Streaming services are screaming with horror movies this October, and one new addition to Peacock is a must-see while you can still access it. The kid-friendly horror genre is dominated by fan favorites like The Nightmare Before Christmas, Coraline, and Corpse Bride, but some cynics refuse to accept that animation doesn’t make them any less good as horrors. Those movies are classics for a reason and remain endlessly rewatchable, but no horror fan should pass on another underrated animated Halloween film this spooky season.
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Gil Kenan’s 2006 directorial debut, Monster House, started streaming on Peacock on October 1st, and it’s only set to be on the platform until Halloween. The movie is set during the Halloween season and centers around a trio of kids who must band together to destroy a creepy house in their neighborhood that isn’t just haunted – it’s alive. Monster House grossed $142 million worldwide against a $75 million budget and is “Certified Fresh” on Rotten Tomatoes with a 75% critic score and is a great watch for families during the Halloween season, absolutely deserving a spot alongside other Halloween classics.
Why You Should Watch Monster House
Monster House is slapped with a kid-friendly PG rating, but it’s a soft horror film that even adults will enjoy. An absolute blast from beginning to end that cleverly turns the haunted house narrative on its head by bringing the house itself to life, the movie is an unpredictable, tightly paced classic spooky adventure that brings genuinely creepy elements and scares and a surprisingly touching emotional element. The anxious DJ, goofy Chowder, and smart Jenny make for entertaining characters, and their great chemistry and genuine, childlike banter and antics lead to enough humorous moments to balance the creepier elements of the film.
Where Monster House really shines is in its animation. The film was among the first to combine motion-capture work with traditional animation, something that led to lifelike characters and a unique visual style with a stop-motion feel. The movie as a whole is visually stunning and perfectly captures the essence of Halloween – from the dark, foreboding atmosphere of the haunted house, including the monstrous teeth and branching arms, to the perfect fall scenery of the neighborhood. This all combines to make Monster House a perfect family-friendly Halloween movie that is equal parts scary, humorous, and heartfelt. While other animated Halloween flicks like Coraline and The Nightmare Before Christmas get all the attention this time of year, Monster House is a perfect family-friendly Halloween movie that is equal parts scary, humorous, and heartfelt.
Other Halloween Movies Now on Peacock
Plenty of Halloween movies are haunting Peacock’s streaming library this October, and Monster House isn’t the only streaming option for families. If you’re looking for kid-friendly haunts, titles including The Book of Life, Ghostbusters, Ghostbusters II, and Tim Burton’s Corpse Bride are all now streaming on the NBCUniversal streamer as of October 1st.
Peacock subscribers looking for more serious scares can test their bravery with terrifying films like The Craft: Legacy, Dead Silence, Fright Night, Leatherface: Texas Chainsaw Massacre 3, The Mist, and Poltergeist. The streamer also added several titles from the Friday the 13th, Leprechaun, and Scream franchises.
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