For fans of the horror genre, October is often the best time of year to dive fully into a wide assortment of scary movies, both old and new. Multiple channels broadcast plenty of Halloween content for weeks on end, while streaming services, like Disney+, have Halloween collections just for this time of year. Meanwhile, classic horror movies are a staple for the Halloween season, but that doesn't mean there is a shortage on new horror films. Between some scary movies hitting the theaters, like Halloween Kills, and others going straight to streaming, like the Welcome to the Blumhouse films, there are plenty of scares in store this October.
Black as Night
Kicking off Welcome to the Blumhouse, a block of four horror movies from Blumhouse and released on Amazon Prime, is Black as Night. A teen girl's summer is upended when she discovers her neighborhood and its disenfranchised residents are being attacked by vampires, so she teams up with her friends to take back her community. While based on the classic vampire tropes of films that have come before, Black as Night adds to the vampire lore as well.
Directed by Maritte Lee Go, Black as Night stars Asjha Cooper, Fabrizio Guido, Mason Beauchamp, Abbie Gayle, Craig Tate and Keith David, and it premieres on Amazon Prime Video October 1, 2021.
Bingo Hell
Also part of the first week's chunk of Welcome to the Blumhouse is Bingo Hell. Like the former film, Bingo Hell focuses on the protagonists trying to save their community from a supernatural force; however, instead of a group of teens, the protagonists of Bingo Hell are senior citizens, and their villain is much more mysterious.
Directed by Gigi Saul Guerrero, Bingo Hell stars Adriana Barraza, L. Scott Caldwell, Richard Brake and Joshua Caleb Johnson, and it premieres on Amazon Prime Video October 1, 2021.
Madres
The following week sees Welcome to the Blumhouse's third film, Madres. Where the other two were rooted in more fiction, Madres is inspired by true events, but it uses genre and horror conventions to elevate the story. Set in the '70s, a married couple moves to an immigrant farming community, and the wife begins to experience strange ailments and haunting visions, pushing her to further investigate what's going on in her new home.
Directed by Ryan Zarazoga, Madres stars Tenoch Huerta, Ariana Guerra, Evelyn Gonzalez, Kerry Cahill and Elpidia Carrillo, and it premieres on Amazon Prime Video October 8, 2021.
The Manor
The last of the Welcome to the Blumhouse movies is The Manor. Unlike the prior Blumhouse films, this one is focused on the issues plaguing a nursing home, not a larger community. That being said, the nightmare in this home can impact anyone living there, as the protagonist, a woman who recently moved in after a stroke, believes a mysterious, supernatural being is targeting certain members of the house, and she fears she is next.
Directed by Axelle Carolyn, The Manor stars Barbara Hershey, Bruce Davison, Nicholas Alexander, Jill Larsen, Fran Bennett and Katie Amanda Keane, and it premieres on Amazon Prime Video October 8, 2021.
Lamb
This is far from the traditional horror movie, especially with its moments that focus on family. Lamb reads more like a fable than it does scary story, but the mystery surrounding the newborn a couple discovers, as well as the more fantastical elements, are just enough to qualify this as a horror movie. While this child brings the couple joy, the mystery behind it looms large.
Directed by Vladimar Jóhannsson, Lamb star Noomi Rapace, Hilmir Snær Guðnason and Björn Hlynur Haraldsson, and it premieres in theaters October 8, 2021.
Halloween Kills
Back in 2018, Halloween was given new life with a sequel of the same name that rewrote the timeline, making the former films, aside from the original, not canon. This new canon continues with Halloween Kills. While Laurie and her family assumed Michael Myers would die in her burning house, that is not the case, so Laurie and the citizens of her hometown are determined to bring an end to Michael Myers' killing spree once and for all.
Directed by David Gordon Green, Halloween Kills stars Jamie Lee Curtis, Kyle Richards, Judy Greer, Anthony Michael Hall, Nick Castle, Andie Marichak Nancy Stephens, Charles Cyphers, Dylan Arnold, Omar J. Dorsey and James Jude Courtney, and it will premiere in theaters and become available to stream on Peacock starting October 15, 2021.
Antlers
Antlers was supposed to come out last year, but like many other movies, its release date was pushed back. Finally it's set to premiere to the public this month. In Antlers, a teacher invests herself in the life of one of her students, who is keeping plenty of secrets from the public that happen to overlap with a legendary, mysterious creature that inhabits the area.
Directed by Scott Cooper, antlers stars Keri Russell, Jesse Plemons and Jeremy T. Thomas, and it hits theaters October 29, 2021.
Paranormal Activity: Next of Kin
The Paranormal Activity franchise has been a major one for horror fans, especially those fond of the found footage genre. Not much is known about this installation aside from what's seen in the short trailer released in September, 2021. From the looks of it, the protagonist returns to her rural, farm community, and there seems to be some sort of occult connection. It's also been reported that this is a reboot, not a continuation of the past films.
Directed by William Eubank, Paranormal Activity: Next of Kin stars Roland Buck III, Emily Bader, Dan Lipper and Henry Ayers-Brown, and it premieres October 29, 2021 on Paramount+.