Horror movies directed by Robert Zemeckis

How Roald Dahl's The Witches scares: Watching this feels more like a whimsical, spooky fairy tale than an actual scare-fest, with just enough creepiness to give kids a little shiver without any real dread. The pace is light and playful, mixing humor with a handful of eerie moments involving strange transformations and sinister smiles. Nothing here is graphic or intense, and the tone stays warm and family-friendly even when the witches turn menacing. It's a good pick for younger viewers or a cozy night wanting mild spookiness rather than genuine fright.

How What Lies Beneath scares: There's a nagging unease that builds slowly through the first half, the kind of dread that comes from noticing small things that don't add up in your own home. Once the story tips into its second half, the movie shifts gears and starts using sharp jump scares and eerie visions to keep you on edge. It blends a hidden-secret mystery with ghostly haunting elements, so the fear comes from both a sense of being watched and the growing suspicion that something is deeply wrong close to home. It's a mainstream, polished kind of scary rather than something that will wreck you emotionally, good for viewers who like a slow mystery that pays off with real scares.

How Death Becomes Her scares: Death Becomes Her is a dark comedy first and a horror movie second, using body horror for laughs instead of scares. The tone stays playful and campy even when things get gruesome, with over-the-top special effects that are more funny and gross than frightening. There's no real dread or tension here, just outrageous visual gags about vanity and immortality gone wrong. It's a great pick if you want something wild and silly with a horror flavor, not something that will actually creep you out.