Henry Selick’s 2009 film Coraline is one of those movies that kids either love or hate. Some kids love everything creepy, while others would rather stick to movies like Frozen or Lilo & Stitch. Coraline is about a young girl (Dakota Fanning) who recently moved into a new home. While exploring, she finds a secret door. Upon entering, she discovers an entire alternate reality is behind that door, and it appears better than her real life, or so she thinks.
Coraline has become somewhat of a cult classic amongst those children in 2009 who are now all grown up. A potential sequel to Coraline has been in talks for years, actually since its initial release. As of March 2021, Neil Gaiman, the author of the film’s novel, states that there won’t be a sequel until he comes up with a great idea for it. So, until then, here are some spooky children's movies fans of Coraline can rejoice in until the sequel (might) come out.
Corpse Bride (2005)
When Coraline first came out, the movie was instantly compared to the films of Tim Burton. So, of course, a Burton film needs to be on this list. The Tim Burton and Mike Johnson directed ghoulish stop-motion romantic fantasy Corpse Bride is guaranteed to scare and entertain children the same way Coraline does. The film has Burton’s distinctive style: his signature gothic look, eerie music, and creepy yet loveable characters. Corpse Bride is also Burton’s third stop-motion film.
Corpse Bride is about a young man who falls in love and marries a dead girl with little to his be-knowest. Similar to Coraline, the film has the perfect mix-up of imagination, horror, and comedy. There is never a time when the movie is too scary for its young audience, but it is sure to give them the creeps. Another added layer to the film is a musical, providing a more surreal and whimsical feeling to its dark tone. The film is a beautiful, bittersweet love story.
Frankenweenie (2012)
Yet again, another Tim Burton film, Frankenweenie, is a movie that is perfect for kids who like movies more on the dark side. Plus, it's an ideal Halloween costume for those who have a family dog. Frankenweenie is about a young boy named Victor Frankenstein (Charlie Tahan) who is a social outcast. Sadly his only real friend is his dog, Sparky. One day, Sparky tragically gets hit by a car and dies. Victor’s science teacher (Martin Landau) gives him the brilliant idea of how to bring Sparky back to life.
To Victor’s surprise, the experiment works and Sparky comes back to life. Everything is excellent for Victor and Sparky until his fellow students catch on to the experiment and begin bringing every dead animal back to life, which doesn’t end up good for anyone. Frankenweenie is a perfect “scary movie” introduction to kids, as it has elements of grotesque horror, unique humor, and of course, the whole film is in black and white, making it even creepier. Also, the entire film is an homage to past monster movies, especially Frankenstein, so horror enthusiasts will love the movie as well.
Monster House (2006)
Gil Kenan’s 2006 horror-fantasy Monster House is a crucial film in the child horror subgenre. Often compared to a Tim Burton film due to its similar gothic style, Monster House is unique in which it is entirely computer-animated. The film is about the urban legend of the so-called “Monster House,” a house that a neighborhood in the 80s is constantly haunted by. The house is simply a creepy-looking house that an old man named Horace Nebbercracker owns, who continually yells at people to “get off his lawn”. Taking place in 1983, Monster House has a similar feeling to the 80s children's films such as Goonies (1985) and Stand By Me (1986).
The film follows the typical 80s adventure formula, with a reliant group of kids. This time, the kids are 12-year olds Chowder, D.J. and Jenny. One day, Chowder throws his basketball at the house and loses it, so he, along with his friends, decide to take matters into their own hands and go into the infamous house. The digital animation is creepy, the characters are zany, and the dark colors perfectly encapsulate the gloomy neighborhood feeling. The overall eerie feel to the film makes Monster House a solid scary family-friendly gem.
The Little Vampire (2000)
The first non-animated film on the list, Uli Edel's fantasy The Little Vampire is the perfect movie for those young children just getting introduced to things a little scarier. The film follows a young boy named Tony (Jonathan Lipnicki), who moves to Scotland with his parents. Tony is constantly being bullied at school, but this all stops one night when he meets Rudolph (Rollo Weeks), a kid vampire.
The two quickly become best friends, and all seems perfect until Tony finds out that a vampire hunter is chasing down Rudolph. The film is a little less on the creepy side than other movies on this list, making it perfect for younger children. Also, The Little Vampire stars Lipnicki, who was basically in every children’s film in the late 90s/early 2000s (Jerry Maguire, Like Mike, and the Stuart Little movies, to name a few), which makes the movie even more enjoyable.