If there’s one label I can wear proudly this Halloween, it’s that of “Horror Movie Connoisseur.”
And what better way to honor this title (thank you very much!), than with a quick dive into the wonderfully creepy world of Coraline! Mind you, this little gem isn’t just for brave-hearted kids; it’s packed with gothic horror elements that send shivers down anyone’s spine…in the best way possible. I mean, doppelgangers, protagonists that are lurking in isolated spaces, and decadent locations? The perfect recipe for curiosity and unease — yum! And then there’s the pièce de résistance—an evil creature (hello, Other Mother) that embodies your worst nightmares. Neil Gaiman took everything that makes our hair stand and wrapped it up in this delightfully twisted package. So grab your emotional support teddy at your lively adult age — it’s time to watch Coraline!
So, why does Coraline make such a great gateway to the horror genre for kids? Well, it nails all childhood fears from the get-go – from ghostly apparitions to being misunderstood – Gaiman covered it all. Coraline is portrayed as an independent girl who makes confident decisions and knows how to stand up for herself, even against the most terrifying of creatures – that stand-off against the Other Mr Bobinsky should’ve been enough to make a grown man cry – not Coraline though! For that, she is for inspiring young viewers. Her smart and relatable decisions make her a total hero!
As soon as she senses that something’s off in the Other World, she’s ready to bounce. How refreshing is that? It’s not your typical horror where the kid wanders cluelessly into danger. This proactive heroism is rare, and a big part of what makes Coraline stand out. It invites kids into the genre, showing them that facing their fears can be exciting and empowering.
While we got the kids wrapped up in jumpscare sequences, it’s the ‘adults’ that pick up on the subtler, atmospheric horrors in Coraline. The world we’re introduced to, though recognizable as “real,” feels oddly unsettling from the start. Even before Coraline discovers the Other Mother and the alternate world, her new home feels definitively unsafe. Safe to say, our “adult senses” will be tingling.
Take the opening credits: the violent, almost surgical stitching process already sets a creepy tone. The cool, washed-out colors of Coraline’s reality only add to that feeling of unease. And let’s not forget the stop-motion animation—the characters move in a stiff, doll-like way, which fits the movie’s doll motif but makes everything feel oddly mechanical and eerily off. This uncanny vibe is what gets under adults’ skin.
But what takes the cake is that the scariest part of the film isn’t the Other Mother, or having buttons sewn in for eyes—it’s realizing that even the real world feels just a little too wrong.
Writer: Pavani Mishra