As the leaves turn crimson and the nights grow longer, Halloween 2025 promises a feast of frights straight to your screen. With October 10 marking the kickoff to peak spooky season, we've curated the must-watch new releases in horror movies and TV series dropping this fall. From found-footage chills to true-crime terrors, this guide spotlights fresh blood on Netflix, Hulu, Shudder, and beyond—perfect for solo scares or group marathons. Grab your popcorn (extra butter for the screams), dim the lights, and dive in.

Fresh Frights on the Big(ish) Screen: Top Horror Movies for October-November

Whether you're streaming at home or catching a theater run, these cinematic nightmares arrive just in time to haunt your Halloween weekend. Each packs a punch with innovative twists on classic tropes.

• V/H/S/Halloween (Shudder, streaming since October 3): This anthology unleashes a barrage of Halloween-themed found-footage segments, blending twisted trick-or-treat tales with blood-soaked survival horror from directors like Paco Plaza and Anna Zlokovic. It's a chaotic, hilarious gut-punch that turns candy corn into carnage. (We'll spotlight this gem below—don't miss it!)
• The Substance (HBO Max, October 10): A body-horror fever dream starring Demi Moore as a fading star who injects a mysterious serum for youth, only to unleash grotesque consequences. Directed by Coralie Fargeat, it's a razor-sharp satire on vanity with visceral, Cronenberg-esque effects.
• Saint Clare (Hulu, October 10): In this folk-horror slow-burn, a reclusive woman in rural Ireland confronts a saintly apparition that blurs the line between miracle and madness. Rebecca Henderson shines in this atmospheric tale of faith gone feral.
• Stay (Hulu, October 8): A married couple teetering on the edge of divorce—Kiara, a scholar of African spirituality, and Miles, a former MMA fighter—unleashes supernatural horrors that test their bond and survival instincts in this tense, culturally infused chiller.
• The Woman in Cabin 10 (Netflix, October 10): Ruth Ware's nautical thriller gets a chilling adaptation, following a journalist who witnesses a murder on a luxury cruise—only for everyone to deny it happened. Expect cabin-fever paranoia and stormy seas of suspense.
• Vicious (Paramount+, October 10): A queer horror romp where a group of friends unleashes an ancient curse during a wild party. Think Scream meets The Craft, with sharp wit and slashy surprises.
• 40 Acres (Hulu, October 17): This social horror flips the script on white savior tropes, as a Black family inherits a plantation haunted by its brutal history. Tense, timely, and unflinching.
• Companion (Amazon Prime, October 18): A sci-fi horror about a perfect android girlfriend who starts glitching into nightmare mode. Sophie Thatcher and Jack Quaid star in this Black Mirror-esque cautionary tale on love and AI.
• The Hand That Rocks the Cradle (Remake) (Hulu, October 22): Updating the '90s nanny thriller, a vengeful widow infiltrates a family with sinister intent. Rebecca Romijn directs this fresh take on domestic dread.
• The Elixir (Netflix, October 23): In a dystopian world, a miracle drug promises eternal life—but at the cost of sanity. A psychedelic descent into addiction and apocalypse.
• The Beast Within (Amazon Prime, October 24): A father with a lupine curse hides his secret from his daughter in this gothic werewolf tale. Kit Connor and Caoilfhionn Dunne deliver raw, moonlit emotion.
• Hell House LLC: Lineage (Shudder, October 30): The found-footage franchise returns with a bloodline of hauntings at the infamous hotel. Expect escalating escalators of terror.
• The Monkey (2025) (Hulu, Now): Stephen King's cursed toy comes alive in this Osgood Perkins-directed shocker, starring Theo James as a man fleeing his childhood plaything's deadly pranks.
• Frankenstein (Netflix, November 7): Maggie Gyllenhaal's punk-rock reimagining stars Christian Bale as a vengeful monster in 1930s Chicago. A bold, bloody twist on Mary Shelley's eternal classic.
• 28 Years Later (Netflix, Now): Danny Boyle and Alex Garland reunite for the zombie saga's next chapter, following survivors in a ravaged Britain. High-octane rage-virus action with philosophical bite.

Spine-Tingling Series: Binge-Worthy Horror TV for All-Night Chills

TV's golden age of terror continues with serialized scares that linger long after the credits. These drops build dread episode by episode—ideal for Halloween eve marathons.

• Monster: The Ed Gein Story (Netflix, October 3): A gritty docudrama chronicling the infamous "Butcher of Plainfield," whose real-life horrors inspired Psycho and The Texas Chain Saw Massacre. Ryan Murphy's unflinching true-crime lens.
• Devil in Disguise: John Wayne Gacy (Peacock, October 16): Evan Peters returns as the clown-killing serial murderer in this miniseries, delving into Gacy's double life with chilling reenactments and survivor testimonies.
• The Monster of Florence (Netflix, October 22): An Italian true-crime saga about the unsolved '80s murders, blending noir investigation with supernatural whispers. Amanda Knox narrates this atmospheric whodunit.
• IT: Welcome to Derry (HBO Max, October 26): The It prequel series explores Pennywise's origins in 1960s Maine, with Bill Skarsgård reprising the clown and a stacked cast including Jovan Adepo. Pure Stephen King cosmic horror.
• Nightmares of Nature (Netflix, Now): David Attenborough narrates this eco-horror docuseries on nature's deadliest predators, from venomous insects to apex killers—proving Mother Nature is the ultimate monster.
• True Haunting (Netflix, October 7): James Wan's executive-produced docudrama unearths two real paranormal cases—"Eerie Hall" and another spectral standoff—in a five-episode blend of interviews, recreations, and spine-chilling immersion. (Spotlighted below for its raw, real-world chills!)
• Alien: Earth (FX on Hulu, October episodes ongoing): Noah Hawley's prequel series crashes xenomorph terror to 2120 Earth, starring Sydney Chandler as a warrant officer uncovering corporate conspiracies amid acid-blooded outbreaks.
• Marvel Zombies (Disney+, October ongoing): An animated undead twist on the MCU, where heroes like zombified Spider-Man and Captain America rampage in a post-apocalyptic feast. Gory, gonzo fun for comic fans.
• The Creep Tapes Season 2 (Shudder/AMC+, November 14): Duplass brothers' awkward-horror returns with more cringe-inducing encounters between a videographer and his unhinged subject. Short, sharp shocks that stick.
• Wayward (Netflix, September 25—still fresh for binges): Mae Martin's psychological thriller follows a family unraveling in a gated community hiding dark secrets. Toni Collette co-stars in this slow-simmer of suburban paranoia.

Spotlight: V/H/S/Halloween – The Anthology That Keeps on Slashing

If you're craving a Halloween hit that feels like raiding your grandma's VHS closet gone wrong, V/H/S/Halloween is your poison. Premiering on Shudder October 3, this latest in the brutal found-footage franchise compiles six segments of holiday havoc: from possessed pumpkins to slashers in suburbia, directed by a murderers' row including Alex Ross Perry and Casper Kelly. At 115 minutes of non-stop nausea and laughs, it's less a movie and more a mixtape of mayhem—proving the V/H/S formula still shreds. Critics call it "hilariously horrific," a must for anthology addicts. Stream it now and let the tapes roll.

Spotlight: True Haunting – James Wan's Gateway to the Ghostly

For those who prefer their scares rooted in reality, True Haunting delivers with executive producer James Wan's signature dread. This Netflix docuseries, out since October 7, spans five episodes across two bone-chilling cases: the "Eerie Hall" poltergeist frenzy and a family's battle with an invisible entity. Mixing survivor interviews, expert analysis, and Wan-directed dramatizations, it blurs docu and horror like The Conjuring meets Unsolved Mysteries. Fans are already "terrified" by its immersive evil—perfect for late-night paranoia sessions. Hit play if you dare.

This Halloween, the horror gods are generous—pick your poison, queue up the queue, and remember: the real monster is the FOMO if you miss out. What's topping your watchlist? Share in the comments and stay scared, friends.