With a slight nip in the air, it is time to soak in the spirit of the festive season. Halloween, observed on 31 October, also known as All Hallows’ Eve is marked with loads of pomp and celebrations. Putting up the entire Halloween look which includes unique outfits, bizarre make-up and decking up the entire party venue has become a buzzword. But the traditional rituals have always been about little children enjoying trick or treat, carving jack-o-lanterns and so on.
Amidst all the fanfare, many families get together for a spooky watch on the celluloid. You must have zeroed in your horror watch list! In case you missed planning for your little ones, we have you covered. AnimationXpress has listed some of the kid-friendly animated shows from the streaming giant Netflix which have an array of spooky series and movies.
Here are six halloween special works of animation that will keep your kids glued to the screens and provide unlimited entertainment:
1. A Tale Dark & Grimm
Netflix’s recent release is based on the best-selling book series by Adam Gidwitz. It introduces today’s kids to the adventures of one of the most popular siblings Hansel and Gretel. There are 10 half hour episodes in the series that premiered on 8 October 2021.
Official synopsis reads: The series follows Hansel and Gretel as they run away from home to find better parents…or at least ones who won’t chop off their heads! As Hansel and Gretel leave their own story and venture through other classic Grimm fairy tales, unexpected narrators’ guide us through their encounters with witches, warlocks, dragons and even the devil himself. As the siblings roam a forest brimming with menacing foes, they learn the true story behind the famous tales, as well as how to take charge of their destinies and create their own happily ever after. Once upon a time, fairy tales were awesome.
2. Sharkdog’s Fintastic Halloween
This adorable 25 minute movie is also a current addition to the Netflix and Chills list. It is for the little ones who enjoy animation and would love to watch some action between little monster and Sharkdog.The story revolves around one of the most popular Halloween games, trick-or-treat.
As per the description, The Sharkpack gets ready for Halloween with the spooky legend of the “Fearsome Fog” — and Sharkdog must save trick-or-treating from a slimy sea monster!
3. The Last Kids on Earth
Three seasons of the Emmy-award winning animated series are available on Netflix. It is based on the best-selling book series of the same name by author and executive producer Max Brallier. The adventure series can be an interesting watch for kids who would love to embark on the mystical journey with the protagonist.
In the third season released in 2020, Last Kids takes on the journey of a 13-year-old Jack Sullivan living in a mind-clobbering cool tree fort with his best friends during a zombie apocalypse. In the upcoming season, they discover that they may not be the last kids on earth after all.
4. ParaNorman
It is an old movie available on Netflix. The stop-motion animated dark fantasy comedy horror film is of 1:32 hours duration. The 2012 film nominated for BAFTA Award for Best Animated Film, provides the much-needed spook.
The OTT description says: When an army of zombies invades a small town, it’s up to an odd local boy with a knack for communicating with the dead to save the day.
In this movie the lead character Norman and his friends try to figure out how to save the town. There are scenes where zombies are shown with their limbs falling off, which might be scary for very young ones, but the animation work isn’t very violent or gory!
5. DreamWorks’ Spooky Stories
Children’s love for ‘Shrek’ is nothing new. DreamWorks’ Spooky Stories which is available on Netflix released back in 2009. Two volumes of Spooky Stories are available on the platform.
Volume 1: In three Halloween tales, Shrek and his friends tell scary stories, Ginormica and the Monsters fight mutant alien pumpkins, and Shrek battles a ghost. These are entertaining works of animation that give the right amount of thrill without scaring the little ones way too much.
The voice cast of the show includes Antonio Banderas, Hugh Laurie, Mike Myers, Reese Witherspoon, Seth Rogen, Kristen Schaal and Dean Edwards.
Volume 2: There are four amazing tales in this volume (2011). The Shrek characters parody the music video Thriller; B.O.B. and pals battle zombie carrots; and Megamind faces the effects of the Button of Doom.
Here, Seth Rogen, Will Arnett, Hugh Laurie, Will Ferrell, David Cross, Sean Bishop, Kiefer Sutherland, Cody Cameron and Aron Warner are part of the cast.
6.The Spooky Tale of Captain Underpants Hack-a-ween
Here is a comic Halloween tale! Children can have a good laugh while indulging in various fun affairs of the winter celebrations. The 46 minute show that was released in 2019 stars Nat Faxon, Jay Gragnani, Ramone Hamilton and others.
In the show, when Melvin tries to cancel Halloween, clever best friends Harold and George create their own spooky holiday and it’s a huge success!
Apart from these movies and series, Netflix has an amazing collection of Halloween special shows. But parents need to carefully select the list depending on their child’s age. Hence, before the countdown begins, invite the little ones who would have a gala time watching these shows. Meanwhile, the parents can also have their own Halloween celebrations!
Even adults can bank on Netflix for spine-chilling horror shows/films like Death Note, Conjuring trilogy, Stranger Things and many more that are available on the platform.