As the days get shorter and the nights colder, TV heats up as the virtual fireplace to keep families safe and warm. But the small screen dominance of late fall through New Year's is aided by two distinct holidays, the spooky season of Halloween and the feel-good of Christmas. The latter does plenty of creeping up the schedule. But Halloween still dominates the month of October, and as more streaming services get in on the act, the more horror movies there are to watch. The new Halloween movies for 2020 are proof of that.
Most of this year's bounty come courtesy of Netflix, which is getting in on the Halloween action the same way it has with the Christmas spirit. But there are a few refugees from the big screen, redirected to online rentals or streaming services, as theaters remain mostly shuttered around the country due to the coronavirus pandemic. All this to say, there are several kinds of films for viewers to choose from, from the typical screaming teens to Get Out-style racism-as-horror parables. There are also stories for all ages, from adaptations of kids' books to remakes of old classics.
Here's a rundown of the 15 biggest scares coming to the small screen this Halloween season.
Set in Italy, The Binding features a woman visiting her fiancé's mother, where she must fight a "mysterious and malevolent curse" that has possessed her daughter. It's available on Netflix.
Originally entitled El Practicante, The Paramedic is a 2020 Spanish thriller film starring Mario Casas as Ángel Hernández, whose life begins to unravel as he becomes convinced his wife is unfaithful. It's available on Netflix.
Starring Maisie Williams, The Owners is a 1990s period piece about a group of grifter teens who find an empty house with a safe full of cash... until the owners come home and find them. It's available for rental on Amazon.
Vampires vs. The Bronx is a story of how gentrification turns terrifying, as the rich who move in are secretly vampires, here to feed on the neighbors. It's available on Netflix.
An anthology film, Books of Blood is based on the Clive Barker book of the same name, in which a psychic brings in a medium to investigate a haunted house and uncovers several stories. It's available on Hulu.
An Adam Sandler joint, Hubie Halloween features him as Salem's eccentric community volunteer who stumbles on an investigation pf a murderer. It's available on Netflix.
Based on the novel of the same name, A Babysitter’s Guide to Monster Hunting stars Tamara Smart as babysitter Kelly Ferguson, whose charge is abducted by the boogeyman on Halloween. It arrives on Netflix on Oct. 14.
This one is a remake of the Daphne du Maurier novel turned Hitchcock classic. Lily James and Armie Hammer star in Rebecca, a story of a second wife haunted by her late predecessor's ghost. It arrives on Netflix on Oct. 21.
The Witches is a remake of the Roald Dahl novel turned Anjelica Huston Halloween classic. The new version stars Anne Hathaway, Octavia Spencer, Kristin Chenoweth, and Chris Rock. It arrives on HBO Max on Oct. 22.
A post-apocalyptic suspense-thriller, Cadavar is set in the years after a nuclear disaster as a charismatic hotel owner convinces a family of three to stay the night. It arrives on Netflix on Oct. 22.
Blumhouse has gone back to 1996 and rescued the Neve Campbell Halloween vehicle The Craft with a brand new sequel, The Craft: Legacy. It's available to rent on Amazon starting Oct. 28.
In this horror film for the modern audience, technology-dependent teens head out to hike in the woods only to discover their smartphones being out of range is the least of their problems. It's available on Netflix on Oct. 28.
The Day Of The Lord is a Spanish-language horror film in which a retired priest haunted by his past sins steps up to help a friend free his possessed daughter. It's available on Netflix on Oct. 30.
Following in the footsteps of Get Out, His House stars Wunmi Mosaku of Lovecraft Country as one half of a couple from South Sudan who discovers the English town they've fled to is full of horror. It's available on Netflix on Oct. 30.
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