Ah, October is suddenly, spookily here. The leaves are changing color. There’s a chill in the air. A breeze scrapes a branch across our window. The lamp flickers and… What the hell was that noise?
It’s the most wonderful time of the year to cut the lights and get cozy for a scary movie. Let our streaming picks be your spirit guide: Odd dates are Netflix; evens are Amazon Prime. Blood-curdling chills are every day of the month!
Oct. 1
Let’s ease into it with a Saturday matinee buddy horror-comedy.
Tucker and Dale vs. Evil: Good ol’ boys get way misunderstood when pesky kids crash their cabin.
Oct. 2
Tusk: A podcast host gets in over his head. Walrus weirdness.
Oct. 3
Event Horizon: Don’t go after missing spaceships on rescue missions years after everyone is presumed dead. Just don’t.
Oct. 4
The Wishmaster: An evil genie escapes from an ancient statue, and makes a mess of everything.
Oct. 5
The Host:Â A toxic-mutated monster kidnaps a snack bar owner’s daughter.
Oct. 6
Spirit Camp: This is “Friday the 13th meets Bring It On,” says the movie’s description. We’re in.
Oct. 7
The Shrine: Stay away from ancient statues.
Oct. 8
A week in, let’s take a break from the gore to get classic.
Plan 9 From Outer Space: A cult film considered one of the worst, if not THE worst, movie ever made. Not “scary” but scarily bad.
Oct. 9
Zombeavers:Â Undead woodland creatures and a lot of campiness.
Oct. 10
The Voices:Â Ryan Reynolds and evil talking pets. Adorable horror ensues?
Oct. 11
Alright, you’ve had your break. Let’s get back at it with the watch-through-your-fingers horror.
Hush: A deaf writer lives alone in the woods, miles from the nearest neighbor. Until that neighbor gets axed and shit gets real.
Oct. 12
After Dark: Why are these kids always going to the woods for spring break? Stop that!
Oct. 13
Darkroom: When you’re fresh out of rehab, of course taking a job in a mansion home to evil siblings is the logical next step.
(Bonus) 13 Assassins: It’s not Friday, but it is the 13th, and this is about badass samurai warriors so it gets a pass for not being “horror.”
Oct. 14
Don’t Look Now: A trip to Venice for a grieving couple turns out to be anything but romantic.
Oct. 15
Stung: If you have a fear of bees, you’ll want to keep the lights on and the remote handy.
Oct. 16
Avarice: An obnoxious kid unleashes the evil hiding in his attic. God dammit.
Oct. 17
Bound To Vengeance: If you love to root for the good guys, this thriller about a woman escaping from a predator’s basement is your jam.
Oct. 18
The Unbroken: Creepy little boys appearing in mirrors? Major “nope.”
Oct. 19
Holidays: Eight short, festive and horror-filled scaries to keep your Wednesday curfew.Â
Oct. 20
Lake Fear: Your reminder to start hydrating now for Halloween!
Oct. 21
The Exorcist: You gotta watch this classic at least once this season.
Oct. 22
The Clinger: If you’re frantically looking for a Halloween-party date, this’ll make you consider going solo.
Oct. 23
The Houses October Built: Friends building a haunted house get more than they asked for.
Oct. 24
The Occupant: Sometimes rent-controlled Manhattan apartments come with baggage. Like evil, murderous spirits.
Oct. 25
Deathgasm: Plenty of last-minute costume ideas to be had, here.
Oct. 26
Haunted Shore: A small town, a shipwreck, a mysterious woman named Veronica and disappearing young men. Nothing can go wrong for the protagonist here.
Oct. 27
The Babadook: Yes you’ve heard a lot about this one, and yes it is worth your viewing. With the lights on, maybe.
Oct. 28
The Gremlins: Take it way back to 80s Halloween memories with this nostalgia bomb.
Oct. 29
Hellions: Get in the trick-or-treat mood with packs of evil children roaming the neighborhood.
Oct. 30
Hellraiser: True 80s cult classic gore and horror.
Oct. 31
Children of the Corn: Are those kids knocking on your door to be trusted? No. Nope. Never.
