There’s no one way to define a horror movie. Because fear is a uniquely subjective and individualized experience, disparate viewers find terror in a variety of tales, themes, and topics. CEO and co-founder of NEON Rated, LLC, Tom Quinn has built an empire on pursuing films not targeted to specific genre fans. Following the production and distribution company’s second Best Picture win for Sean Baker’s Anora, he explained his pursuit of, “auteur-driven films that have purpose, something to say. Cultural heft, in some cases social impact, but also artistic merit in equal measure.” Osgood Perkins’ Longlegs may have cemented the label as a powerhouse in the horror sphere, but Quinn and co-founder Tim League—who also co-founded the Alamo Drafthouse Cinema chain—cater to audiences that “skew under 45, that have no aversion to violence, no aversion to foreign language and to non-fiction.” Since opening their doors in 2017, Neon has become a leading light in the cinematic world with films that refuse to play by traditional rules. Their unique approach to substance over stratification, quality over classification is redefining the cinematic world and challenging our understanding of film itself.

These NEON films blur the genre lines and defy the rules for those seeking adventurous frights for your Halloween horror watchlists. Keep your spooky season NEON and enter to win a Halloween bundle featuring tricks and treats for favorites like Longlegs, The Monkey, Together, and more.

Colossal (2016)

The horror genre has seen many metaphors for addiction and mental health, but none so strange as in Nacho Vigalondo’s Colossal. Neon’s first acquisition follows Gloria (Anne Hathaway), a semi-functioning alcoholic reeling from a recent breakup. Forced to move back into her parents’ home, she reunites with childhood friend Oscar (Jason Sudeikis) and takes a job at his neighborhood bar. Through a series of strange occurrences and blackout drunks, Gloria discovers that her innocent trip through an unassuming park causes a monster to manifest over Seoul, South Korea. When Oscar similarly creates a giant robot, the hungover friends realize that these beasts are colossal avatars that mimic their every move, causing death and destruction wherever they go. While bizarre, these giants become poignant parallels to the horror and shame of addiction. Vigalondo offers no easy answers, but reflects our own pain back to us. This impressive debut established Neon as a brand willing to break long-standing rules in order to capture emotional truth.

I, Tonya (2017)

Craig Gillespie’s sports drama/true crime hybrid pulls its horror from history. Chronicling the life of Tonya Harding (Margot Robbie), we follow the young skater from the wrong side of the tracks through an abusive childhood with her mother, LaVona (Allison Janney), and her violent marriage to Jeff Gillooly (Sebastian Stan). The story culminates in the vicious attack on rival skater Nancy Kerrigan (Caitlin Carver) that overshadowed the 1994 Winter Olympics. Jeff and Tonya give conflicting accounts of the skater’s tumultuous private life, while Gillespie exposes the class bias that plagued the athlete throughout her career. We watch Tonya careen headfirst into trouble, knowing there’s nothing we can do to save the strangely empathetic 24-year-old. But decades after Harding’s highly-publicized downfall, we’re finally ready to reckon with our tendency to vilify female celebrities. Not only did I, Tonya garner Neon its first Oscar love—a nomination for Robbie and a win for Janney—Gillespie’s film exists within a collective realignment in how we view non-traditional women.

Assassination Nation (2018)

Few of life’s many phases horrify like the high school years. While trying to define ourselves, we inevitably make public mistakes or hurt the people we care about most. And that’s without the added pressure of social media in all its toxic forms. Modern teens must balance IRL interactions with a constant barrage of posts and feeds presenting a curated version of reality. No film explores this terrifying realm like Sam Levinson’s Assassination Nation. Aptly inspired by the witch trials of 17th-century Salem, the town in its modern iteration erupts in the wake of a massive private data leak. Lily (Odessa Young) and her friends become scapegoats for adults who can’t face the external shame of their private choices. Targeted by a violent mob, the teens have no choice but to respond with violence and must fight to the death for their right to exist. Levinson uses a variety of creative techniques to mimic the experience of online culture, a prototype of sorts for his award-winning series Euphoria. This harsh, yet empowering film blends action, drama, and horror themes to depict the omnipresent threat teenage girls endure in a world designed to tear them apart.

Parasite (2019)

Bong Joon Ho’s jarring South Korean film obliterates age-old genre distinctions. Based on Bong’s own 2013 play, Parasite follows Ki Woo (Choi Woo-sik), a destitute student who cons his way into a lucrative job with the wealthy yet naive Park family, then finagles domestic service positions for his parents and sister. But a mystery lurking beneath the floorboards of the Park family’s lavish estate throws the Kims’ social climb into jeopardy. In a disturbingly prescient commentary on wealth inequality and class dynamics, Bong’s jaw-dropping finale asks us to question the title of the film itself. Is Kim Ki-taek (Song Kang-ho) a parasite, stealing resources from a stable source? Or are the Parks the story’s true villains as they callously bleed their employees dry? The first non-English-language film to win the Academy Award for Best Picture, Parasite established Neon as a serious player in the cinematic world while opening the doors for a diverse new wave of visionary creators.

Shirley (2020)

Few women have put their stamp on the horror genre like author Shirley Jackson. Her breakthrough short story “The Lottery” was a polarizing hit, simultaneously reviling and intriguing readers with its grim, yet sunny savagery. She would go on to publish six genre novels, including the seminal ghost story, The Haunting of Hill House. Josephine Decker’s Shirley is a largely fictionalized snapshot of the renowned author’s private life. We meet the reclusive Jackson (Elisabeth Moss) through Rose Nemser (Odessa Young), an uneasy guest in the eccentric home Jackson shares with her philandering husband Stanley Hyman (Michael Stuhlbarg). Shirley balks at this awkward intrusion while struggling to write her second novel, Hangsaman. The biopic may never escalate to outright horror, but it flirts with Jackson’s trademark style of unnamed terror and domestic fear. With electrifying performances from Moss and Young, Decker paints a harrowing picture of the dehumanization and treachery women must contend with in the world of literary academia.

Triangle of Sadness (2022)

Ruben Östlund’s Triangle of Sadness gleefully invites us to eat the rich. Told in three parts, this disturbing satire takes place on a luxury yacht filled with influencers and the inexplicably wealthy, then spirals into ever more disturbing circles of hell. Toilet Manager Abigail (Dolly De Leon) is tasked with catering to the guests’ every demand, even when their idiocy threatens the safety of both passengers and crew. The pirates that ultimately sink the ship merely cap off a night of completely avoidable chaos and death sparked by the passengers’ own selfishness. Violence and turmoil escalate when survivors wash up on a nearby island, finally leveling the playing field. But can they ever shed the dehumanizing caste system that defines their lives? This bleak yet hilarious comedy eviscerates our habit of prioritizing status and outward appearance while ignoring inner strength and reliability with a subtle reminder that no matter how altruistic our intentions, none of us are entirely virtuous.

The Monkey (2025)

Stephen King may be known as the Master of Horror, but his most memorable adaptation of 2025 is arguably an outright comedy. The author’s 1980 short story “The Monkey” is a quiet family drama exploring generational trauma and random tragedy. Osgood Perkins’ shocking adaptation drags the story into the world of the absurd with outlandish deaths and over-the-top characters. In a dual role, Theo James stars as a lonely father desperate to protect his estranged son while navigating a complex relationship with his bullish twin brother. Perkins’ version of this curious story involves death by stampede, a horde of bees, and a school bus full of decapitated cheerleaders. Yet King’s themes of nihilistic tragedy remain, and we watch as this bombastic story transitions into a tender exploration of survivor’s guilt and brotherly love. The Monkey is the second in a trio of films helmed by the visionary genre auteur, establishing Neon as a go-to brand for boundary-pushing horror films. 

From its earliest titles to the present day, Neon has been distinguishing itself from a crowded pack with a dazzling roster of complex films that blur traditional genre lines. Theme and character lead the way, allowing for the kinds of creative risks that produce game-changing cinema fare. With a full slate of highly anticipated titles on the horizon, Neon continues to push the boundaries of genre classification while challenging audiences to reevaluate the way they engage with narrative art.

Don’t forget to keep your spooky season NEON and enter to win a Halloween bundle featuring tricks and treats for favorites like Longlegs, The Monkey, Together, and more.