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The Nightmare Before Christmas
CAST & DIRECTOR
Directed by Henry Selick. With Danny Elfman, Chris Sarandon, Catherine O'Hara.
7.9/10
MOVIHERO RATINGWHAT IT'S ABOUT
Tired of scaring humans every October 31 with the same old bag of tricks, Jack Skellington, the spindly king of Halloween Town, kidnaps Santa Claus and plans to deliver shrunken heads and other ghoulish gifts to children on Christmas morning. But as Christmas approaches, Jack's rag-doll girlfriend, Sally, tries to foil his misguided plans.
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7.9/10
MOVIHERO RATINGYOUR WATCHLISTTired of scaring humans every October 31 with the same old bag of tricks, Jack Skellington, the spindly king of Halloween Town, kidnaps Santa Claus and plans to delive…
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Does this belong in your night?
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RELEASE SNAPSHOT
Release snapshot for The Nightmare Before Christmas.
MoviHero lists October 9, 1993 as the release date for The Nightmare Before Christmas. Henry Selick is the listed director. The listed cast includes Danny Elfman as Jack Skellington (singing) / Barrel / Clown with the Tear away Face (voice), Chris Sarandon as Jack Skellington (voice), Catherine O'Hara as Sally / Shock (voice), William Hickey as Dr. Finkelstein (voice). A trailer and 5 stills are available on this page.
Release dateOctober 9, 1993
GenresFamily · Fantasy · Animation
Runtime1h 16m
DirectorHenry Selick
CastDanny Elfman as Jack Skellington (singing) / Barrel / Clown with the Tear away Face (voice), Chris Sarandon as Jack Skellington (voice), Catherine O'Hara as Sally / Shock (voice), William Hickey as Dr. Finkelstein (voice)
TrailerAvailable on this page
Images5 stills
BEFORE YOU PRESS PLAY
Is The Nightmare Before Christmas right for tonight?
Pacing, attention and emotional impact are estimates from the current MoviHero Watch Profile, not verified scene-by-scene reviews.
How much time should I set aside?
The Nightmare Before Christmas runs 1h 16m. Allow extra time for breaks.
Is it slow or fast?
The current MoviHero pacing estimate is 6/10: a middle-ground pace.
Is it a good choice when I am tired?
The attention estimate is 3/10. The profile suggests a lower-demand watch, although preferences vary.
How emotionally intense is it?
The emotional-impact estimate is 7/10, suggesting a moderate emotional load. This does not tell you whether the ending is happy or sad.
CHANGE ONE THING
Like this, but...
These share a listed genre with The Nightmare Before Christmas. Profile differences are estimates, not a guarantee of the same story or mood.
MOVIE RATING
MoviHero Rating
MoviHero Rating: 7.9/10 from 10,884 votes. Updated Nov 4, 2026.
Rating data supplied by TMDB, shown on a 10-point scale. MoviHero audience ratings are calculated separately from scores submitted here.
MOVIHERO AUDIENCE RATING
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Your movie rating. Your audience score.
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WHAT WATCHING IT FEELS LIKE
Watch Profile
Seven estimates of the viewing experience, based on the stored Watch Profile. These are separate from the movie rating and are not verified scene-by-scene assessments.
Pacing6/10
Emotional Impact7/10
Mind-Bending3/10
Scary4/10
Violence2/10
Rewatchability7/10
Attention Required3/10
VIEWER REVIEWS
What viewers say about The Nightmare Before Christmas
Selected viewer reactions, in their own words. These excerpts reflect individual opinions, not an overall verdict.
Viewer reaction
“I suppose I missed watching it at the proper time so I will explain it as not surviving well after all these years.”
Viewer reaction
“This is a cracking animation fantasy centring around "Jack Skellington" - the Pumpkin King of Halloween Town.”
Selected review excerpts supplied by TMDB. Opinions belong to their original authors.
WORDS THAT STAY WITH YOU
Memorable lines
Reveal a line containing a spoiler
“Sally! You came back.”
A CLOSER LOOK
Stay with the image.
CAST & CREW
The people who make it land.
Henry SelickDirector
Danny ElfmanJack Skellington (singing) / Barrel / Clown with the Tear away Face (voice)
Chris SarandonJack Skellington (voice)
Catherine O'HaraSally / Shock (voice)
William HickeyDr. Finkelstein (voice)
Glenn ShadixMayor (voice)
Paul ReubensLock (voice)
Ken PageOogie Boogie (voice)
Edward IvorySanta Claus (voice)
CHARACTERS IN THIS MOVIE
Follow the character.
Reviewed MoviHero character guides connected to this movie.
voiceJack Skellington (singing) / Barrel / Clown with the Tear away FaceJack Skellington (singing) / Barrel / Clown with the Tear away Face appears in The Nightmare Before Christmas (1993).Open character guide voiceJack SkellingtonJack Skellington appears in The Nightmare Before Christmas (1993).Open character guide voiceDr. FinkelsteinDr. Finkelstein appears in The Nightmare Before Christmas (1993).Open character guide voiceSanta ClausSanta Claus appears in The Nightmare Before Christmas (1993).Open character guide voiceShockShock appears in The Nightmare Before Christmas (1993).Open character guide
SIMILAR GENRES & STORY THEMES
Keep the night going.
7.7/10
MOVIHERO RATINGMonster Mia
2026·Family · Fantasy · Animation
7.3/10
MOVIHERO ESTIMATEКапитан Невельской и земли Чёрного дракона
2026·Adventure · Family · Fantasy · Animation
7.9/10
MOVIHERO RATINGForgotten Island
2026·Adventure · Family · Comedy · Fantasy · Animation