Gather ’round for a spooky story, where two roads diverge in a haunted wood. One, to the “hot girls only” section of Spirit Halloween. The other, to a well-worn couch for yet another Halloweentown rewatch. And let me just say, both are valid.
With age comes wisdom, health insurance, and changing plans. With time, latex costumes became fleece pajamas. But one thing that hasn’t changed in decades is our collective Halloween watchlist, and by no means should you skip the Halloweentowns, Nightmare Before Christmases, and Twitches (one and two)—but, we do have some notes. We gather before you today not to hasten your spooky streaming, but to expand it.
Here are 10 new movies and shows that are must watches for Halloweek.
No One Will Save You
This new sci-fi horror stars Booksmart’s Kaitlyn Dever as an agoraphobic young woman living in her childhood home, haunted by memories of her departed mother and best friend. Her solitude is interrupted by an alien invasion, forcing her out of her home and into the town which has shunned her for years.
The Fall of the House Usher
This new Netflix series comes from the reigning king of streamable horror Mike Flanagan, the name behind The Haunting of Hill House, Midnight Mass, and more. Flanagan’s bread and butter? Modernizing old literature. The Haunting of Hill House was adapted from Shirley Jackson’s 1959 novel, The Haunting of Bly Manor was based on the 1898 novella The Turn of the Screw, and his latest work, The Fall of the House of Usher is based on the works of Edgar Allen Poe. The Succession-brained series follows the high powered Big Pharma CEO whose dastardly privileged children begin dying in mysterious ways.
Goosebumps
Your nightmares of youth have returned to a new medium. From Disney+ and Hulu, the new Goosebumps series is based on the bestselling books of the same name—aka the most popular picks at the Scholastic Book Fair. Featuring cameos from Justin Long, whose recent horror work has been nothing short of career-making, the series’ six episodes follow five high schoolers who find themselves haunted by the dark secrets of their parents’ past.
Five Nights at Freddy’s
In theaters on October 26, this new horror movie marks a couple of big moments: the latest video game-to-screen adaption since HBO’s The Last of Us, and the grand return of your childhood crush, Josh Hutcherson. The film, like the video game series it is sourced from, follows a security guard at an abandoned Chuck-E-Cheese-type establishment whose animatronics murder anyone on the premises after midnight. It’s like Cinderella for edge-lords.
Living for the Dead
Kristin Stewart is back in the spooky space, and this time sans-fangs. Created by Stewart and C.J. Romero, this new Hulu reality series follows a group of paranormally-attuned queer travelers visiting haunted spots across the country. If you like ghost-hunting things, or are still laughing at that clip of Demi Lovato singing to a room of spirits, watch this show.
American Horror Story: Delicate
Kim Kardashian, media mogul. Kim Kardashian, shapewear seller. Kim Kardashian, lawyer. Kim Kardashian, horror actress. The latest installment of Ryan Murphy’s American Horror Story is currently airing, starring Emma Roberts, Gilmore Girls’ Matt Czuchry, and you guessed it, Kim Kardashian. The series 12th season follows a young actress, desperate to have a child, who (naturally) hits more than a few paranormal roadblocks.
American Horror Stories Season 3
A criminally underrated spin-off of the aforementioned anthology series, American Horror Stories tells a new tale every episode and features many of the big-name cast members from the original series including Denis O’Hare, Gabourey Sidibe, and Billie Lorde. The brand-new third season of the series drops on October 26, featuring four new episodes titled “Bestie,” “Daphne, “Tapeworm,” and “Organ”—the latter of which is directed by Petra Collins.
The Enfield Poltergeist
This four-part miniseries from Apple TV+ recounts the true story of one of the most famous cases of paranormal activity in global history. The Enfield poltergeist took place in London between 1977 and 1979, with most of the activity targeted at two young girls, Janet and Margaret Hodgson. The new series features original audio recordings from the house, making it the perfect nightmare-fuel for the Halloween season.
The Devil on Trial
This paranormal true-crime documentary follows the only case in the history of the United States legal system to feature demonic possession as a defense strategy. The case took place in Connecticut in 1981 and inspired the 2021 horror hit The Conjuring: The Devil Made Me Do It. The Conjuring is fun and all, but this documentary features real audio recordings and images from the case, including the exorcism of a child.
John Carpenter’s Suburban Screams
Halloween creator and horror genius John Carpenter has returned to haunt once more. His new series Suburban Screams, which is available to stream on Peacock, focuses more on real-life horror stories rather than works of fiction. The series’ six episodes center around true stories of murder, promising “you’ll never look at your neighbors the same way again.”
Courtney Young is a freelance writer covering all things entertainment and pop culture, having previously written for Betches, Mic, and The Cut. Her Real Housewives locale of choice is New Jersey, her emotional support show is Girls, and her toxic trait is romanticizing mafia culture. You can follow her on Instagram @courtneyyoungg.