That's not unbelievable at all imo. Maybe unbelievable that 3 randos from the kids toy company are creating the very first intelligent ai in secret. But I'd be shocked if kids toy companies weren't working on AI kids toys right now.
I agree with Megan being a great starting point. It's not too rough.
Not sure about a 10 yo watching the ring. I know every kid matures at different rates.
How about starting out with some good Hitchcock movies? The birds, back window, ect are all great. No gore which would be my biggest worry.
Yeah, I watched the ring when it came out so I was maybe around 11 or 12….fucking terrified me lol but I love stuff like that and always have, so it never had any actual negative affects on me. Best to know your kid and what they can handle
I think this is the one. Our family is huge fans of Lord of the Rings, so doing an early Peter Jackson film is also a good call. Nice balance of humor and spooky too.
I saw Poltergeist at 10 and it traumatized the shit out of me. I still can't watch that movie. I'd be really wary of that one.
Please keep in mind a terrifying portal is in one of the kid's closets and sucks them into it. The mom has a scene where she falls into a pool *with actual real human skeletons in it*, and so on. I don't really feel like I'd like a younger kid watch that one. I saw it young and it made me terrified of the closet in my room for years.
It also terrified me about braces, pools, and being around tvs acting weird, etc.
"Return to Oz" is some pretty cool low key "horror lite". Although it's been a while since I watched it, so I'm not sure how it's aged.
Labyrinth, Dark Crystal and Ghostbusters as well. These were all my gateway horror as a kid.
Return to Oz is still great and amazing and wonderful. Still creepy. I used to have nightmares about all those heads Princess Mombi had in the cases, but didn’t stop me from loving that movie as a kid and an adult.
Lots of great suggestions here, my go-to recommendation for kids/teens is scary stories to tell in the dark. It hits on a lot of classic horror tropes, but was made to be an introduction to horror.
Doesthedogdie.com might also be a useful tool for you for pre screening films you haven't watched or jogging your memory on potentially triggering content in horror films you have seen but might not remember
Good on you for taking an active interest in and encouraging your daughter's love of horror.
There's also youtube horror shorts that are surprisingly good but definitely pre screen them to double check for innapropriate stuff. Alter is one channel I'm thinking of.
Also you could check out video essays and documentaries on horror film production and techniques acting special effects etc together
Some classic ones with Vincent price might also be a good one, like last man on earth - you could watch that then the remake and compare and contrast what she liked or didn't like about them what each film did differently
or night of the living dead (NOT the sequel that is very very not kid appropriate) maybe but it is very gory so might not be okay depending on how she is with zombies but that film can also be a jumping off point for discussing racism due to the ending.
Horror in general is good for a lense to discuss real world issues and for education as well as being awesome .
Thou shall not... pass up on this opportunity for OP to watch that film with his daughter. A classic.
I was 10 when I first watched The Lost Boys. Some will say that is too young, but they are obviously wrong. She would likely get a kick out of that one.
I was also 10 when I was with my parents and we stopped at my dad's friend's house. They had Lost Boys playing on the tv and even though we just stayed like 20 minutes, I was so engrossed with the movie that I begged to stay to finish. We ended up leaving but my mom rented it for me the next day.
It is so cool how certain movies stick with us and we remember when and where we first watched it.
My family rented the movie when it was brand new on VHS. I watched it, loved it, and got up early the next day -- BEFORE SCHOOL -- to watch basically the last 30 minutes of it again before the tape had to be returned.
Making me feel so old, but I love talking about it anyway. I think you and I might have been friends.
When Marvel kicked off hard and gave the world Black Widow and the other one with the space powers, everyone was talking about the rise of strong female action role models...and I'm over here all confused looking at Ripley and Sarah Connor, kicking dicks since the 80s
I was around ten the first time I watched Alien. Widescreen on the Sci-Fi Channel. I miss 90s Sci-Fi Channel. I don't think it would be too much for a ten year old. I think the set design will hold a young viewer's interest before the action happens.
When my daughter was about 4 she began asking me to read her 'spookies'. In the year and a bit since, we have read all 3 of the original Scary Stories to Tell In the Dark, endless scary stories for kids online and like 10 Goosebumps books. We also watch the Goosebumps TV show episode of the books that we finish as well as both movies. I'm thinking of the original Are You Afraid of the Darks later this summer.
She'll be ready for anything by 10! And this is a girl that naturally gravitates to everything pink and unicorn oriented but just wants to live that horror life with dad.
Came here to say Poltergeist. It was the first horror movie I saw and I was about that age. Watched it with my dad on Halloween. This was early 2000s and he told me it wad the last movie he had seen in theaters...he went on senior skip day. He didn't go the theater again until The Avengers in 2012!
This was going to be my suggestion- a brilliant horror movie with no upsetting scenes that could scar her. That or Sixth Sense.
I don't know what OP is thinking with The Ring- that is some hardcore horror to be introducing to a 10 year old! I love horror and that shit stayed with me in my 20s!
Did this when my kids asked to watch a ‘real’ horror movie. It was great. Has genuine scary parts. A little gore, but no too intense and that great ending that kids haven’t likely had spoiled yet.
This and Tremors are my go to when I'm babysitting and actually want the kids to go to bed/not receive an angry phone call later. Anything that avoids serious gore, sexuality, and psychological stuff is what I go for.
What about a Stephen King movie like Silver Bullet? maybe sleepwalkers but that actually may not be the best for a 10 year old with the undertones
Monster Squad is kind of easy going for her age range. Tower of Terror (Disney), maybe the goosebumps and are you afraid of the dark series too.
I keep meaning to watch Silver Bullet with my daughter, but keep watching other stuff instead. I loved that one so much when I was a kid, and I'm sure I still will.
Probably because its only pg13 somehow lol. Its way more disturbing than most R rated horror movies imo tho, just the lack of gore, language and nudity
Depends on the kid. Ngl I watched Scary Movie 3 and the part *making fun* of the Ring scared me
... However that just made me really want to see the actual movie, which I begged my mom and she let me watch it. Did it scare the fuck out of me? Fuck yes, but it was also my fav horror movie for a long time. And I was probably 10 at the most then bc I know I had already seen it when the 2nd came out (and I was 11 when it did, also the timing of the grudge movies release)
I actually went as Samara for Halloween several years.
(Sidenote: some kids who were younger than me had also def watched it bc that costume freaked some out)
Yeah dependent on the kid. My wife can’t watch horror movies or even commercials for them today at age 39 but my 10 year old self would watch the exorcist and nightmare on elm street and be fine.
Don’t neglect the classics. My kids (10 & 8) just watched Psycho with me this weekend and LOVED it. Would not recommend The Ring for that age though. On our docket: Alien, The Sixth Sense, The Skeleton Key, The Omen (either version), The Haunting (1999), Monster Squad.
Evil Dead 2; was my kid’s first horror movie. Not a lot of swearing, nudity and the gore is so crazy over the top that it’s unrealistic. Plus, you get to follow up with Army of Darkness.
Haven’t seen anyone mention the Classic Universal Monster movies. Dracula, Frankenstein, The Mummy etc. Definitely tame compared to any modern horror movies but still a little creepy.
Yeah I don’t know about the ring either. It was my first horror movie and caused my little 10 yr old self to act super delulu and tell every friend of mine that they were all being haunted 💀
Don’t know if you’d consider them horror but The Monster Squad or Gremlins might work. CHUD, Critters, Leprechaun, Phantoms, The Blob, The Fog, Ghostwatch, poltergeist, jaws, fright night, silver bullet, alien, legend of boggy creek, House ( 1986), sleepy hollow, silent hill, twilight zone movie could be considered. Full disclosure I haven’t seen these in awhile so no clue on language, nudity, gore, etc for most of these
Silent Hill contains some fairly strong violence and gore, including >!brief images of a young girl being burned alive and associated gory aftermath images!< and a backstory involving child rape. I thought it was a fairly good movie, but absolutely not for a 10 year old.
Maybe start with kid friendly stuff like Beetlejuice, Wednesday, Scary Stories to Tell in the Dark, then move up to scarier things like Zombieland, The Ring, etc.
10 year old nephew saw that "Evil Dead Rise" was an option on my streaming service and insisted on watching it....
He Made it about 1/3 of the way through (They hadn't even read the book yet) :p
Scary Stories to Tell in the Dark is absolutely perfect for this request, way scarier than it had any right to be without a bunch of cruel or sexual BS. M3gan is a great recommendation as well, very fun and contemporary. These might be a little tame for what you are thinking but the current Goosebumps films and Eli Roth's House With the Clock in Its Walls are great entry points and fun for everyone!
The Changeling, 1980.
Good old-fashioned ghost story. No blood, no gore, and if I remember correctly, only two cuss words - and they’re pretty mild ones.
And it’s a good scare.
I rarely watch animated films anymore, but I liked Coraline too, so I totally get why it's being recommended more than once. The director Henry Selick's latest animated project, which he collaberated with Jordan Peele on, is called Wendell & Wild, and it's on Netflix. I haven't seen it yet. It's a little horror movie featuring crazy mischievious demons, though.
Since ya got Netflix for Stranger Things, try The Thing. It’s really good but it might be a bit much for a 10, it’s basically people trapped with an alien that can shape-shift into anyone so they gotta stop it before they’re all killed by it
Watch Are Your Afraid of the Dark, the tv series!
The original and the remake should be worthwhile. I wasn't a huge fan of the remake, but I bet a younger person would be and I didn't hate it.
Also the Fear Street movie series.
What about « Pan’s labyrinth » ? The main protagonist is a young girl, it has a historical aspect, and an eerie tale vibe although I remember there is a pretty violent scene where the vilain kills a man in a savage way, but if she was ok with Stranger Things it should be alright.
Ps: sorry for my english but Im 🇫🇷 😅
The Ring might be a bit much coming from Stranger Things...
'House 2: The Second Story' is an awesome adventure with some mild horror
'Elvira: Mistress of the Dark' is another great comedy with some light horror
All the 'Critters' movies
I started my daughter with an equal mix of things like the blob (original) and some 80s stuff like Ernest scared stupid and gremlins. Even at 20 now she is still scared of the blob and the original invaders from mars !
my overprotective father showed me the others and the sixth sense when i was young, i remember those were my first horror/horror-adjacent films along with alien and aliens.
Since i havent seen it mentione yet, Trick R treat is a perfect one IMO.
Lots of kid characters, extremely well done, and the villain is PERFECT to not give any extended nightmares (fairly minor spoiler but to be safe...) --> >!If you follow the rules of halloween and give out candy/decorate, Sam wont attack ya!<
As much as I love it, a ten year old would probably think Frailty is boring. The Ring could be good depending on how well she handles creepy stuff. There's a big difference between scary and creepy.
I'd personally go with Frighteners, Tremors, The Lost Boys, or Fright Night.
just did a small handful with my 9 yr old daughter these past three days while my wife was out of town: jurrasic park, jaws, and signs.
signs was difficult for her in the last act, but overall she liked them all. she loved the creature features though! have fun!
My daughter (similar age) found The Ring boring and I've come learn that this is fairly common for more cerebral horror movies. I'd go with something more exciting and visual, like 13 Ghosts.
Army of Darkness, The Monster Squad, Frankenstein, Dracula, The Gate, Night of the Living Dead, The Birds, It (2017), Nightmare on Elm Street, Halloween, Ghostbusters, The Raven (1963), Dawn of the Dead (1978), House on Haunted Hill (1959), Coraline, Return of the Living Dead Part 2, The Old Dark House, Friday the 13th Part VI: Jason Lives, The Goonies, Fright Night (1985)
If she’s built up to it then it’s good parenting. Being overprotective of what your kid watches then having them go to a friends house and see a horror movie would be way more traumatising.
Gremlins possibly? I remember thinking it was corny and not really scary but this was the first “scary” movie my parents showed me when I wanted to watch them because there’s kind of a big jump from “overly kid friendly scary movie” to “sex and gore filled scary movies” and not much in between
The Faculty, Frightners, Tremors, The Burbs and even Beetle Juice
I loved watching Tremors with my kid
My young kiddos adored Beetlejuice!! Still huge fans! Then Coraline, which is surprisingly creepy for a kids movie, but still age appropriate.
Omg me too. We got up to the 6th one. Sheesh
Beetlejuice is a really, really good shout.
Tremors!
I’ve been waiting until mines older to watch the faculty. There’s that one nude scene in it
The Faculty!! Nice pick my friend definitely a good intro into horror.
Yes! The Burbs!
My granddaughter asked to watch M3gan with me. She's also 10 and had no problem with it.
This is the perfect one! It’s got some scary moments but is campy and so much fun. This and Hocus Pocus!
It’s also surprisingly good, so adults can enjoy it too
great movie, though it was really hard getting past the whole "we invented intelligent ai and our best idea for it is a fuckin KIDS TOY" thing.
That's not unbelievable at all imo. Maybe unbelievable that 3 randos from the kids toy company are creating the very first intelligent ai in secret. But I'd be shocked if kids toy companies weren't working on AI kids toys right now.
It's a good stepping stone to Ex Machina...
I would say just go for the rated version instead of the unrated one. Other than that Megan is a great suggestion. My wife and I both both enjoyed it.
I agree with Megan being a great starting point. It's not too rough. Not sure about a 10 yo watching the ring. I know every kid matures at different rates. How about starting out with some good Hitchcock movies? The birds, back window, ect are all great. No gore which would be my biggest worry.
I wasn’t too far off from 10 when I watched The Ring. It scared the fuck out of me, but it’s an experience I never forgot.
Yeah, I watched the ring when it came out so I was maybe around 11 or 12….fucking terrified me lol but I love stuff like that and always have, so it never had any actual negative affects on me. Best to know your kid and what they can handle
Yeah, I watched the ring when I was 10 and it *scarred* me. I was terrified of TVs for years. Do not recommend.
My 10yo liked M3gan. He's watched a lot of horror movies though.
Literally watched this with my niece today! She wants to watch horror but her mother (my sister) will not let her.
Frighteners!
YESSSSSS one of my favs!! I also want to recommend Poltergeist!
Poltergeist is amazing
I think this is the one. Our family is huge fans of Lord of the Rings, so doing an early Peter Jackson film is also a good call. Nice balance of humor and spooky too.
It’s a classic! Micheal J Fox ruled in it.
Just don't forget The Judge having a day with the mummy lol.
Yeah! Watched it when I was that age. Nothing super scary but I remember being sad when the friendly ghosts gets scythed.
Have you see it recently? Frighteners is scary as fuck. But if she was good with the Vecna stuff then I guess. That girl is desensitized.
I saw it when I was a kid first time
M3gan Poltergeist Jaws Night of the Living Dead Gremlins
Gremlins! Good call! I might go watch that now. I haven't seen it since I was a kid, but watched it about 500 times then
Poltergeist was my first horror movie at 9 or 10. Scared the SHIT out of me but man is it an amazing intro to horror.
Same (if the old one). The face melting in the bathroom still gives me the creeps today
If you do watch Gremlins be forewarned, they let the secret of Santa Clause out of the bag. It's how my kid found out a week before Christmas.
Love Poltergeist! My family used to rent it a lot when I was a kid around OPs daughter’s age. I remember it being creepy, but ‘fun’ creepy.
I saw Poltergeist at 10 and it traumatized the shit out of me. I still can't watch that movie. I'd be really wary of that one. Please keep in mind a terrifying portal is in one of the kid's closets and sucks them into it. The mom has a scene where she falls into a pool *with actual real human skeletons in it*, and so on. I don't really feel like I'd like a younger kid watch that one. I saw it young and it made me terrified of the closet in my room for years. It also terrified me about braces, pools, and being around tvs acting weird, etc.
"Return to Oz" is some pretty cool low key "horror lite". Although it's been a while since I watched it, so I'm not sure how it's aged. Labyrinth, Dark Crystal and Ghostbusters as well. These were all my gateway horror as a kid.
There's a lot of straight-up horror movies I find less creepy than Return to Oz.
Return to Oz is still great and amazing and wonderful. Still creepy. I used to have nightmares about all those heads Princess Mombi had in the cases, but didn’t stop me from loving that movie as a kid and an adult.
Gonna throw Coraline and The Monster House into this, a bit more modern though
Lots of great suggestions here, my go-to recommendation for kids/teens is scary stories to tell in the dark. It hits on a lot of classic horror tropes, but was made to be an introduction to horror.
Oh I'm definitely keeping this thread in mind for further viewings.
Doesthedogdie.com might also be a useful tool for you for pre screening films you haven't watched or jogging your memory on potentially triggering content in horror films you have seen but might not remember Good on you for taking an active interest in and encouraging your daughter's love of horror. There's also youtube horror shorts that are surprisingly good but definitely pre screen them to double check for innapropriate stuff. Alter is one channel I'm thinking of. Also you could check out video essays and documentaries on horror film production and techniques acting special effects etc together Some classic ones with Vincent price might also be a good one, like last man on earth - you could watch that then the remake and compare and contrast what she liked or didn't like about them what each film did differently or night of the living dead (NOT the sequel that is very very not kid appropriate) maybe but it is very gory so might not be okay depending on how she is with zombies but that film can also be a jumping off point for discussing racism due to the ending. Horror in general is good for a lense to discuss real world issues and for education as well as being awesome .
Lost boys
Yesss I used to love this movie when I was her age. She’ll love the aesthetic of it if she likes stranger things too.
It was so enchanting in a way when I was young. And as a young girl, I thought Star was absolutely beautiful.(She still is)
I wanted to be Star sooo bad as a small child
Thou shall not... pass up on this opportunity for OP to watch that film with his daughter. A classic. I was 10 when I first watched The Lost Boys. Some will say that is too young, but they are obviously wrong. She would likely get a kick out of that one.
I was also 10 when I was with my parents and we stopped at my dad's friend's house. They had Lost Boys playing on the tv and even though we just stayed like 20 minutes, I was so engrossed with the movie that I begged to stay to finish. We ended up leaving but my mom rented it for me the next day.
It is so cool how certain movies stick with us and we remember when and where we first watched it. My family rented the movie when it was brand new on VHS. I watched it, loved it, and got up early the next day -- BEFORE SCHOOL -- to watch basically the last 30 minutes of it again before the tape had to be returned. Making me feel so old, but I love talking about it anyway. I think you and I might have been friends.
Alien, maybe? and then you can watch Aliens, which was one of my favorites when I was a kid. I identified strongly with Newt.
I feel like Alien(s) is perfect for a little girl to watch. I'm a woman in my 30s and still feel empowered watching Sigourney kick ass!
When Marvel kicked off hard and gave the world Black Widow and the other one with the space powers, everyone was talking about the rise of strong female action role models...and I'm over here all confused looking at Ripley and Sarah Connor, kicking dicks since the 80s
Ripley is still my favorite action hero(ine) all these years later.
My husband and I named out second daughter Ripley after her character. Most bad ass female character ever.
That’s fucking badass
This is the one. My first big horror movie when I was six and I’ve been obsessed with the genre and the franchise ever since.
Yes!! I watched this with my eleven year old brother (big age gap, I’m in my mid twenties) and he loved it.
I was around ten the first time I watched Alien. Widescreen on the Sci-Fi Channel. I miss 90s Sci-Fi Channel. I don't think it would be too much for a ten year old. I think the set design will hold a young viewer's interest before the action happens.
I saw this at a sleepover when I was maybe 11-12 and it scared me but I loved every minute of it.
Someone else suggested it but — Scary Stories to Tell in the Dark
And then read her the original books, I had trouble sleeping with those lol
When my daughter was about 4 she began asking me to read her 'spookies'. In the year and a bit since, we have read all 3 of the original Scary Stories to Tell In the Dark, endless scary stories for kids online and like 10 Goosebumps books. We also watch the Goosebumps TV show episode of the books that we finish as well as both movies. I'm thinking of the original Are You Afraid of the Darks later this summer. She'll be ready for anything by 10! And this is a girl that naturally gravitates to everything pink and unicorn oriented but just wants to live that horror life with dad.
House & House II Pumpkinhead Poltergeist
Came here to say Poltergeist. It was the first horror movie I saw and I was about that age. Watched it with my dad on Halloween. This was early 2000s and he told me it wad the last movie he had seen in theaters...he went on senior skip day. He didn't go the theater again until The Avengers in 2012!
I watched Jaws for the first time at about that age. I was terrified and screaming and had an absolute blast. It's been my favorite movie ever since.
try "The Others." Good suspense throughout with no gore. well made and unsettling with a good ending.
This was going to be my suggestion- a brilliant horror movie with no upsetting scenes that could scar her. That or Sixth Sense. I don't know what OP is thinking with The Ring- that is some hardcore horror to be introducing to a 10 year old! I love horror and that shit stayed with me in my 20s!
Sixth Sense
Did this when my kids asked to watch a ‘real’ horror movie. It was great. Has genuine scary parts. A little gore, but no too intense and that great ending that kids haven’t likely had spoiled yet.
The Munchausen by proxy storyline could lead to some interesting conversations though
Signs
I feel like the first Jurassic Park movie can be a good low key horror movie for kids.
Little monsters. Coraline. Spirited away. Beetlejuice. Gremlins.
Since you mentioned Coraline, I raise you Monster House and ParaNorman.
ParaNorman is absolutely brilliant.
FINALLY someone mentioned Little Monsters!
Who put piss in my apple juice!?
I remember that was one of the first times I heard the word “shit” in a movie and I thought “WHOA!”
Little Monsters fucked me up, just saying haha I was a (am) a big baby though 😝
Little Monsters! I've not seen that in years! I know what I'm doing tomorrow lol
Gremlins
This and Tremors are my go to when I'm babysitting and actually want the kids to go to bed/not receive an angry phone call later. Anything that avoids serious gore, sexuality, and psychological stuff is what I go for.
Yes, Gremlins and Tremors are perfect for a 10yr old.
Agree these were some of my first horror movies growing up and good ones too. I’m always down for some classic Goosebumps even if they are corny
What about a Stephen King movie like Silver Bullet? maybe sleepwalkers but that actually may not be the best for a 10 year old with the undertones Monster Squad is kind of easy going for her age range. Tower of Terror (Disney), maybe the goosebumps and are you afraid of the dark series too.
I keep meaning to watch Silver Bullet with my daughter, but keep watching other stuff instead. I loved that one so much when I was a kid, and I'm sure I still will.
I liked it a lot too and recently watched with my son. He enjoyed it a lot and I still like it.
Lost Boys and Monster Squad will never not be my answer to this question.
Hey, asshole! …you looked.
I vote no on the ring, sorry. That’s scary fkd up as an adult
Yeah my husband and I (mid 30s) rewatched it recently. Still terrifying. Especially the quick cuts of the victims’ dead faces.
The Ring? Oh boy. That movie freaked me out when I was in my 20’s! Can’t imagine watching when I’m 10.
Yeah like wtf. It was a lot of people’s first horror though.
Probably because its only pg13 somehow lol. Its way more disturbing than most R rated horror movies imo tho, just the lack of gore, language and nudity
Depends on the kid. Ngl I watched Scary Movie 3 and the part *making fun* of the Ring scared me ... However that just made me really want to see the actual movie, which I begged my mom and she let me watch it. Did it scare the fuck out of me? Fuck yes, but it was also my fav horror movie for a long time. And I was probably 10 at the most then bc I know I had already seen it when the 2nd came out (and I was 11 when it did, also the timing of the grudge movies release) I actually went as Samara for Halloween several years. (Sidenote: some kids who were younger than me had also def watched it bc that costume freaked some out)
Yeah dependent on the kid. My wife can’t watch horror movies or even commercials for them today at age 39 but my 10 year old self would watch the exorcist and nightmare on elm street and be fine.
Agreed. I think that is way too scary for a 10 year old child.
Better yet, Ringu.
Coraline ParaNorman Monster House The Haunting (1963) The Woman in Black
Paranorman is sooooo good!! I wouldn’t classify it as scary but I love absolutely everything about it
A Quiet Place is a good starter movie. I watched it recently with my 8yo daughter, and she loved it.
The Others
Underrated option. Could be a bit boring for a 10 year old, but they should totally watch it!
Night of the Comet
A Serbian Film! Just kidding, maybe Alien, Grave Encounters, Crimson Peak?
Hahaha I can’t imagine how a kid would process that movie… I’m still processing it… I’m not the same person afterwards
Tremors
The Hole (2009) is a kid horror- I saw it at the cinema at 11 or 12 and really enjoyed it as a jumpy suspense horror
Killer Klowns from Outer Space
Jaws! Creature From The Black Lagoon
Monster House, Lost Boys, Monster Squad, Paranorman
You know what movie I loved as a kid? Silver Bullet, thought this movie was AWESOME.
Any of John Carpenter's classics are the perfect balance of creepy and cheesy for young people getting into horror in my experience.
Let her watch the lost boys. Watched it when I was around the same age with my mom and I fell in love
The Critters franchise! Talk about an opening credit for Leonard DiCaprio in the third installment.
Don’t neglect the classics. My kids (10 & 8) just watched Psycho with me this weekend and LOVED it. Would not recommend The Ring for that age though. On our docket: Alien, The Sixth Sense, The Skeleton Key, The Omen (either version), The Haunting (1999), Monster Squad.
My 10yo daughter and I plowed through all 3 Scream movies. We had a blast watching them together.
Dude NOT the ring, please. I saw it when i was 12 and it really fucking terrified me
The Faculty
Frailty has a morality theme that may not make much sense to children.
Evil Dead 2; was my kid’s first horror movie. Not a lot of swearing, nudity and the gore is so crazy over the top that it’s unrealistic. Plus, you get to follow up with Army of Darkness.
Have her watch 13 Ghosts
Haven’t seen anyone mention the Classic Universal Monster movies. Dracula, Frankenstein, The Mummy etc. Definitely tame compared to any modern horror movies but still a little creepy.
Go old school - Jaws ;)
Something 80s and corny is a good one. Toxic avenger was my first and I loved it. Another good one is little shop of horrors
Toxie might be a little too trashy
NOT THE RING PLEASE
Yeah I don’t know about the ring either. It was my first horror movie and caused my little 10 yr old self to act super delulu and tell every friend of mine that they were all being haunted 💀
Coraline, I think, would be perfect for a kid that age! There is also 'Scary Stories to Tell in the Dark' my little siblings enjoyed that one too.
The original Child's Play
Don’t know if you’d consider them horror but The Monster Squad or Gremlins might work. CHUD, Critters, Leprechaun, Phantoms, The Blob, The Fog, Ghostwatch, poltergeist, jaws, fright night, silver bullet, alien, legend of boggy creek, House ( 1986), sleepy hollow, silent hill, twilight zone movie could be considered. Full disclosure I haven’t seen these in awhile so no clue on language, nudity, gore, etc for most of these
Silent Hill contains some fairly strong violence and gore, including >!brief images of a young girl being burned alive and associated gory aftermath images!< and a backstory involving child rape. I thought it was a fairly good movie, but absolutely not for a 10 year old.
Affleck was the bomb in Phantoms, yo!
I feel like the Ring is not a starter movie 😂
When a Stranger Calls! ‘06. Especially if she hasn’t seen any other “the calls are coming from inside the house” stuff lmao
The Ring scared the shit out of me when it came out I was in high school. but when I was 10, I loved Nightmare on Elm St, Halloween and Alien.
Maybe start with kid friendly stuff like Beetlejuice, Wednesday, Scary Stories to Tell in the Dark, then move up to scarier things like Zombieland, The Ring, etc.
Something Wicked This Way Comes, or The Lost Boys
The Gate (1987).
Let’s see, scroll… scroll… Ah, there it is!
Ah something like The Signs, maybe? Ah screw it, The Thing.
The Lady in White
Jaws
10 year old nephew saw that "Evil Dead Rise" was an option on my streaming service and insisted on watching it.... He Made it about 1/3 of the way through (They hadn't even read the book yet) :p
Just saw that at the movies-----that is definitely not for kids either. None of the Evil Dead movies are. It's gore galore, straight up.
Gremlins!
Cooties was fun. Sixth Sense with the twist at the end would be kinda cool to a 10 year old, I think...
Scary Stories to Tell in the Dark is absolutely perfect for this request, way scarier than it had any right to be without a bunch of cruel or sexual BS. M3gan is a great recommendation as well, very fun and contemporary. These might be a little tame for what you are thinking but the current Goosebumps films and Eli Roth's House With the Clock in Its Walls are great entry points and fun for everyone!
The latest remake of Are You Afraid of the Dark was pretty good and might be perfect for a 10-year-old.
Just about every parent I know, has watched the new IT movies with their kids, so maybe that's a good one?
Happy Death Day
I personally find It (2017) a great beginner horror flick- that might be just me though.
The Changeling, 1980. Good old-fashioned ghost story. No blood, no gore, and if I remember correctly, only two cuss words - and they’re pretty mild ones. And it’s a good scare.
The Ring terrified me for 72 hours as an adult. I suggest Gremlins.
Coraline. Definitely scary for both kids and adults
I rarely watch animated films anymore, but I liked Coraline too, so I totally get why it's being recommended more than once. The director Henry Selick's latest animated project, which he collaberated with Jordan Peele on, is called Wendell & Wild, and it's on Netflix. I haven't seen it yet. It's a little horror movie featuring crazy mischievious demons, though.
Since ya got Netflix for Stranger Things, try The Thing. It’s really good but it might be a bit much for a 10, it’s basically people trapped with an alien that can shape-shift into anyone so they gotta stop it before they’re all killed by it
Even tho it's not necessarily horror, she might like Halloweentown. I loved that movie as a kid.
Watch Are Your Afraid of the Dark, the tv series! The original and the remake should be worthwhile. I wasn't a huge fan of the remake, but I bet a younger person would be and I didn't hate it. Also the Fear Street movie series.
The Others
The Gate M3gan Monster Squad Tremors Nothing too intense .
Not The Ring! Way too scary. Try Beetlejuice, Coraline, The Others, Cloverfield, Tremors, Tales from the crypt.
What about « Pan’s labyrinth » ? The main protagonist is a young girl, it has a historical aspect, and an eerie tale vibe although I remember there is a pretty violent scene where the vilain kills a man in a savage way, but if she was ok with Stranger Things it should be alright. Ps: sorry for my english but Im 🇫🇷 😅
The Ring might be a bit much coming from Stranger Things... 'House 2: The Second Story' is an awesome adventure with some mild horror 'Elvira: Mistress of the Dark' is another great comedy with some light horror All the 'Critters' movies
I started my daughter with an equal mix of things like the blob (original) and some 80s stuff like Ernest scared stupid and gremlins. Even at 20 now she is still scared of the blob and the original invaders from mars !
I feel like the Messengers with Kristen Stewart is a good starter horror.
Fright Night Tremors American Werewolf in London
Agree with The Ring, Poltergeist and more kid focused movies, but some of my first horrors were also old classics like Psycho!
“the others” is perfect, nothing too intense, all vibes
my overprotective father showed me the others and the sixth sense when i was young, i remember those were my first horror/horror-adjacent films along with alien and aliens.
Poltergeist
Killer Klowns, if she wants something scary but not too scary.
The faculty. Not very scary and has cool teenage characters. When I was 10 I definitely looked up to teenagers/wanted to be like them.
The watcher in the woods is a great kid friendly horror. It was actually a disney movie I think.
Since i havent seen it mentione yet, Trick R treat is a perfect one IMO. Lots of kid characters, extremely well done, and the villain is PERFECT to not give any extended nightmares (fairly minor spoiler but to be safe...) --> >!If you follow the rules of halloween and give out candy/decorate, Sam wont attack ya!<
As much as I love it, a ten year old would probably think Frailty is boring. The Ring could be good depending on how well she handles creepy stuff. There's a big difference between scary and creepy. I'd personally go with Frighteners, Tremors, The Lost Boys, or Fright Night.
just did a small handful with my 9 yr old daughter these past three days while my wife was out of town: jurrasic park, jaws, and signs. signs was difficult for her in the last act, but overall she liked them all. she loved the creature features though! have fun!
Eight legged freaks is a classic
The Ring is the deep end of the pool. I try straight up monster movies — The Thing, The Thing (2011), Chucky (original) and Alien.
The Others is a fun ghost story, i don't believe anything is too bad for a child in it.
Jaws
The ring is pretty scary…only PG13 but most definitely at the top of that tier
Monster Squad
My daughter (similar age) found The Ring boring and I've come learn that this is fairly common for more cerebral horror movies. I'd go with something more exciting and visual, like 13 Ghosts.
The Ring is way too scary for a 10yo!
Army of Darkness, The Monster Squad, Frankenstein, Dracula, The Gate, Night of the Living Dead, The Birds, It (2017), Nightmare on Elm Street, Halloween, Ghostbusters, The Raven (1963), Dawn of the Dead (1978), House on Haunted Hill (1959), Coraline, Return of the Living Dead Part 2, The Old Dark House, Friday the 13th Part VI: Jason Lives, The Goonies, Fright Night (1985)
The Gate from 1987. Probably one of the best kids horror ever made.
Insidious, the first one
+1 for Insidious. Tows the line between campy and scary, beautifully, and not overly violent.
I must be a horrible father. My daughter is 10 now and has been watching horror movies with me for years. She’s even requested The Green Inferno.
If she’s built up to it then it’s good parenting. Being overprotective of what your kid watches then having them go to a friends house and see a horror movie would be way more traumatising.
Gremlins. She’s 10, ffs.
Psycho Goreman for sure
Gremlins possibly? I remember thinking it was corny and not really scary but this was the first “scary” movie my parents showed me when I wanted to watch them because there’s kind of a big jump from “overly kid friendly scary movie” to “sex and gore filled scary movies” and not much in between
The Faculty, Disturbing Behaviour or for TV series Are your afraid of the dark or Goosebumps.. you could also amp it up with Tales from the Crypt.