Decider’s Scary Movie Challenge For Scaredy-Cats: 7 Horror Films Ranked From Goofy Ghosts To Full-On Gore Fest

It’s spooky season, but not everyone loves the scary movies that come with it. If you’re looking to join in on the fun as a non-scary movie watcher, this ranked list can help gauge your comfort on a scale of looking for a laugh to feeling a little braver. 

There’s not many on here that horror aficionados would say are frightening to your core, but you can ease your way in with some old, classic films like Ghostbusters and make your way up to a horror-comedy like Cabin In The Woods. But be warned, the higher you go up, the more blood, gore, or supernatural beings you might see!

If getting scared out of your seat isn’t your thing, we suggest the options lower on our list. We won’t judge if you need to keep the lights on or watch these movies during the day.

The list below doesn’t focus on one streaming platform in particular; rather, its titles range from Max to Hulu to Prime Video to Apple TV+, and even free services like Tubi and Pluto TV. Netflix also has many family-friendly options that might be better if you want to be on the safer side.

We won’t trick you — Cabin In The Woods might leave you truly Halloween spooked! Watch if you dare…

1. Ghostbusters (1984)

   Ghostbusters will show you that these 1984 ghosts are all in good fun. Three parapsychologists lose their jobs at Columbia University after trying to reach the paranormal world through their students. It sounds a bit strange, but that’s because it is. The trio bands together and becomes New York City’s ghost destroyers in their efforts to help save the world. This older film uses graphics that you know aren’t real and there are no jump scares, so if you do encounter a ghost — you’ll know who to call at the end of this one!

   Where To stream ghostbusters

2. Beetlejuice

   Tim Burton’s Beetlejuice proves to be non-scary comedic fantasy. Alec Baldwin and Geena Davis are cast as a dead married couple, Adam and Barbara, who die and return to their home as spirits. While the couple isn’t alive anymore and are basically pretending to be, a new family moves into the home they’re occupying. The couple calls Beetlejuice to help scare them away, but he takes things a little too far.

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3. Donnie Darko

   This older classic won’t scare you too much as an adult. A younger Jake Gyllenhaal stars as the titular role in Donnie Darko. Donnie doesn’t have too many friends in high school until he suddenly gets a girlfriend and also begins seeing a psychiatrist. In one of his sessions, Donnie admits that he made a new friend named Frank. But, have you ever taken an imaginary friend too far? Rather than leave you checking under the bed at night, Donnie Darko will have you pondering its ending long after the credits roll.

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4. Happy Death Day (2017)

   Happy Death Day hits home as a horror mystery of a college student trying to find her killer. Until then, she lives the same day, which is her birthday, over and over until she solves her own death. Theresa “Tree” Gelbman has to figure out which of her friends loves or hates her by changing the course of events every day. The scariest moments are suspenseful, especially when she faces her killer, but the movie also mixes in some comedy so you won’t be too frightened. You’ll find that Tree gets tired of dying and she takes it into her own hands — she drops a hairdryer in the bathtub and to no one’s surprise, wakes up again with electrocuted hair.

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5. Ready Or Not

   A wedding night is usually fun-filled with family and friends, but not in this case. Whether you are Ready Or Not, this bride has to undergo a different kind of in-law family welcoming when she’s challenged to play a deadly game. Samara Weaving stars as Grace, who just got married into a wealthy dynasty, but might not even live to see the end of her wedding night. Grace has to survive getting hunted to live happily ever after.

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6. Carrie (1976)

   Carrie is a classic horror movie that takes a turn for the supernatural. One of Stephen King’s most popular films features a sheltered teenage girl who ultimately gets brutally embarrassed at prom. Margaret White, Carrie’s mother, is overprotective throughout her childhood, which has led to problems for Carrie in school and with her classmates. So, when Carrie decides to go to prom, Mrs. White thinks it’s the worst idea. This fuels Carrie’s humiliation on her big day, but this time she stands up for herself, and her telekinetic powers kick in for revenge.

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7. Cabin In The Woods

   Chris Hemsworth stars in Cabin In The Woods along with four co-stars: Kristen Connolly, Fran Kranz, Jesse Williams and Anna Hutchison. The horror/thriller film is probably the scariest on our list, so if you’ve made it this far, you’d better be prepared for what’s next. Five friends head out to the woods for a fun cabin weekend, but when they arrive to house, the basement doors open creepily. Of course in this horror movie, they go downstairs to check it out. If you’ve avoided scary movies your whole life, but want to really spread your wings, beware: this film’s zombies might live in your dreams at night. 

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