20 Awesome PG-13 Horror Movies (Part One)

In the past, I’ve written about horror movies for tweens/scary movies for 10 year olds as well as a simple guide for how to introduce someone to horror at any age. But what about tweens, teens, and adults who’ve tried out “starter” films like the old Universal Monsters films, Hotel Transylvania, and Ghostbusters and want something a teeny bit more hardcore but don’t want to immediately jump into R-rated gorefests? To you, I say: PG-13 horror movies to the rescue!

I’m in my 40s (I just had my 41st birthday two days ago!) and many of my all-time favorite films are PG-13 horror movies. They’re wonderful! Since they can’t be as explicit, they don’t depend on shock content as a crutch to carry your interest. On-screen gore is minimal (and usually reserved for non-human characters), sex is merely implied or completely non-existent, and the plots can’t get too disturbing. With those “handicaps” in place, what does that leave you with? Well, for the most awesome PG-13 horror films, you’re left with creative stories that place more focus on great characters! There are fewer “fodder” characters (horror fan lingo for characters who only exist to be killed off in spectacular fashion), and more people to genuinely root for/fear for.

There are exceptions, of course! I’m not going to BS you by saying PG13-rated Alien VS Predator was a masterpiece of character development (I still love it though), nor am I saying that Ash Williams of the R-rated (and very bloody) Evil Dead franchise isn’t THE Final Boy and ridiculously fun to root for. I’m saying, in general, and on my curated list of “Awesome PG-13 Horror Movies,” those outstanding qualities turn up often enough to declare a patten.

PG-13 horror movies are also great for bringing people of all ages and horror tolerance levels together! Newer, younger, or more sensitive horror fans can enjoy them just as much as their most thoroughly-steeped-in-the-genre friends/family.

With that in mind, these are HORROR movies and they do have some scares. Not all of these are “best first horror movie” options, especially for kids. Most are great horror movies for ages 10 and up, provided they’ve already dipped a toe in. After all, the MPAA classifies PG-13 films as “Parents strongly cautioned – Some material may be inappropriate for children under 13.” (But that’s been the official warning label since 1985, so I’m feeling confident that slightly younger audiences have been conditioned to handle these films within the last 41 years, for better or worse).

With all that said, here are 20 AWESOME PG-13 horror movies for you to enjoy!

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Tremors (1990)

Handymen best buds Val (Kevin Bacon) and Earl (Fred Ward) live in the extremely small down of Perfection, Nevada. They’re optimistic but somewhat aimless everymen, just doing their best but wishing they could do better. Becoming heroes was never their plan (despite Earl’s frequent insistence that he “always has a plan”), but they’re gonna have to be!

Giant wormlike creatures, later dubbed “graboids,” have started causing the title “tremors” underground in Perfection, causing small earthquakes as they squirm around beneath the surface. And when they come above ground? They have an appetite for the townspeople!

Val and Earl are so much fun, and are some of my favorite horror movie characters (my husband and I even had a pet hamster named Earl!), but the rest of the citizens of Perfection are also awesome. Burt, a kooky survivalist, is a standout – and he later carried the franchise!

And the graboids…? The practical FX are awesome and still hold up to this day! Tremors is a creature feature akin to THEM (1954) or Tarantula (1955), but with ramped up action and more seamless special effects that makes it feel even more high stakes.

Tremors is rated PG-13 because it can be intensely suspenseful at times. You feel like the characters are in constant danger, even when you can’t see the danger on screen. There are also several deaths (mostly off-screen or from non-explicit angles) as well as characters stumbling upon previously killed humans and livestock (and the bodies do show some moderate gore, but if you’re a sensitive viewer and can handle going to a deli and seeing pre-cooked meats then you can probably handle this if you temporarily detach from the story and view these instances purely as special FX). And while ALL of these PG-13 horror films have some light-to-moderate swearing – which is why I won’t be mentioning language use for most of the other films below – Tremors somehow dodged the famous PG-13 rule of “only one F-bomb” and drops TWO! It’s non-offensive in both instances (just exclamations of shock/surprise — as any of us might blurt out should a gigantic man-eating worm emerge in front of us), and I hadn’t even noticed it in my 30-40 previous viewings. I just happened to be locked-in and hyperalert during my most recent viewing because I knew I’d be writing this piece, swearing is one of the biggest factors when making ratings determinations, and I thought that was interesting! If YOU know how Tremors got away with the additional F, lemme know. I’m curious!

Where to watch Tremors (1990):

The Monster Squad (1987)

I’ve stated multiple times through the years that The Monster Squad is one of my Top Three favorite films of all time. Yes, some of that is nostalgia bias. I’m not going to argue that it isn’t. I’ve introduced The Monster Squad to enough people to know that, for whatever reason, it isn’t for everyone. But for the people it IS for…? It’s an absolute treat!

If you’re someone who’s looking for a film where all the “core” monsters team up, but Abbott & Costello Meet Frankenstein doesn’t have enough action to hold your attention… The Monster Squad is the film you’ve been looking for! If you’re looking for some horror steeped in 1980’s aesthetic where a group of kids are the heroes, but you don’t want to spend 45 hours watching Stranger Things… Then The Monster Squad is what you’re after! Want to see some of the best-looking renditions of classic horror movie monsters? The Monster Squad. Desperately need to know if the Wolf Man’s got nards? The. Monster. Squad.

Written and directed by Fred Dekker, The Monster Squad is about a group of kids who have a monster club. They love horror films and books and hang out together to geek out about the genre, not too dissimilar to what you’re doing right now, hanging out here on HorrorFam.com! But when real monsters come to town (Dracula and his brides, Frankenstein’s monster, the Wolf Man, the Mummy, the Creature/Gill Man), the horror-savvy kids are the only ones who have the knowledge to take ’em down!

The Monster Squad is rated PG-13 due to putting little kids in dangerous situations. I mean, they’re going up against monsters, so it can get a little intense at times. Also, one of the monsters explodes into pieces and that can be a bit visually startling or graphic for some. And, like 1993’s PG-rated Hocus Pocus, virginity is a plot point. Plus, Rudy, the teen “bad boy” of the Squad smokes nicotine cigarettes.

Where to watch The Monster Squad (1987):

A Quiet Place (2018)

In the world of A Quiet Place, blind aliens with extremely good hearing have landed and are wiping us out. The only way to survive is to live in silence (so, this is a PG-13 horror movie with zero swearing and almost no dialogue!).

The first film follows a mother, a father, and their two children as they navigate the challenges that come with trying to live in a world where every sound puts them in life-threatening danger. And human beings tend to be pretty noisy! Even though I’m in a darkened room, not even listening to music, I’m fully aware that my computer keyboard is making excessive clackity-clacks as I type out this article. If one of the Quiet Place creatures was in the next room, I’d be on its menu!

There are a few jump scares in A Quiet Place, but the bulk of the horror comes from the hold-your-breath anticipation of scares. It’s extremely suspenseful! You’ll likely watch it in empathetic silence, not wanting your noises to blow the on-screen characters’ cover.

If you love A Quiet Place, I also recommend A Quiet Place Part II (2020) and A Quiet Place: Day One (2024)! They’re also PG-13 horror movies and are on-par with the original. Although Day One is a prequel, I’d recommend watching the series in their release date order to get the most out of the stories.

A Quiet Place is rated PG-13 due to the aforementioned extreme suspense and occasional jump scares. Also, one character steps on a nail and, while not graphic, you can feel it just from what’s shown. There’s almost zero gore at all, but there’s some on-screen blood in a bathtub in the context of giving birth (never done it myself, but I’m adult enough to be aware that it’s a messy process and what’s shown isn’t at all gratuitous or lingering).

Where to watch A Quiet Place (2018):

Cat’s Eye (1985)

Cat’s Eye is a PG-13 horror anthology movie with three stories. The first two stories (“Quitters, Inc.” and “The Ledge”) are adaptations of Stephen King stories from his Night Shift book. The third story, “General,” is unique to this film. The connecting thread/wrap-around is the cat! He’s in every story.

This was a first-time watch for me last year when I covered the most significant horror films of 1985, and I really enjoyed it. It’s rare for a horror anthology film to have all good stories (usually there’s a standout bad/boring segment!). Cat’s Eye reminded me a lot of Roald Dahl’s Tales of the Unexpected. I don’t know if that particular book is still a mainstay in elementary school libraries or if it’s been lost to time, but if you’re familiar with its overall vibe/level of horror, then you and/or your kids can make an informed decision on whether Cat’s Eye will be “too much” in terms of scares.

“Quitters, Inc.” is about a man who tries to give up smoking cigarettes by signing up to an extreme program where, if he slips up and gives into his addiction, his family will pay the ultimate price. “The Ledge” is about a man who tries to run away with a gangster’s wife, and is forced to walk along the narrow edge of a skyscraper as punishment. “General” is about a brave cat defending his little girl owner from evil mouse-sized trolls who come out of the walls to menace her at night.

Cat’s Eye is rated PG-13 because, as you may have guessed from the plot of the first story, there’s quite a bit of cigarette smoking on screen. There’s also one beheading (the act isn’t shown, but the head itself is shown and looks very fake) and there’s a gunshot wound (minimal blood). There are quite a few things that look painful that can be intense (rest-assured, the electrocutions are actually just puffs of air – no humans or animals were physically harmed). And the tussles between the cat and the lil trolls lead to some injuries on both sides of the battle.

Where to watch Cat’s Eye (1985):

Drag Me to Hell (2009)

Directed by Sam Raimi and written by Sam & Ivan Raimi, Drag Me to Hell has a LOT in common with the Evil Dead films in terms of style and pacing. It’s darkly humorous, full of practical special FX and physical stunts, and the pacing is non-stop! Unlike the R-rated Evil Dead films, Drag Me to Hell is baaaaarely gory at all.

That isn’t to say Drag Me to Hell doesn’t bring the scares… Because it does! From minute one, Drag Me to Hell lets you know you’re going to be in for a wild ride filled with demons, curses, and consequences.

After a brief introduction set 40 years earlier (to set the stakes and show just how badly things can go wrong!), the story switches to Christine, Drag Me to Hell‘s protagonist. She’s a loan officer at a bank and she desperately wants a promotion. That’s when Mrs. Ganush walks in.

Mrs. Ganush needs a bank loan in order to pay her mortgage. Christine turns down Mrs. Ganush’s loan plea, to prove to her boss that she can be the cold-hearted career gal the bank needs. Mrs. Ganush then curses Christine to “go to Hell” (literally!) after three days!

Can Christine break the curse before the three days are up? You’ll have to watch to find out! Either way, Drag Me to Hell is an awesome watch. You spend those three days with Christine as she tries EVERYTHING to get rid of the Curse – and Mrs. Ganush, demons, and her own guilt thoroughly (and often comedically) torture her along the way.

The plot is very similar to Curse of the Demon (1957), but everything else is VERY Evil Dead. If you love the Evil Dead films but know that they’d be “too much” for certain friends or kids of yours… try Drag Me to Hell! The various demons/monsters/possessed characters are very similar looks-wise to the Deadites (which may be visually intense for some viewers) but, with the exception of an over-the-top ridiculous nosebleed scene, it’s not bloody. Drag Me to Hell is fantastic on its own and as a “gateway” into Sam Raimi’s horror films.

Drag Me to Hell is rated PG-13 due to the intensity of its high octane style making even silly scares seem more frightening. Mrs. Ganush has a habit of popping up unexpectedly to wreck havoc! There’s also a LOT of violence (it’s very cartoonish but, since it’s a live-action film, it has a bit more of a punch). Some characters drink alcohol (they’re all adults). And there’s some vomiting, notably one instance where a character horfs up an absurd amount of “maggots” (meal worms) onto another character’s face. It’s a hoot! Plus, it’s only 99 minutes long, so it’s relatively easy to squeeze watching Drag Me to Hell into your evening. I love how fast-paced it is!

Where to watch Drag Me to Hell (2009):

Arachnophobia (1990)

Unless you have the title phobia, Arachnophobia is probably THE mildest horror film made for adults! It’s just baaaaaaaaarely a PG-13 horror movie (leaning closer to a PG-rating), but it’s still a lot of fun. Arachnophobia is one of my mom’s absolute favorites!

Julian Sands (R.I.P.) plays an entomologist who discovers a new species of spider in Venezuela. It’s extremely deadly. One of his research assistants is bitten, dies, and his body is sent back to his small hometown in California. Unfortunately, one of the venomous arachnids stows away in the casket and lands in the States along with the corpse.

The tarantula-sized poisonous spider breeds with the tiny local spiders, creating a MASSIVE amount of newborn spiders. With the smaller size of common house spiders but the venom of the newly-discovered deadly spider, the infestation that takes over the town is a HUGE problem! Especially for poor Jeff Daniels, Arachnophobia‘s leading man, whose character is extremely afraid of spiders. Jeff Daniels’ acting — his sweaty, paralyzed-with-fear tension when glimpsing a single tiny spider, let alone clusters of thousands — is a big part of why Arachnophobia works as a horror film, even if you LOVE spiders (like I do!).

Arachnophobia is rated PG-13 because… Well, I’m guessing someone on staff at the MPAA ratings board back in 1990 was super afraid of spiders and decided to rate it PG-13 because rating it PG would make them feel silly. There are a few deaths, and you can see their bodies at the morgue (they’re not gruesome at all, just pale). The only death that’s particularly “shocking” is the initial corpse (when the casket is opened, the body has been sucked completely dry, and he looks like a body-shaped piece of wood). Jeff Daniels and his wife drink wine on screen. And there’s some mild profanity, but they didn’t even use their single allotted F-bomb! It’s also flagged for “brief nudity” which I’m assuming is referring to the scene where a woman takes a shower, but you don’t SEE any of her nudity (except for her bare calves, feet, head, and shoulder tops), so that feels like they were reaching a bit, in my opinion. But, yeah, “Intense frightening scenes, subject matter, language, and brief nudity” are the official reasons listed. Again, unless you have the title phobia, Arachnophobia is a great horror film for ages eight and up!

Where to watch Arachnophobia (1990):

Night of the Comet (1984)

Night of the Comet was one of the most fun movies of 1984!

When the title comet flies over the earth, anyone standing outside is vaporized into dust. And there were a LOT of people standing outside! Live events were more of a Thing back in the day and everyone was super stoked to go outside and look at the comet. This was something that was true, even in my own lifetime, when Hale-Bopp passed by back in 1997. Everyone in the neighborhood came outside to look! So, for any younger generations reading about this plot: Yes! People really did do stuff like this.

Anyway, back to the plot of Night of the Comet… Most people got vaporized, people with minimal-to-moderate exposure to the comet were turned into zombies, and those who were shielded by steel during the event are just fine! The main characters, Regina and Samantha, are in the latter category. They’re 1980’s Valley girls and they’re among the last humans alive.

Night of the Comet has a lot in common with 28 Days Later in terms of post-apocalyptic isolation and desperately looking for connection with others in a world where there aren’t any others. The streets are empty, society no longer exists, it’s just you… and the zombies.

Oh, and it’s a comedy! There’s a lot to laugh about, despite the subject matter. The humor is similar to Buffy the Vampire Slayer (the movie and the earlier seasons of the TV show) in how the protagonists interact with the horrific world they’ve been thrust into. They’re very cute! They’re fully capable of defending themselves, but still very interested in shopping and makeovers. They’re unapologetically true to themselves, even in a crisis, and that makes the sisters very endearing. They aren’t flawless tactical badasses, but they’re far from being damsels in distress. They’re ridiculous, but they’re so real. Although a lot has changed in terms of technology, and the idea of people getting excited to see a comet fly by may seem far-fetched, I think most women (and even some men!) can still see themselves or their friends in Reggie and Sam.

The horror in Night of the Comet is very light. There are a few jump scares and tense moments. And the idea is extremely scary. Imagine waking up and finding out that nearly everyone you’ve ever known, good or bad, was turned to dust! How would YOU feel if the only people left are either trying to EAT you or trying to find a way to capture you so they can use you to “repopulate society?” Big yikes!! (But in terms of actual on-screen scares outside of your imagination, you’re pretty safe watching this one).

Night of the Comet is rated PG-13 due to underage characters drinking and smoking, implied sex (it’s talked about, though not graphically, and you can see two characters sharing a sleeping bag with bare shoulders), innuendos, one character strips down to her undergarments (no nudity), and “frightening scenes.” I assume the latter refers to a couple zombie jump scares (the zombies aren’t especially gross, if you can stand looking at the photo I shared above, you can handle the zombies!) and it can get a little tense when the characters are getting chased around. Like 28 Days Later, the non-zombie characters looking for ways to protect the “future” of humanity are scarier than the undead cannibals.

Where to watch Night of the Comet (1984):

The Others (2001)

Nicole Kidman is the mother of two children who have extreme photosensitivity (a real-life medical condition where someone’s skin cells have an abnormal reaction to light, especially the sun, that can result in severe reactions or even death – basically, her children are allergic to light), so the three of them live in constant darkness.

It’s a period piece, taking place in 1945. Nicole Kidman’s husband hasn’t returned home from World War II, so it’s just the three of them in a big ol’ DARK mansion… and it’s seeming more and more like that mansion is HAUNTED!

The Others is rated PG-13 for “thematic elements and frightening moments.” There’s zero profanity, zero drugs/drinking, zero gore, zero sex/nudity, zero on-screen violence… It just has a generally spooky vibe to it! There’s one scene that could qualify as a “jump scare” or a “monster reveal moment” (except it’s an old woman, not a monster) because she can catch you a bit off guard. Certain details about the story can get a little dark (though they’re not shown, only talked about, and not with overly graphic descriptions), but I’d say The Others is a great horror movie for 10-year-olds and up! It’s an intriguing ghost story that enthralls younger viewers, and is particularly haunting for parents. Christi Bandy has mentioned before that it was one of her favorites to watch with her own children when they were little and highly recommends it for as a horror film for tweens.

Where to watch The Others (2001):

M3GAN (2022)

M3GAN and its sequel, M3GAN 2.0, are both PG-13 horror movies. Or, at least, they were when they were theatrically released. Since they’re both available via streaming now, you’ll need to pay a little bit more attention to make sure you choose the PG-13 version of the film rather than the Uncut, R-rated versions. That said, there isn’t too much of a difference! Story-wise, there’s no difference. But if you’re sensitive to on-screen blood splatter, then go for the PG-13 versions. (I’m not squeamish about blood, but I know it’s a turn-off for a lotta folks).

As for the plot of M3GAN, a little girl named Cady loses her parents in an accident and it sent to live her her aunt, Gemma. Cady’s aunt Gemma is a tech-minded career gal who never planned to raise a child. To help Cady with her grief and keep her entertained, Gemma builds M3GAN, a full-size doll with advanced programming that makes her a very real friend for Cady. In addition to tending to Cady’s emotional needs, M3GAN is also tasked with protecting her designated Best Friend/User. And M3GAN takes that job very seriously.

If you ever watched the original Child’s Play and thought, “What if Chucky actually WAS a Good Guy who truly cared about Andy, but still had the same behavior towards everyone else?” then you’re on the right track. Except M3GAN is considerably taller and has a sturdy metal skeleton. She’s a child-sized Terminator! And no one is going to bully her bestie. Not even her only living family.

The horror in M3GAN comes from knowing that at her core, she’s a robot, and only as “good” as her programming allows. And programs can be rewritten. Or flawed. What happens when an unbreakable buddy goes bad…?

M3GAN is rated PG-13 for “violent content and terror.” Also, since the launching off point is grief and the loss of parents, that can be a bit heavy. Much like grief in real life, it’s pushed aside to focus on other things, but it’s never really gone and bubbles up again from time to time. Most of the screentime is spent on M3GAN covertly killing those who’ve wronged Cady. I love how she runs on all fours – it’s so fun!

Where to watch M3GAN (2022):

Note: At the time I inserted the code for these buttons, they led to the PG-13 version of M3GAN, but if you’re reading this months or even years after the initial publication date of this article, you might want to double-check before pressing “play.” When two differently-rated versions of a film exist with no difference in title, sometimes wires get crossed when updates are made.

Krampus (2015)

Looking for a Christmas-themed PG-13 horror movie? Krampus has got you covered! This horror-comedy is recommended by AJ Spencer, and it doesn’t dance around its holiday theme (there’s no Die Hard-style debate; Krampus IS a Christmas movie, no question).

Krampus has a LARGE ensemble cast, featuring Toni Collete (Hereditary, The Sixth Sense), Adam Scott (The Monkey), Emjay Anthony (Incarnate), David Koechner (Scouts Guide to the Apocalypse), and more. There’s Max, the little boy who’s the main character, his fairly large immediate family, his grandmother, and his extended family. They all get together for Christmas. If you remember the sprawling amount of family members in the opening scenes of Home Alone, you get what it looks like inside the household in Krampus.

Unfortunately for Max, a sweet lil guy who still believes in Santa Claus, his entire family (except his grandma) are total a-holes who go out of their way to break his festive Christmas spirit. They succeed in thoroughly bumming him out to the point that he rips up his letter to Santa, losing the faith he once had. That’s when Krampus descends on their town – Max’s Christmas spirit being the only thing that had kept them safe – and begins killing off the Naughty, one-by-one, in order of wickedness.

For me, the humor in Krampus doesn’t always hit (comedy is extremely subjective), but the special FX were always awesome! The way Krampus dispatches the enormous cast is creative and consistently holiday-themed. He utilizes teddy bears, gingerbread cookies, snow globes, ornaments, and more. And he’s a pretty neat-looking monster himself!

Krampus is rated PG-13 due to its constant chaotic violence. It’s similar to Home Alone in that most of it has a slapstick/cartoony logic to it, but since it’s all happening in the dark and results in many implied deaths, it can be pretty scary for younger viewers. It’s not gory, but there’s a lot of terrified screaming. Oh, and one of the teenagers has a weed bong and that was considered in the rating because he states aloud that he intends to use it.

Where to watch Krampus (2015):

Killer Klowns from Outer Space (1988)

I mean… The title basically says it all! Killer Klowns from Outer Space is a horror-comedy film about murderous aliens who look and act like clowns. It’s great fun!

As more time goes by, the chance that you’re someone who remembers a time when clowns weren’t evil/scary grows ever slimmer. Even among the HorrorFam.com team, only one of us is old enough to remember an era of whimsical friendly clowns, and even he wasn’t all that fond or trusting of them (he proactively stabbed an inflatable Bozo the Clown toy with a fork before it could inevitably attack!). However, unlike most evil clown films, the clowns in Killer Klowns from Outer Space remember to be silly and entertain you before they kill ya! (I’ve been assured by Christi Bandy that Art the Clown from the Terrifier franchise is also delightfully entertaining pre-kills, but those are hardcore “Unrated”/NC-17 horror films with extreme violence and faaaaaar from the gentle thrills of the PG-13 horror movies I’m focusing on).

I saw this movie in theaters and it scared me! I had been pretty chill about horror films both at home and in theaters, but Killer Klowns made me cover my eyes. I mean, I was three, so I think I can be afforded some slack. And when we went to McDonald’s afterwards and I screamed “KILLER!” at the Ronald McDonald statue, I wasn’t exactly wrong. Anyway, while Killer Klowns from Outer Space is a great scary movie for 10-year-olds who already dig the genre, I wouldn’t share it with anyone younger.

Fun Fact: When my dad was working on FX for Critters II, the Chiodo Bros had to do a few extremely last-minute additional shots for Killer Klowns from Outer Space and they had Dad paint the clown ‘gloves’ needed for those pick-up shots. It’s not on his official resume, because that’s not the project he was signed on for and it was just a few hands, but I still think it’s kinda neat.

The FX overall in Killer Klowns from Outer Space are really cool, now that I’m old enough to appreciate them with my eyes fully open!

Killer Klowns from Outer Space is rated PG-13 primarily for its language (like Tremors, it mysteriously has two F-bombs!) and the aliens have a pretty high kill count, including one dog. Most of the kills aren’t extremely graphic or gory. They’re using pies and popcorn for weapons, so it’s difficult to take too seriously if your age is in the double digits. But there’s one scene with a dead man being used as a puppet (like a ventriloquist dummy or Muppet) that reeeally toes the line of “this is too weird to be scary” and “this is disturbing.” That scene is very short though, so I think you’ll be okay. Killer Klowns from Outer Space is one of AJ Spencer’s Top Five favorite horror films!

Where to watch Killer Klowns from Outer Space (1988):

Critters (1986)

Critters is one of Isaiah Swanson’s all-time favorite horror films! Like Killer Klowns from Outer Space, it has awesome practical FX from the Chiodo Bros (my dad, Robert “Those Crites Have a LOT of Teeth to Paint” Tharp, was an FX painter at their shop for both the original and Critter II: The Main Course, and both are awesome PG-13 horror movies).

The title “critters” are a group of rambunctious aliens known as Crites. Similar to the Zanti Misfits, the Crites are rebellious prisoners that no one quite knows what to do with. Unlike the Zantis, they end up on earth by mistake, more akin to Stitch in Lilo and Stitch. They hijack a spaceship during a prison transfer and make their way here! And, just like Stitch, two aliens (of a different breed/race) follow in pursuit to get them back. Unlike Stitch, the Crites can’t be tamed with Elvis music and the love of a little girl – they’re pure mayhem!

Most of the action in Critters takes place on one family’s farm. The mom in the family is played by Dee Wallace (The Frighteners, The Howling) and she does a fantastic job acting thoroughly terrified of the teethy furballs! (And keep an eye out for a 19-year-old Billy Zane as the daughter’s boyfriend!).

Critters is technically a horror-comedy but it leans more into the horror than the comedy in this first entry. There are quite a few laughs (mainly with the alien bounty hunters trying to “blend in” with us earthlings), but it’s played a little more straight and is a great horror movie for tweens who want something a little more thrilling without being too scary. And, if you love Critters, then you’ll probably love Critters II just as much or more! The sequel is far goofier (if Critters is a horror-comedy, then Critters II is comedy-horror), and the scope of the Crites’ destruction is extended to most of the town instead of a single family and the special effects are even more spectacular.

Critters is rated PG-13 primarily due to “mild profanity” and on-screen drinking (one character in particular drinks quite a bit). It can be also be a little intense – due to the aforementioned great acting elevating the terror of being attacked by adorable puppets – and the Crites sometimes leave mildly bloody bite marks when they get toothy with their victims. As far as gore goes, the most “graphic” scene overall is when a (fake) cow is discovered after the Crites have eaten most of it. There’s also some gags in which Crites meet -ahem- explosive ends and their chunks splatter. There’s a prolonged makeout scene, but there’s zero nudity or sex. Overall, Critters isn’t a bad first horror film for 10-year-olds or older! I saw the sequel at the cast & crew screening when I was three and, other than one particular jump scare, I was totally fine. But, again, we always recommend not showing horror films to children under five!

Where to watch Critters (1986):

Where to watch Critters II (1988):

Mama (2013)

Mama starts out fairly grounded in grim reality, almost like a true crime story you’d read about or watch a YouTube podcaster share the details of: A father loses his wealth in the 2008 financial crisis, is completely mentally unhinged at the mere thought of no longer being rich, murders his wife, and then takes his two young daughters to an extremely remote cabin deep in the woods. His intention is to murder his two daughters, Victoria (age three) and Lily (age one), and then end himself. No middle class or poverty struggles for this family – he’s making sure of it! But then… WHAM! Something ends him before he can “take care” of his little girls.

After that insanely intense opening (all of that happens in the first five minutes!), Mama skips forward five years. Victoria and Lily have finally been found by a search party. They’re alive! They’ve been living in the woods for half a decade. Victoria is now eight and lily is six. The girls have been through heck, but they’re basically fine. Physically, at least.

The young girls now live with their uncle and his girlfriend. They’ve all been given a cozy place to live in exchange for letting a psychiatrist study them. Victoria adjusts pretty well and reintegrates back into society with relative ease. She just needed eyeglasses and a hot meal and she’s good to go! Lily, on the other hand, is completely feral and extremely hostile.

Both girls won’t stop mentioning “Mama.”

I’ll leave it at that. Mama is a film my dad and I discovered and we were both like “Whoa.” Some of the special FX are a little wobbly (one in particular had us cracking up), but the story is really neat. It stuck with us! It’s definitely worth watching at least once. Jessica Chastain headlines the cast as the girlfriend, but Megan Charpentier (Victoria) and Isabelle Nélisse (Lily) steal the show.

Mama is rated PG-13 due to “violence and terror, some disturbing images, and thematic elements.” Basically, that opening scene is pretty darn disturbing. You don’t see the girl’s biological mother get murdered (the dad goes into the room, a gunshot is heard, and he comes out with a blood splat on his shirt) and you don’t see him get killed (its shown through the very blurry eyes of Victoria, who has poor eyesight), but enough is implied that you’re like “holy crap!” And then, here and there, spooky things happen. The girls play with someone no one else can see, moths show up, and you catch glimpses of something juuuuuuuust out of the corner of your eye in several scenes. Just long enough for you to go “Wait. Did you see that?! There was something there!” and if the person your watching it with blinked, they’ll go, “No! What did you see??” and you’ll say, “I…I’m not really sure!” And then you’ll both be a little on edge and trying really hard not to blink so you can confirm whatever the heck it was the next time it shows up. It’s spooky fun!

Where to watch Mama (2013):

Lisa Frankenstein (2024)

Both Christi Bandy and my dad have written about Lisa Frankenstein, the story of a 1989 high school “weird girl” accidentally reanimating a corpse. And he’s cute?! Time for wacky romantic horror comedy antics to ensue!

I can’t say much about Lisa Frankenstein because one film on this list that I haven’t watched personally. But I trust both my dad and Christi and if they both say it’s an awesome PG-13 horror movie, then I believe them. If you’d like more details, you can read either or both of their reviews. They both praised Lisa Frankenstein for it’s cute characters.

Lisa Frankenstein is rated PG-13 for “violence, language, sexual material, and teenage drinking.”

Where to watch Lisa Frankenstein (2024):

1408 (2007)

Mike Eslin (John Cusack) makes his living debunking ghost stories. Someone saw a ghost somewhere? Mike’s going to that place and proving all they saw was a curtain blowing in the wind. Spooky noises? Those were just old pipes. Voices from beyond the veil? Nah. Just thin walls and noisy neighbors! Mike is not putting up with ANY supernatural nonsense – because the supernatural is all a bunch of hooey and Mike only has time for the TRUTH!

But then Mike gets a postcard for the Dolphin hotel in the mail with a little note saying “don’t enter 1408.” So, Mike, being a character in a horror film (and originally a character in a Stephen King short story) does exactly the opposite. He goes to the Dolphin and, despite warnings from the hotel manager (Samuel L. Jackson – making use of this PG-13 horror movie’s one allowed F-bomb), insists on staying in room 1408.

Is the room haunted? Heck yeah, it is! But I’m not going to tell you how or why or what happens from there. It’s way too much fun to watch! My husband and I love 1408, and would even go so far as to say we prefer this film to The Shining.

1408 is rated PG-13 due to “disturbing sequences of violence and terror, frightening images, and language.” I can’t really elaborate without getting into major spoilers, but if you’ve ever been to a haunted house or haunted maze for Halloween… 1408 is that, but in movie form. Something spooky is always happening. It’s an hour and 44 minutes long and it’s non-stop from the minute Mike enters the room until the end. It starts out a little slowly, keeps ramping up and up and up, and then is just absolutely nuts by the end. If you happen to have some kind of surround-sound system set up for home viewings – I envy you! I saw 1408 in theaters and they did AMAZING things with the sound that make you feel like you’re IN the room WITH Mike!! It’s still a great movie, even with regular ol’ coming-out-the-front-of-the-TV sound, but MAN… If 1408 gets a theatrical re-release for its 20th anniversary next year, Frank and I are buying tickets to watch it. I need to experience how dang cool that was again! Anyway… Check out 1408! It’s awesome.

Where to watch 1408 (2007):

The Sixth Sense (1999)

Bruce Willis is a child psychologist who gets shot by a former patient, recovers, and then reluctantly takes Cole Seer (Haley Joel Osmet, who was Oscar-nominated for Best Supporting Actor at just 11-years-old for this role!) as his next patient.

Cole Seer can “see dead people.” Seriously! He can see ghosts everywhere he goes, and it’s not doing wonders for his mental health. Seeing ghosts is scary!! He doesn’t like it. “Believe what you want to believe” is one tagline for The Sixth Sense the other, that more aptly describes Cole’s plight, was “Not every gift is a blessing.” Having the ability to see ghosts is a major bummer for this poor little boy.

At first, Bruce Willis treats Cole’s sixth sense like a mental illness. Then, he decides to just go with it. Okay. The kid is seeing ghosts. How about, instead of being afraid of the ghosts, Cole uses his powers to help ghosts…?

The Sixth Sense is a very sweet ghost(s) story. You get to thoroughly know Cole and his psychologist as they go on a quest to help ghosts gain closure regarding their deaths.

The number one rule for The Sixth Sense is, “don’t spoil” it! That even appeared on the later marketing. So, that’s all I’m going to tell you about The Sixth Sense. Just watch it. You probably already know all there is to know, especially since it’s nearly 30 years old at this point, but that doesn’t make it any less fun.

M. Night Shyamalan makes awesome PG-13 horror movies that are perfect for tweens who love horror! Seriously. ALL of his horror films are PG-13 and are great choices for younger audiences and fans of “lite” horror – I just picked The Sixth Sense because it’s THE M. Night Shyamalan horror film to watch. It’s one of only six horror films nominated for Best Picture at the Academy Awards since 1929!

The Sixth Sense is rated PG-13 for “intense thematic material and violent images.” Basically… ghosts don’t usually show up because they had happy, peaceful deaths. You know what I mean? So, when Cole sees the spirits of these people, they’re often pretty messed up. Many of them have visible, bloody wounds. And they have a habit of popping up out of nowhere! So, Cole is like “Gah!” because a gross-looking ghost just popped up and startled him and then you jump because he jumped and then you’re both startled and wanna know what the heck the ghost wants! The gore isn’t too extreme, especially by today’s standards, and the jump scares get less scary the further you get into the movie. They effectively put you in Cole’s shoes. That first scare will startle you – you just saw a gruesome ghost for the first time! – but, by the end, you’ll adjust to his/your “sixth sense” and learn to enjoy it. I don’t know if The Sixth Sense is a great first horror film for kids or tweens (that will depend on their tolerance levels for spooky FX makeup), but if they’ve already enjoyed lighter fare or truly love ghost stories in general, then absolutely show them this classic!

Where to watch The Sixth Sense (1999):

Gremlins 2: The New Batch (1990)

The first Gremlins was one of the films that created the need for a PG-13 rating! Way back in 1984, parents took way-too-young children to see the PG-rated Gremlins in theaters and it scared the piss out of ’em. The parents of those kids were extremely angry because how could a “PG” film be soooooo scary? But, Gremlins definitely wasn’t an R-rated horror film! It was barely scary and mostly just a silly good time. Why would Gremlins, a goofy horror comedy with barely any scares, have the same Parental Guidance rating as something like The Texas Chainsaw Massacre? That’s absurd! There needed to be a middle ground. And, thus, the PG-13 rating was born.

Which brings me to Gremlins 2: The New Batch! It dons the PG-13 rating the original created the need for. Does it deserve that rating? Ummmm… As much as the first one did, I guess? In my opinion, it’s far less scary than the original (even with the added presence of Christopher Lee!), and the original isn’t scary at all. Unless you find the gremlin puppets scary. I never have. My parents have a photo of toddler me, somewhere in their albums, watching cartoons while cradling a life-size doll of Spike like a baby. Basically, if you look at a photo of a gremlin and it scares you, the films are going to scare you; if you gaze upon their visage and find them adorable, then the films are going to be equally cute.

Gremlins 2: The New Batch is a very silly sequel to its original. If you haven’t seen the original, I highly recommend you start there. Don’t jump into Gremlins 2 without context. It’ll just be weird and confusing. Most of the humor in Gremlins 2 is how it parodies and references the original and exaggerates the premise.

After you’ve watched Gremlins 2, I highly recommend watching Key & Peele’s “Gremlins 2 Brainstorming Session.” It’s a hilarious skit depicting what writing the Gremlins 2 screenplay must have been like. (And the director, Joe Dante, went on record confirming their accuracy!).

Gremlins 2: The New Batch is rated PG-13 due to “cartoon violence, mild profanity, and some suggestive humor.”

Where to watch Gremlins 2: The New Batch (1990):

Beetlejuice, Beetlejuice (2024)

Much like Gremlins VS Gremlins 2, the original Beetlejuice (1988) was rated PG whereas its sequel is a PG-13 horror movie.

Released 36 years after the original, Beetlejuice Beetlejuice continues the story of Lydia Deetz, her stepmother Delia, and the “ghost with the most.”

Beetlejuice Beetlejuice is rated PG-13 for “violent content, macabre and bloody images, strong language, some suggestive material, and brief drug use.” I think that’s…fair. The original, with the exception of Beetlejuice’s language (he’s always had a bit of a potty mouth), truly is closer to a PG-rated horror film and exceptional for nearly ALL ages. The sequel, on the other hand, is geared more as a horror movie for 12-year-olds.

Where to watch Beetlejuice Beetlejuice (2024):

Maggie (2015)

Let me say one thing immediately: Maggie is a GREAT, beautifully-made, horror drama. The performances in it are absolutely superb (Abigail Breslin has proved herself time and time again since she was a child actor, but if you’re still iffy on whether Arnold Schwarzenegger can “really act” or is “just muscle”… you haven’t watched Maggie!).

That said, I place Maggie in a category of films that I can’t deny are fantastic, don’t regret watching, but never want to watch again. I don’t like crying! It gives me a wicked headache and mucks up my sinuses for days. Some folks adore dramas and love having a cathartic sob at the cinema (and that’s totally valid and okay!), but I’m not one of ’em. It’s rare that I’ll even watch a drama, let alone recommend one to anyone else.

Maggie is absolutely worth watching, even if your heart can only handle watching it once. Pick a day when you’re feeling stable enough to handle an emotional gut-punch, and watch in awe as a humble zombie film reduces you into a sobbing gooey mess. It’s very different, and it’s clear how much everyone involved cared about making it amazing. It was filmed on a budget of $1.4M and Arnold Schwarzenegger famously received only a symbolic $1 to star in it (because he loved the script so much and wanted to be a part of it so badly).

In the world of Maggie, a zombie outbreak has been going on for quite a while. Everyone’s just learned to live with it as something that happens. Being bitten by a zombie is similar to being given a terminal cancer diagnosis or living with AIDS. The process from first bite to the inevitable is a slooooooooow process. Those bitten can either spend their last days in a hospital, or they can receive hospice care at home…provided their caregivers are ready to do what must be done when the time comes.

While the zombification process is slow, Maggie, as a film, isn’t. With its 95-minute runtime, there isn’t a wasted moment. It doesn’t draaaaaaaag things out or try to overstay its welcome. It tells its story, comes to its conclusion, and ends exactly where it should end and not a second after.

Abigail Breslin is the title character, a teenage girl who’s bitten by a zombie; and Arnold Schwarzenegger is her loving father, who always strived to take care of his baby girl as a dad but is now burdened with the responsibility to “take care of” her when the time comes. If you thought the friendship between George and Lennie in Of Mice and Men was beautiful and tragic, you’ll be hit even harder by this father-daughter duo.

Maggie is rated PG-13 primarily because of its overall theme. Much like The Last Man on Earth, you stick with the main characters; however, you also see how the zombie virus is tearing apart others (sometimes literally in a low-gore sense, but mostly figuratively). You see glimpses of neighbors going through similar struggles. Families ravaged by grief at the hands of an unstoppable, incurable, illness. It’s brutal. Also, as you’re probably well-aware, zombies aren’t always the nicest to look at. As Maggie succumbs more and more to the virus, she gets really messed up and some of the ways her body deteriorates (maggots taking up occupancy in her arm comes vividly to mind!) can be pretty intense. Also…spoilers…a fox dies. And some humans, too. Of all the PG-13 horror movies on my list, Maggie is the one I would, personally, set aside for an older audience.

Where to watch Maggie (2015):

The Mummy (1999)

The Mummy is an action adventure romantic horror comedy film! Think five genres are too many for one movie to handle? Not in this case. It somehow maintains a consistent tone and pace for the duration of its runtime, and it’s wonderful. I rewatched it again on my birthday, just to make sure I wasn’t “nostalgia editing” duller scenes from my memory banks and… Nope! As of two days ago, The Mummy still holds up.

Set in 1926 (exactly 100 years ago!), The Mummy follows Evy, a librarian; her brother, Johnathan; and Rick O’Connell, adventurer for hire as they search for the lost city of Hamunaptra. Evy wants additional knowledge, Johnathan is seeking riches, and Rick just wants everyone to come back in one piece! And, of course, there’s a group of rival adventurers and other side characters who are also on a quest to find Hamunaptra and stir up trouble.

Hamunaptra, the City of the Dead, is also the burial ground of Imhotep AKA The Mummy. And, once he’s awakened, he isn’t the shambling mummy from the 1932 film, he’s a force to be reckoned with! As he consumes those who released him from his eternal tomb, he regenerates, growing stronger with each life he takes. He’s an immortal super being with the power to unleash the Biblical plagues of Egypt (swarms of locusts, blotting out the sun, turning water into blood, infecting people with boils, etc.) and he puts his powers to use!

Some of the CGI effects look a little wonky in the era of high-definition TVs, but I don’t see that as a bad thing. When special FX look TOO real, they’re scarier, and – having been born into the horror industry and by running a horror publication for going on seven years now – I’ve learned that “it’s too scary” is the number one reason a lot of folks shy away from the horror genre. But I’ve always held fast to the belief that horror is for everyone and that people who say they “don’t like” horror just haven’t found their preferred horror subgenre yet. That said, many horror films that could be for literally everyone, like The Mummy, could be deemed “too scary” if the effects were 100% realistic. For instance, if the title Mummy had ultra-real features as he was mid-regeneration instead of cartoony eyeballs. Or, if the “water into blood” was dark red and viscous instead of slightly red-tinted but still see-through. Instead, we now have an awesome PG-13 horror movie that can be enjoyed by entire families! I wouldn’t plop a seven-year-old in front of the television to watch The Mummy unattended (there are a couple scenes that would be too intense for young kids to handle on their own, if they’re new to the genre), but if YOU were there as well…? Absolutely!

The Mummy is rated PG-13 for “adventure violence and partial nudity.” The partial nudity is in regard to Imhotep’s girlfriend, Anck Su Namun. She wears a skin-tight, skin-toned outfit. It’s extremely form-fitting, and they briefly show her buttcheeks as she’s walking away (full body, not zoomed in on the cheeks), but that’s it. And the “adventure violence” is in reference to…everything else. There are a lot of exciting gunfights and brawls! The most brutal scenes, where violence is concerned, are shown via silhouettes/shadows. The most disturbing scenes are the details of the mummification process in the prologue and a victim who wears glasses (he loses his eyes and tongue – and there’s a shocking “reveal” moment that might be a bit of a jump scare. Despite the severity of his injuries, there’s no blood! Those facial features are just…erased. But the turn-around, the music, and the terrified reactions to his reveal can be intense).

Where to watch The Mummy (1999):

BONUS: The Birds (1963)

This is a bit of a cheat, since The Birds was released before movie ratings existed (the initial version of the MPAA ratings we have today was rolled out in 1968). However, several classic films were retroactively rated in later years and Alfred Hitchcock’s The Birds was designated a PG-13 horror movie!

Not long after my husband moved to Los Angeles, a homeless man outside a 7-Eleven warned, “Birds exist and they’re coming for YOU!” It was a good introduction to what life in LA is like. It’s also a good summary of the premise of this film.

There are a bajillion pissed off birds and they attack everyone. It sounds stupid unless you really think about it. How many birds are flying around outside where you are right now? At least three, I’d wager. And those are just the ones that you can see. Sitting on a telephone wire or pecking at bugs in the grass. Now imagine those birds, along with the ones that are hidden from your view, swooping down as a collaborative team to attack your face! Sharpened talons and pointed beaks and flappy wings all working in sync to destroy your tender flesh. Now that’s a horror movie!

The Birds is rated PG-13 for “frightening scenes,” which is extremely vague but I think it’s pretty safe to say they were referring to the scenarios I described above. Pissed off birds ganging up to attack humans’ fleshy bits.

Where to watch The Birds (1963):

This is only PART ONE! I’ll be sharing MORE awesome PG-13 horror movies SOON!!

This is part one of (at least) three! I’ve been watching PG-13 horror movies for years and writing down the ones I deem the most awesome in my spiral notebook. I’ll be sharing at least one more chunk of my list later this year.

If you’d like to be alerted when Part Two is published, I highly recommend subscribing to our free newsletter! I send it out every Friday with that week’s article plus a bonus subscriber-only horror film streaming recommendation. If you love the articles on HorrorFam.com, you’ll love the newsletter. It’s a great way to keep up with everything we’re doing here, plus you get a bonus ramble from one of us about an additional horror movie we’ve enjoyed recently!

Movie posters for this article were purchased via CineMaterial; horror film scene stills were purchased via MovieStillsDB.