Hello, and welcome to spooky season! If there’s one thing we can depend on right now, it’s television and movies that get us in the mood for Halloween. This year, many of the streaming services have a month-long lineup of some of our favorite films from the past. Some are even sneaking a few new titles into the programming, and we’re here to break down what we can’t wait to watch (between our fingers, because let’s be real some of this is pretty scary).
Scroll to find some new gems to add to your spooky television rotation this month.
The Haunting of Bly Manor (Netflix)
Two years ago, we were all absolutely captivated by The Haunting of Hill House. If you haven’t seen it, minimize this article and go watch it—right now. All caught up? Great! Hill House perfectly mixed emotional, complex characters with absolute horror and we loved it.
This anthology-style show is finally back for its second season: Bly Manor. The story and characters are different, but many of the same cast members are back, so you’ll see the faces you love…and the faces who haunted your nightmares. The premise of this season is loosely based on The Turn of the Screw by Henry James, but if we had to guess, it will be about 10x scarier.
Monsterland (Hulu)
Similar to Haunting of Hill House, Monsterland is a new anthology series coming to Hulu (so each episode will feature a different story not explicitly linked to the last). If you’re a fan of werewolves, vampires, and other mythical monsters, this show is right up your alley. The show promises a psychological element as well—exploring the lines between monsters and humans and asking the question: who’s the evil one?
Welcome to the Blumhouse (Amazon Prime)
You may associate the name Blumhouse with basically any horror movie you’ve seen in the past decade, especially if you watched the Into the Dark series on Hulu. They’re a huge name in the horror industry, and Amazon has partnered with them to launch a series of original films, all in the horror genre, that will be released leading up to Halloween. Their tag line is, “Four unsettling films. Under one roof.” So, if that’s any indication of what we’re in for, then bring on the popcorn and a much-needed nightlight.
Ghostwriter (Apple+)
In the event all this horror isn’t exactly what you’re looking for, and you want something a little more family-friendly, may we recommend Ghostwriter on Apple+. It’s a reboot of a television show from the early 90s, which tells the story of a ghost in a bookshop who unleashes fictional characters into the real world. A group of kids must solve the mystery of the ghost’s unfinished business. It has all-age appeal and won’t cause you to have nightmares, unlike its seasonal counterparts above.
What else are you watching to get into the season? Let us know in the comments below.