12 Spooky Animated Movies to Stream This Halloween

Streaming On: Disney+

The GOAT and the one that paved the way for a lot of the subsequent movies on this list, “The Nightmare Before Christmas” is the perfect film to carry you through the holiday season, from Halloween to Christmas. Is it a Halloween movie? Is it a Christmas movie? Folks like to debate that one, but it’s there in stunning stop motion, however you like to celebrate it. Produced by Tim Burton and directed by Henry Selick — two names you’re about to see a lot — the classic features the voices of Danny Elfman, Chris Sarandon, Catharine O’Hara and Ken Page.

Streaming On: Max

After co-writing and producing iconic stop-motion animated holiday film “Nightmare Before Christmas,” Tim Burton stepped up to co-directing another seasonal stop-motion favorite, “Corpse Bride.” Loosely inspired by folklore and set in Victorian England, “Corpse Bride” follows Victor (voiced by Johnny Depp)and Victoria (Emily Watson), a pair set to be wed in an arranged marriage who unexpectedly strike up a special connection — until Victor accidentally weds Emily, the Corpse Bride, (Helena Bonham Carter) while practicing his vows in an eerie forest. With catchy songs by Burton’s go-to composer Danny Elfman and a vibrant depiction of the underworld, “Corpse Bride” is a sweet, spooky, supernatural romance for the whole family.

“The Adventure of Ichabod and Mr. Toad” (1949)

Streaming On: Disney+

An OG classic of the spooky season scene, “The Adventures of Ichabod and Mr. Toad” contains two tales. The first segment inspired by the children’s book “Wind in the Willows” (which subsequently inspired one of the wildest rides at Disneyland), and the second an adaptation of Washington Irving’s seminal American horror story “The Legend of Sleepy Hollow” — narrated by Bing Crosby no less. The first is autumnal. not spooky, and more remembered for the ride it inspired than the film itself, but the second is an absolute seasonal delight, especially the iconic nighttime sequences. It even has a “Headless Horseman” song performed by Crosby.

“Hotel Transylvania” (2012)

Streaming On: Peacock

Perhaps the platonic ideal of a family film for the Halloween season, directed by “Dexter’s Laboratory” and “Samurai Jack” creator Genndy Tartakovsky in his feature filmmaking debut, “Hotel Transylvania” is all about a human-free hotel for monsters run by Dracula. And Dracula is voiced by Adam Sandler. “Hotel Transylvania” also features the voices of Selena Gomez as Dracula’s daughter and Andy Samberg as the human traveler who wins her heart, despite Dracula’s best efforts. It’s super silly family fare for monster lovers, with countless references to the classics laced throughout a film that fully, unabashedly embraces being a goofy-spooky romp.

“Scooby-Doo on Zombie Island” (1998)

Streaming On: Max

Arguably the greatest “Scooby-Doo” movie of them all, “Scooby-Doo on Zombie Island” sends the gang to a bayou island supposedly haunted by pirates, where they encounter zombies, voodoo dolls and real-deal shapeshifters. It’s a bit darker and more grown-up than much of the Scooby that came before it, comes with its own extremely 90s rock song, and “Zombie Island” is one of the always-fun “the monsters are real” installments in the enduring franchise. But not to worry, the gang still has plenty of mysteries to solve too. “Scooby-Doo” is always perfect for the Halloween season, but “Zombie Island,” in particular, has a frightful Southern Gothic charm that really hits the mark. Max is also streaming the fantastic “Scooby-Doo and the Witch’s Ghost, which came out the following year from the same team and introduced the much beloved Hex Girls.

“Coraline” (2009)

Streaming On: Tubi and PlutoTV

A perfect storm of artistic collaboration, “Coraline” is another stunner from director Henry Selick, who fused his stop-motion mastery with Neil Gaiman’s storytelling prowess and illustrator Tadahiro Uesugi’s distinct designs. “Coraline” was also Laika’s first feature, launching the studio that has become the name-to-beat in stop-motion filmmaking. And it’s just about perfect. Inspired by Gaiman’s short story of the same name and featuring the voice of Dakota Fanning as the title character, “Coraline” sends the young girl through a small door in the wall of her dreary new home, where she discovers the button-eyed “Other Mother” and a tempting fantasy-land where her parents are always attentive, showering her with gifts. So gorgeous and super spooky, it’s not just one of the best animated movies to watch at Halloween, but one of the best animated movies, period.

“It’s the Great Pumpkin, Charlie Brown” (1966)

Streaming On: AppleTV+

If you’re looking for something with Halloween vibes that’s also fully 0% spooky, let alone scary, “It’s the Great Pumpkin, Charlie Brown” is the class go-to. Carving jack-o-lanterns, hopping through piles of leaves and sporting little eye-holed ghost costumes, the Peanuts helped popularize the Halloween special and “It’s the Great Pumpkin, Charlie Brown” endures as an animated classic nearly 60 years later. This is also the pick if you’re looking for something short and sweet before you’re next Halloween party, clocking in at just 25 minutes.

“Monster House” (2006)

Streaming On: Freevee

An animated Amblin throwback produced by Steven Spielberg and Robert Zemeckis themselves, “Monster House” is a perfect Halloween watch from the very first autumnal frame that puts the spotlight on some seasonal foliage. This one is probably too dark and scary for the younger kids, but if you’re looking for an animated monster movie that’s full of Halloween vibes, “Monster House” will hit the spot. Using motion-capture animation, the film tells the tale of a vengeful haunted house with a very anatomical approach to the idea — the man-eating house itself is the literal monster, with rooms and decor subbing in for its body parts. The result is part haunted house movie, part monster movie, part surprisingly effective body horror, with a stacked voice cast that includes Steve Buscemi, Maggie Gyllenhaal, Kathleen Turner, Fred Ward and Catharine O’Hara.

“Wendell & Wild” (2022)

Streaming On: Netflix

The most recent film on this list, Netflix’s “Wendell & Wild” is a bit convoluted, but boy is it gorgeous. Directed by “Nightmare Before Christmas” and “Coraline” filmmaker Henry Selick, who once again flexes his extraordinary, singular eye for gorgeous and complex stop-motion set pieces. Selick directs from a script he co-wrote with Jordan Peele (who also lends his voice to the film alongside “Key and Peele” co-star Keegan Michael Key), about a rebellious, grieving young girl who winds up in cahoots with a pair of demon brothers on the take. Selick is really the master of spooky stop motion, and “Wendell & Wild” is a stunning reminder of that fact, 30 years after “The Nightmare Before Christmas.”

“Wallace & Gromit: The Curse of Were-Rabbit” (2005)

Streaming On: Netflix

While not as outright Halloween-y as some of the other titles on this list, you’ll get plenty of pumpkins (and produce in general) in the delightful “Wallace & Gromit: The Curse of the Were-Rabbit.” A cheeky riff on monster classics from Aardman Studios, “Curse of the Were-Rabbit” gave the charming stop-motion duo “Wallace & Gromit” their first feature film, putting the pair and their clever inventions up against a garden-pillaging were-rabbit. It’s got all the signature demurity, sweetness and clever gags of the beloved franchise, with just a hint of monster movie flourish.

“Frankenweenie” (2012)

Streaming On: Hulu

If you don’t mind a film with the potential to make you break out into full-body sobs, “Frankenweenie” is a genuinely lovely, loving movie about 1) old monster movies and 2) the bond between pets and their owners. One of Tim Burton’s best but least seen films, “Frankenweenie” sees the filmmaker return to his familiar but always fruitful ground of the suburban spooky through the story of young outcast Victor Frankenstein, and his beloved dog, Sparky, whom Victor jolts back to life after the pup’s untimely death. It’s a beautiful piece of classical monster filmmaking translated to the stop-motion form and opened up for the whole family — but again, with the warning that it’s a total sobfest.

“The Addams Family” (2019)

Streaming On: Tubi

The Addams Family goes animated in this 2019 film, and while it’s not as pitch-perfect as the iconic 1960s TV show or the 1990s live-action films, this one’s a good pick if you’re looking for some horror-meets-humor lightheartedness to celebrate Halloween. Featuring the voices of Charlize Theron as Morticia and Oscar Isaac as Gomez, “The Addams Family” sends the Addamses to Suburbia for an added dose of social satire. Not the most Halloween-ish needle drops in this one and it leans heavily on the comedy, but with flourishes of ghoulishness the freaky family is known (and loved) for.