MONTH IN REVIEW: OCTOBER 2026
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...
It's now November and Halloween has come and gone (boo!). We move from spooky season to Bonfire night and a few weeks of classic Autumn before being forcefully catapulted into Christmas. The spooky decorations and paraphernalia might have now been taken down (unless you're one of those weirdos that keeps them up all year round) but it's worth looking back at October, a month that was as busy as you'd expect on the horror front. And take a sneak peak at what we can expect in November (nowhere near as much, spoiler alert!)
There were three highly anticipated TV series released released last month; sea creature horror Below (Starring Josh Hartnett), Mike Flanagan's reimagining of Carrie and Friday 13th prequel series Crystal Lake. Yeah we haven't seen any of them yet. Too many #31dayhorrorchallnege films to watch etc I guess. Although binging these in November is going to be an easier task. All three have received mostly positive feedback from critics and general audiences too.
In terms of films, we kicked off the month with found-footage horror Infirmary, which arrived on Shudder on the 2nd. A guard vanishes on his first night working at a former psychiatric hospital, and then his bodycam footage is recovered. It's a bit hit and miss really. A great location, a satisfyingly creepy atmosphere and a couple of truly unsettling moments. But everything in between is frustratingly average. Worth a watch if you're a found-footage fan though.
A week later and Other Mommy was released in cinemas. Bela, an eight-year-old girl living in a home with marital problems, confronts a sinister entity that comes out of her closet. The presence, whom she calls "Other Mommy", becomes increasingly threatening to her and her family. The book this is based on is generally considered to be pretty good but unfortunately this film adaptation isn't. It's very messy and is void of any real decent scares (in part due to excessive use of CGI). But it's not quite as bad as some are making out and is sort of enjoyable in a trashy kind of way. It's taken just under $100m at the box office too, so it'll be considered a success by Blumhouse/Atomic Monster.
On the 16th, Whalefall was released. Ok so it's not technically a horror film, it's more of a drama/thriller but the synopsis alone is enough to make you understand that this is going to be a stressful/tense viewing experience; Following the death of his father, a man goes diving off the coast of California in search of his remains. He soon finds himself in a desperate fight for survival when he's swallowed whole by a massive whale. Trapped inside its belly, he must figure out a way to escape as his oxygen supply starts to run out. Yeah, it's as grim as it sounds. It does get a bit too sentimental at the end but there's some unconventional body horror in that first hour that's properly gut wrenching. It's only taken half its budget back in ticket sales though, which is a big disappointment. Also out on the 16th was Shudder original Hallowarrior which follows a Halloween-obsessed girl called Pumpkin who thinks she's the last person alive a couple of years on after an apocalyptic event. But when scavengers show up at her doorstep, she has no choice but to tap into her deadliest survival instincts. This is a real Halloween treat. Molly Shapiro and Shannyn Sossamon are excellent and it's got buckets of tension and gore and oozes seasonal charm. Check it out.
A week later and DC Studios comic book-horror mash up Clayface was released. Rising Hollywood star Matt Hagen descends into a horrifying revenge-filled monster when scientific ambition strips him of his identity and humanity. Directed by the guy who shot Eden Lake (James Watkins) and with an 18 certificate, this isn't your usual superhero nonsense. It's a clever take on a lesser-known Batman villain and is backed by full-blooded violence and a dash of romance. Comic-book aficionados may not be comfortable with the unapologetic body horror, and genre fans will have to fight against superhero bias. But truth be told, this is a comfortably good comic horror romp with some grade-A talent involved. It's taken over $50m so far and will still be in cinemas for another week or two. Go see it if you can! Also released on the 23rd was surprise hit The Cycle. When police discover a corpse beside a horrific crime scene, their only lead is the man's estranged daughter, who must unravel the disturbing secret her father thought he took to the grave. This is a real genre-bending gem with a terrific central performance from Deborah Ann Woll. It starts off as a gritty, ominous procedural thriller in the vein of Silence of the Lambs or Seven but suddenly turns into something altogether quite different. A creative gamble that pays off. A hard recommend! Just go in as cold as you can...
Looking ahead to November and things are a bit leaner. But there are still a few titles to look out for. There are three releases on the 6th to keep an eye on. Firstly - and most importantly - we get the sequel to the critically acclaimed Godzilla Minus One (2023). Initial reactions to Godzilla Minus Zero have been very positive, so expecatations are pretty high for director Takashi Yamazaki's follow up. Set in 1949, the film focuses on the Shikishima family from the original film, who confront a fresh catastrophe two years after surviving their previous ordeal with the legendary monster. Expect a bit of an epic.
Japanese horror-comedy New Group arrives on Shudder on the 6th. The plot is pretty loopy. A high school student sees her world collapse when a strange cult-like phenomenon gradually turns the people around her into mindless followers who can transform simple gymnastics routines into a nightmarish dance of death. Another one to add to that tiny little subgenre that is dance-horror. And another horror-comedy, The Restoration at Grayson Manor, gets a limited theatrical release on the 6th. When spoiled heir Boyd Grayson (Chris Colfer) is left handless after an accident, his domineering mother (Alice Krige) spares no expense rebuilding him with radical new tech: prosthetic hands powered by his subconscious. Only trouble is, Boyd's subconscious is anything but pristine! Speaking of niche little subgenres, who doesn't love an 'evil hand movie'! Looks like it could be quite a lot of fun.
On the 8th, the second season of The Institute arrives on Prime. The first season covered the events of the original Stephen King book but season 2 will move beyond the source material and explore uncharted territory.
On the 11th, The Body is released on Netflix. Described as a coming-of-age supernatural horror-drama, the series focuses on a group of Catholic High School students who conduct a drug-fueled ritualistic initiation ceremony on a new recruit. Suffice to say it goes horribly wrong and triggers mass hysteria and prophetic visions. On the 13th, found-footage horror Tinsman Road drops on Shudder. An aspiring documentarian goes searching for his long-missing sister in the backwoods of New Jersey. This is directed by (and stars) Robbie Banfitch, who helmed divisive sci-fi found-footage flick The Outwaters. On the 17th, Curry Barker's Obsession arrives on Netflix. We probably don't need to tell you anything about this film. It was playing in cinemas for about three months and took over half a billion dollars at the box office. Not bad for a film that cost $1m to make! Ten days later The Holy Boy is released on Shudder. In a quiet Italian mountain village, a haunted teacher discovers dark secret behind weekly gatherings where locals seek healing from a teenage boy's embrace. We reviewed this film a while ago and can recommend it. It’s a restrained, atmospheric meditation on grief and suffering and culminates in a hauntingly powerful finale. And it eschews a lot of the usual tropes you find in religious horror. Then finally, just a couple of physical releases to mention. Ozzie occult horror Leviticus is out on the 16th on DVD and Insidious: Out of the Further on the 30th.
Ok, onto some horror news. It was a busy month.Let's get the sad news out of the way first. We lost some beloved people within the horror community in October; Actor Richard Riehle (Hatchet) aged 78. Actor Tom Skerritt (Alien) aged 92. Writer Ryu Murakami (Audition) aged 74. Film-maker Jeremiah Kipp (Slapface) aged 51. Director Peter Medak (The Changeling) aged 88. And finally Patrick Stewart (Green Room, Star Trek) aged 86.:(
In other less depressing news...
Tubi FrightFest has officially announced that it is expanding to Newcastle for a brand-new, two-day film festival event taking place on Saturday 1st May and Sunday 2nd May 2027. The UK's legendary horror, fantasy, and sci-fi film festival has partnered with Newcastle's historic Tyneside Cinema, making the city its third regular home alongside London and Glasgow.
Filmmaker J.A. Bayona has emerged as the frontrunner to direct the upcoming sequel to Jurassic World Rebirth. Universal Pictures has placed the Spanish director at the top of their wishlist after Gareth Edwards left the project due to creative differences. Bayona is a familiar hand for the studio, having previously directed 2018's Jurassic World: Fallen Kingdom, which grossed $1.3 billion worldwide.
An English-language remake of Lucio Fulci's 1981 Italian horror masterpiece The Beyond is officially in development. The project is the first entry in a new, multi-year strategic partnership between Hangtime International Pictures and Severin Films aimed at reimagining vintage genre and cult-horror classics for modern theatrical, streaming, and physical media releases.
Mike Flanagan has expressed a desire to direct a Jaws movie, revealing it as one of his ultimate dream projects. During a Reddit "Ask Me Anything" session, the director confessed, "Honestly, I wish to hell I could make a JAWS movie." Apparently he's also keen to direct a Jurassic movie too. Make it happen!
The third installment of the 28 Years Later trilogy, tentatively titled 28 Years Later: Part III (figures!), has been officially put on the back burner. Despite the critical acclaim received by The Bone Temple, it underperformed at the box office, bringing in just $58.5 million worldwide against a $63 million budget. Boyle stated, "Alex Garland has written a fantastic script. We just need money".
John Gore Studios, the parent company of Hammer Films, has acquired the complete literary catalogue of Susan Hill. The deal brings the celebrated author's entire body of work under the same corporate umbrella as the legendary British horror studio. This allows Hammer to adapt any of her ghost stories and novels for film, television, and theatre.
Hulu has given a full series order to Ryan Coogler’s The X-Files reboot. After a pilot was greenlit in February, the streaming network officially picked up the reimagining of the iconic 1990s sci-fi drama in mid-October. Danielle Deadwyler (Till) and Himesh Patel (Yesterday) star as the new FBI leads.
HBO has officially confirmed that Nicolas Cage and Antonio Banderas will lead the cast of True Detective Season 5. Night Country showrunner Issa López is returning for the fifth installment as writer, director, and executive producer.
Husband-and-wife filmmaking duo Joseph and Vanessa Winter (Deadstream) are officially set to write and direct the upcoming horror-thriller Future Me. The movie is an adaptation of a viral internet horror story written by Daria Vasileva and follows a man who receives a deeply unsettling, cryptic email from his past self sent through the real-world scheduling website FutureMe. The unexpected message triggers a dark mystery, pulling him down an increasingly terrifying, surreal internet rabbit hole.
Amazon Prime has officially renewed Mike Flanagan’s Carrie for a second season. The streaming network moved quickly to greenlight the horror series just two weeks after its massive global premiere. Reaching number one on the charts in more than 105 countries, the modern adaptation smashed audience records for the platform and earned Stephen King's rare personal stamp of approval.
A brand-new, standalone Alien movie is officially in development at 20th Century Studios, bridging directly back to the prequel universe. The project marks a major creative shift for the franchise. Rather than moving forward with a direct follow-up to 2024's Alien: Romulus, the studio is pivoting back to the unresolved narrative left behind by Ridley Scott.
An official television adaptation of The Birds is currently in development at HBO. The series serves as a present-day reimagining of the concept, pulling structural inspiration from both Alfred Hitchcock’s iconic 1963 horror masterpiece and Daphne du Maurier’s original 1952 novella. Emmy-winning Succession actress Sarah Snook is locked in to headline the series.
Smile 3 has been officially greenlit by Paramount Pictures, but the franchise is undergoing a major creative shake-up behind the scenes. David Bruckner (The Night House, The Ritual) will direct, with Nick Antosca (Channel Zero, Antlers) penning the screenplay. Original director Parker Finn will stay on as an Exec Producer.
That's a lot of news! Told you it's been a busy month.We'll finish off with a few trailers that came out in October and that are worth a mention.
Human - Alone and exhausted, a young woman seeks a moment of digital distraction before bed but instead gets thrust into a blood-drenched supernatural nightmare filled with horrors and heartbreak.
Christmas at the Kringles - The Severson family move to a suburban neighborhood where their neighbors, the Kringles, celebrate Christmas year-round and harbor sinister intentions to hypnotize and indoctrinate them.
River - Three siblings who, after being stranded in a boat on a country river, are stalked by a faceless killer.
The Exorcist: Martyrs - A determined rookie detective eager to establish herself confronts a horrifying darkness that challenges her deepest convictions and tests everything she thought she knew about right and wrong.
Slayground - Scare-actor "Metal Mike" Graves wakes up in a haunted attraction surrounded by the dead bodies of his co-workers. As a state-wide manhunt closes in, he races to uncover the truth--even if the trail leads straight back to him.
Congrats if you've got to the end of this - it's been a long one! If you're into some old school horror, we reviewed nutty 1987 supernatural slasher The Lamp in our retro review blog. Worth checking out if you want to spend 90 minutes watching a killer genie kill off a load of teens. Otherwise, enjoy your November!
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