As the trees change color, the days get shorter, spiders spin webs, and politicians just spin, things are getting scary. Very scary. Might as well affirm the squirm, caress the distress, relish all that’s hellish.
That in mind, you’re probably wondering — what’s scary on screens this Halloween?
Currently in theaters – The Shade
Dealing with the death of their father, three brothers – one with a debilitating anxiety disorder — must face a destructive cycle as an ancient darkness closes in on them.
Currently in theaters – The Substance
On her 50th birthday, a renowned aerobics instructor is fired. So she starts taking The Substance, which transforms her into a younger version of herself. See the Screenopolis review of this body horror satire.
September 24 on demand – Tenants
An anthology with seven stories, it follows a girl desperately searching an apartment building for her sister – and the lives of other tenants with whom she crosses paths – as a shadowy figure appears to be after her.
September 27 in theaters and on demand – Sleep
A newlywed couple is shaken when the husband begins speaking in his sleep, claiming “Someone’s inside.” His wife is shaken when his night terrors get worse, and she worries for their unborn baby. See the Screenopolis interview with this film’s writer-director.
September 27 on Paramount+ and on demand – Apartment 7A
Set in the same universe as Rosemary’s Baby, a dancer suffers a devastating injury and is taken in by a wealthy, older couple. After an evening she can’t fully remember, it seems that there is something evil living in her apartment – or the building itself.
September 27 on Shudder – Oddity
After her twin sister is murdered, a blind occultist uses haunted items to find the killers.
October 1 on digital – The Curse of the Necklace
Despite the terrible title, The Curse of the Necklace follows a father who gifts his wife an old-fashioned jeweled necklace. When one of their daughters decides to “borrow” it, it is discovered that it is a trap for evil spirits. I’m sure you can guess where this leads. Violet (M3gan) and Madeline McGraw (The Black Phone) return to horror, playing sisters in the film.
October 3 on Prime Video – House of Spoils
An ambitious chef opens a restaurant on a remote estate, and in addition to all the usual chef stress, there is a “haunting presence who threatens to sabotage her at every turn.” Produced by Blumhouse, so you know its raison d’être is to be scary (though not as scary as those who say “raison d’être.”).
October 3 on HBO Max – Salem’s Lot
A remake of the Tobe Hooper TV movie, based on the Stephen King book. A small Maine town becomes entrenched with vampires. A faithful remake with an improved third act. See the Screenopolis review, if you dare.
October 4 on Shudder – V/H/S Beyond
The latest entry into the found footage anthology series, this one features six different stories, all with a sci-fi bent.
October 4 on Hulu – Hold Your Breath
Set in the 1930s Dust Bowl, a mother becomes convinced there is an evil hiding in the dust.
October 4 theatrical and on demand – The Radleys
The Radleys are a seemingly happy, suburban family, but an accident with their daughter forces Mom and Dad to reveal a family secret: they are vampires.
October 4 theatrical – Monster Summer
A mysterious force interrupts the summer fun of a bunch of kids, causing them to enlist the help of a retired detective to protect their island home.
October 4 theatrical – Little Bites
A mother feeds herself, piece by piece, to a flesh-eating monster in order to keep it from getting her daughter.
October 4 on demand – Red Rooms
A true crime-obsessed woman takes a deep interest in the murder trial of a man accused of killing three women. Things get complicated for her when she becomes friendly with another obsessive and decides to solve the murder herself.
October 10 on Peacock – Teacup
This TV series from James Wan’s Atomic Monster airs two episodes weekly through Halloween. A mysterious threat in rural Georgia forces people to work together to survive.
October 10 on HBO Max – Caddo Lake
A little girl’s disappearance at Caddo Lake beings to link together a number of past disappearances and deaths in the area. Produced by M. Night Shyalaman, Caddo Lake is a real place on the border of Texas and Louisiana.
October 11 on Hulu – Mr. Crocket
It’s a tale as old as time: a mysterious children’s show host escapes the television and sets about kidnapping children and killing their parents. But one woman is determined to save her son.
October 11 on Shudder – Daddy’s Head
When a young boy’s father dies, he is immersed in grief, with his only caretaker his inexperienced stepmother. The boy begins to see a creature that has a surprisingly familiar feature…
October 11 in theaters – Terrifier 3
Sienna and her brother survive Art the Clown’s Halloween massacre, and they are hoping for a quiet Christmas. But in a world where Art the Clown exists, that’s not possible. He is back to make it a very red Christmas.
October 13 on Shudder – Fangoria Chainsaw Awards
Way better than the Oscars, the Chainsaw Awards celebrate our favorite horror of the year, based on votes from Fangoria subscribers.
October 15 on demand – Depravity
A trio of residents think their reclusive, odd neighbor is a serial killer, so they break into his apartment to discover the truth. Instead, the resident finds them, they kill him – and then shit gets weird. Starring Victoria Justice and Dermot Mulroney.
October 18 on Shudder – Mads
(As of writing, we were unable to pin down a YouTube trailer.) A kid pops some pills, and then shit gets weird. Is it the pills or something more intense? Mads is shot in one take and unfolds in real time.
October 18 in theaters and on demand – Die Alone
An amnesiac seeks help from a survivalist in finding his lost girlfriend, in a world that has been destroyed by a virus and turned some people into “mysterious creatures.”
October 18 in theaters – Smile 2
In this sequel to 2022’s terrifying tale, a pop star comes under the influence of the evil smile, and must confront her own dark past to stop the horror. See the Screenopolis review of the first film.
October 21 on Hulu – Carved
Based on the short film of the same name, Carved follows a group of kids who are trapped in a historical reenactment village on Halloween, and must protect themselves from a killer pumpkin.
October 25 on Shudder – Azrael
Azrael is to be sacrificed by a devout community in order to please the evil that resides deep in the woods. But she will not stop her attempt to survive and get free.
If you’re not scared stuffless by now, you’re brave like a boss.
