Editorials
Here Are the Best Halloween-themed Movies Available on Streaming!
October is definitively the best month of the year. It’s the month where you can find horror movie programming just about everywhere you turn, from the big screen to cable TV. There’s so much to choose from it can be a little overwhelming. Netflix has already previewed its offerings of frights this Halloween season, but what about the rest of the streaming services? The list of films being added across the board is vast, but for those looking for something new or different we have you covered.
Here are all the new release highlights we can expect from Amazon Prime Video, Hulu, and Shudder throughout October.
Amazon Prime Video
Hell House LLC
In 2009, a haunted house attraction befell a horrific tragedy that claimed the lives of 15 people on opening night. Every single member of the crew died, save one who went missing shortly after. A documentary crew found her, and decide the best plan of action is to head back to the scene of the crime to find out what happened. Ok. So this is a found footage horror. But give it a chance anyway. It’s themed around a haunt attraction around Halloween, but more importantly, it manages to craft well-executed scares that work.
Jigsaw
What’s Halloween without a Saw movie? The latest, released last Halloween season, marks the return of the Jigsaw killer, further muddying one of horror’s most convoluted timelines ever. But if you’re seeking fun and a whole lot of intricate killer traps, than Jigsaw succeeds and then some. It doesn’t reinvent the wheel, but it’s a lot of fun. This is the perfect movie to watch while carving pumpkins, right?
Pet Sematary II
Yes, I’m still defending this maligned sequel. It’s over the top and bonkers, not unlike Hello Mary Lou: Prom Night II. It also is set over Halloween, with Halloween night factoring into the plot in a major way. Starring Edward Furlong and Anthony Edwards as the father-son duo dealing with their own loss, the real reason to watch is for Clancy Brown’s scene-chewing performance. It’s pure madness in the best way. If you’re still not convinced, then rest assured Pet Sematary is also available on Prime Video.
Scarecrows
One of Fall’s major icons is the scarecrow, and one of horror’s best movies about killer scarecrows is, well, Scarecrows. When a group of robbers are making their getaway by plane and forced to land in an abandoned field, they find themselves facing killer scarecrows. The plot doesn’t always make sense, but the atmosphere and great effects more than make up for the flaws. This is a fun one.
Slice – October 18
When a pizza delivery driver is murdered, the city is on the hunt for the murdered. A disgraced werewolf is the prime suspect, but in a town full of ghosts, witches, and humans there’s more to this mystery than pizza. An irreverent horror comedy by first time feature director Austin Vesely, Slice stars Chance the Rapper, Zazie Beetz, Hannibal Buress, Joe Keery, and more. If you want something more lighthearted this Halloween season, this might be for you (our review). It’s the equivalent of a spooky Saturday morning cartoon.
“Lore” Season 2- Available October 19
A unique anthology series based on Aaron Mahnke’s podcast that explores folklore-based horror in a sort of documentary/live-action podcast format returns for a second season with a new showrunner at the helm. Some of the new episodes will harken back to familiar episodes of Mahnke’s podcase, and some will feature wholly new stories.
Hulu
[REC] series
Hulu has dropped not one, but all four movies in the REC franchise. Which makes for a perfect Halloween movie marathon. The first two films, written/directed by Paco Plaza and Jaume Balaguero, are two halves of a whole, giving a unique twist to the outbreak sub-genre. More importantly, they both deliver on the scares in spades. Paco Plaza went solo for the third entry, REC 3: Genesis, dropping the found footage format for a spinoff story that deserves more love and recognition than it’s received so far. Jaume Balaguero returns to close the series out with REC 4: Apocalypse, but it’s not nearly as strong as everything that came before. Even still, this is one of the best modern horror franchises, and for a night of spooky fun you can’t go wrong with REC.
Into the Dark “The Body”
This anthology series is unlike any that’s come before; each episode is a feature length film. Beginning October 5, a new episode airs every month on the first Friday of the month and will run year-round. The movie-a-month series will revolve around that month’s holiday, beginning with the Halloween themed episode “The Body.” Starring Tom Bateman, “The Body” follows a hitman who carries out his latest victim in plain sight on Halloween, pretending it’s simply a Halloween prop. When groupies latch on, it becomes a battle of will and wits.
Pyewacket – Available October 6
The latest by Adam MacDonald (Backcountry) sees a young girl performing a ritual to summon a witch to kill her mother after a devastating fight. But when they make up soon after, it may be too late to revoke the spell. A brooding, atmospheric coming of age story, Brad called this an instant indie gem that should make its way onto many best of the year lists. Thanks to Hulu, Pyewacket is less likely to slip under the radar as of October 6. And witches are, of course, a major Halloween staple.
Light as a Feather – Available October 11
This 10-episode supernatural series revolves around a group of teen girls being picked off one by one after a game of “Light as a Feather, Stiff as a Board.” The surviving girls then must determine why they’re being targeted, and whether an evil presence is the one behind the murders. This is the first Hulu project to be based on a Wattpad story, and stars Ajiona Alexus, Liana Liberato, Peyton List, and more.[/caption]
Shudder
Satan’s Slaves
A remake of an ‘80s film of the same name, this Indonesian horror film has consistently been touted as the scariest horror film during its run on the festival circuit. Written and directed by Joko Anwar, Satan’s Slaves follows a family that begins experiencing paranormal activity shortly after the matriarch passes away. Effective jump scares and unnerving atmosphere grounded by the endearing family dynamics makes for a spooky Halloween movie to add to your watchlist.
True Horror
The hit U.K. horror series is coming to Shudder to elicit chills. A docudrama series that opens with a disclaimer of true terror, True Horror presents based on true story encounters with the paranormal by combining on camera interviews and dramatizations. The series is by the producers of 2015’s The Enfield Haunting. This series sounds like a great pairing option with WNUF Halloween Special or Ghostwatch.
Terrified – Available Oct 11
This Argentinian horror film from the mind of Demian Rugna only has one true purpose; to scare the crap out of you (our review). It succeeds in its goal and then some, delivering several memorable scares that will leave you wanting to sleep with the lights one. Set in a neighborhood in Buenos Aires, a group of paranormal experts and a soon-to-be-retired cop investigate a series of creepy events happening on the block. Turn all the lights out, turn the volume up and prepare for scares. Even better? Pair this with Satan’s Slaves and forget about ever sleeping again.
The Witch in the Window – Oct 18
Written and directed by Andy Mitton (YellowBrickRoad, We Go On), this small scaled chiller follows a father who brings his son, Finn, to a rural home in Vermont to flip, and the pair encounters the malicious spirit of the previous owner. The longer they stay, the stronger she gets. Kalyn called this horror film one of the most exciting horror movies of the year.
Channel Zero: Butcher’s Block – Available October 25
Just the day before season four of this beloved horror series makes its debut on Syfy, Shudder gives you a chance to catch up with season 3, Butcher’s Block. Based on Kerry Hammond’s “Search and Rescue Woods,” Butcher’s Block follows a young woman that works with her sister to find out what’s happening to the city’s residents after moving there and discovering a string of disappearances. It stars Rutger Hauer and was directed by Arkasha Stevenson.
In this day and age, the word “troll” is often used to describe various online nuisances. Yet as abundant and irksome as the modern troll can be, they aren’t usually as fearsome as their mythological counterparts. I’m not talking about the small and gentler versions that have become more common to see in media. No, there are much bigger and scarier trolls out there—and André Øvredal’s movie Troll Hunter is one of the best places to find them.
It doesn’t take long for Troll Hunter (or Trolljegeren) to dump the Blair Witch Project-esque setup and aim for something a lot fresher. The trajectory of the story is augmented by Otto Jespersen’s character Hans, the titular Troll Hunter. The second he comes barreling out of the deep, dark woods and shouts “troll” at the camera, this movie takes a turn into what feels like uncharted territory. Not only subject-wise, but also conceptually.
For fantastical and made-up subject matter in cinema, found footage is a fast way to add a guise of believability. After all, what we accept to be the most crucial aspect of documentaries—the truth—rubs off on pseudo-documentaries, despite our understanding of the pretense involved. That is what Øvredal delivered with Troll Hunter: a movie so convincing that some viewers wondered if trolls really do exist. So, had this been straightforwardly made, it likely wouldn’t have been as effective. Conventional narratives would be more inclined to treat something like trolls as flat out unreal, and never try to convince the audience to think otherwise.
Hans petrifies the three-headed Tusseladd troll.
The viewers, like the characters trailing Hans, are quickly thrown into the deeper end of that extraordinary story. They have to process all this new information while staying on the go. So, although there is no significant amount of meandering, narratively or physically, there is still a good amount of atmosphere, not to mention tension building. It’s never anything frightful, but then again, Troll Hunter isn’t your standard offering of horror; it’s more on the low end of the dark fantasy spectrum. We aren’t ever spirited away to a faraway world—we stay in rather familiar surroundings, as well as dip into those less so. The outcome is a movie where you’re constantly more in awe than in terror.
As fantasy fiction might do, Troll Hunter prefers not to deal with incredulity. There is no time to waste on doubt, as interviewer Thomas (Glenn Erland Tosterud), soundperson Johanna (Johanna Mørck), and cameraman Kalle (Tomas Alf Larsen) all follow Hans around, recording whatever this character is willing to reveal about his bizarre job. Of course, the Troll Hunter himself is not an open book; in that respect, the diegetic documentary fails to fully capture and unpack the more interesting of its two subjects. Yes, all those giant, monstrous trolls are indeed incredible, but understandably, your mind wanders to their pursuer. What kind of person signs up for this gig and then chooses to stick with it for so long?
Reviews have called out Troll Hunter for its lack of character development. In regard to Thomas and his fellow documentarians, that criticism is valid, but bear in mind, they aren’t the focus of the story, either. Meanwhile, Hans is a well-crafted character. At least better than first realized. Before he was introduced, Hans had already grown tired of the troll grind. Fed up with that low compensation for his services, resentful of the bureaucracy, and wanting to expose his employer on a large scale, Hans’ discontent is glaring.
Then there are those finer details about the Troll Hunter, such as that indifference to both the natural splendor of his everyday surroundings and the affections of an obviously smitten colleague, that also suggest some level of despondency. So it is fair to say this movie doesn’t feature any sizable growth for its characters; however, the namesake isn’t underwritten. No doubt, putting a real-life character like Otto Jespersen in that role is partly why Hans is so fascinating—maybe even relatable.
Otto Jespersen as Hans the Troll Hunter.
There is always a small risk whenever using the term “mockumentary” to describe a found-footage movie, as the word could imply humor where there is none. In the case of Troll Hunter, the term’s usage is appropriate. Some folks have claimed the English-dubbed version has the more comedic tone, however, the Norwegian cut isn’t exactly humorless. Apart from the trolls’ absurd appearances, this is a movie where the characters nearly choke on the monsters’ farts, and Christians are like walking targets. Hans’ complete apathy towards everything is another cause of laughter. Overall, the comedy is intentionally dry and inconsistent. Unfunny, though? Absolutely not.
In a movie where endemic creatures are maltreated, as well as disavowed from living freely and peacefully, it’s hard not to notice the ecological message buried beneath the story. In addition to that is the unmistakable political satire. There is this whole business about intrusive and unsightly power lines—like trolls, they’re big blemishes on the land—that leads to what is perhaps the movie’s funniest moment. The scene in question is that one where certain electric lines, the ones secretly being used to keep the trolls at bay, go in a loop and don’t actually send power to any residents. Yet the monitors of said lines don’t find this at all weird. So it stands to reason that Øvredal was having a go at those who accept the government’s doings without question.
Looking past the fact that trolls aren’t actually real, this movie is an enlightening source of information. And not just for international audiences; Norwegians, too, get schooled about their homeland’s own mythology. It’s also evident from everything on screen that Øvredal and his crew were enthusiastic about the topic. The creature designs are the most indicative of that zeal; those imaginative yet myth-accurate manifestations are equally amusing and grotesque. One second you’re laughing at their phallic noses, the next you’re white-knuckling during a hairy sequence. Most surprisingly is how well the trolls’ visual effects hold up after fifteen years. It’s not all spotless, but on the whole, they remain impressive.
Vouching for a mockumentary about trolls isn’t easy, but those who do come around and give it a shot will more than likely be grateful for the recommendation. For Troll Hunter is a real find in that vast and varied genre we call “found footage“.
A bridge troll reaches up for food and finds Hans decked out in armor.
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