13 Horror Films That Won’t Scar Your Tweens For Life

Rating: PG

Age of kids that can handle it: 8+

Why it's scary: This movie is based on Roald Dahl's classic novel for kids, but man, is it creepy. The main character, Luke, and his mice encounter a bunch of scary witches at a convention of sorts, and the kids in it find themselves in perilous situations on more than one occasion.

Rating: PG

Age of kids that can handle it: 9+

Why it's scary: This fantasy flick will definitely scare littler kids. Coraline is trapped in a scary and dangerous place where people have frightening buttons for eyes, and the movie is dark and creepy in general. It's a safer bet for your tween to watch this one.

Rating: PG-13

Age of kids that can handle it: 10+

Why it's scary: This movie is a fun one based on the classic 1960s sitcom, but it is still a bit scary for younger children. A ton of different weapons and torture devices appear throughout the film (though no one gets hurt) and even though the characters are hilarious and likable, their personalities are a little disturbing, so make sure your child will be able to find the humour in this film before letting them watch.

Rating: PG

Age of kids that can handle it: 10+

Why it's scary: Full of animated stop-motion monsters, zombies, ghosts, witches, and corpses, this movie includes a bunch of creepy images, chases, shadowy figures, and jumpy scenes.

Rating: PG

Age of kids that can handle it: 10+

Why it's scary: In typical Tim Burton fashion, even the most lovable characters in this movie are creepy. The bride is an actual corpse, the adorable puppy is actually a skeleton, and there are a ton of other types of dead people throughout the movie — but it's all in good fun if you think your little one can handle it.

Rating: PG

Age of kids that can handle it: 10+

Why it's scary: The kids in this movie get chased several times by ghosts, demons, and skeletons, and they're also locked in a chest at one point, which can be scary for younger children. The movie revolves around a creepy mansion and most of it takes place in the dark.

Rating: PG

Age of kids that can handle it: 10+

Why it's scary: Although this one's a cartoon, it's still totally creepy. The old man who lives across the street is seriously terrifying, and the "monster" house itself is nightmarish — it has sharp teeth and everything! (The kids are the picture of exactly who you don't want your own children to turn into — they break and enter, they approach a ton of unsafe situations with reckless abandon, they light sticks of dynamite, and they steal tons of cough medicine to "sedate" the house.)

Rating: PG-13

Age of kids that can handle it: 10+

Why it's scary: Most of this film takes place in the dark and inside either a creepy old house or a graveyard; however, the "scary" parts are actually pretty manageable acts of physical comedy with a horror twist (think the Maitlands sporting their "masks" with the long nose and giant mouth).

Rating: PG

Age of kids that can handle it: 11+

Why it's scary: For being a horror movie, Jaws truly isn't the scariest, but its realistic plot is enough to give anyone nightmares. There are a few scarier scenes throughout, unsurprisingly including all the bloody shark attacks.

Rating: PG

Age of kids that can handle it: 11+

Why it's scary: Aside from it being a generally spooky movie, there are a few scarier elements. Some of the skeletal ghosts in the film are a bit frightening and sport eerie grins, the Terror Dogs with glowing eyes aren't the friendliest of pooches, and the library ghost scene is super jumpy.

Rating: PG

Age of kids that can handle it: 11+

Why it's scary: Although the gremlins themselves are pretty gross looking, the poor things get chopped up by knives, blended in the blender, and microwaved — but they are also pretty brutal to the humans, so it's a trade-off, I suppose? And a side note: this movie will ruin Christmas for your family if your little one still believes in Saint Nick.

Rating: PG-13

Age of kids that can handle it: 11+

Why it's scary: OK, so a man with long scissors for fingers is off-the-bat frightening, but this movie isn't actually as scary as it seems at first glance. Edward does kill one man who's attacking him with his scissors, which leads to a fatal fall out a window, but for the most part, this movie is more sad than scary.

Rating: PG-13

Age of kids that can handle it: 12+

Why it's scary: This movie definitely has a more Scooby-Doo feel to it, but for some teens the cartoonish violence can be a lot (think vampires stabbed in the heart, a werewolf getting blown apart multiple times, and a guy's head getting crushed).