It’s that time of year again when the Halloween spirit reignites people’s interest in horror. While you prepare your Halloween costume and plan for the holiday, it also becomes the perfect time to watch some vintage horror films. Indeed, there are still a few days until all the streaming horror tension explodes, but it wouldn’t hurt to get a head start.
As a result, October seems to be one of the most promising months of the year for horror movie releases. Not only are there newer adaptations of novels by prominent horror authors such as Stephen King, but some of the most anticipated films are also returning. So, if you’ve been looking forward to seeing some good horror in the coming month, take a look at these films releasing in October 2024.
Salem’s Lot
Streaming on Max on October 3
Stephen King has written many incredible horror novels over his career, and Salem’s Lot, published in 1975, is no exception. Gary Dauberman, known for his work on The Conjuring franchise, is now adapting the story for the big screen as a writer and director, following its earlier miniseries versions in 1979 and 2004.
In the film, Ben Mears is a writer who spent a significant portion of his childhood in Jerusalem’s Lot, Maine, and returns to his birthplace 20 years later to find inspiration for his next book. However, he eventually discovers that an ancient evil has chosen to prey on the town, turning everyone into undead vampires. Will Ben be able to save the town? Salem’s Lot will be available on Max on October 3, 2024.
Hold Your Breath
Streaming on Hulu on October 6
Hold Your Breath is an upcoming psychological horror film starring Sarah Paulson and directed by Karrie Crouse and Will Joines. In 1930s Oklahoma, amid horrific dust storms, a woman named Margaret Bellum suspects that a sinister presence is trying to threaten her family. To protect what is dear to her, she goes to extraordinary measures, leading the people of the town to believe that she has gone insane. Hold Your Breath will be released as a Hulu original on October 3, 2024.
It’s What’s Inside
Streaming on Netflix on October 4
Set to be released in early October, It’s What’s Inside is another intriguing horror comedy film written and directed by Greg Jardin. The film, which stars Brittany O’Grady, Alycia Debnam-Carey, Nina Bloomgarden, and many more prominent actors, had its world premiere at the 2024 Sundance Film Festival on January 19, 2024.
In the movie, a pre-wedding party, which was meant to be filled with happy memories, devolves into an existential nightmare when an estranged friend grabs everyone’s attention with a mysterious suitcase. It’s What’s Inside will be released on Netflix on October 4, 2024.
Caddo Lake
Streaming on Max on October 10
Caddo Lake is a forthcoming horror thriller written and directed by Logan George and Celine Held under M. Night Shyamalan’s label Blinding Edge Pictures. It was originally titled Vanishings but was then changed to The Vanishings at Caddo Lake, which was eventually shortened to Caddo Lake.
The film, set in the late 1990s and early 2000s, revolves around an eight-year-old girl who mysteriously vanishes on Caddo Lake, uncovering a chain of past deaths that bind them together. Caddo Lake, which stars Dylan O’Brien and Eliza Scanlen, will be released on Max on October 10, 2024.
Smile 2
Watch It in Theaters on October 18
Smile 2 is perhaps the most anticipated horror movie of the year, thanks to the first film’s compelling storytelling that managed to frighten the audience like no other. The film, written and directed by Parker Finn, stars Naomi Scott in the leading role, with Kyle Gallner reprising his role as Joel. The film’s official synopsis is described as follows:
About to embark on a new world tour, global pop sensation Skye Riley (Naomi Scott) begins experiencing increasingly terrifying and inexplicable events. Overwhelmed by the escalating horrors and the pressures of fame, Skye is forced to face her dark past to regain control of her life before it spirals out of control.
Smile 2 is scheduled to be released in theaters on October 18, 2024.
Terrifier 3
Watch It in Theaters on October 11
The Terrifier franchise reinvents the concept of slasher horror, with Art the Clown becoming one of the genre’s most iconic villains. Furthermore, the budget for each film has exponentially increased from $35,000 to $2 million.
Written and directed by Damien Leone, Terrifier 3 follows Sienna and her younger brother as they struggle to cope with the tragedy following Art the Clown’s Halloween massacre. During the holiday season, they try to embrace the Christmas spirit, hoping to see the light amid all the despair, but the killer reappears, determined to turn the holiday into yet another nightmare. Terrifier 3 will be released theatrically on October 11, 2024.
You can find the complete list of horror movies coming out in October 2024 below:
October 3:
- The Legend of Johnny Jones
- Salem’s Lot (Max)
- Hold Your Breath (Hulu)
- House of Spoils (Prime Video)
October 4:
- Monster Summer
- The Forest Hills
- It’s What’s Inside (Netflix)
- V/H/S/ Beyond (Shudder)
October 8:
- A Quiet Place: Day One (DVD/Blu-ray)
October 10:
October 11:
October 18:
October 24:
October 25:
- Your Monster
- Don’t Movie (Netflix)
October 30:
TBA October Horror Releases:
- Carved (Hulu)
- Cuckoo (DVD/Blu-ray)
- Alien: Romulus (DVD/Blu-ray)
- Afraid (DVD/Blu-ray)