MONTH IN REVIEW: OCTOBER 2025

It's not always easy to keep track of the world of horror day-to-day. So here's a round up of what's happened last month and a glimpse of what we can expect in the coming weeks...

Happy Halloween! October seems to have gone by in a flash. Although it’s not always been easy, I’ve managed to watch a horror movie every day throughout the month. Most of it older stuff; from William Castle’s Strait Jacket (1964) and Mary Harron’s American Psycho (2000) to lockdown horror Host (2020). For Halloween night I’ll be watching John Carpernter’s original Halloween because…well, it has to be done. One of the reasons it’s not been easy to cram in a themed movie a day (#31dayhorrorchallenge) is because there has been a decent serving of brand-new horror to devour this month as well. Which means that for some of those days I’ve seen TWO horror movies. Oh well, at least I’m not the only one doing reviews for the site and can share the load…

First up, we need to talk about Him - a film that generated some buzz thanks to being produced by Jordan Peele’s Monkeypaw Productions (though directed by Justin Tipping). It falls into that ultra-niche subgenre of Sports Horror, a tiny group that includes Blades (1988) and Graduation Day (1981)… and not much else. Unfortunately, the film has struggled both critically and commercially, barely making back its budget and leaving many viewers underwhelmed. The thing is, we quite liked it. It’s flawed, sure, and a little style-over-substance, but it’s bold, original, and often genuinely creepy. In our opinion, it doesn’t deserve the backlash it’s received. It may make it onto many “biggest disappointments of the year” lists but not ours.

For something more grounded and atmospheric, The Drowned by Samuel Clemens is well worth a look. This moody British chiller follows a group of art thieves holed up in a remote seaside cottage after pulling off a once-in-a-lifetime heist. Things soon turn sour when they begin hearing eerie sounds from out at sea. The pacing’s a bit uneven, but it’s beautifully shot and rich in atmosphere.

Good Boy received a limited theatrical release on the 10th. Horror has delivered some strong animal performances (the dog from Cujo, Black Phillip in The Witch), but they pale next to Indy, the retriever in Good Boy. The film follows Indy and his owner as they move to a rural family home only to uncover supernatural forces lurking in the shadows. It’s not quite as scary as you’d hope, but it’s ambitious and well-executed. Audiences seem to agree - it’s earned around $7 million at the box office, impressive for a film of its scale.

The Man in the White Van also saw an October VOD release. A serial killer thriller based on true crimes from 1970s Florida and California, it doesn’t go quite as dark as it could, but Madison Wolfe shines, and the suspense is effective. A solid, watchable game of cat and mouse.

We’re big fans of The Strangers (2008) here, so any new project from director Bryan Bertino gets us excited. His latest, Vicious, hit Paramount+ on the 10th. It follows a woman who receives a mysterious box with one simple instruction: place inside something you need, something you hate, and something you love. What begins as an odd ritual quickly descends into a waking nightmare. It’s a shame it didn’t get a theatrical release especially while the inferior Strangers reboot played to small cinema crowds. Vicious may not be a standout of the year, but it’s certainly more compelling (and cinematic) than Renny Harlin’s hollow imitation(s).

October’s biggest and best release arrived on the 17th: The Black Phone 2. Though occasionally unfocused, the central trio (McGraw, Thames, and Hawke) are superb, and it’s a bloody good sequel. Rougher and more disturbing than the original, it even references Curtains (1983) during an action sequence—a surefire way to win us over. It’s taken $135 million so far and should match its predecessor’s $165 million haul.

Finally, Shelby Oaks hit wide release today. Long discussed in horror circles, it’s the feature debut of YouTuber and film critic Chris Stuckmann, funded partly through crowdfunding. It follows a woman still searching for her sister, missing for 12 years after filming an episode of a reality ghost-hunting show. When a tape surfaces with new evidence, she travels to the last place her sister was seen alive - an abandoned town called Shelby Oaks. It’s fine. It won’t win points for originality (it’s loaded with familiar tropes and homages) but does conjure a solid sense of dread, especially early on. A competent, if undemanding, debut that suggests Stuckmann has promise behind the camera.

Looking ahead to November and things are noticeably quieter – with cinema releases once again propping things up. On the 7^th Predator Badlands is released. Director Dan Trachtenberg is back and the film looks like it’s going to expand the Predator universe in a way we haven’t quite seen as yet. It’s a 12A though, which is rather annoying to be honest though. This is a Predator film goddamnit!

On the 9th, Guillermo del Toro’s Frankenstein arrives on Netflix (and in select cinemas). It’s wild to think a $120 million film of this scale is going straight to streaming, but that’s the industry now. At two and a half hours (boo!), it’s been met with glowing early reviews, and we’re hopeful it’s more Pan’s Labyrinth than Crimson Peak. At the very least, del Toro films are always stunning to look at.

The Running Man reboot is released in cinemas on the 14^th and whilst we know it’s not strictly horror, the original is sort of horror-centric at least, so worth a mention. This time round it looks like it’s going to be a bit less grim but at least people will have Glen Powell to swoon over. On the 9th, Guillermo del Toro’s Frankenstein arrives on Netflix (and in select cinemas). It’s wild to think a $120 million film of this scale is going straight to streaming, but that’s the industry now. At two and a half hours (boo!), it’s been met with glowing early reviews, and we’re hopeful it’s more Pan’s Labyrinth than Crimson Peak. At the very least, del Toro films are always stunning to look at.

Also worth noting, Sisu: The Road to Revenge promises enough blood and viscera to please gorehounds. This time our silent-but-deadly hero turns his wrath on Soviet foes, led by Stephen Laing. Expect carnage.

And finally, Stranger Things returns for its final season on the 26th. No introduction needed—it’ll be an event, with feature-length episodes guaranteed to thrill (and probably make us cry).

Holy cow, this has been a long one (that’s what she said!) so we’ll keep the news snippets from October as brief as we can;

• Dexter: Resurrection has been officially renewed. Dexter: New Blood was a bit of a let-down but the consensus has generally been that Resurrection has been a success.

• 20^th Century Studios won a fierce bidding war for spec script Crush, about a woman hiking in the Everglades who finds herself trapped in the crushing coils of a huuuugge python.  

• Production began of The Revenge of La Llorona, the follow up to 2019’s The Curse of La Llorona. Which was a bit crap but made decent money. So no big shock that a sequel is happening.

• Sigourney Waeaver teased a potential return for Ellen Ripley at New York Comic Con by saying she had read a 50 page script about where Ripley would be now and that she loved it – and has met with Disney execs too.

• Sky has acquired the UK and Ireland rights to the new Friday the 13th prequel series, Crystal Lake, which will be available to stream on Sky and NOW in 2026. The series, produced by A24, explores the backstory of the iconic horror franchise and stars Linda Cardellini as Pamela Voorhees.

• M. Night Shyamalan is directing and co-creating a live-action series based on the Magic 8 Ball toy with Brad Falchuk for Mattel Studios. I mean, how can you not be intrigued by that. Rumours are that he’s also in talks to make a Polly Pocket movie (kidding!)

• We lost horror icons sadly. Illustrator Drew Struzan (who designed The Thing poster), John Woodbine (An American Werewolf in London) and Samantha Eggar (The Brood) all sadly passed away.

• James Wan's production company, Atomic Monster, is developing a TV series adaptation of the young adult thriller novel The Thrashers by Julie Soto. The project is in the early stages, with the search underway for a writer to adapt the story, which centres on an elite high school clique and a girl who feels like an outsider.

Right nearly done! Some trailers that dropped in October that are worth a look if you haven’t already seen them:

The Red Mask – A rising screenwriter revives a cult ’80s slasher but soon finds her script (and reality) rewriting itself.

Primate – Johannes Roberts’ film about a group of friends on a tropical holiday who run into a spot of bother when they encounter a psychotic chimp.

Silent Night, Deadly Night – a twisted reimagining of the controversial classic about.

Troll 2 – the sequel to Roar Uthaug’s 2022 monster movie. A dangerous new troll is awakened, unleashing devastation across Norway

The Beldham - A struggling new mother fights a generations-old presence lurking within her family home, threatening her safety, her sanity, and the life of her infant child.

And most importantly…Scream 7! Sidney Prescott finds herself in danger when a new ghostface tracks her down to the quiet town where she has been building her life away from the public eye.

And that’s a wrap! Enjoy November’s releases—because once December hits, horror tends to hibernate. I’ll have Black Christmas (the original) and Gremlins on loop to get me through…