New Scary Movies Releasing This October for Halloween

Amazon Serpents and Psychiatric Hospitals Launch October Releases

The horror calendar kicks off on Oct. 2 with two distinct theatrical and streaming releases. Scream queens Kiana Madeira and Jessica Rothe star in the monster film Beware Boiúna, playing members of a humanitarian mission in the Amazon who accidentally awaken a gigantic mythical serpent. The characters struggle to survive the treacherous jungle after disturbing the ancient creature.

Simultaneously, Shudder debuts the found-footage chiller Infirmary on Oct. 2. The film follows a young ex-soldier named Edward, played by Paul Syre, working his first night as a security guard at an abandoned psychiatric hospital with a dark past. Edward encounters strange coworkers before feeling a distinct dark presence following him through the facility.

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Jessica Chastain and Elvira Star in October Horror Releases

On Oct. 9, Jessica Chastain takes on a dual role in Other Mommy, playing both a desperate mother protecting her child and a disturbing supernatural lookalike that the child calls Other Mommy. Chastain’s past horror credits include It: Chapter Two and Mama. A woman’s super-creepy doppelganger played by Chastain threatens a family in the movie.

Tubi adds R.L. Stine’s Pumpkinhead 2 on Oct. 9, featuring Cassandra Peterson—widely known as the iconic horror hostess Elvira, Mistress of the Dark—playing a witch who acts as the sole hope for kids trying to rid their hometown of a returned curse. Peterson plays a witchy role in the sequel based on an R.L. Stine story.

Also arriving on Oct. 9 is V/H/S/Mixtape, the ninth installment in the found-footage anthology franchise on Shudder, which centers entirely on themes of music and sound. Musicians RZA and Flying Lotus direct two segments, with the film also featuring metal rock band GWAR and murderous puppets created by the Jim Henson Creature Shop.

True-Crime Documentaries and Vampire Metal Bands Expand the Slate

Hulu releases the true-crime documentary Clown Panic on Oct. 12, examining a 2016 phenomenon where South Carolina children reported seeing strange clowns in the woods, setting off widespread social media panic when individuals in face paint began threatening children. On Oct. 13, the gore-filled horror comedy Devour arrives in theaters, Apple TV, and Fandango at Home, following an all-female metal band of vampires who get trapped by a dark wizard after a remote gig, forcing them to face local cannibals, a minotaur, and a werewolf.

Breeder arrives on Oct. 16, starring Daniel Doheny as a college student needing research funding who gets lured to a ranch by an eccentric poodle breeder played by Dot-Marie Jones, only to discover he has been recruited as a stud for human-breeding machinations. Doheny gets introduced to the breeder’s daughters after being lured to her ranch.

Spider Infestations and Post-Apocalyptic Survival Fill Mid-October

The mid-October calendar continues on Oct. 16 with several theatrical and streaming options. Crawlers hits theaters with a deadly venomous spider infestation that prompts police to quarantine an apartment building. The building manages to get completely shut down and sealed off by authorities due to the arachnid threat.

Simultaneously, Shudder releases Hallowarrior on Oct. 16, where Milly Shapiro plays Pumpkin, a post-apocalyptic survivor fighting off a vicious scavenger pack led by Thalia, played by Shannyn Sossamon. In the post-apocalyptic tale, Pumpkin survives a deadly epidemic and believes she is “the last girl on Earth” before having to defend her house on Halloween from the sudden attack of Thalia and her pack of sinister scavengers.