My daught has just started to ask to watch horror movies. Up to this point she hasn't really watched many adult movies. She has seen all of Wednesday, and the new Beetlejuice, she loves nightmare before Christmas and Coraline but these are more young adult/kids. We started off with tucker and Dale which she thought was good fun, but not scary. She's on the 5th scream movie. I have The Craft on the list. I'm just a bit stuck where to go from here. I'm a horror watcher and I feel like my idea of what is scary, is skewed, and I don't want to traumatize her. She wants slasher type movies, no paranormal entities or monsters. I've thought about all the old 80s classics but a LOT of them have sex in them and I want to keep her away from that for now. She keeps saying she can handle more gore, but again I'm concerned in going to go too far too quickly. Help a mum out please đ
Idk. I was watching Nightmare on Elm Street and reading IT in middle school. My mom didnât really care, and it didnât really mess me up at all.
As a very young kid I LOVED Addams Family and Death Becomes Her.
Kids vary wildly and people tend to infantilize teens. Monster Squad and Para Norman are great movies but would be something I would watch with an 8-year-old. If reddit knew what 13-year-olds were watching and getting up to, there would be a lot of pearl clutching.
I have absolutely no problem with her watching stuff, I just want to ease her in. A year ago she cried and made me turn off the fourth hunger games movie during the sewer monster scene.
So I read IT and some other King in middle school. Reread IT as an adult and it was terrifying, lots of stuff they dont include in the movies and I missed while reading as a kid. The IT movies I'd recommend, but the book gets very dark as a word of caution to the mom who posted. Carrie would be another good movie choice kind of borders the slasher/paranormal line.
I read IT in 6th grade but I still think reading IT in middle school is kind of crazy. It depends on the kid I guess
The faculty Urban legend Final destination Thirteen ghosts
Oooh I forgot about the faculty, good one!
Scary stories to tell in the dark!
The Creepshow series might be a good to help her figure out what type of horror movies she might like.
Nightbooks
Thanksgiving
Death Proof
Sam Raimiâs original Evil Dead trilogy + Ash vs. Evil Dead
Slasher (TV series on Netflix)
Alien franchise (in time for the Alien: Earth TV series)
Predator franchise (watch Prey!)
10 Cloverfield Lane
Came here to recommend the Alien franchise â it got me into horror when I was around 6, and even though they've kinda dragged it out everything alien and xeno related holds a special place in my heart.
Same! I actually watched Aliens first before Alien because it was the only copy my parents had on VHS đ
My mom had the first 3 films on DVD, we had just moved into our apartment and as a newly single mom who just got out of a homeless situation internet and TV weren't on her mind, nor did she want to listen to whatever my sister and I wanted to play as kids in our tiny apartment. Her and I would just watch aliens and the tremors franchise on the weekends and in the evenings and it's such a fond memory of mine! We still have the first 4 tremors on VHS and i refuse to get rid of them even though I now have the 1-5 DVD set too.
Once we got internet and I found out about AVP and Aliens Promethuous it was over. Obsessed ever since!
Love that; single moms getting their kids into horror đ same here. Oooh Tremors would also be a good reco!
Possibly, however the opening scene for the second film may be a little too NSFW for what op is looking for with the playboy bunny poster. It's honestly hard to find horror that doesn't have any sexual connotations. Even aliens â a couple films had them trying to take women in as 'queens' and incubators which may not be something OP wants their child to watch.
Came here searching for evil dead!
Evil Dead is a great choice, very effective yet beginner friendly
I love The Evil Dead, but the first one has tree rape. I wouldn't call that beginner friendly
Oop, you got a point đ
My daughter is 14 and so far she has watched Nope, Us, Blair witch, the first 3 Conjuring movies, lost boys, Five nights at Freddieâs, insidious, woman in black and Salemâs lot and all the Final Destinations. There are few more that I canât remember.
The Conjuring movies are a great shout. I always like to point out that no one who starts the movie alive dies in the first one
Isnât there a dog?
Yes, although tbf I did say indicate that I meant person
Creepshow (1982) is the answer you're looking for.
There's no awkward sex scenes, very memorable "Halloween-y" scenarios, and only some light cursing ("you son of a bitch!" type stuff).
I'd recommend finding a version with closed captioning though, as some of the audio mixing in one or two scenes are quite bad and hard to hear.
M3GAN might be a good one?
Added to the list!
Great shout
My 12 year old grandson wants to start watching horror and I'm thinking "Alien" to start. Great movie, plenty of scares, my only concern is it may ruin him for lesser movies : )
Ready or not (2019) , Us (2019), Get out (2017), Hush (2016), The invisible man (2020), Dont move (2024), Alone (2020)
Ready or Not is particularly good because there is gore but it's mostly just good fun.
Great fun, but it is incredibly gory (fun fact - it has a higher age rating than Hereditary in the UK, go figure!)
Edit: hey, stop with the downvotes people, I love Ready or Not! Just trying to help the OP out
I guess it's violent but I think it keeps moving quickly enough that you don't register most of it.
Maybe the mom lol
I don't remember sex scenes in the original My Bloody Valentine and I loved that movie when I was her age.
There is one scene in the intro kill but its not explicit at all
The Thing.
Strong take.
I'd recommend The Babysitter on Netflix. Solid horror comedy. She might also like Becky and Wrath of Becky. They are more thrillers but are super entertaining.
I second the Babysitter. Also Happy Death Day
I like both of those movies but they are definitely sexual
Night of the Hunter
Better Watch Out is such a good watch.
But, yeah, I don't know if I know a single scary slasher, I think of them as silly good fun, not scary.
90s slashers might be a good way to go - a lot of them have no nudity or (almost no) sex, and you can consider the level of violence you think is appropriate.
I love that gore is ok but not sex. Sure you can watch someone get murdered but beware of their tits!
This is also why there is a rating system for movies
I don't mind if there's a little bit, but it actually makes her uncomfortable so she wants to avoid it as much as I do
Thats fair
watch the fear street trilogy on netflix!!! right up your alley, and RL Stein. not as young as his goosebumps content, plenty of slasher horror, and no nudity (that i can remember. i believe thereâs some kissing)
These were really fun! Gory and ridiculous.
I dont think there's nudity, but a counselor walks in while a couple is having sex in the second movie and I believe there are, 2 scenes where we do watch hands go into another person's pants and one character is shown teasing himself before masturbation in maybe the first or third movies. I love these movies and think they are great slashers but watch them before you watch with your kid to decide what's appropriate for you.
A few horror comedies that Iâve enjoyed with a female lead that she may like. Happy Death Day, the Final Girls, Totally Killer and Time Cut.
These are all great suggestions.
Candyman, Urban Legend, Wes Craven's New Nightmare and The Faculty are all good. I sympathize that its tough to find ones that don't have sexual content. Hope this helps!Â
Zombieland is a favourite of mine that's mainly an action comedy but with zombies! My first horror movies were the ring and the shining which were scary and intense at the time but I did grow up to be a lifelong horror fan :)
Love that you're getting this! I've got a buddy who I go to see horror movies with, but I really want my kids to enjoy them with me, too. My oldest is 9, and he has started showing a bit of interest in scary content. He's not quite ready yet, but it gives me hope!
Anyways, to your question, you may try "I Know a What You Did Last Summer," especially considering there's a new one coming out soon.
There are always classics that are well worth watching, like Night of the Living Dead, Carnival of Souls, Whatever Happened to Baby Jane, and the Bad Seed.
The original Black Christmas (1974) meets your criteria. It's very scary, but it's not graphic.
The Monster Squad. Classic monsters. Meant for kids.
My fav childhood movie!! Must have been like 7 when I saw it. Obsessed w/ horror ever since.
The Willie's is always a great choice for younger kids. Its about young guys in a tent telling stupid tales. Look into it
Nightmare on Elm Street was what I was watching when I was about 11-13 so I would recommend that. Aware you mentioned you don't want things with sex in it but I dont think it to be too bad for that age.
For actual horror movies insidious would be good since it is actual scary but not bloody, thatâs the same with Blair witch project but I would say itâs a bit disturbing but maybe wait a little bit for that, Iâm 15 so I might not know too much, five nights at Freddyâs and Megan are definetly okay and the original nightmare on elm street is a bit bloody but not too bad and isnât that scary and very enjoyable. Hope that helps! If sheâs already seen 5 scream movies then ready or not would be okay and is by the same directors and is amazing 𤊠its a horror comedy, and Abigail has a lot more swearing but is also really good and not too bloody. I would pick first five nights at Freddyâs and Megan then go to ready or not and insidious A lot of others have good picks too trust me theyâre not too scary but a good level
She watched five nights at Freddy's and said she was disappointed that it didn't really show any of the gore haha. Definitely adding Megan to the list though, such a good movie
In the same boat. It depends on the kid and what you as parent do and donât find acceptable. For my kid I have a special effects background and theyâre into science so weâre fine with heavy gore bc we talk about how the effect was done. Sex is a hard no for me (and they find it gross anyway). Language who gives a fuck. But they get very upset about animals (especially dogs) dying and weâve had to take a break and come back to movies where a kid was in danger like Annabelle Creation. So what exactly are your parameters? I will say anything in the James Wan catalogue is usually solid for tweens and up.
If she enjoys Scream stick to Slashers.
Most of'em are light hearted enough, and there's quite a few that can delve into darker themes.
I'd probably go for Night Mare On Elm St next.
The Fog is absolutely perfect here, but you do have to put up with a very small scene with mild 'adult content'
While The Craft doesn't include overt nudity or sex, it does include a lot of 90s style shaming of sexual behaviour, and an uncomfortable 'seduction' scene where one party is not fully informed.
It also has a brief flashback to a suicide scene of wrist slitting
I very much recommend you still watch it, just a heads up.
I think it falls under paranormal, but Practical Magic is always a good time!
Insidious
Babadook
Final destination all parts
Child's Play
Before I wake is a pretty sweet one for kids
The boy iirc does not have any nudity either
Ready or not
Jordan Peele trio- Get out, Us and Nope
Evil dead rise has no nsfw scenes either i suppose
Orphan
Brightburn
Honestly any blumhouse film will do the job
The others is a good one too
Scary stories to tell in the dark
A Quiet Place
Poltergeist
The entire Conjuring universe
Dead Silence
Ouija
The 6th sense
The curse of La Llorana
Black phone
Train to Busan
Lights out was also pg 13 iirc
Alien and The Thing are pretty good jumping off points for monster movies. Predator is a good one too. Always will recommend the Babadook. No sex, not really violent but really creeped me out when I was around that age.
The quiet place movies
I was 13 when Cloverfield came out. Still regard it as one of the best found footage horror movies Iâve ever seen. Havenât watched it years so idk if the effect hold up but it was the first to come to mind.
I have a 13 year old and I'll be honest, unless the movie has heavy amounts of sex, I've let them watch a lot of stuff. Their favorite horror movie in the world is Nightmare on Elm Street, which they've seen at least 4-5 times. I've gone with it as, being a child of the 80's, I had definitely watched it by that age myself. We've also watched all of the Chucky TV show (though only a couple of the movies). For slashers, specifically, you do have some options:
* Friday the 13th part VI - I took my kids to see this a couple of weeks ago at a local theater that does retro movies and I was surprised at how little (pretty much none) sex or nudity is in it.
* My Bloody Valentine
* Terror Train - almost no nudity that I can remember, just an overwhelming amount of David Copperfield doing close-up magic. Just...a shocking amount.
* Sleepaway Camp - Okay, there's *that* ending scene, but otherwise, I think this one is nudity/sex free.
Hope this helps!
I love Ft13th6, but I think youâre forgetting the scene in the RV. No nudity, but they are clearly pounding away under a sheet for like two minutes.
Mike Has A Visitor on youtube
Shaun of the Dead
Ok. I know she said no monsters but has she watched Gremlins?
Vincent Price Hammer movies based on Poe stories
Violent Night as a fun Christmas movie
Poltergeist
Heathers
My nearly 11 year old loves horror but is a low-key scaredy cat and I love her for her bravery in trying to be like her mom lol. So with her I choose things that are more horror comedy or definitely pg13 or lower.
She loved Shaun of the Dead, Vamps, American Horror Story (I only let her watch a few certain seasons), Dracula Dead and Loving It, Scream, Nightmare Before Christmas, Elvira Mistress of the Dark, Goosebumps the original tv show, and stuff like this. She is showing interest in branching out and has requested Stranger Things, Carrie, The Exorcist, and a few others. I am so down to show her Stranger Things, she is a great age to really love it and it's one I really love too! I told her I think I could be ok with Carrie if it's the original Sissy Spacek version. But, The Exorcist will have to wait until she is just a bit older, she is still just a bit too young for that one.
Rose Red and The Stand. Stephen King tv movies are great for the young ones!
I was gonna say psycho but that's more of a thriller than horror and also a bit of a slow burner. You're next is a good one and one of my favorites, no sex scenes, and the main character is a smart badass.
Martyrs lol
I keep a list of horror recs for kids/teens for friends with kids. It sounds like she might be ready for at least some of these:
-the Fear Street Trilogy
-Bodies Bodies Bodies
-Y2K
-You Might Be The Killer
-the original Child's Play trilogy
-Don't Be Afraid Of The Dark
-Nightmare on Elm Street (though that might be straying too supernatural for her)
-The Stepfather
-Behind the Mask: The Rise of Leslie Vernon
If she's willing to do subtitles, you could check out
-Let The Right One In
-Troll Hunter
Normally id immediately recommend Army of Darkness because it's as funny as scary but it's very supernatural (it's the evil dead 3)
Slashers range into the silly or the puritan - hence all the sex
Nightmare on elm street might fit, Halloween maybe, I'd certainly recommend watching them first so you can make the decision. The thing has no sex but it's a monster
I know what you did last summer? Those terrible late 90s slashers, final destination
What about candyman? It's not particularly gory and has no sex scenes, but it is genuinely scary. It's not a slasher it's a stalker horror. Certainly worth thinking about
Trap
Salems lot?
My nearly 13yo saw Warm bodies as their first at about 10, Shaun of the Dead about a year later and has recently watched the 28 days/weeks/years later movies and loved them. She wants to start watching things like Walking dead and similar franchises.
I am looking forward to showing her Event Horizon in a few years time.
Sounds like you're doing well. Horror comedy with a little but if meta slasher mixed in is good for that age. What about Urban Legend, I Know What You did last Summer, since she seems to like 90s meta slashers. Kevin Williamson's pandemic film 'Sick' would be a good one.
You're Next and Ready or Not are horror comedies with more gore.Â
The Midnight Club is a series Flannagan did based on the Christopher Pike books. That could be fun for her and has some small scares here and there.Â
Maybe work up to the Fear Street trilogy. May be a couple years away from those. Ti West's film The Innkeepers too and The Others.Â
Edit: I keep thinking of more movies to suggest. Of a Violent Nature and The Final Girls.
Willy's Wonderland. A man agrees to clean an abandoned family fun center in exchange for car repairs. He finds himself fighting for his life against possessed animatronics. It's actually quite funny. Killer Klowns From Outer Space is a classic.
Inside
High Tension
Eden Lake
Watcher
Id say start with War of the Worlds, thats a classic. Then The Thing, Frankenstein Army (for fun, it's neat and enjoyable) and maybe Green Room. Youre right though, nudity is highly prevalent and disappointing in the genre as a whole  Edit: OP, you can always look at the parents guide for each movie to see if its too much or not for your kid..Simply Google "movie name parents guide" and click on the IMDB link to see if the content is too much or not for your kid
Green Room?!?! Is this a joke? OP, do not show Green Room as one of the first horror films your 13 yo is gonna watch ffs
Also, people are literally recommending I know what you did last summer (sex scene) and don't breathe (with the borderline rape/ baster scene) so again, my point stands and Im not sure why I'm getting flack for my recommendations
Sorry I haven't read the other comments, I've not seen I know what you did last summer so can't give my thoughts, but I'd also agree that don't breathe is a ridiculous suggestion too. I think OP is asking in the wrong place
There's no nudity, it has social commentary, and is grizzly, yes. But compared to most slashers it's far more tame in terms of sexual content and meets OPs requirements. If the kid starts taunting and saying the previous recommendations are boring and lame then yes, they're ready for a tough horror, especially as a teen
Definitely not green room. Excellent, but itâs highly disturbing, if you havenât seen it.
I have. I dont understand what makes green room worse than dont breathe
I wasnât comparing the two - maybe someone else was. Itâs been a while since Iâve seen donât breathe. I think green room is more brutal and realistic. Anyway, either way probably OP should watch and judge for herself first.
Yep, that's exactly it too, with the realism and brutal aspect. The thing about Green Room is yes - it is brutal. And it depicts the evils of the world in the worst ways. Drugs? Terrible. Racism? Awful. Far right/possibly left extreme nationalism? Evil.
It really hammers home the idea that it doesn't matter if you think they're your friends, or how much they pay you - never get close to these people or allow yourself to come across these situations because they're very real.These people exist. Watch out for them as you grow up, and dont let that happen to yourself. You dont want to become the heroes getting gored or the villains holding their ideologies. Just stay far, far away and dont touch any of it to begin with.
For a teenager about to explore these very real concepts in high-school, or who may already know of them, this is a perfect warning as she shapes her path into who she wants to be.
Thatâs a good point and a great way to put it! I agree with the sentiment. I certainly was exposed to/taught about all kinds of âreal-lifeâ topics early on and I thank my parents for it. But up to this person how they decide to show them. Great points for them to consider!
Blaire witch project đ my mum had me watching "Dog soldiers" when I was like 4 đ she'll be fine with that.
Gore usually has a lot of sexual undertones anyway. If you don't want sex to be part of horror then slashers are NOT the way to go, basically every single gory or slasher film I've ever seen has had some sexual component to it. It's just part of that genre of horror.Â
Ironically paranormal and monster films have the most horror and least sexual components.
[deleted]
Your brain did a great job of forgetting the rape/baster scene in dont breathe
I completely forgot that was a thing; only remember them crawling through the house
Hard no on Don't Breathe. He has a woman chained up in his basement that he rapes with a tool to impregnate. I'm an adult woman and I wish I never saw that.Â
I honestly completely forgot about that, my bad
Bro did not understand the assignment.
Google scariest g, then pg, then PG-13 movies. Use those as a base. Work your way up to r rated movies some of which are perfectly fine. I also have a skewed perspective. The first horror movie on the movie theater was Halloween at 10 years old and it was scary but not traumatizing but I saw watcher in the woods on television in junior high and it scared the crap out of me and so did poltergeist so everyoneâs mileage may vary.
Itâs old but fuck itâs effective as a childhood watchđââď¸
A serbian film
Child's Play, I Know What You Did Last Summer, Hush, You're Next. Those are all good slashers that aren't too scary and don't have sex/nudity in them (I believe).
I think Chucky can get pretty sexual but maybe that was in the sequels
1-3 are all fine. I think Bride of Chucky has a sex scene and maybe a couple of references. Seed of Chucky has a lot more sexual references and a masturbating doll.Â
Seconding I Know What You Did Last Summer. Especially if she already enjoys the Scream movies.