This has been one of the best years ever for horror movies. Just look at the numbers: Obsession has grossed […]
This has been one of the best years ever for horror movies.
Just look at the numbers: Obsession has grossed $520 million worldwide, Backrooms has crossed $400 million, and Resident Evil is already past $245 million. That’s more than $1.1 billion between three horror movies—including a breakout that made Obsession the biggest film in Focus Features’ history. Horror has been doing some seriously heavy lifting this year.
What makes that so ironic is that October’s theatrical lineup feels surprisingly light. So much of the big stuff has already come out, and while we still have goodies on the horizon, this is the week I’m really excited about.
There are four major releases coming, and they’re all completely different. We’ve got a mainstream scarefest, an anthology nightmare, a Netflix sea monster series, and a Stephen King classic brought back to life by a modern master of horror.
This is a really, really fun week to be a horror fan. Finding time for all of it is going to be the problem.
‘Other Mommy’ — October 9 in Theaters
The obvious centerpiece of this weekend is Other Mommy, which, based on Rob Savage’s history, should be a must-see.
The dude blasted onto the scene with Host, the Shudder pandemic smash about a Zoom séance going horribly wrong. People trapped in their own homes, crazy shit happening around them, and scares coming straight through their screens. It reminded me of the first V/H/S, and it scared the shit out of a lot of people.
Savage is really good at crafting scares and using effects to sell them. He already made the jump to a major theatrical release with The Boogeyman, and now he’s got the superpowers of Jessica Chastain (Mama, It Chapter Two) at his disposal.
Between Chastain, the J-horror influences I’m seeing in the footage, and everything Savage has learned along the way, I have a lot of hope for this one. The film adapts Josh Malerman’sIncidents Around the House, following a young girl whose family is threatened by an entity resembling her mother. And it’s actually rated R, for “some bloody violence and language.”
Every trailer and TV spot has been delivering for me. I’m extremely excited, and I think this is going to do huge business this weekend. My prediction? It breaks $30 million. We’ll see.
Frankly, unless you’re going to see Resident Evil again, this is where I’d be spending my theater time.
‘Carrie’ — October 7 on Prime Video
The biggest release at home for me is Mike Flanagan’s fresh take on Stephen King’sCarrie. All eight episodes arrive on Prime Video this Wednesday, so we won’t have to wait week to week to see how everything culminates.
I’ve seen the first two episodes, and the trailers do not do it justice.
It’s an enthralling, fresh coming-of-age take, with incredible performances by Summer H. Howell (Curse of Chucky) as Carrie and Samantha Sloyan (Hush, Midnight Mass) as her mother, Margaret. Just lights out.
What’s really working for me is how believable the kids feel, particularly in the way they act toward one another. It feels very now, timely and urgent, with the cruelty and social dynamics making sense for this generation. That’s a huge part of making another version of Carrie work.
I’m only two episodes in, but I’m very excited to see where Flanagan takes it by the finale. We’ve got the episode rundown if you want to plan your week accordingly.
‘V/H/S/Mixtape’ — October 9 on Shudder
Then there’s our next V/H/S installment, V/H/S/Mixtape, which just continues the insanity.
Obviously, I helped create this franchise, so I’m hardly coming at it as a disinterested observer. But ever since Shudder brought it back with V/H/S/94, the intent has been to keep pushing toward nonstop chaos and fun.
If V/H/S/Halloween didn’t deliver enough trick-or-treats, this one ventures into all sorts of crazy territory: puppets from Jim Henson’s Creature Shop, GWAR, claymation, and music videos. Music and sound drive the nightmares this time, with GWAR hosting an MTV-style show from hell. Our trailer coverage gives you a taste of how weird it gets.
And after you watch Mixtape, you have eight other mainlineV/H/Smovies to revisit. Nine movies already! We’re getting into the territory of those long-running horror franchises we all grew up with. Throw in SiREN, Kids vs. Aliens, and the short-lived Snapchat series, and the family gets even bigger.
We should do a proper head count one day and see how it stacks up against Child’s Play, A Nightmare on Elm Street, Friday the 13th, and The Texas Chain Saw Massacre. With V/H/S: SCP headed toward a theatrical release through A24 in 2027, that count is still growing.
‘Below’ — October 8 on Netflix
Finally, Josh Hartnett (The Faculty, 30 Days of Night) has a sea monster problem in Netflix’s Below, with all six episodes arriving Thursday.
Hartnett has been part of horror since Halloween H20, and more recently he was fantastic in M. Night Shyamalan’sTrap. Now he’s playing a Newfoundland fisherman trying to protect his family and community from something lurking beneath the waves. This looks super fun and crazy.
It also features Rohan Campbell (Halloween Ends, Silent Night, Deadly Night), who has become such a popular face in the horror community over the past few years. Yes, Corey Cunningham himself is getting mixed up in this sea monster business. We recently shared new images of Campbell in the series.
You might as well watch Below, then throw on Silent Night, Deadly Night and Halloween Ends afterward, right? Apparently, I’m determined to make this viewing schedule completely impossible.
And next week, all eight episodes ofCrystal Lakearrive on Peacock on October 15.
So even if October’s theatrical calendar feels thinner than I’d like, there’s plenty here to keep Halloween going at home. I just need to figure out when I’m supposed to sleep.
