Line your doorstep with glowing gourds and let cobwebs claim the walls — Halloween season is here! In fact, as is tradition, watching horror movies and TV shows throughout October is an essential part of the season.
From rewatching spooky classics to going to the cinema to check out the latest scary movies, the entire month of October is the designated time for all things horror. Speaking of rewatching, the 2007 cult favourite Trick ’r Treat is being re-released for two days in October 2025 — 14 and 16.
Similarly, there are some much-awaited movies and TV shows releasing in October 2025, like Black Phone 2 and It: Welcome to Derry.
Apart from theatrical releases of horror movies like Good Boy, Shelby Oaks, and Bone Lake, streaming giants such as Netflix and Paramount+ also have some exciting titles that are perfect for the Halloween season. For instance, True Haunting, a horror docuseries, and The Elixir, an Indonesian zombie horror film, will both be released on Netflix. Paramount+, on the other hand, will be streaming Vicious, starring Dakota Fanning.
So, let’s look at some of the most-anticipated upcoming horror movies and TV shows of October 2025 that should be mandatory viewing for the spooky season.
8 horror movies and TV shows releasing in October 2025 that will give you chills
1 /8
Good Boy — 3 OctoberPlatform: Theatrical release, Shudder
Director: Ben Leonberg
Cast: Shane Jensen, Arielle Friedman, Larry Fessenden, Indy (Leonberg’s dog)
Synopsis: Indy, along with his human Todd, moves to the latter’s rural family home. When mysterious events begin to unfold, the dog suspects supernatural forces are at play. Now, he must do everything in his power to protect his companion.
About the movie: The film premiered at the 2025 South by Southwest (SXSW) Film & TV Festival in March.
2 /8
Bone Lake — 3 OctoberPlatform: Theatrical release
Director: Mercedes Bryce Morgan
Cast: Maddie Hasson, Alex Roe, Andra Nechita, Marco Pigossi.
Synopsis: Sage (Hasson) and Diego (Pigossi) decide to visit Bone Lake for a romantic getaway. Upon arrival, they discover that they’ll be sharing the house with another mysterious couple. As the trip unfolds, they realise that things might not be as they seem, and they’ll have to fight tooth and nail just to survive.
About the movie: The film premiered at Fantastic Fest in September 2024.
3 /8
True Haunting — 7 OctoberPlatform: Netflix
Director: Neil Rawles (Eerie Hall), Luke Watson (This House Murdered Me)
Cast: Wyatt Dorion, Rhys Alexander Phillips, Makenna Pickersgill
Synopsis: Paranormal experiences are recounted through dramatised re-enactments and interviews.
About the series: True Haunting is a horror docuseries produced by James Wan, who has previously worked on the Saw and Insidious franchises. He is also the creator of The Conjuring Universe. True Haunting will be a five-episode series split into two parts, each recounting different stories. Eerie Hall will cover the first three episodes, while This House Murdered Me will cover the remaining two.
4 /8
Vicious — 10 OctoberPlatform: Paramount+
Director: Bryan Bertino
Cast: Dakota Fanning, Kathryn Hunter, Mary McCormack, Rachel Blanchard, Devyn Nekoda
Synopsis: A woman (Fanning) receives a gift box that demands three things to be placed inside it: something she needs, something she hates, and something she loves. As she takes part in what seems to be a harmless ritual, her night takes a terrifying turn.
About the movie: Vicious premiered at Fantastic Fest in September 2025.
5 /8
Black Phone 2 — 17 OctoberPlatform: Theatrical release
Director: Scott Derrickson
Cast: Mason Thames, Madeleine McGraw, Ethan Hawke
Synopsis: Finney’s (Thames) sister begins receiving calls in her dreams from the black phone and sees visions of three boys being chased at a winter camp. Could the Grabber be back?
About the movie: The film is a sequel to The Black Phone (2021).
6 /8
The Elixir — 23 OctoberPlatform: Netflix
Director: Kimo Stamboel
Cast: Mikha Tambayong, Eva Celia, Donny Damara
Synopsis: When a zombie outbreak is triggered in their village, a family that is usually at each other’s throats must band together to survive.
About the movie: The Elixir is an Indonesian zombie horror movie with the original title Abadi Nan Jaya.
7 /8
Shelby Oaks — 24 OctoberPlatform: Theatrical release
Director: Chris Stuckmann
Cast: Camille Sullivan, Brendan Sexton III, Michael Beach, Sarah Durn, Robin Bartlett
Synopsis: When a woman’s sister disappears under mysterious circumstances, she becomes obsessed with finding her. However, as the investigation into her whereabouts progresses, she realises there may be something deeper and more demonic at play.
About the movie: This found-footage horror film had its world premiere in July 2024 at the Fantasia International Film Festival.
8 /8
It: Welcome to Derry — 26 OctoberPlatform: HBO Max
Creator: Andrés Muschietti, Jason Fuchs, Barbara Muschietti
Cast: Jovan Adepo, Chris Chalk, Taylour Paige, Bill Skarsgård
Synopsis: In the 1960s, a group of children begin investigating a series of disappearances that have plagued their town for many years. As they encounter horrifying obstacles and shocking revelations, will they uncover how it all began?
About the series: It: Welcome to Derry is expected to serve as a prequel to It (2017), set 27 years before the events of the film. It explores the time leading up to the events of Stephen King’s books, on which the franchise is based.
Hero and featured image credit: IMDb/Good Boy; Black Phone 2 © Blumhouse Pictures/Universal Pictures; It: Welcome to Derry © Courtesy of HBO MaxNote : The information in this article is accurate as of the date of publication.