HALLOWEEN TOWN When I was about 8 years old, my older brothers and I had a brilliant idea one night to sneak down to the basement and watch the movie IT by Stephen King, which premiered on network television.
This was a huge mistake. Trying to show my older brothers I was tough as I watched both parts of the miniseries cost me many sleepless nights and extra laundry for my mom. It is fun to be scared watching a movie, but is not fun to sleep with a baseball bat thinking something is going to pop out from under your bed.
Horror movies obviously range in levels of scariness. Some people can stomach pretty scary stuff and some think the Halloween episodes of Home Improvement are a bit too much.
Here is a list of scary movies on Netflix that range in level from 1-5 of scariness to appease anyone looking to get in the mood for Halloween (1 being the least scary.)
Level 1
The Burbs PG
This is my favorite Tom Hanks movie. I know he has done some pretty incredible movies, but this is the version of Tom Hanks I like. The Burbs is more of a comedy than it is a scary film.
The movie is based on three neighbors that team up to prove that the new family that moved down the street are part of a murderous cult. Sounds scarier than it actually is.
The truth is this movie probably wont scare you, but it's a fun movie that somehow in a weird way gets me excited for Halloween, while also making me question my own neighbors.
Level 2
Goosebumps PG
Some of you are probably rolling your eyes right now, but remember we are still at level 2. If you are looking for a movie to watch with your family that will give you some good old fashion scares, this is the film.
Goosebumps stars Jack Black as R.L. Stine, the author of the Goosebumps books. Stines imaginary characters are unleashed on a small town and so he teams up with his daughter and his new neighbor to stop the demon characters from destroying the town.
Like I said, for most people it wont make you want to sleep with the night light on, but you will enjoy it and the younger kids will get a good scare without having too many nightmares.
Level 3
The Hole (2009 version) PG-13
We are starting to step it up a notch. This is definitely not a movie for the kids, but is perfect for the teenager range. The movie is directed by Joe Dante, the same guy that directed The Burbs and Gremlins. So the movie has an '80s teenager flick vibe to it, but also has some good scares.
The movie is centered around two brothers that just moved to the countryside and find a mysterious pit in the basement that unleashes their darkest fears upon them.
This is a movie I use to test the waters with people to see if they are ready to move onto the next level or to see if they should have stayed at level 1 or 2. There are some good jumpy parts and I would say this film is geared more towards young teens.
Level 4
Devil PG-13
Dont let the title scare you away from this movie. It actually plays out more like a murder mystery than a horror film, but has some very intense scenes that will make you jump on your couch a few times.
The plot of the movie is simple. There are five people stuck in an elevator and one of them is the devil. Some crazy stuff starts to happen and you are left guessing until the end who the devil is.
The nice thing about Devil believe it or not, it wont leave you feeling scared once it is over, but while you are watching you are on the edge of your seat the whole time.
Level 5
Dark Skies PG-13
I dont know how to really explain this movie without giving too much of it away. It is more of a supernatural type of movie that doesn't really break any new ground, but the way it is filmed gives you the heebie jeebies.
To me there is something about a film that makes your mind play tricks on you at your home after it is over, and this film does just that.
What other scary movies on Netflix do you recommend for the different scariness levels? Let us know in the comments.
This was a huge mistake. Trying to show my older brothers I was tough as I watched both parts of the miniseries cost me many sleepless nights and extra laundry for my mom. It is fun to be scared watching a movie, but is not fun to sleep with a baseball bat thinking something is going to pop out from under your bed.
Horror movies obviously range in levels of scariness. Some people can stomach pretty scary stuff and some think the Halloween episodes of Home Improvement are a bit too much.
Here is a list of scary movies on Netflix that range in level from 1-5 of scariness to appease anyone looking to get in the mood for Halloween (1 being the least scary.)
Level 1
The Burbs PG
This is my favorite Tom Hanks movie. I know he has done some pretty incredible movies, but this is the version of Tom Hanks I like. The Burbs is more of a comedy than it is a scary film.
The movie is based on three neighbors that team up to prove that the new family that moved down the street are part of a murderous cult. Sounds scarier than it actually is.
The truth is this movie probably wont scare you, but it's a fun movie that somehow in a weird way gets me excited for Halloween, while also making me question my own neighbors.
Level 2
Goosebumps PG
Some of you are probably rolling your eyes right now, but remember we are still at level 2. If you are looking for a movie to watch with your family that will give you some good old fashion scares, this is the film.
Goosebumps stars Jack Black as R.L. Stine, the author of the Goosebumps books. Stines imaginary characters are unleashed on a small town and so he teams up with his daughter and his new neighbor to stop the demon characters from destroying the town.
Like I said, for most people it wont make you want to sleep with the night light on, but you will enjoy it and the younger kids will get a good scare without having too many nightmares.
Level 3
The Hole (2009 version) PG-13
We are starting to step it up a notch. This is definitely not a movie for the kids, but is perfect for the teenager range. The movie is directed by Joe Dante, the same guy that directed The Burbs and Gremlins. So the movie has an '80s teenager flick vibe to it, but also has some good scares.
The movie is centered around two brothers that just moved to the countryside and find a mysterious pit in the basement that unleashes their darkest fears upon them.
This is a movie I use to test the waters with people to see if they are ready to move onto the next level or to see if they should have stayed at level 1 or 2. There are some good jumpy parts and I would say this film is geared more towards young teens.
Level 4
Devil PG-13
Dont let the title scare you away from this movie. It actually plays out more like a murder mystery than a horror film, but has some very intense scenes that will make you jump on your couch a few times.
The plot of the movie is simple. There are five people stuck in an elevator and one of them is the devil. Some crazy stuff starts to happen and you are left guessing until the end who the devil is.
The nice thing about Devil believe it or not, it wont leave you feeling scared once it is over, but while you are watching you are on the edge of your seat the whole time.
Level 5
Dark Skies PG-13
I dont know how to really explain this movie without giving too much of it away. It is more of a supernatural type of movie that doesn't really break any new ground, but the way it is filmed gives you the heebie jeebies.
To me there is something about a film that makes your mind play tricks on you at your home after it is over, and this film does just that.
What other scary movies on Netflix do you recommend for the different scariness levels? Let us know in the comments.
