The 75+ Best PG-13 Horror And Scary Movies

The PG 13 horror movie to end all PG 13 horror movies, The Ring may be an adaptation, but it stands alone as one of the most frightening and bone-chilling films ever created. When a videotape filled with nightmare-inducing imagery arrives at Rachel Keller's door, it tells her she has just seven days left to live, and while skeptical at first, she uncovers that this haunting threat isn't a threat, it's a promise. Showcasing some of the most brilliant and shocking imagery of any horror film, The Ring stands the test of time as a generational defining horror film by not having a deeper or sophisticated meaning. The film is pure evil and wants to scare any and all who watch it as badly as it can.

The king of the PG 13 horror movie landscape that ran wild throughout the 2010s, Insidious helped define mainstream horror as we know it today and showcased one of the most frightening, terrifying, best, and downright scary PG 13 horror movies of all time. With a bone-chilling atmosphere, a riveting and intellectual story, and some of the biggest genuine scares in years, Insidious is a far cry removed from the gory and juvenile films horror fans were subjected to in the previous decade. A haunted house movie with the chills turned up to eleven, horror fans would be hard-pressed to find any film more terrifying than Insidious.

Arguably the best PG 13 horror movie of all time, The Sixth Sense is a devastating, heartfelt, and utterly spine-chilling experience with so many twists and turns it would make a roller coaster jealous. A psychological thriller about a young boy who can see ghosts and a psychologist helping him deal with his trauma, the film is so wonderfully impactful due to grounded, realistic, and gut-wrenching performances. A story of trauma first and a horror movie second, the film succeeds in terrorizing audiences because it creates characters that are beloved, and when they are in danger, it feels like the world is going to end. Visceral, gruesome, and shocking, The Sixth Sense pushes the boundaries of what a PG 13 horror can be.

A thick layer of mystery and intrigue permeates every corner of Alejandro Amenabar's The Others, a textbook example of how to create a truly terrifying and scary movie rather PG 13. Tense mood, creepy themes, and wonderfully sinister atmosphere completely take over audiences as a mystery so massive and stunning it needs two different twists to unfold. Nicole Kidman gives the performance of a lifetime portraying a mother who moved into a house with her children, as she quickly discovers it is haunted. Dedicated to protecting her family at any cost, a nightmare fever dream unfolds, that will have all viewers afraid to ever look in the dark again.

Signs is yet another M. Night Shyamalan paranoid horror thriller that has one scene that has undoubtedly scared and scarred itself into the minds of any and all viewers who have seen it. With shocking and sudden bursts of terror that come seemingly out of nowhere, this scary alien invasion film manages to rise above a somewhat clunky script and delivers a truly haunting experience. On the other end of the spectrum, Signs is a traumatic and painful watch for parents due to a heartbreaking tale of family, love, and loss. A film that different generations can watch and be enthralled by is a rare thing but adding horror on top of this that will scare all that watch it is a feat of genius. 

A creature feature of a bygone era, Tremors manages to blend a western adventure with PG 13 horror to create a fascinating and fantastic cult franchise that is still going strong over 30 years later. The monster in the film is equal parts realistic, grotesque, and terrifying which helps bring to life the paranoid story in beautiful fashion. Highlighted by phenomenal performances by Kevin Bacon and Fred Ward, Tremors is an incredibly welcomed and memorable experience that will have audiences quoting back lines well after the credits have rolled.