We’re under a hundred days till Halloween, so I think we can safely say it’s spooky season. And that means it’s time to start putting together our viewing lists for spooky season. So, as I’ve done for the past several years, I’ve made a list of films to check out in the lead up to Halloween. There’s a mix of old and new, well-known and lesser-known, on this list, and in no particular order (except for maybe the first three). Hopefully you find something here worth watching this Halloween season.
Caveat (2020)
Damian McCarthy has made a name for himself with his horror movies, which are all original stories set in a shared universe where, as YouTuber Ryan Hollinger puts it, “the supernatural intrudes on the natural world.” This was the first of his feature films. Caveat follows an amnesiac man who is hired to watch a man’s adult niece for a few days. The only problem is, the niece lives on a deserted island, and the amnesiac man has to wear a harness keeping him in the house and from getting too close to the niece, who has some serious mental health issues. Against his better judgment, he puts on the harness, knowing he won’t be able to take it off by himself. And soon he learns that he and the nurse aren’t alone in the house.
The story does take some suspension of disbelief (especially considering the thing with the harness). However, it is a moody and atmospheric Gothic horror piece with a spooky mystery and some really good scares. Plus, it begins McCarthy’s shared universe, with its set of tropes that can be seen in each of the movies he’s put out since. Watching them in order, you really see the polishing of his style and storytelling prowess, and you get to enjoy some good horror films while you’re at it.
Speaking of which…
Oddity (2024)
The follow up to Caveat, Damian McCarthy’s sophomore venture follows a blind medium. One year after her sister was brutally murdered, the medium goes to stay with her sister’s husband. With his girlfriend. At the house where the medium’s sister was horribly murdered. But she’s not coming alone. She’s coming with a strange, wooden golem which her mother supposedly got from a witch. And a dark secret given to her by her powers.
To say the least, you can see how McCarthy has grown as a writer and filmmaker through this film. Not only is the story smoother and easier to believe, but it is just frightening throughout. The golem makes for a terrifying image, and the constant game of cat-and-mouse the medium has going on with those around her as she really makes you think about what happened the night her sister was killed. I am so looking forward to watching this one again, and that should be enough to tell you how good it is.
Hokum (2026)
The final and most recent Damian McCarthy film, Hokum takes all the hallmarks and horror of his style and ramps it up to 11. In this film, an American writer goes to an inn deep within the Irish woods to spread his parents’ ashes. However, after someone he’s indebted to goes missing at the hotel, the writer returns to solve the mystery behind their disappearance…and gets a lot more in the bargain.
I went into the theater with high expectations for this one, and I came away more than satisfied. And while the tropes and Easter eggs that McCarthy is known for show up everywhere and are expected, they do not diminish the terror or immersion at all. Plus, there are still plenty of twists I did not see coming. Oh, and Adam Scott does an amazing job as the acerbic, misanthropic writer, who is carrying way more baggage than he lets on. Definitely put this one at the top of your list.
Good Boy (2025)
You’ve probably heard of this one. The film told through the point-of-view of a dog?
Indy, a Novia Scotia Duck Tolling Retriever, moves with his sickly owner to the latter’s grandfather’s old house in the country. There, he becomes aware of a presence in the house. A dark phantom that seems to have it out for his owner. But Indy is just a dog. Will he be able to save them both?
Director Ben Leonberg spent three years making this film with Indy, who is his real life dog. Because, obviously, you have to approach working with a regular dog differently than you would with an actor. However, the results paid off. Using all sorts of mood-setting filmmaking techniques, we get not only a very atmospheric and frightening horror film, but an emotive character in Indy. I saw it in theaters, and was struck by how much it hit me in the feels. It’s a definitely a film, even if you’re just curious, that I encourage you to check out.
Starry Eyes (2014)
An aspiring actress who is having the worst luck finding roles auditions for a part in a horror movie by a storied and powerful production company. She thinks this role could lead to her getting the fame she has always desired, but that fame may come at a price. One that may be too much for her to pay.
When I first saw this movie several years ago, I wasn’t sure what to make of it. However, in the years since, I’ve thought about it a lot and how it explored the dark side of Hollywood and the Hollywood dream. I will warn you, it does go into topics of self-harm and the “casting couch,” so you may not want to watch if that triggers you. However, I think in the wake of #MeToo and further exposure of the toxic side of Hollywood, it remains relevant and should be worth a watch. I know I’ll see it this spooky season.
The Ugly Stepsister (2025)
In this dark, updated take on Cinderella from Norway, we focus on Elvira, the eldest of the two stepsisters in the original fairy tale. After Cinderella’s father dies and the family is left impoverished, Elvira’s does the usual thing of making Cinderella a servant…and then starts putting Elvira through primitive and ghastly beauty treatments to get her ready for the prince’s ball. How far will Elvira go for the prince? And, in the end, will the price be too much to pay?
The cult reputation this film has received since it released is well-deserved. I saw it in theaters at the only local theater that seemed to be playing it, and I have not squirmed in my seat like that in a long, long time. The body horror was par excellence, and the production values were incredible, making you feel truly immersed in the world of the story. I will caution you, this is the kind of thing you would not want to watch if you’re very squeamish. However, if that’s not an issue, you’ll probably recognize The Ugly Stepsister as the genius it is.
Coherence (2013)
A dinner between friends gets weird. And at first, it’s the normal weird. There’s tensions between them, unspoken grudges, and sleeping dogs that won’t be left to sleep. But then a passing comet changes things. Suddenly, alternate realities appear all over the place. Doubles show up. And soon, no one is sure where their home is or who they’re talking with as they deal with all the possibilities of the multiverse.
This ambitious film was made on only fifty thousand dollars, but you wouldn’t know it if you saw it. It feels very professional, and is incredibly well told for such a bizarre story. A very Twilight Zone-esque tale about alternate realities and what happens when they collide.
Speaking of which, I have a very distinct memory of this film starring Natalie Dormer as the lead. However, the last I looked up this film, an actress named Emily Foxler (now Baldoni, since she married) was playing the lead. Did I slide into another universe? The universe may never know.
Odd Thomas (2013)
Based on the first book in Dean Koontz’s beloved book series and starring the late and great Anton Yelchin, the movie follows Odd Thomas, a fry cook in a small town who happens to see ghosts. When he does, he tries to help…even if it means going up against dangerous criminals in his small town. Which happens a lot.
One day, however, Odd gets a premonition of something terrible about to happen. Something worse than anything Odd has come up against. Something that threatens not just him, but all his loved ones. And he’s going to have to work hard to save them.
I loved the original books when I read them, and the movie, which faithfully adapts the first book, is fantastic. Yelchin is great as Odd, and everyone’s clearly having a great time making and putting their all into the film. Plus, the thrills are great and the special effects are well done. I’m looking forward to watching this one again this spooky season.
Glorious (2022)
A man on the verge of a breakdown stops at a rest stop to get drunk and cry over recent troubles in his relationship. However, when he goes into the men’s room, he not only gets stuck in there, he finds himself stuck in there with another person. Well, not another person. More like a cosmic entity hiding inside one of the stalls. And now, the man is about to get up in an event of cosmic proportions. All while trapped in a men’s room at a rest stop on the highway!
Oh God, this film was bizarre in all the best ways! A great balance between cosmic horror and horror comedy, watching it felt like being on a rollercoaster in some of the best ways. Great twists, terrifying visuals, lots of laughs, and JK Simmons as the voice of the cosmic entity. If you watch it, I’m sure you’ll be pleasantly surprised.
Undertone (2025)
Evy Babic is a podcaster currently caring for her comatose mother. She and her friend Justin run the undertone podcast, a horror podcast exploring all sorts of spooky phenomenon. Evy tends to be the skeptic, while Justin is the big believer. One day, Justin is sent a strange email containing a series of cryptic recordings. As they listen to the recordings, they find themselves trapped in something supernatural. And it’s coming for Evy.
This film first started getting attention due to a very effective marketing campaign. However, when I saw the film, it was the real deal! The use of sound, open spaces, light and darkness, and lack of other people in the film really show Evy’s isolation (literal and figurative), and that helps with the atmosphere. A feeling of paranoia builds as you watch the film and events unfold, making you wonder how much is real and how much is in Evy’s head. If you give it a watch, you should watch it on as large a screen as possible and in the dark. Trust me, it’s the most effective that way.
Poltergeist (1982)
A classic of the genre, Poltergeist follows a family living in a recently-built California planned community. At first, everything seems fine. They’re living the American Dream. But then strange occurrences happen around the home. Chairs moving on their own, lights turning on and off, a tree coming to life and attacking the family’s son. It culminates with the family’s youngest daughter being taken hostage. And only with help will the family get her back.
Forty years later, this film is still as terrifying now as it was then. The special effects have aged well, the emotion the family members feel come across as genuine, and the climax is something to behold (especially considering those were real corpses). As for whether the curse on the movie is real…well, I’ll let you decide on that one.
Bugonia (2025)
A pharmaceuticals CEO, played by Emma Stone, is kidnapped by a pair of cousins and held hostage on the family farm. The cousins believe the CEO is a representative of an alien race experimenting and controlling the human race. But not everything is as it seems. Neither with the cousins, or with the pharmaceutical exec. And the result of this kidnapping plot will have implications for the whole human race.
This Oscar-nominated film, which is based on a South Korean sci-fi film, has been marketed as a black comedy, but I disagree with that label. Yes, there are plenty of funny moments, but they are overshadowed by some seriously messed up moments. Plus, I have never seen a comedy where a full on torture scene was part of the plot. No, it’s a science fiction horror film with some comedic moments and plenty of cat-and-mouse psychological play. And once you watch it, it’ll stay with you for ages to come.
Prince of Darkness (1987)
The Vatican becomes aware that a prophecy is about to come true: Satan, who has been trapped inside an ancient container for many thousands of years, is about to awaken, break out, and cause the Apocalypse. A priest goes to the local university’s science departments, asking them to help prove the prophecy is coming true. As one would expect, when they lock themselves inside the church to study the container, shit hits the fan.
One of John Carpenter’s underrated gems, Prince of Darkness isn’t perfect by any means. But it is a unique viewing experience. The films knows what kind of horror movie it wants to be and goes into it whole hog. Plus, how it explores religion, science, and cosmology is just really interesting to me. It gets you to think, which I love. Honestly, it’s one of my favorite horror films, despite its flaws. And if you see it, I think you’ll understand why.
So, there you are. My thirteen recommendations for spooky season in 2026. A mix of old and new, famous and not-so-famous. All will surely enhance your spooky season viewing this year.
But tell me, what movies are you going to watch this year? Are there any you’d add to this list? And what do you think of the movies on this list? Let’s discuss.
That’s all for now, my Followers of Fear. Until next time, good night, pleasant nightmares, and only 81 days till Halloween!
Rami Ungar The Writer 