Recommending grown up horror for kids

[Stig]

Recently my daughter (9) has asked to watch scarier/more grown up films because we've seen loads of the PG kid friendly horror.

 

I need some suggestions please because I feel like I've exhausted suitable ones that are 12/12A. We've even watched a few 15s I knew she'd be OK with and weren't too bad re gore/scares.

 

So if people could help me with some ideas that would be great. She's perfectly happy with 80s and 90s films too (not tried anything further back though) and really enjoyed some of the 80s classics.

 

These are the 12s/15s I've let her see that has some form of horror/peril

 

The Mummy (1999)

Monster Squad

Ghostbusters

Beetlejuice

Gremlins 1 & 2

The Lost Boys

The Goonies

Pirates of the Caribbean

 

There must be more I can show her surely? But every Google search brings up the same lists or suggestions that are just silly like Poltergeist. Also anything that doesn't have sex in it please, she's fine with horror and blood but I'd like to keep some innocence in tacked 😆

 

Any recommendations?

 

 

[cassidy]

Evil dead 2 then Army of Darkness. 

 

 

[Scribblor]

My ten year old watched Poltergeist a few weeks ago. His verdict: "What about this film was supposed to be scary?"

 

Also, I had to explain what static on a TV channel was and what it meant which made me feel older than dirt.

[Paulando]

Alien is a 15 now, and I think I first saw it when I was around her age. Loved it.

 

Yeah, not sure what’s silly about Poltergeist, seems perfect really - no blood or sex.

 

Have you seen The Others? That’s a 12.

[Stig]

On 23/11/2022 at 20:46, Scribblor said:

My ten year old watched Poltergeist a few weeks ago. His verdict: "What about this film was supposed to be scary?"

 

On 23/11/2022 at 20:49, Paulando said:

Yeah, not sure what’s silly about Poltergeist, seems perfect really - no blood or sex.

 

Oh just silly that I thought it would be too grown up for a 9 year old. I thought the face peeling scene might be a bit too much is all.

 

But if you think it's fine maybe I'll give it a go. I'll have a rewatch of the scene and see.

[Stig]

What about Jaws?

[ZOK]

I still think Poltergeist is scary!

[Fierce Poodle]

Nine is a tricky age as the more grown up stuff is likely to scare her shitless. My daughter was 12/13 before she started watching stuff like IT, The Conjuring etc. Having said that she started watching Stranger Things when she was 10/11 so that might be a good place to start? Can be quite intense but with lots of humour to offset the scary stuff.

[cassidy]

Just now, ZOK said:

I still think Poltergeist is scary!

If your working for ILM and get asked to implode a suburban house then yes it's terrifying. 

[SpagMasterSwift]

That fucking tree!!!

[Fierce Poodle]

It’s quite interesting watching stuff through her eyes as it makes me realise how desensitised to horror I’ve become!

[Stig]

16 minutes ago, Fierce Poodle said:

Nine is a tricky age as the more grown up stuff is likely to scare her shitless. My daughter was 12/13 before she started watching stuff like IT, The Conjuring etc. Having said that she started watching Stranger Things when she was 10/11 so that might be a good place to start? Can be quite intense but with lots of humour to offset the scary stuff.

 

She keeps asking to watch Stranger Things but I thought I might give that a little longer and watch in the lead up to the final season cause she'll be between 10 and 11 then.

 

Anything 18 rather I think I'm gonna wait till she's at least 13.

 

It's tricky because I know what I watched at her age and was fine with but will she be the same? I dunno.

[Vespa Alex]

I saw Alien aged about ten or eleven and it was fine. Terminator has an easily skipped sex scene and not too much swearing. 
 

Going back even further, The Thing From Another World?
 

Not horror, but The Warriors could be another one to try. 
 

 

[Exidor]

Fright Night (the original one obviously, but the remake is probably ok too)

The 'Burbs

The People Under The Stairs

The Craft

The Faculty (don't remember if this has sex/nudity - probably not)

[cassidy]

Here's an idea. Find trailers of the suggestions and show her those. Let her choose then. 

[Fierce Poodle]

3 minutes ago, Stigweard said:

 

She keeps asking to watch Stranger Things but I thought I might give that a little longer and watch in the lead up to the final season cause she'll be between 10 and 11 then.

 

Anything 18 rather I think I'm gonna wait till she's at least 13.

 

It's tricky because I know what I watched at her age and was fine with but will she be the same? I dunno.

Obviously you know your daughter best! It’s a very fine line I’ve found - for example my daughter enjoyed the first two Conjuring films but Annabelle Creation really freaked her out.

[Stig]

2 minutes ago, cassidy said:

Here's an idea. Find trailers of the suggestions and show her those. Let her choose then. 

 

That's what I tend to do.

[Benny]

I can't imagine showing Alien to a nine year old. Jesus Christ.

[cassidy]

4 minutes ago, Benny said:

I can't imagine showing Alien to a nine year old. Jesus Christ.

My son watched The Thing when he was 8. Nothing to do with me. But it bothered him not a jot.

 

[Benny]

Maybe kids these days are all watching Saw movie clips on their phones at school or something.

 

I still have nightmares from the ear burrowing creatures bit in Wrath of Khan.

[cassidy]

Just now, Benny said:

Maybe kids these days are all watching Saw movie clips on their phones at school or something.

 

I still have nightmares from the ear burrowing creatures bit in Wrath of Khan.

Should point out he's 26 now btw. 

 

[Benny]

I mean, 26 is just about young enough to barely remember a time before YouTube and smartphones to be fair.

[Danster]

My daughter, now 19, watched all the Saw movies on her phone using a dodgy streaming site when she was 11. Then told us she had watched them and that they weren't scary.

 

She's more scared at movies these days than she was when she was eleven.

[Vespa Alex]

Having just watched the first episode, Wednesday on Netflix

[cassidy]

6 minutes ago, Benny said:

I mean, 26 is just about young enough to barely remember a time before YouTube and smartphones to be fair.

He remembers. His Toy Story VHS is testament to that. 

[Camel]

How about the Harryhausen Sinbad films?

 

 

[Qazimod]

Is The Blair Witch Project (15) too naff now? It's been ages since I saw it but I don't remember it being particularly explicit (there may have been a few swears though) and it's more about unnerving fear than jump-scares. She might find it boring...  

[Jonnysaxc]

Monster club 1980 

troll hunter

creepshow (too much?)

Attack the block

Killer clowns (too much?)

goosebumps

tremors

the gate

frighteners

 

 

 

 

[glb]

Here’s a couple of decent ones:

 

Scary Stories to Tell in the Dark (although think that’s a 15, not a 12A)

The Woman in Black (yep, the Daniel Radcliffe one)

These are 15s, might be worth a trailer watch to see if they are of interest.

 

Lights Out

The Exorcism of Emily Rose

The Autopsy of Jane Doe

 

And then ignore all those and just watch Tremors. Not scary but it’s obviously the greatest B-movie ever made.

 

 

[Thor]

This is a TV series rather than a movie, but Midnight Club on Netflix. No sex (hints of teenage romance, but that's about it) just good horror stories with a great overarching one.