The best new horror movies and shows to watch this Halloween

❘ Published: 2023-10-31T15:00:20

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The Exorcist, Totally Killer, Chucky, and Five Nights at Freddy’s head up our list of the best new movies and TV shows to watch this Halloween.

Summer is drawing to a close, meaning we’re fast approaching horror Christmas, aka Halloween.

October is a month that’s typically filled with scary movies and shows in the run-up to All Hallow’s Eve. And 2023 is no different, with horror sequels rubbing shoulders with classic literary adaptations and a movie based on a beloved video game.

So without further ado, these are the scary films and shows we’re most looking forward to on October 31st.

The best new horror movies and shows to watch this Halloween

The film studios are currently shifting features into 2024 as they deal with the writer and actor strikes. Mercifully, most horror movies are still 2023 releases, with this list featuring a few of our faves.

We’re also talking TV, with a new show from the twisted mind of Mike Flanagan doing battle with some returning horror classics. Meaning if you like scary stuff, September and October are filled with delicious delights.

So these are the best new movies and shows to watch this Halloween, listed in order of release.

Totally Killer

Release Date: 29 September, 2023.

What to Expect: Thirty-five years after the shocking murders of three teens, an infamous killer returns on Halloween night to claim a fourth victim. When 17-year-old Jamie comes face-to-face with the masked maniac, she accidentally time-travels back to 1987. Forced to navigate the unfamiliar culture, Jamie teams up with her teenage mother to take down the psycho once and for all.

In our review, we described Totally Killer as “an enjoyable watch that features a fantastic soundtrack, some hilarious moments, and a decent amount of blood.”

Chucky Season 3

Release Date: October 4, 2023.

What to Expect: The Chucky TV series is a blast, with Seasons 1 and 2 introducing new teenage characters to be butchered by the killer doll, and having them mingle with favorites from the Child’s Play movies, including actors Jennifer Tilly, Alex Vincent, Christine Elise, and Fiona Dourif.

Season 3 places Chucky in an entirely new arena, as the show’s trailer finds the ‘Good Guy’ hanging out at the White House, and wreaking havoc in the Oval Office. While the official synopsis promises that “Tiffany faces a looming crisis of her own as the police close in on her for ‘Jennifer Tilly’s’ murderous rampage last season.” Can’t wait.

The Exorcist: Believer

Release Date: October 6, 2023.

What to Expect: David Gordon Green rebooted the Halloween franchise with a new trilogy for Universal Pictures and Blumhouse Productions. Now he’s doing the same for The Exorcist, with Believer the first in another proposed trilogy. And much like the Halloween films featured Jamie Lee Curtis from the original movie, so the new Exorcist stars Ellen Burstyn from the 1974 classic.

But the story is an entirely new tale of possession, about two girls who disappear in the woods, only to return three days later with no memory of what happened to them. What follows involves a battle with the forces of evil. And the need for an exorcism.

Pet Sematary: Bloodlines

Release Date: October 6, 2023.

What to Expect: There have been two movies based on Stephen King’s seminal 1983 novel Pet Sematary. A well-received 1989 adaptation. And a 2019 version that featured scary moments, but didn’t seem all that necessary. Bloodlines is a prequel to the latter, starring Jackson White as a young version of John Lithgow’s Jud Crendall.

The film debuts at Fantastic Fest in September before launching on Paramount+ in October, with the official synopsis as follows: “In 1969, a young Jud Crandall dreams of escaping his hometown, until he discovers the malevolent secrets of what is buried in a cemetery. He confronts a haunting family legacy that forever connects him to the place and unites with his childhood friends as they face an ancient evil that has plagued Ludlow from its inception.”

The Fall of the House of Usher

Release Date: October 12, 2023.

What to Expect: Following the success of the mini-series The Haunting of Hill House, The Haunting of Bly Manner, Midnight Mass, and The Midnight Club, writer-director Mike Flanagan returns with a new horror opus for Netflix. This time loosely based on Edgar Allan Poe’s titular story, and revolving around the CEO of a pharmaceutical, whose children start dying in mysterious ways.

The cast includes many of the Mike Flanagan players, including Henry Thomas, Rahul Kholi, Bruce Greenwood, Katie Siegel, and Carla Gugino. With the latter telling Netflix: “It’s batsh*t crazy in the best possible way. It has quite a lot of very dark humor, but also really touches the soul.”

Goosebumps

Release Date: October 13, 2023.

What to Expect: Goosebumps is a new 10-part adaptation of the R.L. Stine series of horror books for teens. When Disney announced the project, the studio revealed that the show would be based on five of the most popular tomes: ‘Say Cheese and Die!’ ‘The Haunted Mask,’ ‘The Cuckoo Clock of Doom,’ ‘Go Eat Worms!’ and ‘Night of the Living Dummy.’

Justin Long plays a teacher “who develops a terrifying connection to a decades-old supernatural murder.” While the official synopsis is as follows: “Plunging viewers into a world of mystery and suspense, the new Goosebumps series follows a group of five high schoolers as they embark on a shadowy and twisted journey to investigate the tragic passing three decades earlier of a teen named Harold Biddle — while also unearthing dark secrets from their parents’ past.”

Bodies

Release date: October 19, 2023.

What to Expect: The show’s official synopsis reads “Four detectives. Four timelines. One body. To save Britain’s future, they’ll need to solve the murder that altered the course of history first.” Basically – get ready for a lot of confusion, blood, and death that pays off with satisfying results.

In our review, we described Bodies as “The ultimate streamable puzzle, Bodies is a veritable thrill for anyone who can handle their fair share of mystery. While the going sometimes slows down, it’s worth persevering with to get to the good stuff – just make sure there’s a notepad and pencil nearby.”

Five Nights at Freddy’s

Release Date: October 25, 2023 (UK) and October 27, 2023 (US).

What to Expect: More Blumhouse horror, this time courtesy of the studio’s long-gestating adaptation of the beloved survival game Five Nights at Freddy’s. Josh Hutcherson plays the security guard who spends a terrifying night with the attractions at Freddy Fazbear’s Pizza. While Emma Tammi directs from a script she wrote with Scott Cawthon and Seth Cuddeback.

Rumors circulated that the film would be three hours long, but thanks to an update to the AMC website, we now know that Five Nights at Freddy’s clocks in at a much less ridiculous 1 hour and 50 minutes. The movie has been certified PG-13 by the MPAA, for “strong violent content, blood images, and language.” So expect kills as gruesome as that rating will allow.

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