Halloween Horror Watchlist 2025

Every year I make a horror movie watchlist for my wife Liz for October. It started because they loved horror and I strongly disliked it, but now, four or so years after publishing the first one here on this website, I have become a lover of horror.

I skipped publishing a 2024 list because we were moving in the month of October and that was very stressful. I almost didn't do this one because I am in the middle of drafting my second novel, but I figured, if all goes well, I will always be drafting a novel or something like it. And no, it's not horror, though, now that I think about it, it has horror elements for sure.

Below you'll find beloved classics, B-movies, foreign films, and the latest blockbusters. I, having hated the genre for a long, long time have huge gaps in my horror film education, so I have not yet seen almost all of these. Therefore, I cannot vouch for their efficacy.

2025 has been a hell of a year for horror movies. We've gotten Ryan Coogler's Sinners (which is not on this list as I saw it the day it came out a the Vista theater in Los Feliz. Oh yeah, I live in LA now, so I automatically have more authority when it comes to films), a new Zach Creggar Weapons, Companion, Heretic (this might be Sophie Thatcher's year), Together, Bring Her Back, 28 Years Later, Presence among many others. There are so many great new horror films this year that I could have made a list with just 2025 releases, but since I'm trying to see all of the good ones, I am once again watching a film a day this October (that's 31!) and I invite you to do the same.

This post will be updated throughout the month as I move through the list and each week will be posted every Monday.

Without further ado, here it is. The 2025 Halloween Horror Watchlist presented by Nick Parker.

1. Monsters

Monsters came out back in 2010. It’s Gareth Edward’s breakout indie (Jurassic World: Rebirth, Godzilla, Rogue One. He also was slated to do The Rise of Skywalker but was replaced by JJ Abrams due to fear of the Russian bot attacks against The Last Jedi).

We're starting out gentle with this one. I picked it as it feels like a good transition from summery weather to spooky season.

Gareth Edwards is known for his bold sense of scale with his monsters. 

This is one of the few movies I’ve already seen on this year’s list, but its been on my mind lately as it deals with illegal immigration in a future where white people have to make those hard choices.

This is far from a perfect film, but the performance of Scoot is memorable and I really like the way Edwards handles the monsters on a low budget. My favorite kind of movie has a small cast in an enclosed space, and this one manages to capture that feeling but out in the open wilderness of Mexico. At least that’s how I remember it.

Available VOD

75% on Rotten Tomatoes (53% audience score)

2. Prospect

2018s Prospect serves up Zaddy Pascal and a young Sophie Thatcher in a lo-fi sci-fi survival story predating The Last of Us (series not the game obvs) by half a decade. What more do you need? A villainous Jay Duplass that's what. This was Sophie Thatcher's feature film debut and I'm expecting her to be the star of the show as she has since become the leading lady of horror at the present moment.

This is another soft horror entry that has been on my list for years but hasn't made the cut because my list wasn't long enough.

Post-viewing update:

I had the whole villain thing backwards.

I put this back to back with Monsters on purpose as they both have similar visions with vastly different executions. Where Monsters fell short in the character department, Prospect excels. There are several key moments in this film where we are reminded why we love Pedro Pascal so much. Sophie really drives the story here and the fact that she doesn't buckle under that narrative weight, but thrives is a testament to her enduring star power.

The sound design here made it difficult to understand what everyone was saying, but it felt intentional and contributed to a strong sense of claustrophobia even though we were on an open forest world.

Available for streaming on Hulu

89% on Rotten Tomatoes (74% audience score)

3. Warfare

Alex Garland is one of my favorite filmmakers and this weekend features two of his 2025 releases.

You might be thinking, "Warfare? That's not a horror movie." It has been described as a horror movie set during a war. That's why its on this list. I have been very patiently waiting all year to watch this.

It's based on writer's Alex Garland and Ray Mendoza's actual time as Navy seals fighting the war in Iraq. I imagine this will be one of the more horrifying films we watch this year.

It stars that guy that I always confuse with the guy that plays Kal Kestis in the Jedi games. This guy is a much better actor than that guy.

Post viewing update:

This was a perfect film. 10/10. It was, in fact, horrifying and did follow the structure of a horror movie.

It was clear this was made by people who were actually there and cared deeply about those involved.

That sequence where A-company was moving through the streets to meet up with B-company was one of the most impressive things I have ever seen.

A conversation about this film would be incomplete if we didn't at least mention the sound design, which is funny because the previous film, Prospect, also had excellent sound design. The moment right before the comms dude pulls the plug on his comms when all the different conversations are going on in his helmet all while he's trying to stop the bleeding of one of the wounded soldiers is absolutely incredible.

Warfare as Alex Garland's follow up to Civil War says to me that he really, really wants to remind us that we do not want war, especially not on US soil.

Available for streaming on HBOMax

93% on Rotten Tomatoes

4. 28 Years Later

Alex Garland returns 23 years later to the 28 Days Later franchise (he was, sadly, not involved in the very mid sequel 28 Weeks Later that came out 260 weeks after 28 Days Later) with 28 Years Later that takes place 28 years after 28 Days Later.

This is one of the movies on this list that I've already seen (I couldn't wait as 28 Days Later is one of my favorite movies of all time). This sequel was not as good as I wanted it to be, though it has a standout performance by the kid, Alfie Williams and, as always, Ralph Fiennes is excellent. The dude that plays the dad is the kid from Kick Ass! Isn't that weird? Lil' bastard's all grow'd up. There's this one part with one of the new slow zombie types that was really gross and really scary that is like a new nightmare unlocked as it sticks with you.

Notably, this was shot with iPhone 15s. They even build a special rig to shoot with 20 iPhone 15s at once!

The ending awkwardly sets up the sequel but if you view that as an after credits scene placed before the credits, I think its fine. Apparently this is going to be a trilogy, which I am still quite excited for.

Post-viewing update:

I liked this a lot more on the second viewing. The third act threw me the first time but I see now what the filmmakers were doing. The quiet, introspective third act makes a point against violence of any kind and is essential to drive home the theme that these infected, unlike traditional zombies, are just heightened versions of ourselves consumed by rage, especially toxic male rage. Theres an anti-libertarian anti-war throughline here that feels like Alex Garland was like, "y'all didn't seem to get it the first time, so I'ma make it real clear."

This time I paid attention to the iPhone-ness of it all and man, the iPhone camera is weird. Its terrible at picking up light and it struggles with depth, but all of its flaws can't stop the beauty of Northumberland. It definitely added to the uncomfortable feeling of the film.

After watching it again, I am extremely excited to see what the rest of the trilogy has in store.

5. Weapons

Zach Creggar's follow up to 2022s excellent Barbarian (was on that year's list!) starring the wonderful Julia Garner.

This will be our first true horror film. I intentionally don't know much about it and I put it this early in the watchlist so that it doesn't get spoiled. I'm wondering if this movie poster itself is a spoiler. I hear it is very, very good.

Unfortunately this one will be a VOD rent or buy.

Post-viewing update:

Oh boy, do I have thoughts about this movie. I think I'm going to wait until the end of this watchlist to put them here in case anyone actually wants to watch along. I don't want to spoil anything.

Available VOD

94% on Rotten Tomatoes (85% audience score)

6. The Surfer

To kick off what I'm calling monster week (yes there are themes and sublists within this list) we are going to watch The Surfer!

idk, this one just showed up on the front page of my hulu app and we love Nicolas Cage in this house (if you haven't seen Mandy, you should drop everything and go watch it right now).

This is another of the pseudo-horror options on this list, but it fits into my favorite horror theme: humans are more horrific than any supernatural phenomena or creature you can come up with.

It's about a guy who wants to go surfing in a community that doesn't like outsiders surfing in their community.

This selection doubles as palate cleanser and a sort of aperitif for the next film on the list.

Post-viewing update:

I LOVED this movie. 10/10. Nicolas Cage is perfect for these sorts of roles. Please go watch this low-budget surrealist masterpiece right now.

This is the most Australian movie I have ever seen (minus the inexplicable American, Nicolas Cage, but don't ask too many questions and go along for the ride). It deals with colonialism, toxic masculinity, weatlh and class, homelessness, family, ownership of public land, and the long (and short) term effects of violence. There are some movies, like ahem, Weapons, that seemingly have no idea for the cultural context of the world at large, The Surfer is the opposite. It is hyper-aware of the state of the world and lands on the right side of the aisle.

Available for streaming on Hulu

84% on Rotten Tomatoes (46% audience score, I love it when there is such a disparity between scores, it always ends up being an interesting watch.)

7. Dangerous Animals

If you don't already know this about me, I don't like spoilers. I am so spoiler adverse that if a movie comes across my radar that I'm interested in, I will add it to my watchlist and not look at anything about it. I don't even like to watch trailers. Going in blind comes with its risks, namely there could be something extremely problematic about the film or content warnings I'm unaware of. You've been warned. The only thing I know about Dangerous Animals is it is a highly regarded shark movie and now you know why we watched The Surfer.

Post-viewing update:

Dangerous Creatures is a straightforward date night horror flick. There's not a lot going on under the surface, it's exactly what you expect it to be. The highlight is the performance of the villain, Jai Courtney. Our female lead was fine, but her plastic surgery prevented her from doing the face acting that this role required. It was like looking at a deathmask with eyeholes, scary yes, but very much not it.

I liked how there wasn't really any sexual assault here, something I was afraid of as male writers seem to think that's a fun thing to make a movie about (read: it's not).

It felt like the screenwriter didn't expect this to get made when they wrote it. They seemed to have a lack of understanding of how space works, especially water. I never got over how the inside of the boat was so much bigger than the boat itself. And there were a lot of loose threads in the script that could have been tied together to make a much more cohesive film.

All in all, it was refreshing to have such a horror film horror film that wasn't trying to be anything else. I'm glad to see we are still making those and that they can still be good. Because there's a lot of trash horror out there and I don't think this one should be thrown off the back of the boat and fed to the sharks.

7/10.

Available for streaming on AMC+, but who has AMC+ lmao so VOD it is. Remember that the highest residual rate for the writers comes from renting the digital version of a movie. (PS: I'm who has AMC+ lmao, I apparently got it for this year's watchlist).

87% on Rotten Tomatoes (74% audience score)

8. One Cut of the Dead

This really should have been placed right next to 28 Years Later, but I was overwhelmed with getting the list going that I didn't sort passed the first week and, besides, zombies count as monsters, right?

One Cut of the Dead is a Japanese zombie horror comedy about real zombies attacking a film crew shooting a low budget zombie film set in a WWII Japanese facility. It has a whopping 100% on rotten tomatoes and has maintained it since it released in the US in 2019. It's been billed as the Japanese Shaun of the Dead. I'm extremely excited about this one.

Post-Viewing Update: (Potential Spoilers)

This is a movie about filming a movie about filming a live broadcast one cut zombie movie where real zombies attack the cast and film crew.

One Cut of the Dead turned out to be not at all what I was expecting and yet everything I wanted. From what I can gather, the first 30 minutes or so was a short that did well and then they expanded it into the rest of the 90 minutes we see here. The whole thing reminded me of my high school years filming no budget shorts with my friends and a camcorder. I absolutely loved it!

10/10.

Available VOD (Sorry about all the VODs this year, I ran out of stuff on streaming after doing this for 4 years).

100% on Rotten Tomatoes

9. Frankenstein (1931)

I like to sprinkle some classics into the list each year and with Guillermo del Toro's Frankenstein releasing inexplicably in November this year, the original monster seemed perfect. Have any of you seen this all the way through? I know I've inevitably tuned into the same scene where Frankenstein's monster gets that flower from the little girl (yes, children, this was back when we actually had channels and couldn't just pick whatever we wanted to watch whenever we wanted to watch it). I'm excited to revisit this classic and I hope you are too.

Post-Viewing Update:

I mean, it's Frankenstein. It's only 70 minutes, so if you haven't seen it, do yourself the favor and get educated on the history of everyone's favorite monster. Also, it's hilarious.

Available on Amazon Prime Video (with ads though)

94% on Rotten Tomatoes

10. Satanic Hispanics

This is a Mexican anthology film from 2022 featuring 6 different tales connected by a frame story of a lone survivor from a massacre in an El Paso town who is being interrogated by the police.

Idk if it qualifies as a monster flick, but, judging by the poster, at least one of the stories is. I've heard great things about this one and I do love a foreign horror film. The best horror right now is coming from outside of the US, especially in the book space.

Post-Viewing Update:

I was very dissapointed with this one. Its an anthology, so it was always going to be a mixed bag (hello New York, I Love You), but chapter 5 was SO, SO bad that it brought the entire thing down to 1 star for me. It was some of the worst film making I have ever seen and on top of that it was highly homophobic and deeply misogynistic and somehow racist (they beat a woman to death with a giant demonic dildo). I described it to Liz that it was as if we watched Sinners and then at the end they threw in Birth of a Nation.

Available VOD

89% on Rotten Tomatoes

11. Nosferatu (2024)

Say what you want about Robert Eggers (I have my own strong opinions about him), he knows how to make a film that worms its way inside you and makes a home there. The Lighthouse was on my very first watchlist back in 2021 and I HATED it, but after thinking about it for a few weeks and endless conversations with Liz, I think my opinion on it has taken a complete 180.

Nosferatu is based on a post-modern stage play adaptation that Robert Eggers put on when he was in high school. After listening to him talk about in on an episode of the Scriptnotes podcast, I actually became excited to see this. He clearly has a deep passion for the source material. If anything, it should be interesting.

Post-Viewing Update:

Nosferatu (2025) was an accurate representation of the source material. All vibes, no substance. Bill Skarsgård was the standout performance as Count Orlock. His shadow was best supporting actor. I didn't have a terrible time and I didn't get bored, but I was also never wowed by anything here as the film never rose above acceptable. I am left with the burning question of why? Why are we telling this version of this story in 2024? Why did we choose to make the young woman's sexual desire the cause of the plague of Nosferatu? Why? This is another of those films that is seemingly unaware of the cultural context in which it was released, unless Robert Eggers is on the wrong side of it.

I am left yearning for the version of this movie written by a woman. The one where we get hot Bill Skarsgård.

5/10.

Available for streaming on Amazon Prime Video

84% on Rotten Tomatoes (73% audience score)

11. And a half! - Until Dawn

I added this to the list because we were both really tired and didn't want to do anything but watch movies all day so we watched two movies on a Saturday. It was the correct choice. Since this was a last minute add, my take is intertwined with my introduction.

Until Dawn is the adaptation of the first game in what has become the Man of Medan series of narrative-driven choice-heavy horror video games. This turned out to be a surprisingly faithful adaptation. Now, before you @ me, let me tell you what I mean by that. Sure, the exact plot isn't replicated. Sure, the characters are completely different and come across mostly flat and relentlessly remind us of everything we hate about Gen Z. But it genuinely captures the tone of playing the game and, through a clever gimmick, manages to tell a somewhat interesting story while maintaining key elements of the original.

The thing I liked most about it was they used mostly practical effects and in 2025 that is a bold choice (especially for a video game adaptation) that, to me, paid off. The costumes, masks, set design (full of easter eggs) and gore were all excellent. CGI just isn't scary. I'm kind of over watching glorified cartoons and calling it live action.

I feel it is important to note that we both liked this more than Nosferatu lmao.

7.5/10.

Available for Streaming on Netflix

51% on Rotten Tomatoes (67% audience score)

12. Companion

I'm not going to lie, I roll my eyes every time I see this movie mentioned. It was heavily marketed on bus stops here in LA and I just got annoyed every time I walked past a poster. Companion is being billed as a horror romance and I can dig that, I guess I was just over the whole AI girlfriend thing. But, it's starring the wonderful Sophie Thatcher (our second Sophie Thatcher film in this list!) and the ever-excellent Jack Quaid and it's gotten REALLY good reviews and the reason I went back to a 31+ long watchlist is so that I would be forced to put these movies that I was on the fence about on it. I've been surprised in the past and I hope I will be again with this one.

Available for streaming on HBO Max

93% on Rotten Tomatoes (89% audience score)

13. Eraserhead

I've been watching through David Lynch's filmography since his death early this year. I'd begun my journey a few years back, but his passing really pushed me forward. And I must say, I have yet to be disappointed. If you know me, you probably know of my obsession with the postmodern and David Lynch is the quintessential postmodern filmmaker so expect some atypical story elements such as an overall rejection of a grand narrative and a play on structure in service of something deeper (or perhaps not).

Before Mulholland Drive, before Twin Peaks, before Dune, we get Eraserhead, Lynch's feature-length theatrical debut. Though listed as fantasy/horror, I am not expecting many of the common elements of the horror genre. I am expecting this to be more surrealist; essentially a moving picture. I am expecting this viewing to be a burden on my adhd attention span and will be a struggle to finish. I am expecting it to be worth it.

Post-Viewing Update:

You know it's been almost 50 years since this came out back in 1977. Before Alien and The Shining. Eraserhead clearly influenced modern horror. It is one of those seminal works that changed cinema forever. The more I think about this film (and think about it I will), the more I realize this is one of the greatest things I've ever seen.

It's not going to be for everyone and for that reason I'm only going to recommend it to a select few. But if you are ready to step into an unsettling world of deeply existential dread ruled by anxiety and crippling self-doubt that will leave you changed, I present to you, David Lynch's Eraserhead.

Available for streaming on HBO Max

87% on Rotten Tomatoes (82% audience score)

14. Beast (2017)

Beast is another movie that I know almost nothing about, but it's starring Jessie Buckley who shot up on my favorite actor list after her outstanding performance in Charlie Kaufman's absoltuely breathtaking I'm Thinking of Ending Things (which we watched in last year's unpublished watchlist). I really have no idea what to expect, but it feels like the sort of artsy horror that I've grown to enjoy.

This one's a VOD

94% on Rotten Tomatoes (74% audience score)

15. Candyman (1992)

Candyman kicks off the "serial killer" section of this year's watchlist. This is more here as foundational viewing for the sequel that we will be watching the next day. This will be first foray into Clive Barker (Hellraiser) which has me mildly worried because I don't love body horror even though we've got a whole body horror section coming up next week.

Candyman is a 1992 blaxploitation flick that seems to be fairly well regarded in the black American community, though I have yet to do my research because, as I've mentioned before, I like to go in blind. I am expecting this to be political, yet problematic; progressive but at the same time regressive, because it is written and directed from the white gaze. We'll get more into all this in the post-viewing update.

Available for streaming on AMC+

79% on Rotten Tomatoes (63% audience score)

16. Candyman (remake)

This is a remake of the movie we just watched yesterday only this time its from black creators. Co-written and produced by Jordon Peele, and Nia DaCosta who is also sitting in the director's chair. I am 100% watching this because of the stellar performance of Rodney L Jones III in Fargo season 4. I'll probably stay for the reclamation of this story by black voices.

Available for streaming on Peacock of all places lmao

84% on Rotten Tomatoes

17. Coming Home in the Dark

I'm not going to lie, I am wary of this one. I'm not a huge fan of violence for violence's sake, heck I'm not a huge fan of violence in general and I'm especially not a fan of violence against women, particular of the sexual variety. Now, I'm not saying that this is going to have all of that, but it's got the red flags for sure (particularly the huge gap between critic's and audience score 92% vs 45%). But it was well received critically and one of the points of these lists is to expose myself to movies I wouldn't normally watch because that's how we change and grow.

There's supposedly a great performance from the lead and it's a foreign film (New Zealand) and it's technically a psychological thriller and not horror -- all points in this movie's favor.

Be sure to check back for the post-viewing update to see if there are any content warnings.

Available for streaming on AMC+

92% on Rotten Tomatoes (45% audience score)

18. Heretic

This one had me at Hugh Grant and Sophie Thatcher. I have held off on watching it for a year simply because I assumed, based on the name and the poster (read cheesy) that it would be terrible (also I didn't know Sophie Thatcher was in it). But the reviews have held strong and I actually read the pitch which is something about Mormon missionaries knocking on the door to the wrong house.

Heretic should fit well as a conclusion to our little "serial killer" movie micro-series.

Available for streaming on HBO Max

90% on Rotten Tomatoes (76% audience score)

19. In My Mother's Skin

In My Mother's Skin is a Filipino horror fantasy set at the end of World War II. I am expecting this to be truly horrifying in a way only a foreign film can be. I am hoping it doesn't go too far in the direction of body horror, oh and by the way, this is the kick off to our body horror micro-series.

Available for streaming (with ads) on Amazon Prime Video

86% on Rotten Tomatoes (50% audience score)

And that brings us to the end of Week 3. If you've been watching along, we've watched 20 horror movies so far. That's so many! Stay tuned for post-viewing updates and week 4!