I love binge watching scary movies during Halloween! I’m always looking for a good list of horror movies to watch in October.
Creepy films ring in the spooky season perfectly. Shorter, colder days add a nice spooky aesthetic. That makes fall the perfect time to curl up with a cozy blanket (and a cozy partner if that’s your jam), and binge watch horror movies.
For Blogtober day 3, I’m offering up a list of 40 frightening horror movies to watch in October. Because who only watches on per day? These are some of my favorites!
Whether you like a visceral freak-fest, a little bit of bump in the night creepiness, or scares that leave you sleeping soundly, there’s something for everyone here. (Remember, I’m talking about movies, not extracurriculars!)
Everyone has to decide for themselves what scary means, but you can see my suggestions here, and at the very least, get to know me a little bit better.
What is Blogtober? Learn more here!
Got little ones? These movies are NOT family friendly, and I don’t recommend watching them with young children. The kid-safe version comes tomorrow!
Problems and Projects is a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for sites to earn advertising fees by advertising and linking to Amazon.com. This post may contain affiliate links through Amazon or other affiliate programs. If you make a purchase through an affiliate link, I make a small commission at no additional cost to you. All opinions are my own and I only recommend products that I believe in. Read my full disclosure here. Thank you for your support!
A Quick Word on Zombie Movies
Okay, you’re going to find very few actual zombie movies on here, and I know what you’re thinking. What gives? Why write a list of horror movies to watch without zombies?
I love zombie movies. They’re my number one ultimate irrational fear. You’d better believe that my emergency preparedness plans include a zombie contingency, and I have a zombie outbreak escape plan everywhere I go. To be fair, none of those plans actually involve surviving very long. I know my abilities.
Yes, I realize the absurdity of this. Don’t judge me!
So, why no zombie movies on the list? Simple. I didn’t want to create a list of 100 horror movies to watch in October. Total self preservation.
Watch ALL the zombie movies!
I also left off a fair number of my favorite creepy monster movies and survival films. The list was simply too daunting, so I pared it down to more traditional horror flicks.
However, I do have a pretty thorough post that covers monster movies, zombie flicks, and survival stories as well. If you check out this post, you’ll find some of my favorites!
Visceral, Terrifying Horror Movies
This section offers up choices that activate your primal survival mode! These are the horror movies to watch in October that will send shivers down your spine.
While not all necessarily “scary”, these have been known to wake me up in the dead of night because my brain thinks I’ve just experienced a trauma. I have actually had flashes of imagery leave me in a cold sweat after watching a few of these!
Graphic. Visceral. Freaky. Unlike the hokey original, this one totally activated some sort of survival instinct in me. All night long, scenes of gory images from this film flashed through my brain.
Based on the Warren family case study, this tells the tale of a family terrorized by an angry spirit and the paranormal investigators who try to help them.
Honestly, whether you watch this one, the Japanese original, or the most recent iteration, these movies all freak me out. It’s the sounds.
A found footage style tale of a woman haunted by a demonic presence. The last few seconds kind of kill the vibe, but up to that point, this one’s genuinely scary.
As a rock climber, this one’s terrifying. A cave exploration goes terribly wrong, and not just in the ways you would imagine. There’s a bit of a psych thriller element here.
Older horror movies don’t usually freak me out, but I’ve been losing sleep over Poltergeist since 1991. A family moves into a newly built housing development only to find that it’s already inhabited. “Whyyyyy”!
A man visits a remote village to research mysterious happenings. Instead, he comes face to face with a vengeful spirit who isn’t huge on forgiveness.
Don’t Be Afraid of the Dark – 2010
Most people might not find this one scary, but it freaks me out every time! A young girl moves in with her dad and his new girlfriend. In the process, she makes friends with questionable critters who have unsavory motives.
Wes Craven’s New Nightmare – 1994
Imagine the original Nightmare on Elm Street was just a movie, and you could follow the career of the actors. Now imagine Freddie Kruger, a previously a fictional character, comes to life. Super clever twist on the originals, and very, very creepy.
You guys probably know this one. A mysterious, unsettling video tape causes everyone who watches it to die. Naturally, a woman, and then her son, watch it, and she must figure out how to survive.
A family attempts to save their comatose child from becoming trapped in another realm by evil spirits. This one will make you think twice about trying lucid dreaming…
If the original Pennywise sent shivers down your spine, this updated version might just make you wet your pants. The sounds and aesthetic of this reboot take creepy clowns to the next level.
This one activated some delayed fear in me… six months later, while sleeping on a fold out couch at Children’s Medical Center, 4 days postpartum. A group of friends explore an archeological dig off the beaten path, and it doesn’t go well.
Creepy Movies to Watch in October
These horror movies to watch in October are graphic or scary, and they get the adrenaline pumping, but they don’t freak me out to my core!
If you want a bit of creep-factor but visceral, slasher gore isn’t your thing, these movies make the cut.
Tucker and Dale vs. Evil – 2010
Two local hillbillies vacation in their run down mountain cabin. When local college kids mistake them for killers, things get crazy. This one’s hilarious and not at all scary, but it is a total bloodbath, so proceed accordingly.
A great, classic 80’s kid hero movie, but a little bit scarier. An uprooted tree in a suburban backyard reveals a mysterious hell pit. A group of kids left home alone must defend themselves from the demonic hoard before their parents get home.
Citizens of one town learn the hard way why our various Halloween traditions should be remembered.
A coven of misfit teenage girls get wrapped up in powers beyond their control. A quintessential spooky movie from my childhood.
Scream Collection – 1996 to 2011
A group of scary movie fans become the unfortunate target of a psychopath who forces them to live a real life scary movie.
A Nightmare on Elm Street Collection – 1984 to 1991
While not especially scary today, I love watching these movies during Halloween. They are just so classically disturbing but in a fun way.
The creepy events in an unsettling children’s book come to life in a mother and son’s home. The Babadook is already chilling, but the ending takes you to another level.
A slow mover, to be sure, but an interesting take on 1630’s witchcraft in New England.
A small town is overtaken by a zombie-like alien plague. Slither is great because its creepy and kind of gross, but there’s also a lot of humor infused into the story.
I know. It’s cliche and silly, but I love Creepshow! The stories vary from funny to gross to terrifying. Plus, who doesn’t love the whole Crypt Keeper vibe?
Imagine if The Truman Show had a baby with The Hunger Games, and that baby was also zombies…
A little harder to find, this one has all the makings of a classic 80’s kids monster movie, only scarier and with better cinematics. Two brothers find a terrifying bottomless pit in their new house. Then, they’re forced to face their greatest fears to survive.
A loan officer evicts an old woman and falls victim to a curse that threatens to, well, drag her to hell.
Scary Movies That Won't Keep You Awake at Night
Some scary movies give us thrills when we watch, and then the sensation ends. Nightmares (usually) not included.
Some of these movies are more unsettling than straight up scary, so they’re perfect for a weeknight when you still have to function at work the next day.
When a mutated monster begins terrorizing the locals, a young girl’s incompetent and overly dramatic family attempts to stage a rescue. Hokey, funny, and little bit gross, but not too scary. Everything you want from a Korean monster movie!
A classic horror musical about a man who finds himself at odds with a very interesting plant.
Trust me, you want to go with the original foreign film here. Let Me In is okay, but this is better. It’s not scary so much as a little disturbing. A lonely outcast befriends a strange child who only comes out at night.
A classic cautionary tale about what happens when you don’t properly care for your pets (and honestly, a great movie for Christmas, too)!
What We Do in the Shadows – 2014
This nontraditional vampy comedy answers the question of how vampires would handle mundane, every day life. It turns out, not that differently from us mere mortals.
While technically a sequel, you don’t need to worry about watching the first one to follow along. It’s got everything. Bad 80’s acting, reanimated corpses, crystal skulls, electricians with experience in finding alternate dimensions…
Apparently the 80’s is where you go for scary movies that aren’t scary! Another well known classic. I even watched this one as a kid, but it is kind of inappropriate…
If you’re less about scary movies and more of a rom-com person, this one has basically zero scare factor, but there are witches!
Rocky Horror Picture Show – 1975
No Halloween list is complete without this goofy cult classic. A newlywed couple break down and find themselves in Dr. Frank-n-Furter’s castle. There, all manner of sexually charged antics ensue.
Netflix original. A man marries his dream girl only to discover that her son is actually the Antichrist. It takes a turn you might not expect! This one is funny, creepy, and heartwarming all at the same time.
Now, this one might be scary to some because it is pretty graphic. In this B movie classic, a group of college kids awaken demonic forces after reading incantations from an evil book.
Also a classic Bruce Campbell b-movie. A hardware store clerk is transported to 1300 AD, where he must retrieve a dark book in order to return home.
“Everyone’s got to eat shaving cream sometimes”. This one is terrible, but that line alone makes trudging through worth it.
A rom-com with zombies. Not at all scary, and also kind of sweet.
Are You Ready to Watch Some Horror Movies?
There you have it, 40 horror movies to watch in October that will leave you with a nice variety of post-movie watching goosebumps.
Do you have any terrifying horror favorites that you love to watch at Halloween? Share your picks in the comments below! Don’t forget to come back tomorrow for the family friendly version.
If you enjoyed this post, don’t forget to save it to your social media, and subscribe to our newsletter! Use the form below, and you even get a totally free copy of the goal setting and planning sheets I used to plan my Blogtober content!
Can you tell us more about this? I’d care to find out some additional information.
hey there and thank you for your information – I have certainly picked up anything new
from right here. I did however expertise a few technical points using this website, since
I experienced to reload the website a lot of times previous to I could get it to load correctly.
I had been wondering if your hosting is OK?
Not that I’m complaining, but sluggish loading instances times will very frequently affect your placement
in google and can damage your quality score if advertising and marketing with Adwords.
Well I’m adding this RSS to my e-mail and can look out for a lot more of your respective fascinating content.
Ensure that you update this again soon.
Thanks for finally writing about > 40 Frightening Horror Movies to Watch In October – Problems
and Projects < Liked it!
Hi there, just became alert to your blog through Google, and found that it is really informative.
I am gonna watch out for brussels. I’ll be grateful if you continue this in future.
Lots of people will be benefited from your writing. Cheers!
Wow, that’s what I was exploring for, what a data! present here
at this blog, thanks admin of this web site.
My spouse and I stumbled over here different web page and thought I might check things out.
I like what I see so i am just following you.
Look forward to checking out your web page repeatedly.
This post gives clear idea designed for the new users of blogging, that
truly how to do blogging.
Thanks for sharing your thoughts on препараты при недержании мочи.
Regards
Hey! Do you know if they make any plugins to safeguard against hackers?
I’m kinda paranoid about losing everything I’ve worked hard on. Any suggestions?
Hiya very cool website!! Guy .. Beautiful ..
Wonderful .. I’ll bookmark your site and take the feeds
additionally? I’m satisfied to find so many useful information right
here within the put up, we need work out extra techniques in this regard, thank
you for sharing. . . . . .
Hey there! I just would like to give you a huge thumbs up for the great information you’ve got right here on this post.
I am coming back to your site for more soon.
It is appropriate time to make a few plans for the long run and it
is time to be happy. I’ve learn this submit and if I may
just I desire to recommend you few attention-grabbing issues or tips.
Maybe you can write next articles relating to this article.
I want to learn more issues approximately it!
I would never be able to watch some of the scary movies on this list. I’m not a fan of horror movies, although I did see The Exorcist in the theater when I was in high school. There was a lot of screaming in the audience!
Some of these other, lighter movies are more my style. I’ve seen Gremlins, Little Shop of Horrors, What We Do in the Shadows, Ghostbusters, Warm Bodies, and Practical Magic. I’ll be checking out Little Evil next, thanks for the suggestion!
There are so many options now, that there’s something for everyone. I’ll admit, I do lose a lot of sleep and have a lot of nightmares in October. There are some fun ones on tomorrow’s kid friendly version you might like. Done let the word kid too you. They’re still a lot of fun! I love Little Evil! It’s a funny one, and not too creepy.
Great post! Thank you for sharing 😋
You’re welcome!
Thank you for the great list! There are a few I haven’t seen that I will be watching this month. Slither is one of my favourites!
It’s such a good one!
I think the only movies I seen on this list are Practical Magic , Scream, and Ghostbusters. So thanks for sharing the other movies!
I hope you find a few new favorites!