Halloween horrors for spooky nights
Aubrey Plaza will join the cast of HBO’s “The White Lotus” for the second season of the Emmy-winning show on Oct. 30 along with Theo James. (Photo courtesy of Gage Skidmore | Flickr)
It’s October! And along with it comes a duality of feelings. It’s midterm season, but it’s also spooky season. What better way to heal from the test you’re sure you bombed than to unwind and watch some of October’s best additions to the streaming world? With plenty of new shows and scary films coming out this month, you’ll have a plethora of content to keep you entertained all the way through Oct. 31.
Netflix
“The Midnight Club” — Oct. 7
For fans of “The Haunting of Bly Manor” and “The Haunting of Hill House” comes “The Midnight Club” by shared showrunner Mike Flanagan. Based on Christopher Pike’s book of the same name, the series centers around a group of teenagers admitted to the Brightcliffe Hospice who meet every night to tell each other scary stories. One night they make a pact that the first one of them to die has to contact the others from beyond the grave, which sets off a slew of strange occurrences. This show is sure to provide a few thrills for those who are not faint of heart.
“Wendell & Wild” — Oct. 28
“Wendell & Wild” is a stop-motion animation with horror-directing icon Jordan Peele as one of its producers and writers. This film marks Henry Selick’s return to directing after the creation of Halloween cult classic film “Coraline” (2009). The story is reminiscent of Selick’s films, such as “The Nightmare Before Christmas” (1993), as he once again strives to give the world a creepy classic animation.
“Guillermo Del Toro’s Cabinet of Curiosities” — Oct. 25
Guillermo Del Toro has slated multiple projects with Netflix, with “Cabinet of Curiosities” definitely being one to pique interest. It’s a horror anthology series with eight episodes, each with its own director and dedicated cast. Two of these stories are by Del Toro himself, with one written by David S. Goyer. The show will present horror in a new way, with Netflix saying, “Guillermo Del Toro’s Cabinet of Curiosities promises a macabre mashup of genre-defining horror.”
Hulu
“Hellraiser” — Oct. 7
If you are a horror film fanatic, check out this reboot of the original 1987 “Hellraiser” franchise, written by David S. Goyer, who also wrote the Dark Knight Trilogy. As of now, the movie is being praised, with movie critic Cody Leach writing, “the new reboot on Hulu brings the carnage back to its roots and delivers the best installment since the original.” Maybe don’t watch this film in the dark unless, of course, you’re ready for a nightmare-filled night.
Disney+
“Werewolf By Night” — Oct. 7
This is the perfect companion for a Halloween movie night. The story follows a group of monster hunters who believe that there may be a monster among them. “Werewolf By Night” is Marvel Studios’ first TV special and from the trailer alone seems to be very tonally different from their other projects. Michael Giacchino directs and even composed the music for the special, following his work composing “Up,” “Ratatouille,” “Jojo Rabbit” and “The Incredibles.” A little sneak peek of the score can be heard in the “Werewolf by Night” trailer.
AppleTV
“Shantaram” — Oct. 14
Since their successful soiree this past awards season, AppleTV has been putting out a lot of high-quality content recently which makes “Shantaram” one to watch out for. Set in Bombay, India, the series is based on a book, which, according to its author, is based on partially true events.
“Some experiences from my life are described pretty much as they happened, and others are created narratives, informed by my experience,” author Gregory Roberts said.
The series centers around an Australian bank robber who escapes prison and runs to Bombay, meeting interesting individuals while he’s there.
HBOMax
“The White Lotus” — Oct. 30
When “The White Lotus” premiered last year, it was a massive success, so much so that HBO decided to turn it from a limited series into a full-fledged television show.
After its big Emmy wins, the second season is awaited with much anticipation. It’s an anthology series, so while we can’t expect to see many of our favorite characters return, Jennifer Coolidge will return to her role as Tanya for this season. Apart from Coolidge, there are many new characters being played by the likes of Aubrey Plaza and Theo James. It is coming out on the eve of Halloween, so you have plenty of time to catch up on season 1 before then!