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Throughout the month of October, I like to gorge myself on spooky content exclusively. If my spine isn’t tingling, I don’t want it. I quickly burn through the classics, which obviously include Hocus Pocus, Practical Magic, and The Craft, and rewatch tried and true franchise favourites from Final Destination and Saw to Scream and the much more frivolous Scary Movie.
I rewatch some American Horror Story, enjoy the nostalgia of some The Simpsons Treehouse of Horror, and try to squeeze in some classic modern horrors that I haven’t seen yet, of which there are many.
However, because the Halloween season goes by faster than you can say double, double toil and trouble, the sheer volume of cult classics and obvious options can be overwhelming. So, if you want to give something new a watch this weekend, I’ve rounded up 13 films and television shows that I’ve either watched this past year or have next on my list…
Netflix
This A24 film was probably the scariest hour and a half I’ve ever spent hiding behind my popcorn in the cinema. As in, I had to take a few deep breaths and steady my nerves with a glass of wine as soon as the credits rolled. Basically, a group of thrill-seeking friends find an embalmed hand that they use as a party game to conjure spirits and get their blood pumping at house parties. As with all things, someone takes it too far and disaster ensues as supernatural forces are unleashed. It’s genuinely terrifying, but I already know I’ll be right back in the cinema as soon as the sequel is released.
Netflix
A thriller/horror/mystery movie that you can watch all year round, Sarah Paulson really thrives when it comes to Halloween-adjacent television. In RUN, she plays the role of mother to a seemingly terminally ill teenager, played by Kiera Allen. Keeping her in isolation and disallowing her from having contact with the outside world, it becomes instantly apparent that there’s something sinister at play. No spoilers…
Disney+
If you’re lamenting the decline of old world romance and wondering why the pursuit of love has been sequestered onto dating apps, this series will dispel any and all yearning for a real life meet cute. Normal People’s Daisy Edgar-Jones bumps into the supposedly perfect man (Sebastian Stan) while doing a bit of grocery shopping, and ends up accepting his invitation to a romantic weekend getaway, only to find that her new paramour has been hiding some unusual appetites.
Netflix
This Gothic horror miniseries from Mike Flanagan (The Haunting of Hill House, another one for the list) is based on the works of Edgar Allan Poe, and will keep your attention ‘til the bitter end. Exceedingly bingeable, The Fall of the House of Usher centres around ruthless siblings Roderick and Madeline Usher, who have built Fortunato Pharmaceuticals into an empire of wealth, privilege and power. However, past secrets come to light when the heirs to the Usher dynasty start dying at the hands of a mysterious woman from their youth. Boom, instant intrigue.
NOW Cinema and Sky Cinema
We’ve already sung the praises of ‘queen of horror’ Mia Goth, but this is definitely a must-see Halloween watch for 2023. Another chapter from the twisted world of X, the film is set on an isolated farm and follows the titular Pearl as she tends to her ailing father under the overbearing glare of her mother. Lusting for a glamorous life like she’s seen in the movies, Pearl finds her ambitions, temptations, and repressions all colliding in this stunning origin story of X’s iconic villain.
AppleTV
Inspired by the world’s most documented poltergeist incident, The Enfield Poltergeist is a chilling three-part drama series based on the terrifying and bizarre real events that took place in an ordinary house in 1977. Yes, this dramatised retelling includes original audio recordings made inside the house as the events unfolded, and is exceptionally eerie viewing.
Disney+
From the mind of Stephen King and the producers of Stranger Things, The Boogeyman is a horror-thriller that will have you teetering on the edge of your seat throughout. High school student Sadie Harper and her younger sister Sawyer are reeling from the recent death of their mother and aren’t getting much support from their father, Will, a therapist who is dealing with his own pain. When a desperate patient unexpectedly shows up at their home seeking help, he leaves behind a terrifying supernatural entity that preys on families and feeds on the suffering of its victims.
Disney+
Okay, so it’s definitely not new by any stretch of the imagination, but my love for this 2015 Ryan Murphy series was reignited when YouTube extraordinaire Mike’s Mic uploaded his analysis of its pretty perfect pilot. It’s camp and hilarious and silly, and the cast is the very definition of stacked. Emma Roberts, Billie Lourd, Abigail Breslin, Jamie Lee Curtis, Ariana Grande, Keke Palmer — unheard of levels of all-stardom. The plot is simple: the college dean issues orders that a once exclusive sorority be open to all, and a lot of bloody mayhem ensues.
AppleTV
Based on the acclaimed bestselling book of the same name by Victor LaValle, The Changeling is a fairytale for grown-ups. A horror story, a parenthood fable and a perilous odyssey through a New York City you didn’t know existed. Starring and executive produced by Academy Award nominee LaKeith Stanfield from Atlanta and Judas and the Black Messiah, the series also stars Clark Backo, Adina Porter, and Samuel T. Herring.
Netflix
Okay so, full disclosure, I went to see Evil Dead Rise in the cinema unaware that it was actually the fifth instalment of the supernatural horror film franchise — but it didn’t actually matter all that much. Moving the action out of the woods and into the city (apparently), the film tells a twisted tale of two estranged sisters whose reunion is cut short by the rise of flesh-possessing demons, thrusting them into a primal battle for survival as they face the most nightmarish version of family imaginable. Lots of jump scares, lots of ‘oh no, don’t do that’, and so on.
Disney+
Afflicted with a mysterious disease after surviving an overdose, a woman returns to her childhood home to confront her personal demons but instead discovers a real one — I think we can all agree that that’s just an excellent premise for a horror. This one’s next on my list, and the trailer alone has made me feel suitably freaked out.
Amazon Prime Video
Another horror/fantasy I am shocked and appalled that I haven’t yet seen is this 2018 film starring one of my favourite Ellen assassins, Dakota Johnson, who plays an American dancer who enrols at a prestigious academy in Berlin — run by a coven of witches. Tilda Swinton, Mia Goth and Chloe Grace Moretz co-star, and it’s clear from the get go that dark force targets the inhabitants of the company and tries to take over their lives.
Disney+
I often find, when watching horror movies, that I can assuage the feelings of terror by rationalising that they’re not realistic, and don’t pose a threat to me in any way. It’s for this reason that plots of films like Barbarian really make me antsy, because what if I, or you, arrived at a rental home you booked for a job interview in Detroit only to find that it’s been double booked by a strange man, and what if, against your better judgement, you decide to spend the night anyway? The description reads that the leading lady soon discovers that there’s a lot more to fear than just an unexpected house guest. Instant unease.