A Glean movie guide
Spooky But Safe: Gateway Horror for 12s
The perfect "first horror movie" list.
Thrills, chills, and supernatural adventures without the nightmares.
Handpicked for this guide
The movie list
- 01
Coraline
A visually stunning stop-motion masterpiece that balances eerie atmosphere with a story of true bravery.
Wandering her rambling old house in her boring new town, 11-year-old Coraline discovers a hidden door to a strangely idealized version of her life. In order to stay in the fantasy, she must make a frighteningly real sacrifice.
- 02
Monster House
A fast-paced animated adventure that captures the thrill of a neighborhood urban legend coming to life.
Monsters under the bed are scary enough, but what happens when an entire house is out to get you? Three teens aim to find out when they go up against a decrepit neighboring home and unlock its frightening secrets.
- 03
Gremlins
The ultimate gateway horror film that mixes mischievous creature chaos with dark holiday comedy.
After receiving an exotic small animal as a Christmas gift, a young man inadvertently breaks three important rules concerning his new pet, which unleashes a horde of malevolently mischievous creatures on a small town.
- 04
Beetlejuice
A wildly imaginative and eccentric supernatural comedy that makes the afterlife look like a fun, weird circus.
A newly dead New England couple seeks help from a deranged demon exorcist to scare an affluent New York family out of their home.
- 05
ParaNorman
A heartfelt and spooky tale about a boy who talks to ghosts and must save his town from an ancient curse.
In the town of Blithe Hollow, Norman Babcock can speak to the dead, but no one other than his eccentric new friend believes his ability is real. One day, Norman's eccentric uncle tells him of a ritual he must perform to protect the town from a curse cast by a witch centuries ago.
- 06
The Nightmare Before Christmas
An iconic musical journey through a world of whimsical monsters and beautifully creepy imagery.
Tired of scaring humans every October 31 with the same old bag of tricks, Jack Skellington, the spindly king of Halloween Town, kidnaps Santa Claus and plans to deliver shrunken heads and other ghoulish gifts to children on Christmas morning. But as Christmas approaches, Jack's rag-doll girlfriend, Sally, tries to foil his misguided plans.
- 07
Ghostbusters
A perfect blend of high-tech gadgetry, hilarious comedy, and memorable supernatural encounters.
After losing their university jobs, three parapsychologists start a ghost-catching business in New York City and uncover a supernatural threat that could destroy the world.
- 08
Goosebumps
A meta-adventure that brings a library of classic monsters to life in a fun, action-packed way.
After moving to a small town, Zach Cooper finds a silver lining when he meets next door neighbor Hannah, the daughter of bestselling Goosebumps series author R.L. Stine. When Zach unintentionally unleashes real monsters from their manuscripts and they begin to terrorize the town, it’s suddenly up to Stine, Zach and Hannah to get all of them back in the books where they belong.
- 09
The Witches
A dark fantasy classic featuring grotesque practical effects and a suspenseful race against a coven of witches.
A young boy named Luke and his grandmother go on vacation only to discover their hotel is hosting an international witch convention, where the Grand High Witch is unveiling her master plan to turn all children into mice. Will Luke fall victim to the witches' plot before he can stop them?
- 10
Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban
The series takes a mature, atmospheric turn as Harry faces the chilling, soul-sucking Dementors.
Year three at Hogwarts means new fun and challenges as Harry learns the delicate art of approaching a Hippogriff, transforming shape-shifting Boggarts into hilarity and even turning back time. But the term also brings danger: soul-sucking Dementors hover over the school, an ally of the accursed He-Who-Cannot-Be-Named lurks within the castle walls, and fearsome wizard Sirius Black escapes Azkaban. And Harry will confront them all.
- 11
Signs
A masterclass in building tension and suspense through a grounded, mysterious alien invasion story.
A family living on a farm finds mysterious crop circles in their fields which suggests something more frightening to come.
- 12
The Monster Squad
A group of monster-obsessed kids must team up to stop Dracula and his army of classic creatures.
Count Dracula returns to the world of humans accompanied by Frankenstein's Monster, the Wolfman, the Mummy, and the Gillman. The uglies are in search of a powerful amulet that will grant them the ability to rule the world. A group of horror-loving heroes are the only ones daring to stand in their way.