It’s that wonderful time of year when horror is playing on TV nonstop, thanks to various networks and streaming services embracing Halloween. But if you’ve already exhausted your perennial favorites and watched all the Halloween movies or Night of the Demons, you might be seeking new favorites… Since it’s the last full week before Halloween, […]
It’s that wonderful time of year when horror is playing on TV nonstop, thanks to various networks and streaming services embracing Halloween. But if you’ve already exhausted your perennial favorites and watched all the Halloweenmovies or Night of the Demons, you might be seeking new favorites…
Since it’s the last full week before Halloween, this week’s streaming picks are dedicated to recent Halloween horror movies. These five features were released within the last five years and deliver new seasonal frights. Almost all embrace the best holiday of the year in massive, atmospheric ways.
It doesn’t get more seasonal than the feature directorial debut of Samuel Bodin, creator of Netflix’s “Marianne.” Lizzy Caplan (“Castle Rock”) and Antony Starr (“The Boys”) star as parents who seemingly can’t be trusted when their young son Peter (Woody Norman) gets tormented by mysterious knocking on his bedroom walls. Bodin and screenwriter Chris Thomas Devlin’s R-rated horror fairy tale massively embraces its Halloween atmosphere. If you want full throttle scares, watch “Marianne.” For gateway thrills that go big on Halloween, get cozy with Cobweb.
Deadstream – AMC+, Hoopla, Shudder
The feature directorial debut from husband-and-wife filmmaking couple Vanessa and Joseph Winterfollows a disgraced internet personality who attempts to win back his followers by livestreaming one night alone in a haunted house. It’s perfect for Halloween; YouTuber Shawn (Joseph Winters) gets decked out in holiday gear as he introduces his latest stunt as a Halloween event. Let’s just say that karma comes for Shawn in the form of mischievous and malevolent spirits. The Winters’ channel Sam Raimi in their delightfully gonzo horror-comedy full of bodily fluids, gore, and ghostly creatures.
HeBGB TV – SCREAMBOX
Similar to the effortlessly charming WNUF Halloween Special, HeBGB TV takes an experimental approach to spooky season fun through the lens of retro television viewing. Here, a multidimensional cable box installs itself into a neighborhood and, slowly, the world. A pair of young siblings get whisked away on a journey through various channels of comedic horror mayhem, leading to no shortage of creativity as viewers encounter infomercials, sketches, news reports, music clips, and more for an infectiously nostalgic and charming DIY feature. The singing candy corn quartet are scene-stealers.
Edgar Wright’s time-hopping psychological horror movie stars Thomasin McKenzieas a fashion designer who uncovers a murder plot from the past. One that has her connecting with Anya Taylor-Joy’s Sandie, an aspiring singer from London’s Soho district during the Swinging Sixties. While Wright’s horror movie opts for high style and fashion over seasonal theming, Halloween plays a prominent role in at least one significant scare sequence. Expect lavish production design and great performances by its leads, with a tonal shift once the ghostly second half arrives.
Late Night with the Devil – AMC+, Hulu, Shudder
Talk show host Jack Delroy (David Dastmalchian) goes all in on a Halloween special that includes psychics, skeptics, and parapsychologists in a desperate bid to stave off cancellation. Coordinating all of the bold personalities and moving parts of live television becomes all the more unpredictably stressful when a demonic entity disrupts the event. Writers/Directors Colin Cairnes and Cameron Cairnes hit the ground running with a rapid-fire documentary-style setup introducing essential exposition and personal stakes for Jack a year before the ill-fated event. The gradual build from pastiche into full-blown nightmare comes fast like a freight train, making for a unique and fun Halloween romp through ’70s TV.
