The 10 Best Disney Channel Halloween Movies
Photo Courtesy of Disney Channel
When other, braver individuals are sitting down to watch a Mike Flanagan marathon or check out the latest Exorcist movie, those of us too frightened to venture into the far corners of the horror genre must look elsewhere for our Halloween treats. Lucky for us, family-friendly films (read: relatively not scary but still spooky enough to satisfy those Halloween vibes) for the season are not hard to come by. Hocus Pocus (and its admittedly delightful sequel), The Nightmare Before Christmas, Scary Godmother: Halloween Spooktacular, The Boy Who Cried Werewolf, and more are there for kids, sure, but they’re also there for us—the scaredy cats and nostalgia fiends.
Of all the various channels, studios, and streamers in the Halloween business, the best of the best all come from one place: Disney Channel. Despite now being most known for the High School Musicals and Descendants of its catalog, Disney Channel’s first ever original TV movie was the Halloween-themed Under Wraps from 1997 (which unfortunately is not currently streaming anywhere). Since then, Disney Channel has become the go-to place for fun Halloween movies, even spinning out various franchises from its holiday offerings. More than anything, Disney Channel’s Halloween movies act as a gateway, a gentle guide into the world of monsters and frights; for some, they act as a bridge before crossing over into increasingly terrifying horror, and for others, they are a consistent source of Halloween spirit worth revisiting every single year.
Below, we’ve ranked the 10 best Disney Channel Halloween movies, but if you’re in the mood for something spookier, check out our various horror lists as well—if you dare…
10. Invisible Sister (2015)
Released in the prime of Girl Meets World and starring GMW lead Rowan Blanchard, Disney Channel’s Invisible Sister is a fun Halloween adventure that quickly becomes a sweet story of sisterhood. When nerdy high schooler Cleo’s (Blanchard) science project goes awry, her popular older sister Molly (Paris Berelc) gets turned invisible. Due to the nature of the chemicals, it’s a race against the clock to make Molly corporeal again before the midnight on Halloween—or she’ll be invisible forever. Being invisible is both a blessing and a curse for both Molly and Cleo, as Molly discovers the truth behind her popularity and Cleo is no longer in the shadow of her sister. Despite not seeing eye to eye, Molly and Cleo’s efforts to reverse the invisibility highlight the special bond that exists between sisters, and brings a sense of meddlesome, sisterly fun to the Halloween season.
9. Z-O-M-B-I-E-S 2 (2020)
The ZOMBIES franchise genuinely feels like a fever dream. The first film is Disney Channel’s take on institutionalized racism in a heavy-handed allegory where the entire town of Seabrook is prejudiced against the green-haired, titular zombies that live gated out of the city proper—until Seabrook High decides its time to integrate. In its sequel, a new group of outsiders (a pack of werewolves, another heavy-handed metaphor for indigenous peoples) forces the denizens of Seabrook—including the zombies—to question just how accepting they really are, all while Zed (Milo Manheim) struggles with his status as the model minority. Despite its slightly unhinged premise and execution, ZOMBIES 2 is genuinely delightful. It’s got fun music, lovable characters, and a more solid footing than its predecessor. The werewolves are a particular highlight, and Addison’s (Meg Donnely) turn to the wolf side is particularly entertaining, even if it doesn’t stick. Despite this franchise not being strictly Halloween-themed, the monsters of Seabrook are worth seeking out this spooky season.
8. Girl vs Monster (2012)
Are you scared of the monsters under your bed or in your closet? Of the shadow moving out of the corner of your eye? Good, that’s how they like it. In the world of Girl vs Monster, those monsters, ghouls, and demons need fear to survive, inducing it to feed. Skyler (Olivia Holt), though, it’s afraid of anything. That is, until she finds out that she’s actually a descendant of monster hunters, a duty of which her parents have currently taken up, and is now the target of an evil sorceress hell-bent on possessing her body. Filled with music, metaphors about the anxieties of growing up, and some lovable kids to boot, you could do much worse when choosing a Disney Channel original to watch than Girl vs Monster. It’s campy at best and slightly silly at worst, but it has a lot of heart, all bolstered by an incredibly charming Holt at its center. Stand up to your fears and add Girl vs Monster to your Disney Halloween watchlist this season.
7. Don’t Look Under the Bed (1999)
Widely considered to be the most terrifying Disney Channel Original Movie ever released, Don’t Look Under the Bed is about as deep into the horror genre as a PG rating can go. In fact, Disney Channel received so many complaints from parents that it pulled the film from its annual Halloween broadcasts in 2006, and it hasn’t aired on the network since. Skeptic Frances (Erin Chambers) is forced to confront her own beliefs about the supernatural when she comes face-to-face with Larry (Ty Hodges), a self-proclaimed imaginary friend. When Frances is framed for a series of pranks in her neighborhood, she must team up with Larry to take down the boogeyman, a terrifying creature hell-bent on stirring up trouble—and scares—in her town. Featuring an admirable intensity and some truly inspired monster designs, Don’t Look Under the Bed is a must-watch if you’re looking for something on the spookier side this Halloween.
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