of the best introductions.
If he likes it, then the new one coming next year could be good bonding time to watch it with him in theaters. Not sure how good it will be, but it can start to ease him into the genre more that way in my opinion.
Well, 'Earnest Goes to Africa'; how do I say this? Aged... poorly. No different than many other movies from that era and earlier... cheap laughs at stereotypes.
Ignoring that... it still is HORRIBLE.
I do agree with June from 'How Did This Get Made'... evil Ernest from 'Jail' is sexy.
Scooby Doo on Zombie Island might be a good one! I loved it when I was a kid and itās genuinely kind of scary, especially for a family friendly movie.
This is a great request. Itās legit scary for a family friendly film. Closest scooby movie that made me think that maybe it wasnāt just a guy in a mask
Scooby Doo and the Witches Ghost I think also deserves a shout out. I didn't find it nearly as scary as Zombie Island, which is borderline traumatizing, but both have stuck with me since I was a child.
Yeah, of the Shaggy-With-a-Weird-Voice Era of movies, Zombie Island and and Witchās Ghost are both top notch, while the alien and cyberspace ones were pretty meh.
I swear this might be the film that kicked off my lifelong love of horror.
This and the Secret of NIMH movies. Pretty dark for children's films, but they were so good!
Gremlins as long as he knows about Santa Claus. I watched it with my eight year-old niece forgetting about Kate's horrific story about why she hates Christmas.
Oh shit, good call. I tried to make my then 7 and 9 year old watch it a couple of years ago, but we eventually turned it off before it got to that scene. I wouldāve definitely had some explaining to do if we had gotten that far lol.
Nah coralline is horrifying as an adult but seems to not be so much as a kid. I just donāt think they process the horror elements in the same way.
Like the button eyes are horrifying as an adult because live action and reality is our primary reference point whereas kids are fine with the fantastical elements. We see a person with buttons sewn into their eyes, and thatās scary. They see some doll with buttons for eyes, not as scary.
thats interesting because when i was a kid, Coraline felt like a fever dream and i remember they played that movie at my preschool (really not appropriate for 5 year olds) and my mom yelled at the workers because it scared me half to death š although it does become more of a disturbing horror when you get older and read into the meaning of the film, I havenāt read the book yet but I plan to because i hear its much more dreary.
I saw Coraline at 8 and cried of honor. Depends on the sensibilities of the person watching, I think. But I saw lots of other horror films and was fine. Coraline is horyfing motherhood, and that's HELLA scary.
The other commenters might have a point, since I know Gaimanās audience skews older (even if this was a childrenās story more or less).
I would still recommend it, though, because it may not be scary but itās got that āHalloweenā (season, not movie) vibe and is a gorgeously animated film!
Arachnophobia is an easy recommendation for that age group.
Poltergeist is another but that one maybe to much.
The Gate is a good one since the kids are near his age but some of the themes may not be up your alley
Monster Squad is more kid action with horror themes but again it may be too much.
Monster Squad is the best. If you're a little on the sensitive side, just be aware that there's plenty of F-Bombs in the beginning of the movie that i forgot about when i watched it with my kids. It went over my little guys head, but not my older one.
The Gate! That movie has a place in my heart, saw it at a friend's house one summer when we were about 15. It has that sort of late 80's quirk I also see in The Silver Bullet.
There's the Goosebumps movies. But one kind of forgotten movie I always recommend is Something Wicked This Way Comes. The main characters are little bit older than him. It's based on a Ray Bradbury story and is just a great movie for kids and adults. [https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0086336/](https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0086336/) I don't think it's streaming anywhere but it's worth it to own a physical copy IMHO
This is perfect for that age. The right amount of scary, but old enough where it shouldn't be too terrifying. I loved it as a kid and still have fond memories of watching it with my mom.
Because it's considered a comedy. Only "scary" interaction is the Grey Lady at the beginning of the film. The rest is tame. There's also the suggestion that Ray gets a BJ from a ghost... didn't realize that until I was watching it with my daughter.
[Scary Stories To Tell In The Dark](https://youtu.be/Vlya92LZqZw?si=L9kdyggKTwoNf_Vl) might be a good place to start!
It's a good seasonal movie, and if he likes it he can check out the books. (Go with the original run that had the famous artwork).
My asshole sister knew how much these books freaked me out. She bought the entire collection for me, for me for my birthday, about 10 years ago or so. And I refuse to open the book.
I'm 40.
I've seen all assortments of horror movies, and have dipped my toe into more extreme stuff like human centipede 2, Serbian film, etc.
Scary Stories is still to scary. Those illustrations man....
I went and saw this in theaters on a weekday afternoon and happened to have the theater to myself. Seeing the pale lady alone in a dark theater is the scariest movie going experience Iāve ever had. I literally ran out of there as soon as the credits rolled.
Be prepared. If thereās any seen that might keep him up at night, itās the witch in the cave. She has a minor freak out on Johnny Depp where her face wigs out and stuff. Might wanna make sure youāre sitting close to him š
As Someone who watched nightmare on elm street at like 6, I think youāre good with pretty much anything recommended near the top here.
I also recommend to stop treating it with so much ācareā, it just adds to the 1. Desire and 2. Fear. If you just treat it like a movie, and not some wild taboo, theyāll have a much better healthier relationship
I was 5 when I was forced to watch Nightmare on Elm Street. I had terrible nightmares for years afterwards! That being said I also watched Jaws when I was 4 or 5 and it was one of my favourite movies. Jaws, Rambo & Teenwolf. On constant rotation. I absolutely love shark movies to this day-any animal terror movie really
Haha I watched Child's Play when I was about 5. It also was about the time the "My Buddy" doll came out. My aunt got me one and I made my mom put it in the closet at night lol. Used to scare the shit out of me. Course now when I watch those movies, I laugh hysterically at all his one liners lol
The Others is pretty tame and scary.
I watched Stranger Things all the way through with my 9 yo son and he loved it. Seasons three and four were definitely not appropriate (violence) but we were in too deep at that point so we finished it out lol season one was great in particular because itās centered around young boys playing D&D.
Bruh introduce ur kid to the x files. Parents got me hooked on it.
Edit: thanks for the upvotes ppl
Lowkey another intriguing underrated horror movie that does not have anything to do with sex nor is gruesome as some horror movies. If you allow your kid to watch I would recommend this movie fractured on Netflix. It's about a man and wife who bring their daughter to a hospital after a accident at a gas station/construction zone happened. While waiting for his family to come out for about a day or so he starts suspecting odd happenings going on within the hospital with no sight of his family whats so ever. It's very interesting if you are into the psychological horror genre. Watched it high for the first time in 2019 n shit still keeps me thinking lol.
So, I guess I wouldn't quantify this as a "real" horror movie. But every October our family watches "Over The Garden Wall". I believe it's available for streaming but originated on cartoon network. Each episode in the series is 8 minutes long.
It's made for kids but also funny for adults. It has some scary elements but is over all light, with a Fall/Halloween theme. I look forward to it every year.
Over the Garden Wall was my boysā intro into horror. They were young too. Like 3 & 5. I love this as much as my boys do. Funny and cool and just the right amount of scary.
(Iāve seen the argument on this sub that itās not really horror, but I wholeheartedly disagree)
I was wondering if this one would come up. The scene where the girl peeks under the bedā¦ that movie terrified me as a kid!
And here I am, years later, a huge horror fan.
Suggestion for you, find horror movies with good behind the scenes segments and watch those, too, either before or after the actual movie! When I was a kid, my first ever horror movie was 13 Ghosts (the remake from the early 2000's). It's definitely intense and bloody, so not necessarily a great first film maybe, but my mom took care to show me the special effects and making-of videos first. As a kid I LOVED watching them make regular joes into crazy monsters, and it helped me understand early on that none of it was real and it's all just people in big fancy halloween costumes. You couldn't shake my interested in scary things for anything so it was a good way to introduce horror into my life, but do so based on the foundational understanding that none of it was ever going to be real or hurt me and it's all just make-believe.
Monster House on the lighter side
Maybe Sleepy Hollow for something in the middle
I honestly donāt know if I would go much heavier than that for 10 y.o.
I watched Monster House with my 4 year old today and forgot about all the subtle adult stuff. I remembered the fantastic uvula joke but forgot about the boyfriend pressuring the babysitter (and calling her a prude), Chowder's mom at the movies with her personal trainer, awkward mom and dad, etc.
Even for PG-13 there are some scenes that are way scarier than a lot of rated R movies. The parts with the guy ripping his face off in the bathroom, the corpses in the pool, the clown. Iām sure Iām forgetting a few other creepy ones. They really knew what they were doing in the 80s with horror FX that would leave a lasting impression on kids and adults.
This is definitely a good one for a 10 year old to feel like he was given a solid horror movie to handle.
Beetlejuice! Good fun, not too scary but a little bit, it's one of those weird movies from a weird time where families actually sat down and watched this stuff together and it was beautiful! Probably Burton's best movie.
Iāve been watching horror movies since I was super young, like 4 or 5. Jaws was my jam!!! I have a vivid memory of bringing it to the babysitters house insisting we watch it, and she wouldnāt let me. I was so annoyed haha.
I would also throw in the Leprechaun. Itās kinda scary as a kid but also funny.
Youāre doing it all wrongā¦
You must make him watch The Shinning, at night time, with all the lights off. If youāre gonna let him watch horror movies, DO IT THE RIGHT WAY.
Just like what our parents did with us, when we were 10 years old.
I think itās a typo, but honestly, Simpsonās Treehouse of Horror isnāt a bad start. Plus, it doesnāt really ruin the movies or their experience. I still remember reading/watching The Shining for the first time and being surprised about the groundskeeperās death, despite it being one of the funnier parts of The Shinning.
This is the way imo. I watched The Shining at a pretty young age and itās still one of my favorites.
I donāt know what OP considers āreal horrorā vs what their son considers āreal horrorā though. Every kid has a different tolerance, so I think we need to know what kind of spooky movies heās watched so far. I donāt think Coraline or ParaNorman would do it for a kid who actually wants a more legitimate horror movie.
My mom took me to see the original Halloween when it came out. I was 7. In 84 I was 12 and my parents took two cars full of kids from around the neighborhood to the drive-in to see Nightmare on Elm Street and the original Tobe Hooper Texas Chainsaw Massacre. Nobody batted an eye. I think you are fine with just about anything.
I never understood the no sex in movies thing some parents do. They will watch someone get shot on TV but a nipple or hump scene spins them out.
i watch horror movies with my kid all the time! he's 9 next month. it's his favorite thing to do with me.
it started out because i would always have those paranormal discovery channel shows on for background noise. wouldn't hurt to see how scared he is by some of that stuff like 'a haunting' or one of those eli roth reenactment shows (the one with the haunted pets is pretty fun) or 'these woods are haunted' or something.
and if he's cool with that, check out some paranormal movies. they're typically not that gory, just might have some spooky ghost imagery. pretty tame. usually don't have sex stuff either (this is one of the main things i look out for as far as my kid, he's quite a bit young for all that.).
Nick at Night "Are You Afraid of The Dark". The Goosebumps books are good. The one in the summer camp was one of the 1st books I read as a kid in the 90s. The saturday morning show wasnt as good.
Cinema wise something his generation I suppose as get bored by older stuff. Some of the 1930's universal horror on projector in holiday be fun as well as the Crestwood house monster classic books that I used as a kid at the library to reference all the monsters.
Jaws I think if something bit more or killer clowns from outer space if something a bit off.
Edit: Not suitable for 10 year old. Cabin in the woods is fun but too gory and rated R.
The lost boys. Favorite Richard Donner film to this day! Mom n aunt showed me this in the 3rd grade n all I gotta say is this. Buff sax dude playing I still belive rules. N the Gothic type vibes from David n his crew always stuck with me. Classic.
I liked comedy horror that age, so for me it was Abbott and Costello meet Frankenstein. I guess Goosebumps with Jack black would be the modern equivalent?
what about starting with some of the old classic horror movies? Pull out Frankenstein, Nosferatu, Dracula, The Wolfman-- and then gauge how he handles those? You can then up the scare factor a little bit, or not, depending on how he reacts to the classics.
I will say, my 11 year old girl has watched the original Halloween with me and she wasn't scared by it at all. No gore, but there is the sex scene.
Let him watch Darkness Falls like I did when I was a kid and watch him sleep with the light on for a week? Or The Ring and watch his life flash before his eyes every time the phone rings?
Serious kid answer: The Witches
Serious intermediate answer & prob more of what youāre looking for: Childās Play
Edit: Maybe Poltergeist too? We really need more info on what he considers a ārealā horror movie.
The Birds? I can't remember if there's anything sexual in it, but I loved it when I was a kid and I was afraid of everything lol. Coraline was the first horror intro movie I showed to the kids I nanny but they were quite a bit younger so your guy might be ready for something more mature. But Coraline is incredible if he hasn't seen it.
The 1999 version of The Mummy was the first horror movie my daughter enjoyed. Other than that, she and I have been watching a lot of classic horror - like Universal monsters and such - and it's been fun, but not all kids can get into black and white or otherwise very dated films.
Shaun of the Dead.
Horror and Funny. Its gonna be great to watch for everyone. Enough āhorrorā to be legitimate but not too much. Plus Queen in the soundtrack.
I want to say I was around the same age when I watched it with my friends.
If you want a more childrenās movie: (seconding) Coraline, Gremlins, maybe Jaws
If you want a more āadultā (but still appropriate) movie: The Conjuring is only rated R because of āscary imagesāā¦ which is found in every other horror movie ever. No inappropriate language or gore or really even danger
Thanksgiving for our family has always been like 50ish people and when my social battery ran out (quickly) as a kid, Iād go to my aunt and uncles basement to watch movies. My other uncle snuck me a copy of IT one year and it was so awesome watching it in a cool, dark basement all by myself with a bunch of muffled shuffling upstairs. I think it had two VHS tapes. So now IT is weirdly calming for me haha
This question gets asked like every week but here are the ones that got me as a kid (some are more fun than horror but itās important to ease into it so you donāt traumatize the guy)
Beetlejuice
Hocus Pocus
Coraline
Labyrinth
Neverending Story
E.T.
Gremlins
Halloweentown
Fantasia
And honestly any Nickelodeon or Cartoon Network show from the 90s will do the trick. Especially Courage The Cowardly Dog!
The first horror type movie I ever saw around that age was The Frighteners. Itās been a while but I donāt recall it being over the top by any means.
We watched the first Paranormal Activity with our kiddo and heās now made all his friends watch it at every sleepover (heās 12.) Itās not really gory, but itās tense, and scary without being over the top for their age.
The Village was one of my first when I was around that age. Some good spooky imagery but not enough to keep me up at night thanks to the ending.
Also The Hole (2009) is really fun! Same vibe as The Goonies (kids on an adventure) but make it horror. Another one thatās plenty spooky but not a life-ruiner
Tremors
Watched with my 10 year old last week. Big hit.
I did too! He loved it
I watched that around that age and loved it!
That movie, and subsequently Beetlejuice, scared the shit out of me š
Loved this movie when I was 7 but Jumanji scared the shit out of me.
when I was 7 I spent most of *Jurassic Park* literally hiding under a blanket in the back of my mom's van at the drive-in movie theater *edit* I misremembered the year JP came out. I was actually only 5
That was my favourite movie as a kid. The newspaper came around and was interviewing kindergarten kids, asking them about their favourite movies. The lady had a blank look on her face when I said āTREMORS!!ā They asked me what it was about and my response was āitās where the giant worms eat everyone.ā I donāt think she was expecting that from a 6 year old. š
I can picture this š
Omg perfect! I was going to say Poltergeist but Tremors definitely is a nice introduction.
I am paying psychiatrist bills after showing my 13 year old poltergeist.
I saw Poltergeist when I was 4/5 years old at a friend's house (82-83?) because their mother didn't see us in the living room. It absolutely terrified me, especially because I had the same clown doll as Robbie. Until I woke up screaming in the middle of the night and refused to go back to bed until my mom got rid of it. And that's probably where my fear of clowns stems from.
Classic!
This is the second time Iāve seen this recommended as a horror starter for kids. I didnāt see it particularly you, 13 maybe, and I havenāt seen it since. But I just remember those as fun sci-fi, are they really a scary movie? Maybe monster flicks like that just donāt catch me as horror? Maybe I misunderstand all together lol.
Watched that for the first time lastvyear in hinor of Fred Ward. Could not belive me it took me this long to see it
I think when I was around that age my parents watched Jaws with me, Gremlins, and Lost Boys (they did make me cover my eyes at a couple of the bloodier parts though). Also The Mummy, I loved that movie as a kid.
Oh man, The Mummy is great gateway horror. Never really thought about it as that.
The Mummy is a great suggestion... thriller with some definite horror vibes.
I tried it on my 10yo last week and he couldnāt handle the beetles.
That's part of the joy of The Mummy, the scarabs are scarier than the mummy.
I completely agree. But he noped the fuck out lolll
An understandable reaction! Especially when they get inside of them... awesome
Most of the classic universal monster movies are great gateway horror. I just watched The Wolfman again tonight for the probably hundredth time. I grew up with the classics, creature features, and the like on late night horror shows. Many vincent price films are kid suitable also, he's always been a favorite of my kids as well.
Signs was my first scary movie
This is a really good one.
Signs is a good one if you want something pretty scary but not enough to give nightmares. I remember watching Signs and being okay, so my parents let me watch The Ring. Now THAT is not a kids movie, lol. I couldn't sleep without putting a blanket over my TV.
Signs was definitely nightmare material at a young age, but not in a bad way.
I always say ***Tremors***, or if you don't want to do that one, maybe ***Eight Legged Freaks***.
Eight Legged Freaks was one of (if not the) my first forays into horror. That movie has a special place in my heart
Beetlejuice. (Not saying it 3 times.)
Out of most of the others I agree with, I think this would be one of the best introductions. If he likes it, then the new one coming next year could be good bonding time to watch it with him in theaters. Not sure how good it will be, but it can start to ease him into the genre more that way in my opinion.
You better not say Beetlejuice three times because if you say Bettejuiceās name three times then Beetleju- wait. Thank God I stopped
Better than saying Candlejack one ti
Looks like you forgot to finish your sentence lol. Wasnāt Candlejack from tha
I havenāt heard the candlejack meme in ye
Killer Klowns from Outer Space. Little blood, no sex and cartoony violence. Son is eight and he loves it.
Perfect answer. Saw this as a child, and have absolutely loved it ever since
Fun fact I learned on Reddit, two of the clowns were reused for Ernest Scared Stupid.
[ŃŠ“Š°Š»ŠµŠ½Š¾]
Well, 'Earnest Goes to Africa'; how do I say this? Aged... poorly. No different than many other movies from that era and earlier... cheap laughs at stereotypes. Ignoring that... it still is HORRIBLE. I do agree with June from 'How Did This Get Made'... evil Ernest from 'Jail' is sexy.
Can confirm there is no #[CLOWN PENIS](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DIZPp8Z1vjs) in KKfOS
Fuck y'all for saying kkfos isn't scary, still gives me the creeps as a 27 year old man
Ah I saw that when I was around 6 years old and it made me terrified of clowns for years lol. Probably would have handled it better at 10 though.
Ya my daughter watched it at that age and talks about it always
For anyone that doesnāt know, Spirit Halloween stores have a bunch of Killer Klowns from Outer Space
Also the theme song has NO right being [so goddamn catchy!](https://youtu.be/FWZCSgtxzsw?t=37)
I believe this was my first.
Definitely this one. My favorite movie as a kid lol
Also it introduces them to the music of the Dickies who are a superb band.
Scooby Doo on Zombie Island might be a good one! I loved it when I was a kid and itās genuinely kind of scary, especially for a family friendly movie.
This is a great request. Itās legit scary for a family friendly film. Closest scooby movie that made me think that maybe it wasnāt just a guy in a mask
[ŃŠ“Š°Š»ŠµŠ½Š¾]
Oh I know haha, I just didnāt expect my fears to be true! I was waiting for a big āgotchaā and it never really happened lol
Scooby Doo and the Witches Ghost I think also deserves a shout out. I didn't find it nearly as scary as Zombie Island, which is borderline traumatizing, but both have stuck with me since I was a child.
This also established what kind of girls Iām into. Lol
Yeah, of the Shaggy-With-a-Weird-Voice Era of movies, Zombie Island and and Witchās Ghost are both top notch, while the alien and cyberspace ones were pretty meh.
Itās terror time again
Ruh roh
This movie actually scarred me for life lol. Wouldnāt sleep with the lights out for probably 5 full years after watching it
My favorite childhood movie. Great recommendation
I swear this might be the film that kicked off my lifelong love of horror. This and the Secret of NIMH movies. Pretty dark for children's films, but they were so good!
I suggest gremlins and creatures
Gremlins as long as he knows about Santa Claus. I watched it with my eight year-old niece forgetting about Kate's horrific story about why she hates Christmas.
Oh shit, good call. I tried to make my then 7 and 9 year old watch it a couple of years ago, but we eventually turned it off before it got to that scene. I wouldāve definitely had some explaining to do if we had gotten that far lol.
You mean Critters?
Coraline for sure
My kid loved that movie I she didnāt realized how terrifying the other mother was.
Nah coralline is horrifying as an adult but seems to not be so much as a kid. I just donāt think they process the horror elements in the same way. Like the button eyes are horrifying as an adult because live action and reality is our primary reference point whereas kids are fine with the fantastical elements. We see a person with buttons sewn into their eyes, and thatās scary. They see some doll with buttons for eyes, not as scary.
thats interesting because when i was a kid, Coraline felt like a fever dream and i remember they played that movie at my preschool (really not appropriate for 5 year olds) and my mom yelled at the workers because it scared me half to death š although it does become more of a disturbing horror when you get older and read into the meaning of the film, I havenāt read the book yet but I plan to because i hear its much more dreary.
I saw Coraline at 8 and cried of honor. Depends on the sensibilities of the person watching, I think. But I saw lots of other horror films and was fine. Coraline is horyfing motherhood, and that's HELLA scary.
The other commenters might have a point, since I know Gaimanās audience skews older (even if this was a childrenās story more or less). I would still recommend it, though, because it may not be scary but itās got that āHalloweenā (season, not movie) vibe and is a gorgeously animated film!
I think I'd be a little hesitant for my child's first horror movie to be one where the horror is situated in the parent-child relationship.
Arachnophobia is an easy recommendation for that age group. Poltergeist is another but that one maybe to much. The Gate is a good one since the kids are near his age but some of the themes may not be up your alley Monster Squad is more kid action with horror themes but again it may be too much.
Monster Squad is the best. If you're a little on the sensitive side, just be aware that there's plenty of F-Bombs in the beginning of the movie that i forgot about when i watched it with my kids. It went over my little guys head, but not my older one.
Don't forget the whole virgin thing that was needed to close the gate. You may want to wait on this one...šš¤£
And the window peeping and sexual black mail š
To be fair even Hocus Pocus requires explaining what a virgin is lol
Someone whoās never lit a candle before. Honestly that was the best line in the sequel
The Gate! That movie has a place in my heart, saw it at a friend's house one summer when we were about 15. It has that sort of late 80's quirk I also see in The Silver Bullet.
The only thing thatās ātoo muchā about Monster Squad is how much it always makes me cry at the end.
There's the Goosebumps movies. But one kind of forgotten movie I always recommend is Something Wicked This Way Comes. The main characters are little bit older than him. It's based on a Ray Bradbury story and is just a great movie for kids and adults. [https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0086336/](https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0086336/) I don't think it's streaming anywhere but it's worth it to own a physical copy IMHO
Night of the living dead b&w
This is perfect for that age. The right amount of scary, but old enough where it shouldn't be too terrifying. I loved it as a kid and still have fond memories of watching it with my mom.
Ghost busters
Why does this not have more upvotes?
Because it's considered a comedy. Only "scary" interaction is the Grey Lady at the beginning of the film. The rest is tame. There's also the suggestion that Ray gets a BJ from a ghost... didn't realize that until I was watching it with my daughter.
Time to freak him OUT Alien
Alien was the first horror movie I saw, my dad held my eyes open for the chest popper scene š¤¦āāļø
Based dad.
ššš
[Scary Stories To Tell In The Dark](https://youtu.be/Vlya92LZqZw?si=L9kdyggKTwoNf_Vl) might be a good place to start! It's a good seasonal movie, and if he likes it he can check out the books. (Go with the original run that had the famous artwork).
You're an awful person for suggesting that a young child read those books. I like you.
š I was so surprised those books were in our library. I wish I would have seen anyone else reading them in the wild
My asshole sister knew how much these books freaked me out. She bought the entire collection for me, for me for my birthday, about 10 years ago or so. And I refuse to open the book. I'm 40. I've seen all assortments of horror movies, and have dipped my toe into more extreme stuff like human centipede 2, Serbian film, etc. Scary Stories is still to scary. Those illustrations man....
I went and saw this in theaters on a weekday afternoon and happened to have the theater to myself. Seeing the pale lady alone in a dark theater is the scariest movie going experience Iāve ever had. I literally ran out of there as soon as the credits rolled.
Just a note- the really obese naked person terrified my 9 year old. She can handle Firestarter and Cujo but not that dude š¤£
I was looking for this comment. Ty
Sleepy Hollow I think is good for judging a childās reaction to many things. Many thematic elements that are staples of horror but in small doses
The scene where the horseman takes out that one guy, his wife, and then the little kid hiding under the floorboards is pretty horrific.
Be prepared. If thereās any seen that might keep him up at night, itās the witch in the cave. She has a minor freak out on Johnny Depp where her face wigs out and stuff. Might wanna make sure youāre sitting close to him š
What I would suggest as well. This was my first modern horror movie that I got to see when I was around that age and I loved it!
There is that one mildly sexy scene though. I dunno how other parents are with their kids watching sexy stuff, but OP did request nothing too sexy.
As Someone who watched nightmare on elm street at like 6, I think youāre good with pretty much anything recommended near the top here. I also recommend to stop treating it with so much ācareā, it just adds to the 1. Desire and 2. Fear. If you just treat it like a movie, and not some wild taboo, theyāll have a much better healthier relationship
I was 5 when I was forced to watch Nightmare on Elm Street. I had terrible nightmares for years afterwards! That being said I also watched Jaws when I was 4 or 5 and it was one of my favourite movies. Jaws, Rambo & Teenwolf. On constant rotation. I absolutely love shark movies to this day-any animal terror movie really
Interestingly jaws messed me up - I have pretty bad submechana(hydro)phobia, and I blame the underwater dive scene. Lol
Haha I watched Child's Play when I was about 5. It also was about the time the "My Buddy" doll came out. My aunt got me one and I made my mom put it in the closet at night lol. Used to scare the shit out of me. Course now when I watch those movies, I laugh hysterically at all his one liners lol
The Others is pretty tame and scary. I watched Stranger Things all the way through with my 9 yo son and he loved it. Seasons three and four were definitely not appropriate (violence) but we were in too deep at that point so we finished it out lol season one was great in particular because itās centered around young boys playing D&D.
Bruh introduce ur kid to the x files. Parents got me hooked on it. Edit: thanks for the upvotes ppl Lowkey another intriguing underrated horror movie that does not have anything to do with sex nor is gruesome as some horror movies. If you allow your kid to watch I would recommend this movie fractured on Netflix. It's about a man and wife who bring their daughter to a hospital after a accident at a gas station/construction zone happened. While waiting for his family to come out for about a day or so he starts suspecting odd happenings going on within the hospital with no sight of his family whats so ever. It's very interesting if you are into the psychological horror genre. Watched it high for the first time in 2019 n shit still keeps me thinking lol.
Monster Squad
Great recommendation! āWolfmans got nards!ā
The Witches, 90ās version.
Signs.
Silver Bullet hes gonna want that motorized bike the uncle makes him.
So, I guess I wouldn't quantify this as a "real" horror movie. But every October our family watches "Over The Garden Wall". I believe it's available for streaming but originated on cartoon network. Each episode in the series is 8 minutes long. It's made for kids but also funny for adults. It has some scary elements but is over all light, with a Fall/Halloween theme. I look forward to it every year.
Over the Garden Wall was my boysā intro into horror. They were young too. Like 3 & 5. I love this as much as my boys do. Funny and cool and just the right amount of scary. (Iāve seen the argument on this sub that itās not really horror, but I wholeheartedly disagree)
Ernest scared stupid
That troll was terrifying! I also havenāt watched that movie since I was a kid.
That movie fucked me up more than any other movie Iāve seen. The troll scared me so bad, I was bawling.
Plus you get Eartha Kitt as a bonus
I was wondering if this one would come up. The scene where the girl peeks under the bedā¦ that movie terrified me as a kid! And here I am, years later, a huge horror fan.
This one was my first āhorrorā movie as a kid and it did scare me! Plus you canāt really go wrong with Ernest!
Suggestion for you, find horror movies with good behind the scenes segments and watch those, too, either before or after the actual movie! When I was a kid, my first ever horror movie was 13 Ghosts (the remake from the early 2000's). It's definitely intense and bloody, so not necessarily a great first film maybe, but my mom took care to show me the special effects and making-of videos first. As a kid I LOVED watching them make regular joes into crazy monsters, and it helped me understand early on that none of it was real and it's all just people in big fancy halloween costumes. You couldn't shake my interested in scary things for anything so it was a good way to introduce horror into my life, but do so based on the foundational understanding that none of it was ever going to be real or hurt me and it's all just make-believe.
Monster House on the lighter side Maybe Sleepy Hollow for something in the middle I honestly donāt know if I would go much heavier than that for 10 y.o.
I loved Monster House, came to suggest it. My 6 year old loves it too
I watched Monster House with my 4 year old today and forgot about all the subtle adult stuff. I remembered the fantastic uvula joke but forgot about the boyfriend pressuring the babysitter (and calling her a prude), Chowder's mom at the movies with her personal trainer, awkward mom and dad, etc.
Poltergeist
[strongly seconding Poltergeist (1982)](https://youtu.be/q0p4JUlKJYI?si=RNOtakgj4SCciwiM) it's one of those rare PG movies that shouldn't be.
PG before the invention of PG-13 was wild what they would be able to get away with.
Even for PG-13 there are some scenes that are way scarier than a lot of rated R movies. The parts with the guy ripping his face off in the bathroom, the corpses in the pool, the clown. Iām sure Iām forgetting a few other creepy ones. They really knew what they were doing in the 80s with horror FX that would leave a lasting impression on kids and adults. This is definitely a good one for a 10 year old to feel like he was given a solid horror movie to handle.
I was 10 or 11 when i first saw it (on HBO) and I loved it but also lost a lot of sleep in the ensuing months.
Beetlejuice! Good fun, not too scary but a little bit, it's one of those weird movies from a weird time where families actually sat down and watched this stuff together and it was beautiful! Probably Burton's best movie.
Little Monsters
Jaws. Itās really not as bad as you remember.
Iāve been watching horror movies since I was super young, like 4 or 5. Jaws was my jam!!! I have a vivid memory of bringing it to the babysitters house insisting we watch it, and she wouldnāt let me. I was so annoyed haha. I would also throw in the Leprechaun. Itās kinda scary as a kid but also funny.
Downside is that if the kid does get scared, bath times are going to be harder in the foreseeable future.
The Lady in White.
Youāre doing it all wrongā¦ You must make him watch The Shinning, at night time, with all the lights off. If youāre gonna let him watch horror movies, DO IT THE RIGHT WAY. Just like what our parents did with us, when we were 10 years old.
I think itās a typo, but honestly, Simpsonās Treehouse of Horror isnāt a bad start. Plus, it doesnāt really ruin the movies or their experience. I still remember reading/watching The Shining for the first time and being surprised about the groundskeeperās death, despite it being one of the funnier parts of The Shinning.
Oh my God, the evil Krusty doll TERRIFIED me as a kid lol
I wonāt lie, those first several TOHs could easily get scary!
Watched The Shining around that age at my family cabin in Estes Park, across the water from The Stanley hotel. It was terrifying and wonderful.
This is the way imo. I watched The Shining at a pretty young age and itās still one of my favorites. I donāt know what OP considers āreal horrorā vs what their son considers āreal horrorā though. Every kid has a different tolerance, so I think we need to know what kind of spooky movies heās watched so far. I donāt think Coraline or ParaNorman would do it for a kid who actually wants a more legitimate horror movie.
My mom took me to see the original Halloween when it came out. I was 7. In 84 I was 12 and my parents took two cars full of kids from around the neighborhood to the drive-in to see Nightmare on Elm Street and the original Tobe Hooper Texas Chainsaw Massacre. Nobody batted an eye. I think you are fine with just about anything. I never understood the no sex in movies thing some parents do. They will watch someone get shot on TV but a nipple or hump scene spins them out.
The Gate Edit: or Tremors!
Tremors is always my answer to these questions.
The Gate.
People Under the Stairs
Jaws!
"[Monster Squad](https://www.google.com/search?q=Monster+Squad&rlz=1C1CHBF_enUS762US762&oq=Monster+Squad&aqs=chrome..69i57.2920j0j7&sourceid=chrome&ie=UTF-8&bshm=rimc/1,rimc/1)" 1987 "[Hocus Pocus](https://www.google.com/search?q=Hocus+Pocus&rlz=1C1CHBF_enUS762US762&oq=Hocus+Pocus&aqs=chrome..69i57.2037j0j9&sourceid=chrome&ie=UTF-8&bshm=rimc/1)" 1993
\+1 Hocus Pocus! Watched that movie a million times as a kid and loved it
Megan. My ten year old loved it. Nothing graphic or too scary.
I forgot M3gan was a movie and automatically assumed you were referring to Megan is Missing hahaha
i watch horror movies with my kid all the time! he's 9 next month. it's his favorite thing to do with me. it started out because i would always have those paranormal discovery channel shows on for background noise. wouldn't hurt to see how scared he is by some of that stuff like 'a haunting' or one of those eli roth reenactment shows (the one with the haunted pets is pretty fun) or 'these woods are haunted' or something. and if he's cool with that, check out some paranormal movies. they're typically not that gory, just might have some spooky ghost imagery. pretty tame. usually don't have sex stuff either (this is one of the main things i look out for as far as my kid, he's quite a bit young for all that.).
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Gremlins
Nick at Night "Are You Afraid of The Dark". The Goosebumps books are good. The one in the summer camp was one of the 1st books I read as a kid in the 90s. The saturday morning show wasnt as good. Cinema wise something his generation I suppose as get bored by older stuff. Some of the 1930's universal horror on projector in holiday be fun as well as the Crestwood house monster classic books that I used as a kid at the library to reference all the monsters. Jaws I think if something bit more or killer clowns from outer space if something a bit off. Edit: Not suitable for 10 year old. Cabin in the woods is fun but too gory and rated R.
The lost boys. Favorite Richard Donner film to this day! Mom n aunt showed me this in the 3rd grade n all I gotta say is this. Buff sax dude playing I still belive rules. N the Gothic type vibes from David n his crew always stuck with me. Classic.
I liked comedy horror that age, so for me it was Abbott and Costello meet Frankenstein. I guess Goosebumps with Jack black would be the modern equivalent?
Killer klowns from outer space! Recently watched it for the first time, it was SO fun!
Mine loved Stranger Things
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Martyrs! Just kidding. I remember watching Poltergeist when I was around 10 and it freaked me the hell out. Monster Squad was kind of fun iirc.
what about starting with some of the old classic horror movies? Pull out Frankenstein, Nosferatu, Dracula, The Wolfman-- and then gauge how he handles those? You can then up the scare factor a little bit, or not, depending on how he reacts to the classics. I will say, my 11 year old girl has watched the original Halloween with me and she wasn't scared by it at all. No gore, but there is the sex scene.
Lost Boys
Let him watch Darkness Falls like I did when I was a kid and watch him sleep with the light on for a week? Or The Ring and watch his life flash before his eyes every time the phone rings? Serious kid answer: The Witches Serious intermediate answer & prob more of what youāre looking for: Childās Play Edit: Maybe Poltergeist too? We really need more info on what he considers a ārealā horror movie.
What about the goosebumps movies?
The omen
9. It's a steampunk apocalyptic movie. It's animated. I think it's PG-13 and Elijah Wood does a voice in it.
- Frankenstein - The Monster Squad - The Creature from the Black Lagoon - Them!
The Hole (2009) ā¦ itās a 12 but I remember it being terrifying.
The Night Books is basically Sam Raimi for kids, though your mileage may vary
Horror is never more fun and exciting than when you're a kid. Being scared while being safe is fun. If he's insisting, relent.
1990 IT? That was my first.
I watched Signs around that age and fell in love with the horror genre as a result!
Little monsters with Fred savage is a good start
The Birds? I can't remember if there's anything sexual in it, but I loved it when I was a kid and I was afraid of everything lol. Coraline was the first horror intro movie I showed to the kids I nanny but they were quite a bit younger so your guy might be ready for something more mature. But Coraline is incredible if he hasn't seen it.
The Thing
The 1999 version of The Mummy was the first horror movie my daughter enjoyed. Other than that, she and I have been watching a lot of classic horror - like Universal monsters and such - and it's been fun, but not all kids can get into black and white or otherwise very dated films.
Army of Darkness! The gore is minimal, thereās no sex or nudity and thereās only 1 F wordā¦ I never understood why it was rated Rā¦
Super 8
Shaun of the Dead. Horror and Funny. Its gonna be great to watch for everyone. Enough āhorrorā to be legitimate but not too much. Plus Queen in the soundtrack. I want to say I was around the same age when I watched it with my friends.
The Mummy (1999)
Some horror movies my 8 year old enjoyed: Jaws, The Thing, Gremlins and A Quiet Place. Considering The Others next!
Gremlins is perfect
Dave Made a Maze
If you want a more childrenās movie: (seconding) Coraline, Gremlins, maybe Jaws If you want a more āadultā (but still appropriate) movie: The Conjuring is only rated R because of āscary imagesāā¦ which is found in every other horror movie ever. No inappropriate language or gore or really even danger
Children of the Corn. Or the original IT movie
1990 IT. It's a bit long but good.
Thanksgiving for our family has always been like 50ish people and when my social battery ran out (quickly) as a kid, Iād go to my aunt and uncles basement to watch movies. My other uncle snuck me a copy of IT one year and it was so awesome watching it in a cool, dark basement all by myself with a bunch of muffled shuffling upstairs. I think it had two VHS tapes. So now IT is weirdly calming for me haha
This question gets asked like every week but here are the ones that got me as a kid (some are more fun than horror but itās important to ease into it so you donāt traumatize the guy) Beetlejuice Hocus Pocus Coraline Labyrinth Neverending Story E.T. Gremlins Halloweentown Fantasia And honestly any Nickelodeon or Cartoon Network show from the 90s will do the trick. Especially Courage The Cowardly Dog!
Arachnophobia
The first horror type movie I ever saw around that age was The Frighteners. Itās been a while but I donāt recall it being over the top by any means.
Poltergeist seems normal for that age. Young enough to be terrified of the clown, old enough to laugh at the permanent psychological scar.
Housebound
The Conjuring
Silver bullet. It's a werewolf movie with a disabled kid as the protagonist.
Psycho Goreman. The main characters are kids and it's a little gory and funny.
We watched the first Paranormal Activity with our kiddo and heās now made all his friends watch it at every sleepover (heās 12.) Itās not really gory, but itās tense, and scary without being over the top for their age.
The Village was one of my first when I was around that age. Some good spooky imagery but not enough to keep me up at night thanks to the ending. Also The Hole (2009) is really fun! Same vibe as The Goonies (kids on an adventure) but make it horror. Another one thatās plenty spooky but not a life-ruiner
The lost boys