14 Best Horror Movies For Kids

There hadn't been a great kiddie horror movie in many years when this 2005 animated movie landed in cinemas. While it may have utilised very modern CGI and performance capture technology, in spirit Monster House went straight back to the 1980s; the presence of Steven Spielberg and Robert Zemeckis as executive producers feels very apt indeed, as it's something we could easily imagine either filmmaker having made in their early days.

DJ and Chowder are a pair of weaklings on the cusp of puberty, and as if all that wasn't sufficient cause for anxiety they also live in mortal fear of the creepy old guy who lives in the creepy old house opposite DJ's place. However, when he collapses of a heart attack and gets carted away in an ambulance, the boys come to the startling realisation that the true threat wasn't the man, but the house itself, which begins showing distinct signs of life - not to mention carnivorous tendencies.

While it's a great deal more intense than most contemporary family animated movies, if the little ones can make it through the finale okay, they'll find it comes to a reassuringly happy conclusion. It's great fun, and also boasts a wicked sense of humour which is also likely to appeal to older kids and adults.

It's just too bad that director Gil Kenan, having made such a promising debut here, has subsequently shamed himself by taking the helm on the widely-panned 2015 remake of Poltergeist.