For horror fans, Halloween is the most joyous time of the year. Everything from the decorations to dressing in costume and, yes, trick or treating makes it the best holiday, hands down. How ever you spend your time this month, make sure you find time to check out these scary movies on Netflix.
In no particular order, below are 25 horror movies worth streaming in October.
The Shining
The horror classic finds Jack Torrance losing his mind at the historic Overlook Hotel. The Shining features twisted imagery and a truly frightening performance from Jack Nicholson as he slowly devolves into insanity.
Starring: Jack Nicholson, Shelley Duvall, Scatman Crothers, Danny Lloyd
Hold the Dark
When a child disappears in the Alaskan wilderness, Russell Core (Jeffrey Wright) is tasked with uncovering what happened. But the small town where the incident occurs isn’t what it seems, as Russell soon finds something more horrific than he could’ve imagined.
Starring: Jeffrey Wright, Alexander Skarsgård, Riley Keough
Apostle
There’s something unnerving about the early 19th century, especially when it revolves around a cult. Apostle will see Thomas Richardson (Dan Stevens) travel to a remote island in search of his sister, who has been kidnapped by a religious cult.
Starring: Dan Stevens, Lucy Boynton, Mark Lewis Jones
Train to Busan
Just when you thought zombie movies were overplayed, Train to Busan proves otherwise. The South Korean film has gained a cult following for its fresh take on the horror genre, with a harrowing story about a zombie outbreak unfolding on a speeding train.
Starring: Gong Yoo, Ma Dong-seok, Jung Yu-mi
It Follows
I watched It Follows a few months ago and haven’t stopped thinking about it since. In the film, a teenager finds herself haunted (and hunted) by an entity that will stop at nothing to kill her. It’s creepy, tense, and great fun. It isn’t your typical scary movie, and that’s exactly why we love it.
Starring: Maika Monroe, Keir Gilchrist, Daniel Zovatto
The Conjuring
The scary movie that launched James Wan’s career and an entire universe of horror movies. Featuring paranormal investigators Ed and Lorraine Warren, the film creates a wonderful atmosphere and masterfully builds tension, with a great story to boot.
Starring: Vera Farmiga, Patrick Wilson, Ron Livingston
1922
When a farmer conspires to kill his wife with the help of his son, things take a dark twist.
Starring: Thomas Jane, Molly Parker
The Babadook
When Amelia’s son Samuel starts exhibiting erratic behavior, bad things start happening. Soon the mother and son are tormented by a being called Mister Babadook. Can they survive?
Starring: Essie Davis, Noah Wiseman, Hayley McElhinney
Malevolent
When a sister and brother duo promise to drive evil spirits from a haunted house, things go horribly wrong—mainly because what they do is a scam.
Starring: Florence Pugh, Celia Imrie, Ben Lloyd-Hughes
The Wailing
When a deadly virus starts to spread in a small village, a police officer is sent to investigate. Of course, the quaint town isn’t as it seems, forcing the police officer to solve a tricky mystery.
Starring: Kwak Do-won, Hwang Jung-min, Chun Woo-hee
The Sixth Sense
The movie that shot director M. Night Shyamalan to super stardom. For those who didn’t guess the shock ending, The Sixth Sense was a tense thriller that featured one of the coolest twists in modern cinema.
Starring: Bruce Willis, Haley Joel Osment, Toni Collette
Raw
Not for the squeamish, Raw is about a young vegetarian girl who finds herself craving flesh. Things only become graphic and unnerving from there.
Starring: Garance Marillier, Ella Rumpf, Laurent Lucas
Shutter
Not the 2008 film starring Joshua Jackson, Shutter is the original Thai film about a young couple who accidentally kill a young woman. Soon, they are haunted by her ghost, which leads to a harrowing revelation.
Starring: Ananda Everingham, Natthaweeranuch Thongmee
Hush
A clever premise from director Mike Flanagan sees a deaf woman being stalked by a masked home invader. Flanagan brings real style and urgency to Hush, giving it a fantastic (and fun) energy.
Starring: John Gallagher Jr., Michael Trucco, Kate Siegel
Death Note
Loosely based on the Japanese manga of the same name, Death Note is a supernatural thriller about a young high school student who discovers a mysterious notebook known as Death Note.
Starring: Nat Wolff, Lakeith Stanfield, Margaret Qualley
The Invitation
After receiving an invitation to a dinner party by his ex-wife, a man and his girlfriend get more than they bargained for.
Starring: Logan Marshall-Green, Tammy Blanchard, Michiel Guisman
Hellraiser
An iconic horror film with an iconic character design. Hellraiser adapts the novella into a nightmarish tale with disturbing imagery and incredibly unsettling situations.
Starring: Andrew Robinson, Clare Higgins, Ashley Laurence
Cargo
Another zombie flick, but give this one a chance. A father who is bitten by a zombie must find a safe place for his one-year-old daughter before he turns.
Starring: Martin Freeman, Anthony Hayes, Caren Pistorius
I Am the Pretty Thing That Lives in the House
When a live-in nurse starts to suspect the house she’s at is haunted, things quickly go south.
Starring: Ruth Wilson, Paula Prentiss, Bob Balaban
Oculus
Yet another movie from Mike Flanagan, Oculus tells the story of a woman who attempts to exonerate her convicted brother by proving the murder was committed by a supernatural entity.
Starring: Karen Gillan, Brenton Thwaites
Truth or Dare
Eight college students rent a house supposedly haunted by a ghost. When they start to play a game of truth or dare, they realize it’s all fun and games until things turn deadly.
Starring: Cassandra Scerbo, Brytni Sarpy, Mason Dye
The Ritual
Four friends embark on a hiking trip into the Swedish wilderness. Soon, their relationship is tested the deeper they go into the great unknown.
Starring: Rafe Spall, Arsher Ali, Robert James-Collier
Before I Wake
When Mark and Jessie welcome a foster child into their home, they discover he has an unusual ability.
Starring: Kate Bosworth, Thomas Jane, Jacob Tremblay
Children of the Corn
Based on the Stephen King short story, Children of the Corn is about a malevolent entity who persuades young children to murder adults in a fictitious town in Gatlin, Nebraska.
Starring: Peter Horton, Linda Hamilton
