Here's what's new to streaming in October 2023
SALT LAKE CITY (KUTV) — It's October, a wonderful 31-day repose from the sideway glances I often get when I pine on about the finer qualities of (mostly the early careers) of Dario Argento, George A. Romero, John Carpenter, David Cronenberg, Guillermo del Toror, and a splattering of others.
Many of the streaming services are serving up a cadaver’s slab worth of creepy and crawly mayhem. It should be noted that there are numerous streamers who keep the Halloween decorations up all year. If you’re feeling brave and want to stray into areas less traveled, Shudder, Shout! Factory TV, Screambox, and Arrow are good places to start. I'll be scattering a few of their titles through out this guide.
Another one of my favorite places to go to watch obscure, foreign, odd, and often important films is The Criterion Channel. Their curated collections are phenomenal. Three of their new selections in October are dedicated to horror films. All three collections are noteworthy, but the “Art-House Horror” collection is essential viewing for those interested in the evolution of the horror genre over the course of nearly 100 years. Horror starts in the fringes and creeps its way into the mainstream.
If you’re looking for something utterly bizarre, “House” is always a good place to start.
'90s Horror Collection (The Criterion Channel)
Featuring: Def by Temptation (1990), The Exorcist III (1990), Frankenhooker (1990), Body Parts (1991)*, The Rapture (1991), Dust Devil (1992)*, When a Stranger Calls Back (1993)*, In the Mouth of Madness (1994), The Addiction (1995), Tales from the Crypt: Demon Knight (1995)*, Ravenous (1999); COMING NOVEMBER 1: Bram Stoker’s Dracula (1992), Body Snatchers (1993); COMING DECEMBER 1: Event Horizon (1997)
Art-House Horror Collection (Photo: The Criterion Channel)
Featuring: Häxan (1922), Vampyr (1932), Eyes Without a Face (1960), Jigoku (1960), Carnival of Souls (1962), Onibaba (1964), The Face of Another (1966), Hour of the Wolf (1968), Kuroneko (1968), Night of the Living Dead (1968), Spirits of the Dead (1968), Flesh for Frankenstein (1973), Sisters (1973), Blood for Dracula (1974), Picnic at Hanging Rock (1975), Eraserhead (1977), House (1977), Suspiria (1977), The Shout (1978), Arrebato (1979), The Brood (1979), Wolf’s Hole (1987), The Vanishing (1988), Cronos (1993), Cure (1997), Donnie Darko (2001), Trouble Every Day (2001), Antichrist (2009), The Lure (2015), Suicide by Sunlight (2019)
The Pre-Code Horror (The Criterion Channel)
Featuring: Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde (1931), Svengali (1931), Doctor X (1932), Freaks (1932), Island of Lost Souls (1932), The Most Dangerous Game (1932), Murders in the Rue Morgue (1932)*, The Old Dark House (1932), Thirteen Women (1932), Murders in the Zoo (1933), Mystery of the Wax Museum (1933), The Black Cat (1934), The Raven (1935)
Crazy Fun Park (Hulu)
Studio Synopsis: Storyline. When his best friend Mapplethorpe dies suddenly in an abandoned park, Chester discovers that his friend now "lives" with other children in the park, leading them to reestablish their friendship as they go through a difficult adolescence.
Available: October 1, 2023
Appendage (Hulu)
Studio Synopsis:What if our inner anxieties found a way to escape the confines of our minds and grow into a horrifying appendage on the outside. That’s exactly what happens to Hannah (Hadley Robinson) — a young fashion designer who keeps calm, cool, and collected on the outside, but suffers paralyzing anxiety on the inside.
Available: October 2, 2023
Haunted Mansion (Disney+)
Studio Synopsis: Film Inspired by Classic Theme Park Attraction Features an All-Star Ensemble Cast Including LaKeith Stanfield, Tiffany Haddish, Owen Wilson, Danny DeVito, Rosario Dawson, Chase W. Dillon, and Daniel Levy, with Jamie Lee Curtis and Jared Leto as the Hatbox Ghost
Available: October 4, 2023
Our Flag Means Death: Season Two (Max)
Studio Synopsis:loosely on the true adventures of 18th century would-be pirate Stede Bonnet (Rhys Darby). After trading the seemingly charmed life of a gentleman for one of a swashbuckling buccaneer, Stede became captain of the pirate ship Revenge. Struggling to earn the respect of his potentially mutinous crew, Stede’s fortunes changed after a fateful run-in with the infamous Captain Blackbeard (Taika Waititi). To their surprise, the wildly different Stede and Blackbeard found more than friendship on the high seas they found love. Now, they have to survive it.
Available: October 5, 2023
Monster High 2 (Paramount+)
Studio Synopsis:The ghouls are back and will stop at nothing to protect their pack.
Available: October 5, 2023
The Caine Mutiny Court-Martial (Paramount+)
Studio Synopsis:Caine Mutiny Court-Martial follows a U.S. naval first officer who’s standing trial for orchestrating a mutiny after his captain shows signs of becoming unhinged and jeopardizes the lives of his crew. Starring Kiefer Sutherland, Jason Clarke, Jake Lacy, Monica Raymund, Lewis Pullman, Jay Duplass, Tom Riley And Lance Reddick.
Available: October 6, 2023
Loki: Season 2 (Disney+)
Studio Synopsis:"Loki” Season 2 picks up in the aftermath of the shocking season finale when Loki finds himself in a battle for the soul of the Time Variance Authority. Along with Mobius, Hunter B-15 and a team of new and returning characters, Loki navigates an ever-expanding and increasingly dangerous multiverse in search of Sylvie, Judge Renslayer, Miss Minutes and the truth of what it means to possess free will and glorious purpose.
Available: October 6, 2023
Fair Play (Netflix)
Studio Synopsis:When a coveted promotion at a cutthroat financial firm arises, once supportive exchanges between lovers Emily (Phoebe Dynevor) and Luke (Alden Ehrenreich) begin to sour into something more sinister. As the power dynamics irrevocably shift in their relationship, the couple must face the true price of success and the unnerving limits of ambition. In her feature debut, writer-director Chloe Domont weaves a taut relationship thriller, staring down the destructive gender dynamics that pit partners against each other in a world that is transforming faster than the rules can keep up. Also starring Eddie Marsan, Rich Sommer, and Sebastian De Souza, Fair Play unravels the uncomfortable collision of empowerment and ego.Available: October 6, 2023
Ballerina (Netflix)
Studio Synopsis:An exquisite revenge action thriller about a merciless ex-bodyguard Okju (Jun Jong-seo) who hunts down Choi (Kim Ji-hun), a man responsible for the death of her dear friend Minhee (Park Yu-rim).
Available: October 6, 2023
Calamity of Snakes (Arrow)
Studio Synopsis: After a businessman kills thousands of snakes in a pit while they are building a new apartment building. The people living there soon become attacked by millions of snakes with a vengeance.
Available: October 6, 2023
Pet Sematary: Bloodlines
Studio Synopsis:In 1969, a young Jud Crandall is set to leave his hometown of Ludlow, Maine in search of his life’s purpose. Before he makes it out, however, Jud and his childhood friends encounter an ancient evil that has gripped Ludlow since its founding.
Available: October 6, 2023
V/H/S/85 (Shudder)
Studio Synopsis:The next installment in the infamous found footage anthology franchise, V/H/S/85 is an ominous mixtape blending never before seen snuff footage with nightmarish newscasts and disturbing home video to create a surreal, analog mashup of the forgotten 80s. Starring Freddy Rodriguez, Dani Deetté, Justen Jones and Rolando Davila-Beltran.
Available: October 6, 2023
Painkiller: The Tylenol Murders (Paramount+)
Studio Synopsis:The Tylenol murders are among the nation’s most notorious unsolved crimes. This gripping P+ Original docuseries transports to 1982 amid the chaos and fear, and into the mind of the prime suspect. The killer laced several pills with cyanide across Chicago and watched from afar as seven people died, including a child. Decades later, grieving families carry the horror of this heinous crime. Can cutting-edge DNA technology of today finally nail down the killer?
Available: October 10, 2023
Fraiser (Paramount+)
Studio Synopsis:Same Frasier. New skyline. The new series follows Dr. Frasier Crane (Kelsey Grammer) in the next chapter of his life as he returns to Boston with new challenges to face, new relationships to forge, and an old dream or two to finally fulfill.
Available: October 12, 2023
Good Night World (Netflix)
Studio Synopsis:A story about four members of the same broken family who find peace in a game called "Planet." The catch is: they don't know about each other. As the story unfolds hidden things are discovered about each member and about the relation the virtual world has with reality and how they affect one another.
Available: October 12, 2023
The Fall of the House of Usher (Netflix)
Studio Synopsis:From Mike Flanagan, the creator of "The Haunting of Hill House" and "Midnight Mass," a wicked horror series based on the works of Edgar Allan Poe. Ruthless siblings Roderick and Madeline Usher have built Fortunato Pharmaceuticals into an empire of wealth, privilege and power. But past secrets come to light when the heirs to the Usher dynasty start dying at the hands of a mysterious woman from their youth.
Available: October 12, 2023
The Conference (Netflix)
Studio Synopsis:"The Conference" is a comedy slasher film about a teambuilding conference attended by municipal employees that spirals into a nightmare when accusations of corruption begin to circulate and plague the work environment. Simultaneously, a mysterious figure begins stalking and murdering the participants, one-by-one in this Swedish comedy slasher with warm, humoristic characters.
Available: October 12, 2023
Doom Patrol: Season Four (Max)
Studio Synopsis: Thefourth and final season sees the Doom Patrol meeting old friends and foes as they race to defeat Immortus and get back their longevities. Battling between saving the world and each other, the Doom Patrol are forced to face their deepest fears and decide if they are ready to let go of the past in order to take their future into their own hands... and away from the zombie butts.
Available: October 12, 2023
John Carpenter’s Suburban Screams (Peacock)
Studio Synopsis:Horror legend, John Carpenter, takes us on a trip to explore the true tales of terror that took place in American suburbs.
Available: October 13, 2023
Creepshow: Season 4 (Shudder)
Studio Synopsis:Based on the 1982 horror comedy classic returns for a new season and is still the most fun you’ll ever have being scared. Executive produced by showrunner Greg Nicotero (The Walking Dead), Creepshow is a comic book coming to life in a series of vignettes, exploring terrors ranging from murder, creatures, monsters, and delusions to the supernatural and unexplainable. You never know what will be on the next page
Available:October 13, 2023
Goosebumps (Hulu)
Studio Synopsis:Inspired by R.L. Stine’s series of children’s thriller mystery books, this brand new Goosebumps series follows a group of high schoolers as they investigate a mysterious death that happened 30 years ago. The spooks and twists that ensue are sure to captivate both new audiences and those who grew up with the beloved series.
Available: October 13, 2023
The Initiation (Arrow)
Studio Synopsis:Kelly is looking forward to her sorority initiation with a mixture of excitement and apprehension. She's got every reason to be anxious considering the prank her sorority sisters have tasked her with: a late-night break-in at her father's department store. At first everything goes to plan, but once inside the labyrinthine mall, Kelly and her fellow pledges find themselves locked in, and they're not alone. Who is the stranger stalking Kelly and her randy teen friends through the department stores shadowy corridors? And how is this unseen assailant connected with Kelly's terrible recurring nightmares of a man burning in agony?
Available: October 13, 2023
Lessons in Chemistry (Apple TV+)
Studio Synopsis: Starring and executive produced by Academy Award-winner Brie Larson and based on the best-selling, debut novel from author, science editor and copyrighter Bonnie Garmus, “Lessons in Chemistry” is set in the early 1950s. “Lessons in Chemistry” follows Elizabeth Zott (played by Larson), whose dream of being a scientist is put on hold in a patriarchal society. When Elizabeth finds herself fired from her lab, she accepts a job as a host on a TV cooking show, and sets out to teach a nation of overlooked housewives - and the men who are suddenly listening - a lot more than recipes.
Available: October 13, 2023
The Puppetman (Shudder)
Studio Synopsis:The Puppetman is a convicted killer on death row. He has always maintained his innocence saying it was an evil force controlling his body as he slaughtered his victims. Now Michal, the killer's daughter, begins to suspect that there may be some truth to her father’s claim when those around her begin to die in brutal ways. All hope rests on her shoulders to break The Puppetman's curse. Written and directed by Brandon Christensen and starring Michael Paré, Caryn Richman, Alyson Gorske.
Available: October 13, 2023
Rewind or Die (Arrow)
Studio Synopsis:A group of six friends from around the world descend upon an old abandoned house in the French countryside. Soon, they discover an old VCR and a stack of VHS tapes, all filled with vintage horror movies. But what begins as a fun way to pass time quickly becomes deadly as each VHS tape spawns horrors from the movies on them and into reality, and the friends now must struggle for their survival. VHS is not dead... you are!
Available: October 13, 2023
Vindicta (Paramount+)
Studio Synopsis:When a city is terrorized by a sadistic serial killer, a seasoned detective and a newly recruited paramedic are forced into a deadly game of vengeance, only to discover the key to stopping the bloodshed lies in unlocking the truth of their own haunted pasts. Elena Kampouris (Children of the Corn), Sean Astin (The Lord of the Rings franchise), and Jeremy Piven (Entourage) star in this edge-of-your-seat thriller from the director of On a Wing and a Prayer.
Available: October 16, 2023
The Devil on Trial (Netflix)
Studio Synopsis: "The Devil on Trial" explores the first — and only — time “demonic possession” has officially been used as a defense in a U.S. murder trial. Including firsthand accounts of alleged devil possession and a shocking murder, this extraordinary story forces reflection on our fear of the unknown.
Available: October 17, 2023
Living for the Dead (Hulu)
Studio Synopsis:Why be “normal” when you can be paranormal? From the creators of "Queer Eye" and narrated by Kristin Stewart comes "Living for the Dead" — a paranormal unscripted series featuring five queer ghost hunters (aka Ghost Hunties) who trek across the country exploring notoriously haunted locations. Through their journeys, they break down barriers to bring understanding to the misunderstood — both living and dead.
Available: October 18, 2023
Bodies (Netflix)
Studio Synopsis: Four detectives. Four timelines. One body. Based on the mind-bending graphic novel by Si Spencer, "Bodies" is a police procedural with a twist. When a body – the same body – is found on Longharvest Lane in London's East End in 1890, 1941, 2023 and 2053, one detective from each period must investigate. As connections are drawn across the decades, the detectives soon discover their investigations are linked, and an enigmatic political leader – Elias Mannix (Stephen Graham) – becomes increasingly central. Did he have a part to play in the murder? Or is something far more sinister at play? To solve the mystery, our four detectives must somehow collaborate and uncover a conspiracy spanning over 150 years.
Available: October 19, 2023
Creature (Netflix)
Studio Synopsis:"Creature," an epic story that takes place in the final era of the Ottoman Empire dwells on one of the most fundamental questions of mankind, “death and afterlife”. Ziya, an adventurous, rebellious, thriving and smart, young medical student has the insatiable desire to become an excellent physician and to find cure to infectious diseases. Ziya’s path crosses with Ihsan, a fellow medical doctor, balancing the fine line between genius and insanity. He is the only person who truly understands Ziya’s ambitions. However these two estranged, wounded souls will pay the price for the forbidden experiment they were brave enough to conduct. The ancient encryption they have tried to decrypt could let all hell break loose.
Available: October 20, 2023
Night of the Hunted (Shudder)
Studio Synopsis:When an unsuspecting woman (Camille Rowe, "No Limit") stops at a remote gas station in the dead of night, she’s made the plaything of a sociopathic sniper with a secret vendetta. To survive she must not only dodge his bullets and fight for her life, but also figure out who wants her dead and why.
Available: October 20, 2023
The Pigeon Tunnel (Apple TV+)
Studio Synopsis:Set against the turbulent backdrop of the Cold War leading into present day, the film spans six decades as le Carré delivers his final and most candid interview, punctuated with rare archival footage and dramatized vignettes. Drawing on le Carré’s New York Times bestselling memoir, "The Pigeon Tunnel: Stories from My Life," the film is an unprecedented voyage into the lesser-known parts of the iconic and historically private author’s formative experiences, set to an original score by Philip Glass in collaboration with Paul Leonard-Morgan.
Available: October 20, 2023
AKA Mr. Chow (Max)
Studio Synopsis: The vibrant and varied life of Michael Chow. Born Zhou Yinghua in 1930s Shanghai, he would use creativity to triumph over childhood trauma, personal loss, and systemic prejudice, growing up to become the actor and artist before inventing a new identity, Mr. Chow, when he opens the first of his iconic restaurants. Having found fame and fortune in the West, Mr. Chow celebrates his Chinese roots and finds catharsis by returning to painting, reemerging as the artist M.
Available: October 22, 2023
Hellraiser Quartet of Torment (Arrow)
Studio Synopsis:In the 1980s, Clive Barker changed the face of horror fiction, throwing out the rules to expose new vistas of terror and beauty, expanding the horizons for every genre writer who followed him. With "Hellraiser," his first feature film, he did the same for cinema. New 4K restorations of the first four films.
Available: October 23, 2023
C.H.U.D. (Arrow)
Studio Synopsis:A rash of bizarre murders in New York City seems to point to a group of grotesquely deformed vagrants living in the sewers. A courageous policeman, a photo journalist and his girlfriend, and a nutty bum, who seems to know a lot about the creatures, band together to try and determine what the creatures are and how to stop them.
Available: October 27, 2023
Fellow Travers (Paramount+)
Studio Synopsis: An epic love story and political thriller, chronicling the clandestine romance of two very different men who meet in McCarthy-era Washington. Mark Bomer plays charismatic Hawkins Fuller, who maintains a financially rewarding, behind-the scenes career in politics. Hawkins avoids emotional entanglements – until he meets Tim Laughlin (Jonathan Bailey), a young man brimming with idealism and religious faith. They begin a romance just as Joseph McCarthy and Roy Cohn declare war on “subversives and sexual deviants,” initiating one of the darkest periods in 20th-century American history. Over the course of four decades, we follow our five main characters – Hawk, Tim, Marcus (Jelani Alladin), Lucy (Allison Williams), and Frankie (Noah Ricketts) – as they cross paths through the Vietnam War protests of the 1960s, the drug-fueled disco hedonism of the 1970s and the AIDS crisis of the 1980s, while facing obstacles in the world and in themselves
Available: October 27, 2023
Five Nights at Freddy’s (Peacock)
Studio Synopsis: Josh Hutcherson stars as a troubled security guard, working his first shift at Freddy Fazbear’s Pizza. While working his first night on the job, he soon realizes that the night shift at Freddy’s won’t be a walk in the park.
Available: October 27, 2023
Pain Hustlers (Netflix)
Studio synopsis:Liza Drake (Emily Blunt) is a blue-collar single mom who has just lost her job and is at the end of her rope. A chance meeting with pharmaceutical sales rep Pete Brenner (Chris Evans) puts her on an upwards trajectory economically but dubious path ethically as she becomes entangled in a dangerous racketeering scheme. Dealing with her increasingly unhinged boss (Andy Garcia), the worsening medical condition of her daughter (Chloe Coleman), and a growing awareness of the devastation the company is causing forces Liza to examine her choices. "Pain Hustlers" is a sharp and revealing look at what some people do out of desperation and others do out of greed. The film is directed by BAFTA award winner David Yates, produced by Lawrence Grey, and also starring Catherine O'Hara, Jay Duplass and Brian d’Arcy James.
Available: October 27, 2023
A Serbian Film (Arrow)
Stuio Synopsis:Milos, a retired porn star, leads a normal family life with his wife Maria and six-year old son Petar in tumultuous Serbia, trying to make ends meet. A sudden call from his former colleague Layla will change everything. Aware of his financial problems, Layla introduces Milos to Vukmir - a mysterious, menacing and politically powerful figure in the pornographic business. A leading role in Vukmir's production will provide financial support to Milos and his family for the rest of their lives. A contract insists on his absolute unawareness of a script they will shoot. From then on, Milos is drawn into a maelstrom of unbelievable cruelty and mayhem devised by his employer, 'the director' of his destiny. Vukmir and his cohorts will stop at nothing to complete his vision. In order to escape the living cinematic hell he's put into, and save his family's life, Milos will have to sacrifice everything - his pride, his morality, his sanity, and maybe even his own life.
Available: October 27, 2023
Sister Death (Netflix)
Studio Synopsis:In post-war Spain, Narcisa (Aria Bedmar), a young novice with supernatural powers, arrives at a former convent, now a school for girls, to become a teacher. As the days go by, the strange events and increasingly disturbing situations that torment her will eventually lead her to unravel the terrible skein of secrets that surround the convent and haunt its inhabitants.
Available: October 27, 2023
Hell House LLC Origins: The Carmichael Manor (Shudder)
Studio Synopsis:In 2021, a group of internet sleuths travel to the remote Carmichael Manor, deep in the woods of the Rockland County, N.Y., site of the infamous 1989 Carmichael family murders have gone unsolved to this day. What they discover are secrets that have been hidden away for decades and a terror that has been lurking in the shadows long before Hell House LLC
Available: October 30, 2023
Boulet Brothers’ Dragula: Season 5 (Shudder)
Studio Synopsis:Horror’s new icons The Boulet Brothers’ are on the hunt to find the world’s next drag monster superstar in this brand new, star-studded fifth season of their hit reality competition show. With new competitors, the challenges, special effects makeup, costumes, and performances promise to be truly terrifying and out-of-this-world.
Available: October 31, 2023