From fresh takes on classic horror tropes to new funky thrillers, the 2024 horror roster has plenty in store for the season

Boo! It’s finally the spooky season and there is no better way to enjoy the eerie air than to cozy up to the best hair-raising films and shows. 

Here are some spine-chilling selections to add to your Halloween watchlists. Brace yourself because some of these recommendations are not for the faint of heart.

READ: 10 gruesome, blood-drenched movies for gore enjoyers

“Outside”

“Outside” is a Filipino zombie psycho-thriller film about a family who escapes to their provincial home during a recent zombie outbreak. Determined to survive the apocalypse, the family is prepared to keep each other safe, no matter the cost. Unbeknownst to them, “outside” is sometimes safer than inside.

READ: How ‘Outside’ explores generational trauma and the monsters within ourselves

“Uzumaki”

“Uzumaki” is a TV mini-series adaptation based on the hit Japanese graphic novel by Junji Ito. Looking like it came right off the pages of the manga, it offers a fresh new take on modern animation as it is entirely in black and white. However, while the first episode of the series was a big hit, the second episode’s animation had an obvious decline in quality due to production issues. The first episode follows lovers Kirie and Shuichi, who both notice that the curse of spirals plagues the town of Kurouzu. As they try to uncover the strange events happening, one by one, the townspeople obsess over those spirals and start to lose their minds and die. 

“The First Omen”

Often dubbed the horror movie of the year after its release, “The First Omen” is a Halloween must-watch that is definitely not for the faint of heart. The film follows a young woman (Nell Tiger Free) sent to Rome to work for the church. However, instead of discovering a deeper faith, she uncovers conspiracies about the origins of the Antichrist. 

“The First Omen” is available to stream on Disney+.

READ: ‘The First Omen’: Haunting beginnings of the Antichrist

“Terror Tuesday: Extreme”

The Netflix horror anthology “Terror Tuesday: Extreme” is based on real-life horror incidents shared by listeners on “Terror Tuesday,” the famous Thai radio show of the same name. Each episode is a different story adapted to the screen. Anyone who appreciates classic horror tropes will appreciate the show’s unsettling atmosphere and chilling performances—utterly perfect for Halloween.

“A Quiet Place: Day One”

“A Quiet Place: Day One” is the long-awaited prequel of the first two films of the same name. It follows cancer patient Sam (Lupita Nyong’o) as she tries to survive the first ever day of the alien apocalypse that we see in the first two films.  The film is perfect for those who love eerie and intense horror stories, especially those who love that tense atmosphere. 

“A Quiet Place: Day One” is available to stream on Apple TV and Google Play.

“Don’t Move”

Netflix’s newest film explores themes of isolation and paranoia. It is also award-winning director Sam Raimi’s—known for directing “Evil Dead” and “Drag Me to Hell”—entry for this year’s spooky season. “Don’t Move” is about a woman (Kelsey Asbille) left alone in the forests who only has 20 minutes to escape a wanted serial killer before she becomes paralyzed. 

“Out of Darkness”

The Scottish horror movie “Out of Darkness” is set in the ancient Stone Age. It follows six nomads forming a mini-tribe who have left their homes to search for a better life. However, the land they arrived in was nothing quite like what they expected—cold winds, barren lands, and no animals to hunt. On top of that, danger lurks in the shadows of the night. They must find a way to survive and make it out of the darkness. 

“Out of Darkness” is available to stream on Apple TV and Google Play.

“Exhuma”

To this day, “Exhuma” is number one in the 2024 South Korean box office, and is the perfect film to cap off the Halloween festivities. It follows the story of a wealthy South Korean family in Los Angeles that reaches out to shamans Hwa Rim (Kim Go-Eun) and Bong Gil (Lee Do-hyun) to save their family’s baby. The duo tries to free what they assume to be a curse of an ancestor’s vengeful spirit. However, chaos ensues when the exhumation is carried out.