RELATED: JORDAN PEELE’S ‘NOPE’ IS A HORROR FILM ABOUT BLACK JOY
NOPE
Summer blockbuster Nope is Jordan Peele’s third horror directorial sensation following Get Out and Us. Following siblings O.J. (Daniel Kaluuya) and Emerald Haywood (Keke Palmer), this plot outlines themes of spectacle, animal instincts, and the extraterrestrial. Many outlets and critics are comparing this modern monster movie to Steven Spielberg’s Jaws. Generating unparalleled suspense with stunning cinematography, award-worthy acting, and fresh takes on alien film tropes– this is a fantastic flick for those who are looking for a scary masterpiece sans the perpetual gore.
Where To Watch: On Demand, In Theaters
Hocus Pocus 2
We’ve been waiting 29 years to see the Sanderson sisters back in action. Finally, the much-anticipated follow-up arrives on Disney+ on September 30. Watch the 1993 Halloween classic ahead of time with your favorite “jerkface” to experience all the witchy magic of the season and run amok with the sisters as they seek revenge *again*.
Where To Watch: Disney+
Scream 5
Wow, poor Sidney Prescott really can’t catch a break from the Ghostface killer, am I right? With the stacked original cast and appearances from Dylan Minnette, Jenna Ortega, Jack Quaid– this slasher flick is star-studded and fresh. For fans of the original film, it’s fair to say the fifth installment will both shock you and break your heart a little bit. Additionally, mark your calendars for March 2023 when a sixth movie is set to release. Whatever you do, make sure to follow “the rules.”
Where to Watch: Paramount +, Prime Video
Orphan: First Kill
If you saw Orphan when it was first released in 2009, it’s fair to say that twisted storyline probably stuck with you. (No worries– no spoilers here.) Whether you watched the first film or were first introduced to the franchise through Orphan: First Kill, it’s a good time to get invested in the story. This prequel follows “Esther” as she impersonates a missing child of a wealthy family and is returned to her “parents.” The mother, performed by Julia Stiles, realizes her long-lost daughter is acting entirely out of sorts, yet will protect her family “no matter what.” Get psychologically rocked this Halloween by watching both films back to back.
Where To Watch: Paramount +, Prime Video
X
A24 is all about sharing silently unnerving films including previous hits Midsommar and Hereditary. This year, Ti West is bringing his own saga to the big screen via X and the upcoming origin story Pearl. Set in the ’70s, a group of ragtag young friends set up shop at a rented cabin where they plan to create adult films. Actors Brittany Snow, Jenna Ortega, Scott Mescudi (aka Kid Cudi), and Mia Goth star in the slasher, and their characters are slowly hunted by the old couple who owns the property. If you’re seeking a straightforward horror film that feels like the original Halloween, this is definitely a movie to add to your list.
Where To Watch: Prime Video
The Black Phone
Ethan Hawke will make your skin crawl in his 2022 winter release The Black Phone as the masked murderer antagonist. Additionally, this film gives you someone to root for in 13-year-old Finney Shaw portrayed by actor Mason Thames. Kidnapped in his own neighborhood, Finney winds up in the killer’s basement with nothing but a dirty mattress on the floor and a broken black phone on the wall. Soon, he realizes he can communicate with previous victims. Does he escape the same fate as these voices he hears on the phone? Find out for yourself!
Where To Watch: Peacock
Gone In The Night
Winona Ryder has been a certified scream queen this year between Stranger Things season 4 and Gone in the Night. When Kath (Ryder) goes to a cabin retreat with her BF, they’re surprised to find another couple already staying at the remote hideaway. After spending the night in the same house as this strange couple, she wakes up to find her S.O. missing along with the woman they met the night before. Kath is determined to find out what happened in this mystery/thriller with myriad twists and turns.
Where To Watch: Prime Video
Studio 666
The Foo Fighters may be one of the world’s most iconic modern rock bands, but Dave Grohl and crew learn to fly as actors in their horror-comedy Studio 666. Featuring appearances from John Carpenter, Jenna Ortega, Will Forte, and beyond, this film follows the band as they record their 10th album in a haunted house. With promises of gore, unhinged jokes, music references, and more– this is a fun watch for anyone and everyone.
Where To Watch: Prime Video
The Bob’s Burgers Movie
You may think of Bob’s Burgers as just an animated adult comedy show. However, their 2022 theatrical movie extravaganza is a whirlwind musical comedy murder mystery on Wonder Wharf. After a sinkhole opens up in front of Bob’s Burgers, Louise, Tina, and Gene discover a skeleton leading to a huge investigation that the kids take into their own hands.
Fresh
Whenever you go on a date and think about every bad thing that could happen with a person you don’t know well, this Hulu original movie tackles that scenario to the extreme. Starring Daisy Edgar-Jones and Sebastian Stan, Fresh is equal parts sexy, scary and tasty.
Where To Watch: Hulu
Day Shift
Jamie Foxx, Dave Franco, and Snoop Dogg may sound like unlikely co-stars, but these guys take vampire movies to a whole new level in Netflix’s Day Shift. Bud Jablonski (Foxx) may seem like your average L.A.-based pool cleaner, but his real gig is vampire slaying. To see a spooky action flick this Halloween season, turn to Netflix.
Where To Watch: Netflix
Halloween Ends
Michael Myers is still alive after all the gunshots, stab wounds and burn marks. In their final showdown, Laurie Strode (Jamie Lee Curtis) and Michael go head-to-head four years after the end of 2021’s Halloween Kills. Strode, now living with her granddaughter and writing her memoir, is haunted by a criminal case where a babysitter is accused of killing the boy he was watching, leading to a spiral marking the end of the modern Halloween trilogy.
Where To Watch: In Theaters Oct. 14, Streaming on Peacock
Men
A24 has been on roll with horror flicks this year. Men is the stuff of nightmares. After tragically losing her husband, Harper Marlowe, played by Jessie Buckley, escapes to the humble countryside to find some peace. Instead of finding healing, she is taunted by eerie men left and right, men who look extraordinarily similar. Actor Rory Kinnear really got a workout portraying so many characters.
Where To Watch: Prime Video
Incantation
Obsessed with found-footage-style horror films? Director Kevin Ko has you covered. The Taiwanese horror flick focuses on Li Ronan (Tsai Hsuan-yen) who is fighting to save her daughter after brewing up a curse six years prior. Though, watch if you dare, as some TikTokers believe the movie actually cursed them, too!
Where To Watch: Netflix
Texas Chainsaw Massacre
Texas Chainsaw Massacre gets a millennial Leather-facelift in Netflix’s 2022 rendition directed by David Blue Garcia. The infamous Leatherface makes his return as he hunts a group of young people 48 years after his initial slaying when they disturb his peace while he’s hiding out in a deserted Texas town.
Where To Watch: Netflix
Bodies Bodies Bodies
Bodies Bodies Bodies is a dark horror comedy starring funny stars such as Pete Davidson and Rachel Sennott. A film designed with Gen Z at its heart, the plot follows rich, privileged 20-somethings who are stuck in a mansion during a hurricane. A party game in the dark turned into a whodunit case resulting in this well-received A24 masterpiece.
Where To Watch: Theaters, Prime Video
Wendell & Wild
If you loved Comedy Central’s Key & Peele starring Keegan-Michael Key and Jordan Peele, you will be stoked to hear that the duo are back starring as a team of demons in a Tim Burton-styled animated Halloween movie Wendell & Wild. The Netflix original is directed by Henry Selick, who is also the mastermind behind Coraline and The Nightmare Before Christmas. Wicked and wacky adventures await all who dare enter this demonic tale.
Where To Watch: Netflix (Oct. 28)
My best friend’s exorcism
Being best friends mean you get matching necklaces, go on cute coffee outings and exorcise each other when needed. Amazon Prime’s original film My Best Friend’s Exorcism stars Elsie Fisher and Amiah Miller, and is based on the 2016 horror/coming-of-age novel by Grady Hendrix. This ’80s-style horror movie is sure to encompass high school humor as it’s produced by Christopher Landon, who directed both Freaky and Happy Death Day.
Where To Watch: Prime Video (Sept. 30)
Don’t Worry Darling
In director Oliva Wilde’s sophomore film, Jack (Harry Styles) and Alive (Florence Pugh) live the “perfect” 1950s life in Victory. The housewives are happy and the men work hard on the Victory Project. Alice starts to question the utopian lifestyle presented in the community and begins to unravel the darkness surrounding the town. Despite the Don’t Worry Darling drama, we are beyond excited to see this mystery thriller on the big screen.
Where To Watch: In Theaters Sept. 23
Barbarian
Get ready to see Bill Skarsgård star in a new terrifying tale alongside actress Georgina Campbell. A young woman named Tess (Campbell) booked a house to spend the night but is surprised to arrive at the rental double-booked by Keith (Skarsgård). She decides it’s safe to stay in the presence of this stranger. However, the house holds secrets that begin to unfold and lead to the high-praised Barbarian. Written and directed by Zach Cregger, best known for his role in the variety show The Whitest Kids U’Know, audiences can surely expect to see a whole new side of the comedian’s creativity.
Where To Watch: In Theaters
The Munsters
Sure, Rob Zombie may be best known for his total embodiment of the spooky season, whether he’s singing such hits as “Dragula” or directing his own bloody, graphic variation of Halloween, but now, he’s making Halloween fun for the whole family. In an upcoming Netflix film, the musician and director is taking on a 2022 version of The Munsters, with all the zany action and jokes reminiscent of the O.G. sitcom.
Where To Watch: Netflix (Sept. 27)
Smile
Director Parker Finn is adapting his 2020 short film Laura Hasn’t Slept into the fall horror blockbuster Smile. Following a traumatizing appointment with a patient, psychiatrist Dr. Rose Cotter (Sosie Bacon) starts to see bizarre and horrifying supernatural phenomena in her own day-to-day life. Head to the theater in late September to see if this psych-horror flick is something to smile about!
Where To Watch: In Theaters (Sept. 30)
The Invitation
Getting invited to a wedding is supposed to be fun, right? Not if you’re movie protagonist Evie (Nathalie Emmanuel) who is merely trying to connect with her family. Inspired by the classic novel Dracula, this party is not supposed to be fun for everyone. The Invitation brings audiences into the fold of dark family secrets and even darker intentions.
Where To Watch: In Theaters
SISSY
Sissy tackles the dark sides of Gen Z influencer culture with stunning performances from Aisha Dee, Yerin Ha, Lucy Barrett, Hannah Barlow, and beyond. Sissy, aka Cecelia, is an online mental health advocate in adulthood. When she bumps into her childhood best friend, she agrees to join her for her bachelorette weekend. What Sissy doesn’t expect to encounter is her mean high school bully who cannot forget any wicked spite harbored in the past. If you like this Shudder movie, you can find myriad incredible indie scary films and series on the horror-exclusive streaming app.
Where To Watch: Shudder (Sept. 29)
With Halloween season in swing, we hope you find the perfect slasher, satire, or family-friendly flick to make your season the spookiest one yet!