Halloween Watchlist: Horror Films and TV to Creep You Out
Sweet, sweet October; harvest-time, crunchy leaves, the calming scent of pumpkin-spice, and of course films and TV shows to warm your heart (WITH TERROR). You don't have to celebrate Halloween to enjoy the chills and frights of horror films and TV.
The following lists include quick descriptions of a variety of films and shows, their ratings, and their streaming platforms. They're organized by different categories in case your looking for something in particular. Many of these titles are graphic in nature, so please view the Parents Guide on their IMDB pages to check for trigger warnings by category (these guides are linked in each list item).
An important side note: for some of these titles, the themes/vocabulary/social beliefs they feature are outdated but do reflect the damaging societal attitudes of the times they were released. For example, in some of these titles, mental illness is associated with violence. The author (that would be me) does not condone such ideas/themes.
Rating symbols: 🔴R/TV-MA/Adults Only 🟡PG-13/TV-14 🟢PG/Family-Friendly | Lists in order: The Classics, Horror/Thriller Shows, Spooky/Thrilling Anime, Diverse Protagonists, 80s Horror, Family Friendly |
The Classics
Psycho (1960)
🔴Rated R (could pass as PG-13) - Free on Peacock - Parents Guide
Alfred Hitchcock was barely able to get this film past the strict Hollywood censors of the time but released what is considered one of his greatest works. Based on the book of the same title by Robert Bloch, Psycho follows the story of an Arizona woman, Marion Crane, on the run who journeys into California and meets a charming motel manager named Norman Bates.
Night of the Living Dead (1968)
🔴Rated R/TV-MA (could also pass at PG-13) - Free on IMDB TV and TUBI - Parents Guide
This film can be filed under horror films with POC (People of Color) leads since Duane Jones plays the protagonist Ben. If you're already a fan of zombie flicks, you might be familiar with this pillar of the genre. George A. Romero's film follows a group of Pennsylvanians trapped in a farmhouse while cannibalistic ghouls (well, you know, "zombies") are trying to devour them.
Halloween (1978)
🔴Rated R - Rent from Prime Video, Apple TV, Vudu - Parents Guide
Michael Myers - no, not the actor who voices Shrek - MICHAEL MYERS - is a masked killer with an obsession with his hometown, Halloween, and Jamie Lee Curtis's character. Will the young protagonists make it to the end?
The Silence of The Lambs
🔴Rated R - Free on Peacock - Parents Guide
Imprisoned cannibal, Hannibal Lector, assists an FBI cadet in catching serial killer, Buffalo Bill (who for some reason reminds me of a young Bon Jovi,
but I digress). You'll never look at fava beans the same way.
Horror/Thriller Shows
The Twilight Zone (1959-1964)
🟢TV-PG - Hulu - Parents Guide
The IMDB description of this show reads, "Ordinary people find themselves in extraordinarily astounding situations, which they each try to solve in a remarkable manner." The show has since become a franchise that has spawned spin-offs, theme park attractions, and revival shows. Personally, out of all of the horror films I've watched over the years, PG-rated The Twilight Zone: The Movie from 1983 terrified me the most.
The X-Files (1993-2002, 2016-2018)
🟡TV-14 - Hulu - Parents Guide
FBI agents, Dana Scully and Fox Mulder, investigate strange cases involving suspicions of aliens, cryptids, psychic powers, to unethical experiments. Though I wouldn't call The X-Files a horror series, its elements of science fiction and paranormal cases are intriguing and at times quite creepy.
Hannibal (2013-2015)
🔴TV-MA - Available on Hulu - Parents Guide
This three-season show, deemed as one of (if not) the most violent series in the history of television, follows a younger Hannibal Lector as he works as a psychiatrist and his interactions with FBI profiler Will Graham. Each episode feels like a movie, and at times includes classical music and Food Network vibes.
Strangers from Hell (2019)
🔴TV-MA - Netflix - Parents Guide
Also called Hell Is Other People, a young man named Jongwoo moves into a cheap apartment in Seoul and soon starts to fear his strange neighbors including an intimidating and mysterious dentist.
Alice in Borderland (2020-)
🔴TV-MA - Netflix - Parents Guide
A group of friends in Tokyo discovers that all the people in the city have disappeared. They soon find themselves trapped in a survival game with other players within the city limits. Can they make it out alive and beat the game?
Chapelwaite (2021-)
🔴TV-MA - Epix and Epix channel on Prime Video - Parents Guide
Adrien Brody plays Captain Charles Boone, a mid-19th century man looking to uncover the secrets of his family's shadowy past. Based on the Stephen King short story, "Jerusalem's Lot", this slow-burn show will teach you a thing or two about what goes bump in the night. (FYI, this isn't going to be the only mention of Stephen King adaptations)
Squid Game (2021-)
🔴TV-MA - Netflix - Parents Guide
Could playing and winning children's games really make you a multi-millionaire? The players in this game are people from all walks of life who have run into serious financial trouble and have exhausted all other options of paying off their loans and bills. How far will the players go to win over $35million (or around 40billion won). This is the first Korean drama to be trending at #1 for Netflix USA, and it'll get you thinking about the horrors of greed.
Spooky/Thrilling Anime
Attack on Titan (2013-2022)
🔴TV-MA - Netflix, Hulu, TUBI - Parents Guide
One of the highest-rated TV shows on IMDB, Attack On Titan follows a post-apocalyptic world where giants (titans) roam the Earth, and citizens train and fight back to protect their towns.
Parasyte: the Maxim (2014-2015)
🔴TV-MA - Netflix, Hulu - Parents Guide
The IMDB description of this anime states, "17-year-old Shinichi Izumi is partially infected by a Parasyte, monsters that butcher and consume humans. He must learn to co-exist with the creature if he is to survive both the life of a Parasyte and a human as part monster, part person." This gory sci-fi anime will gross you out!
Tokyo Ghoul (2014)
🔴TV-MA - Funimation, Hulu - Parents Guide
College student Kaneki is attacked by a ghoul and is "turned" - he now craves human flesh and battles with his humanity.