Halloween is beloved by our family. Before D came along, my partner and I used to host an annual Scary Movie Night in October. Being somewhat of a horror film aficionado, he would lovingly handpick an often obscure, always creepy Halloween flick to show a small group of friends. Once we had a toddler running around, screening films like The Devil’s Backbone and Return of the Living Dead became inappropriate, so Scary Movie Night went on hiatus, although we still planned plenty of Halloween activities and watched classics like It’s the Great Pumpkin, Charlie Brown and Sesame Street’s Magical Halloween Adventure with D.

Now that D is a tween (she’s 11), it dawned on me that we can finally reinstate a Scary Movie Night of sorts with some excellent films that are both perfect for Halloween and her age group. Here are a few films (in order of release date) that are good choices for the 10–12 set so you can plan a Halloween movie night with your tween:

Young Frankenstein (1974)
I vacillated about whether to include this fabulous, fun movie in this list. This homage to the great monster movies of the 1930s moves a bit slower than a modern movie at times (not to mention that it’s black and white), so a tween viewer will have to be patient with that. It includes some great laughs and amazing performances by Gene Wilder, Madeleine Kahn, Teri Garr, Chloris Leachman, and Marty Feldman. It is full of sexual innuendo, however, while not showing anything explicit. Some of these references will not go over the heads of tweens, so you may have some ‘splainin’ to do when, for instance, Madeleine Kahn fights off Frankenstein’s sexual advances until she sees his incredibly large “schwanstuka.”

E.T. (1982)
After rewatching this movie lately, I think it really stands the test of time with enough humor, excitement, and pathos to hold the attention of the whole family. It features great acting, particularly from a six-year-old Drew Barrymore, and enough suspense to make it perfect for the Halloween season. The movie also features a super cute trick-or-treating scene. Be forewarned that while this is a great family film, it includes a fair amount of foul language.

Ghostbusters (1984)
Cursing, smoking, and drinking abound in the film—along with a bazillion laughs, an amazing performance by Bill Murray (and the rest of the cast), and tons of scares and thrills. If you think your tween is ready for a few gasp-worthy shocks, this may be the film for you. Note that the film does contain some sexual innuendo and even a scene that implies the act of a spirit performing oral sex, although nothing graphic is shown.

The Worst Witch (1986)
We all enjoy The Worst Witch series on Netflix, so we wanted to check out this kitschy British TV special based on the book by Jill Murphy. This version features a young Fairuza Balk as the worst witch at a school of magic. Hilarity ensues as she bumbles spells, but can she pull it together to save the school when the evil twin sister of the headmistress (both played by Charlotte Rae from The Facts of Life) comes to town? Add in a few wacky musical numbers and an enthusiastic performance by Tim Curry as the Grand Wizard and you’ve got fun for all ages. And if your child remarks on similarities to Harry Potter, you can mention that The Worst Witch book preceded the Harry Potter books by more than 20 years.

Spirited Away (2002)
This film is one of my all-time favorites. While it’s not Halloween-related per se, the movie takes place in a sort of shadow world with a lot of creepy spirits and haunting scenes, so I think it fits right in with the season. As usual for Hayao Miyazaki films, the animation is spellbinding. The brave tween protagonist overcomes her weaknesses and fears to deal with scary and trying situations to save her parents and her friend—and learns what it means to grow up and take responsibility for others along the way.

Coraline (2009)
The disaffected tween protagonist in this stop-motion animated film, based on the book by Neil Gaiman, enters a creepy Other World complete with an Other Mother who lavishes her with attention. This alternate reality seems to be what Coraline has been wishing for—or is it? Coraline ends up having to deal with dangerous situations and engage with ghoulish monsters in this dark world to survive—and to learn to appreciate what she already has.

Frankenweenie (2012)
This stop-motion animated film by Tim Burton is an entertaining and loving homage to the monster movie genre, with nods to everything from Frankenstein to Gamera and Gremlins. While many of the movie’s characters are pretty unlikable and nasty, the story of a boy’s love for his dog makes this touching and relatable. Note that in this dark and sometimes scary film, the main character’s dog dies (actually several times), which can be quite emotional.

Coco (2017)
We were ready for this movie not to live up to the hype garnered by its release last year, but it’s really, really good. This Day of the Dead flick features fantastic music, animation, and writing and enough humor and intrigue to engage viewers of all ages.

Scares for Shorties
If you have older elementary-school-age kids, don’t despair; you can still enjoy a Halloween movie night. Eight- and nine-year-olds should be able to handle Coco if they can deal with some suspenseful moments when the dead first appear and the recounting of a nongraphic murder. Hotel Transylvania is a fun comedic movie for that same age group that features friendly versions of classic monsters.

Another great film that’s apropos for the season is Monsters, Inc., which includes some mildly frightening scenes but features the funny premise of showing the point of view of monsters in kids’ closets and reveals the softer side of these sensitive, caring creatures. Kiki’s Delivery Service, another of my favorites, is a heartwarming coming-of-age story of a young witch, and is appropriate for all ages.

Have suggestions for other good Halloween-time movies for preteens? Let me know in the comment box below.