Halloween is the best time of year for scary movies to get into the spooky spirit. But not everyone prefers scary movies around Halloween.

There are plenty of non-horror movies to watch during the Halloween season. More classic options are It’s The Great Pumpkin, Charlie Brown, The Nightmare Before Christmas, and Hocus Pocus.

Meron Mekonen, senior said The Nightmare Before Christmas is, “a great mix between the best holidays of the year, Halloween and Christmas, and Jack Skellington is a very iconic character.” 

Although, according to a Mycenaean poll, 72% of Leesville prefers scary movies over wholesome ones. But why are scary movies so popular among teens?

Steven Schlozman M.D. from Psychology Today said, “…social media is filled with shame and doom, and we flit from one disaster to the next with an almost glib acceptance. It’s no wonder horror resonates with kids. What they’re facing seems potentially genuinely horrible.”

Horror movies, especially around Halloween, give teens and kids a more entertaining way to look at the real problems in the world, while still not taking things too seriously. 

Some of the newest horror movies in 2026 include Obsession, Backrooms, and Clayface, all of which have been extremely successful in theaters. 

“I love horror movies because they keep me on the edge of my seat and keep me awake,” said LA Berkeley, senior. Berkeley believes teens enjoy horror movies “because they like the adrenaline rush and the dopamine hits.” 

Halloween movies, scary or otherwise, provide teens with entertainment and a sense of comfort in a world that is already a “horror film” in of itself.