Animated features are meant to inspire audiences, spin stories that grip our hearts with emotion, leave us laughing, and captivate us with fantastic animation. If there's one thing no child wants from an animated film, it's to be scared, even during the spooky fall season.
Yet, as strange as it may sounds, there are animated films out there that do scare audiences. These animated features, ranging from direct to DVD or feature-length flicks, have just the same amount of terror resting in them as any live-action horror film, able to leave any kid up all night.
The Black Cauldron (1985)
Disney doesn't necessarily strike fear into the hearts of its audiences. In fact, when the word "Disney" is mentioned, thoughts of princesses singing to cute little animals are typically what many imagine.
Then there's The Black Cauldron, not necessarily a horror movie and yet, so frightening that it caused children to run from theatres when it was first released. Overall a good time and rife with ghastly imagery, The Black Cauldron is a welcome addition to the horror genre.
Batman: Gotham By Gaslight (2018)
Most who think about scary movies for kids assume that this is limited to things under the bed or those that go bump in the night, but sometimes, monsters can come in unorthodox ways - in human form.
Although not your typical horror movie, the Elseworlds film Batman: Gotham By Gaslight has enough terror, with a human killer running around Gotham, that it feels like a horror film, leaving viewers on the edge of their seat, hoping that Batman can catch the elusive Jack The Ripper.
Monster House (2006)
Houses are typically meant to make people feel comfortable and relaxed. There's nothing more soothing than sitting at home behind locked doors, where the only danger is left outside. Unless that is, someone's living in the Monster House.
Instead of a nice, calming environment, the Monster House is a literal living, breathing house that tries it's best to devour kids and sometimes adults. As if that wasn't enough, the house can even move on its own, creating one of the most terrifying monsters for all ages.
Resident Evil: Degeneration (2008)
It's funny how sometimes, a movie can be better than it's source material. For years, studios and producers have been trying to recapture the essence of the Resident Evil games and yet the movies have always had a spotty history, with some doing well and others, not so much.
Luckily, Resident Evil: Degeneration is one of the few that stand out among the rest. Despite some weak voice acting, this horror animated feature rises above the live-action iterations, with some truly horrifying monsters and gruesome, over the top deaths that make it feel like a Resident Evil game.
Corpse Bride (2005)
Since birth, children have been taught to fear ghosts, ghouls, and the monsters hiding in the closet. Yet some, such as Tim Burton, chose to ignore these warnings and sought out the ghouls that would allow him to craft some of the best films of his career, such as Corpse Bride.
Corpse Bride has scares and gruesome imagery aplenty, with the main cast mostly being dead. However, while Corpse Bride is a horror film through and through, one can't help but appreciate the macabre beauty hidden within.
The Nightmare Before Christmas (1993)
"Boys and girls of every age, wouldn't you like to see something strange? Come with us and you will see, this our town of Halloween." When a movie starts off with a song centered around a spooky town, anyone can tell that they're in for one scary good time.
The Nightmare Before Christmas is a subject of an ongoing debate as to whether it's a Christmas or Halloween film, and it manages to be both at the same time. Filled with haunting music, gorgeous visuals, and some fantastic scares, Nightmare Before Christmas has become an all-time classic and one of the best stop motion movies of all time.
Paranorman (2012)
Many animated horror films tend to be done in the syle 0f stop motion. Whether this is because stop motion adds to the terror or because of a stylistic choice of the animators, Paranorman is just one of plenty of films to pull this off.
Essentially a lighter version of the Sixth Sense, Paranorman is a gruesome delight for all fans, whether of animated movies or horror and it's a creepy feature that is a joy for anyone to watch, with a great message at the end.
Seoul Station (2016)
It's the sad truth of modern Hollywood that zombies have slowly devolved into a joke of themselves, becoming cliched and full of tropes to the point of being used in romantic comedies. However, once in a blue moon, there is an exception to this.
A prequel to the incredibly well-done Train To Busan, Seoul Station is a nail-biting thriller that follows multiple citizens as they try to survive a zombie outbreak. From incredible animation to gruesome deaths, Seoul Station is a worthy entry into an otherwise dead sub-genre.
Scooby-Doo On Zombie Island (1998)
When people think of Scooby-Doo, they usually think of the gang running around unmasking some guy in a rubber mask and unveiling their scam. They usually never imagine the gang facing real monsters.
Scooby-Doo On Zombie Island, however, brought the gang face to face with real and terrifying monsters, as a horde of zombies, some of the scariest of the Scooby-Doo villains, and cat people, try to hunt down the gang. What starts as a typical romp with the gang becomes a horrifying and yet enjoyable adventure that will strike fear into anyone's heart.
Coraline (2009)
Ever wonder if there's another world out there? A better world, one where one's wildest dreams can come true? Could someone live in this world peacefully or would they instead discover the twisted reality lying beneath the surface, like in Coraline?
Full of beautifully horrific imagery, a twisted yet wonderful story, and the charming but vile Other Mother, Coraline isn't afraid to go to some dark places, creating a unique and terrifying film that has spawned an avid fan base and dozens of fan theories.