7 of the best G-rated scary movies

Some of the most popular horror movies are pure nightmare fuel. From the graphic and gory to the hauntingly true stories and the ones that make us fear taking even one step outside the safety of our homes.

Many of these films receive a PG-13 or R rating. But for today's list, we are going to talk about those G-rated horror films that, believe it or not, actually exist.

Some of these films aren't exactly horror but have terrifying moments (even if unintentionally), whereas others are actual horror films that still hold up all these years later. Which films do you think made our list?

Pinocchio (1940)

Pinocchio is a cautionary tale. Like most fairy tales, it is full of memorable and very, very, very questionable moments.

Keep in mind the original story was published in 1883. Fast forward to 1940, and a cute little Walt Disney film is released telling the tale of the little wooden puppet who wanted to be a real boy.

And while the film is not supposed to be a G-rated horror movie, it very well could have been. Aside from the fact that Pinocchio's nose grows every time he tells a lie, we get the crazy scene of him and Geppetto getting swallowed whole by a whale and children turning into donkeys because of adult acts like drinking and smoking.

For all of the film's charming and heartfelt characters, like the ever steadfast and loyal Jiminy Cricket and the gentle warmth of The Blue Fairy, there were scenes with the sole purpose of scaring children straight. And they certainly did the job! By today's standards, the classic film would probably receive a PG rating like the heavily disliked live-action version from 2022.

We're not saying we disagree with the scary scenes in Pinocchio, as they did serve a purpose, but it is because of those scenes that this film made our list.

Fantasia (1940)

In the same year Pinocchio came out, Walt Disney also released Fantasia, a film full of music, color, and vivid imagination. One moment, we're watching pastel Pegasus ponies take flight to Beethoven's "The Pastoral Symphony," and the next, we are watching dancing ballerina hippos and ostriches, and even get to witness the undead rise from their graves and dance before a demonic winged creature.

Wait, what was that last one? In the same film, we have Mickey Mouse's "The Sorcerer's Apprentice" scene and the horrific "Night on Bald Mountain" segment. As a child, I adored Fantasia until this very scene, which thankfully is the second to last score in the film.

Everyone raise your hand if you had nightmares for weeks because of this scene. Between topless winged demonic women to little devils, skeletons, ghouls, and everything in between, sometimes flying right at the screen, we could only ask what Disney was thinking to include such a terrifying bit in such an otherwise harmless and childlike film.

We know there are some of you out there who think this scene wasn't nearly as bad as we're making it sound. And yes, we agree the dinosaur battle to the death and watching them go extinct was equally chilling (and unnecessarily drawn out), but for a G-rated film, "Night on Bald Mountain" had to be included on our list.

Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde (1941)

Oh boy, were we surprised to learn that Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde starring Hollywood royalty Spencer Tracy, Ingrid Bergman, and Lana Turner was a G-rated movie. Everyone knows the general premise of the 1886 Robert Louis Stevenson (yes, the brilliant mind behind Treasure Island) novella Strange Case of Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde.

Over the years, we have seen many iterations of the tale and character. This film is no different, showing just how Dr. Jekyll's curiosity and experiments begin to destroy the lives of countless people.

The film is violent, and audiences are subjected to not just bar fights but rape. Horrific in more ways than one, Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde is a classic but remember to watch without children present.

The Haunting (1963)

Oh, another classic that made us scratch our heads as to how on Earth this received a G rating. Many know of The Haunting remake from 1999 starring Liam Neeson, Catherine Zeta-Jones, Owen Wilson, and Lili Taylor.

But the original based on the 1959 book The Haunting of Hill House is arguably scarier than the remake. Aside from the film being in black and white, much of the horror is created through suspense, tension, the unknown, and the psychological. Is the house actually haunted, or is it all in everyone's mind?

Several depressing deaths happen at the house, leading to paranormal activity. But trust us when we tell you that this is your slow burn of horror films, which makes it all worthwhile to watch with the lights off and a bucket of popcorn.

Willy Wonka & the Chocolate Factory (1971)

You really didn't think we'd have a list of scary films and neglect to add this one, did you? Yes, we know it's not meant to be a horror film. It falls alongside the more enchanting and cautionary tale category, proving that it pays to be good, not just for tangible rewards but for the rewards that will pay off in adulthood.

Gene Wilder's take on the eccentric chocolate factory owner Willy Wonka is memorable for a plethora of reasons. The film is delightful, charming, and humorous, but at times, it crosses the threshold into the scary and bizarre. The way each child is punished is pretty barbaric, and the fact we don't see what happens to them by the end of the film leaves room to fear the worst.

Truthfully, the children were probably fine and punished in ways that would hopefully teach them to become better people. But it's eerie to think that the guests, all seeking the reward of a lifetime supply of chocolate, are essentially locked in a maze of a factory with no idea what will happen next.

The Brave Little Toaster (1987)

The Brave Little Toaster is not a Mandela effect. This is an actual animated movie that was released by the Walt Disney Company in 1987. Based on the 1980 book of the same name, household items come to life and seek their master, who has left for college without them.

They journey into the real world where they meet other household appliances, essentially witnessing the murder of a blender, the deaths of abandoned and "worthless" cars in a junkyard, almost losing their friend Kirby to suicide, and so forth. Do we need to go on? Like the majority of the movies on our list, The Brave Little Toaster isn't intended to be a horror film.

If anything, it may make audiences appreciate their household appliances a little bit more. But if we really wanted to talk about every scary scene in this film, we'd need to write a separate article altogether. This film is more depressing than it is whimsical or charming, and for that, it makes our list.

The Legend of Sleepy Hollow (1949)

Last but not least is our honorable mention, another Disney film, The Legend of Sleepy Hollow. This film is technically unrated but still scary for one very specific character: the Headless Horseman.

This animated film has murders and the Headless Horseman. What more do you need? Based on the infamous book of the same name by Washington Irving (the same writer of Rip Van Winkle), it tells the tale of the more commonly known version of the horrifying and spooky Headless Horseman, who rides a black horse while holding a flaming jack-o'-lantern in place of his missing head.

He screeches, he rides unbelievably fast, and if you aren't careful, it's your head he'll seek next. This is far from the actual story about a German or Hessian (depending on whom you ask) who loses his head during the American Revolution, but my goodness, is it scary!

The Headless Horseman remains one of the absolute scariest horror icons to this very day. Truthfully, this film is almost too scary for children who no doubt have seen it and have been terrified to walk any road alone at night.

Which G-rated horror movie do you think is the scariest?

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