Fright-A-Thon is a celebration of all things Halloween. The Halloween season is here starting with the calendar rolling over from August into September. To fully celebrate that season, it’s important to watch scary movies of all kinds, new ones, old ones, whatever. From today, September 1st all the way to October 31st, there’ll be at least one, sometimes two, maybe even three movies to watch each day. The first month is a celebration of all things modern, only movies from 2024 and 2025. That month is for the people out there that love to scream that there’s nothing new, no original ideas in horror. We here at Fright-A-Thon and THS like to celebrate scary movies of all kinds, so we’ll shine a spotlight on those newer movies you might not have seen or heard of.
That brings us to October, which is where the classics, hidden gems, underrated movies, and plenty of others that you need to see.
That change from August 31st to September 1st signifies something. It means the leaves are changing, the air gets crisp, the heat packs it’s bags and goes away. The pumpkins and ghouls of the night come out to play. That creepy feeling at the back of your neck comes back when you look into the dark.
Without further ado, here is the 2025 Fright-A-Thon Halloween Movie Marathon.
September 1st: Sinners (2025)
Sinners came out in April and is already a front-runner for movie of the year in 2025. Is it a horror movie? You bet your ass it is. If you’re one of those people that like to chirp about “well actually, it’s not a full horror movie”, uhhhh, it’s got vampires, they eat people, there’s lots of blood, there’s not a whole lot of difference between this and Near Dark. And that one is a classic of the genre. You combine those stylings with some snappy writing, all-timer performances from Delroy Lindo, Michael B. Jordan, and others, and one of the most iconic movie scenes in recent memory and you get Sinners. Ryan Coogler and Co. really knocked this one out of the park. If you’re in the mood for not just a great movie, but an excellent horror movie, Sinners is for you.
Read our review of Sinners here.
September 2nd: Companion (2025)
Companion came from the same people who did Barbarian. It had some excellent marketing that didn’t quite show off what the movie was fully about. But once you got into it, it’s clear, this was something special. Sophie Thatcher is one of the most popular final girls in horror these days with movies like this, The Boogeyman, and the upcoming (on the list) Heretic. Jack Quaid plays a bit against type here as well, proving that he’s one of the best actors in the genre out there. Part of the “mindfu*k” genre of horror that’s popular these days, Companion is well worth a watch.
Read our review of Companion here.
September 3rd: Heretic (2024)
Speaking of Heretic! This movie was another revelation in 2024 with a masterful performance from Hugh Grant as the manipulative man behind this whole plot to have two missionaries question their own beliefs. Sophie Thatcher is fantastic, but Chloe East really steals the show here. Mr. Reed is dastardly and yet endlessly intriguing. His monologue about board games and the various religions of the world is up there with some of the best in recent memory. This one does make you think a bit, and that’s what makes it so special, on top of the career-best performance from Hugh Grant.
Read our review of Heretic here.
September 4th: Strange Harvest (2025)
Here’s our first wild card of the marathon. I was apprehensive heading into this one. A movie that’s made like a true crime series? Does that even work? Well if something like Hell House LLC is any indication, it does. Strange Harvest is masterfully done. If you love those true crime series that litter streaming services left and right, this is like the best parts of those put together. It’s creepy, all-encompassing, and the story that unfolds is riveting. Mr. Shiny is a horrifying antagonist and gets creepier as his motivations unfold. This one might not be for everyone, but if you love true crime, this is going to be one of your favorite movies of the year.
Read our review of Strange Harvest here.
September 5th: Bring Her Back (2025)/The Conjuring: Last Rites (2025)
This one is more of a choose your own adventure for the day, you can do this as a double feature, but you can also do one or the other. Bring Her Back released earlier in the year and was unsettling to say the least. The Conjuring: Last Rites is the closing moment of the highest-grossing horror franchise of all-time. The Warrens are back for one last case and this is that hurrah. Bring Her Back was a bit divisive amongst the horror community with some people saying its the best horror movie of the year, and others finding problems with it. If that’s not a great movie to include on the list, I don’t know what is. Check out both or just one or the other, I’m not checking anyway.
Read our review of Bring Her Back here.
September 6th: Longlegs (2024)
Longlegs is one of the best examples of modern movie marketing that was a resounding success. This movie captured people’s attention last summer and never really let it go. It showed that Osgood Perkins was a force of nature in the horror genre and he’s not going anywhere. Nicolas Cage’s performance as Longlegs was one of the best in modern times. Just a truly unnerving performance. He’s accentuated by Maika Monroe’s performance that really carries the whole thing. If you want a horror movie that will 100% unnerve you and possibly scare you, this is it.
Read our review of Longlegs here.
September 7th: Dangerous Animals (2025)
This one came out of nowhere for me, and while it’s not necessarily a “shark movie” like some people have described it, it’s still an excellent horror movie, with sharks. Jai Courtney looks like he’s having the time of his life playing a serial killer that films his victims getting eaten by sharks, but every great serial killer needs a foil and Hassie Harrison’s Zephyr is that foil. She’s tough, she’s a rebel, and she pushes HIM to the brink. You can watch this one on Shudder starting September 5th.
September 8th: The Monkey (2025)
Remember what I was saying about Osgood Perkins? Well he proved here that he can adapt someone else’s work (Stephen King) and also make a hilarious horror movie. Everything about this movie surprised me. From the storyline, to the effects, to Theo James proving that he’s more than just a teenage heartthrob pretty boy (thanks Divergent!). It’s bombastic, hilarious, bloody, gruesome, and that’s just the way we like it. Watch it in a double feature with Longlegs if you’d like, to see the twin sides of Perkins’ horror coin.
Read our review of The Monkey here.
September 9th: Clown In A Cornfield (2025)
Don’t fuck with Frendo. That’s really a mantra to live life by, and Clown In A Cornfield gave us what I like to call “baby’s first slasher”. There might be another contender for that award, but it’s not a derogatory term! It’s a term of endearment. If you have someone who might be a big baby about horror movies, Clown In A Cornfield is one of the best modern movies to show them! It’s got all you would want, mystery, intrigue, kills, and clowns! The film is available on Shudder to stream RIGHT NOW. Frendo is waiting, now we just need to get sequels adapting the other books in the series…
Read our review of Clown In A Cornfield here.
September 10th: Fear Street: Prom Queen (2025)
I mentioned “baby’s first horror movie”, well this is another contender. The Fear Street trilogy is one of the best modern trilogies in horror. It captivated an entire community for three weeks in the summer of 2021. So when Netflix announced that they were adapting Prom Queen from R.L. Stine, we all freaked the hell out. The finished movie might not have been for everyone, but it had some nice kills, 80s aesthetic, and most important of all, probably got a bunch of people into horror movies that might not have been into them before. This isn’t the most brutal, the most bloody, or even the best slasher, but it’s a fun one. Stream it on Netflix (alongside the Fear Street trilogy).
Read our review of Fear Street: Prom Queen here.
September 11th: Weapons (2025)
Now for the other contender for horror movie of the year (so far). Zach Cregger caught people’s attention with Barbarian, he cemented it with Companion, and then he catapulted himself into the stratosphere with Weapons. Longlegs had great marketing, Weapons was right up there with it. A creepy storyline, lots of mystery, and some fantastic performances highlight this horror flick. And… it’s divisive. Which I love. I love that for horror movies, because it means they’re making people talk and debate about them. See Weapons for yourself.
September 12th: Together (2025)
Codependency in a relationship is horrifying. You rely on this other person in your life and you live together. That would have been unthinkable a mere four years ago, and for Millie and Tim (played by couple Alison Brie and Dave Franco), they get much more than they bargained for when they move in together to a house away from all their friends and family. Some ancient curse, or some other ailment, forces them to actually physically merge together. It’s body horror at its finest and shows off some dynamite chemistry between the two leads. It might have some worts with the motivations and how everything fits together, but Together is a must-watch for body horror fans.
Read our review of Together here.
September 13th: The Rule Of Jenny Pen (2025)
The Rule Of Jenny Pen isn’t your traditional horror movie, far from it. But it does dive deep into something that everyone has to deal with, aging. It’s set at a nursing home where one man rules the roost with an iron fist. It stars John Lithgow and Geoffrey Rush in a tennis match of two seasoned veteran actors. It splits into two distinct halves, there’s the daytime which is mundane and filled with the normal stuff you’d expect out of a care home. Then there’s the nighttime. The night brings with it Dave and Jenny Pen ruling the other residents with an iron fist.
The Rule Of Jenny Pen is not easy to watch. It’s not even a fun watch at times. It captures the problems with a society that wants to turn away from the elderly instead of dealing with them head-on. The movie might turn off some viewers with just how strange and weird the camera work gets. It feels like it doesn’t know whether its a commentary or a parody at times, or both. That’s what stood out to me about the film was that there are these different planes of existence almost. LIke the day-night feeling of the film, watching it carries that across.
Read our review of The Rule of Jenny Pen here.
September 14th: Oddity (2024)
Oddity might have slipped by some horror fans this year, but you really shouldn’t let it. It’s one of the most frightening films of the year. That creepy ass statue on the poster? It’s as scary as you think it is. The narrative structure of the film is a little strange but it makes for a more interesting mystery in the film. When night falls in the house, Oddity really hits its stride. Through it all, this is a classic ghost story that’ll keep you up at night with the lights on. You can rent Oddity right now and it’ll be available on Shudder later in the year.
Read our review of Oddity here.
September 15th: The Jester 2 (2025)
The Jester 2 might be a weird one for some of you out there. What about The Jester 1? What about the short film that it’s based on? Well, in this case, you don’t really need to watch those to fully understand this movie. It’s an independent horror movie that turns the slasher genre on its head a bit. in the first film, The Jester is fully the slasher bad guy. In this film? He plays more like a buddy-cop to Max, a girl that gets entangled in his quest to rid himself of the Halloween curse he’s under. It feels a lot like a Young Adult novel from the 90s or a Disney Channel Halloween movie but with blood and gore. This one is out in theaters on this day, so go check it out!
September 16th: Alien: Romulus (2024)
Fede Alvarez does not miss. Alien: Romulus was saved from being dumped on Hulu without a theatrical release, and we should all be thankful that we can see this in theaters. It’s currently battling at the box office, but it’ll end up on Hulu or rental at some point during Halloween season. This isn’t just one of the best horror movies of the year, it’s one of the best movies, period. The Xenomorph in this film is a killer of the highest order. Cailee Spaeny and David Jonsson steal the show as Rain and Andy. It’s mean-spirited at points, giving audiences some truly gruesome visuals. Go see this in theaters while you can.
Read our review of Alien: Romulus here.
September 17th: Final Destination: Bloodlines (2025)
Woooooo. This one was a breath of fresh air for a series that had been dormant for way too long. Final Destination: Bloodlines gave us a jolt to the series and even featured Tony Todd in his final role. The movie is worth the price of admission for that scene alone. This one showed that death was still not something to screw with and gave us some of the best rube goldberg machine kills that the series has ever seen. This is how you bring a horror movie series back without feeling like a requel too much.
Read our review of Final Destination: Bloodlines here.
September 18th: For Sale By Exorcist (2025)
From the excellent team that gave you the WNUF: Halloween Special comes For Sale By Exorcist. It’s a hilarious mockumentary about a real estate agent who also specializes in exorcisms of those special properties. It’s got everything you’d want out of a horror comedy and I was rolling around laughing when I saw it at Midsummer Scream 2024. If you need a bit of a break from all the horrifying and terror of Halloween season, this one is light-hearted and an absolute blast.
September 19th: Him (2025)/Night of the Reaper (2025)
Another choose your own adventure or just go ahead and see them both entry on the marathon! Him is a horror movie from producer Jordan Peele that shows off the darker side of sports. A young athlete descends into a world of terror when he’s invited to train with a legendary champion whose charisma curdles into something darker. Justin Tipping directs with Marlon Wayans and Tyriq Withers starring.
Night of the Reaper is a more traditional slasher with a bit of a nostalgic flair thrown in. It premieres on Shudder today, so you can catch this and then go see Him in theaters! The film follows a college student who returns home and is roped into babysitting. A scavenger hunt of murderous proportions gets on with the police racing against time to stop the killer from murdering another babysitter.
September 20th: Late Night With The Devil (2024)
I remember seeing the trailer for Late Night With The Devil for the first time. I knew I was in. Luckily, the movie is also smashing. David Dastmalchian goes through an entire Halloween broadcast of a late night show that has some exceptionally strange things happen. It centers around a girl who was raised in a satanic cult and ancient demons. Trust me, it’s one of the best and most inventive horror movies of the year. Dastmalchian steals the show, but this is a hell of a cast all around. You can own Late Night With The Devil on Blu-ray or 4K UHD, rent it, or stream it on Shudder.
Read our review of Late Night With The Devil here.
September 21st: The Ugly Stepsister (2025)
Are you ready for a twisted body horror take on the classic fairy tale? Because you should be if you sit down to watch The Ugly Stepsister. This one tells the story of Elvira, who will go to any length to compete with her insanely beautiful stepsister, Agnes. She’s willing to use blood, sweat, tears, and more to conquer the prince’s heart. It’s all about Elvira and her battle to become the belle of the ball. You can stream this one on Shudder and it’s an absolutely wild ride.
September 22nd: Immaculate (2024)/The First Omen (2024)
I know what you’re thinking. Oh, har har, a horror movie with everyone’s favorite new actress Sydney Sweeney; it’s probably terrible, right? Oh hell no. Immaculate does not f*ck around. Sydney Sweeney has wanted to do this movie even before her massive rise in popularity. She used that rise to get the movie produced and everything. Combine it with the next movie on our list and you have a completely messed up duo of religious horror flicks. You have to see immaculate to believe it. You can watch Immaculate on Hulu or Blu-ray.
Read our review of immaculate here.
Adding to our double-day feature of “this movie does not f*ck around” is The First Omen. This movie flat-out should not have worked. It’s a prequel to a legendary horror movie made after multiple decades. Except, it does. It works incredibly well and Nell Tiger Free should be up for awards consideration based on her performance in this movie. Frightening doesn’t do a good enough job of describing what you’ll feel during The First Omen. Just watch it for yourself. They even made it easy to watch these two back to back, The First Omen is also streaming on Hulu.
Read our review of The First Omen here.
September 23rd: Drop (2025)
Drop is quite simple. What happens when a murderer starts airdropping you pictures when you’re on a date? It comes from director Christopher Landon and writers Jillian Jacobs and Chris Roach. There’s plenty to like here, including some Hitchcockian elements. Sometimes the best horror movies are the most simple and this one has an incredibly simple premise that’ll leave you wanting for more.
September 24th: Destroy All Neighbors (2024)
Destroy All Neighbors is weird. It’s strange. And it’s just as awesome as that poster looks. For fans of prog-rock and Alex Winter getting in a silly costume with grotesque makeup, this one is for you. It stars Jonah Ray Rodrigues, Alex Winter, and Kiran Deol, alongside some puppets and animatronics. What happens when a neighbor from hell moves in next door? You get Destroy All Neighbors. It’s on Shudder and Blu-ray right now. If you’re any kind of creative person that’s trying to perfect your art, you’ll want to see Destroy All Neighbors. You can grab the excellent 4K from Vinegar Syndrome or stream it on Shudder.
Read our review of Destroy All Neighbors here.
September 25th: Abigail (2024)
Abigail is a victim of terrible marketing on Universal’s part. It didn’t get the push that it needed to succeed with audiences. It was also released at a strange time in the year for a horror movie. Those, combined with a general malaise at the box office in early 2024 sank what should have been a surefire hit. Luckily, you can watch Abigail on Peacock or on Blu-ray pretty easily. It comes from Radio Silence (the wonderful people behind Scream (2022) and Ready Or Not) and stars Melissa Barrera, Kathryn Newton, Dan Stevens, Alisha Weir, Kevin Durand, and the late Angus Cloud. If you’re in the mood for a throwback horror flick that’s also hilarious at points, Abigail is for you.
Read our review of Abigail here.
September 26th: The Strangers: Chapter 2 (2025)
Director Renny Harlin and star Madelaine Petsch are back for more from the Strangers with The Strangers: Chapter 2. This one follows the story of Maya as she tries to escape the Strangers in a small town. This one is promising twists and turns for the story and from what I’ve seen at events like Comic-Con and Midsummer Scream, this movie should be a thrill ride. What will we learn about The Strangers? We’ll have to find out in theaters when this comes out.
September 27th: Die’ced: Reloaded (2025)
Another one that features something based on a short film that was expanded out to a feature film. Die’ced: Reloaded takes footage from the short film and adds into it more footage. It tells the story of Benny, an escaped mental patient who goes on a rampage looking for one girl on Halloween night. It’s got some brutal kills, it’s very clearly inspired by Terrifier, but it doesn’t outright steal anything. Benny’s scarecrow outfit is pitch perfect and this one is a lot of fun, even with some warts.
Read our review of Die’ced: Reloaded here.
September 28th: Heart Eyes (2025)
We love Michael Kennedy here at Fright-A-Thon. His movies are some of the best horror-comedies out there like Freaky and Its’s A Wonderful Knife. With Heart Eyes, he and director Josh Ruben combined horror and the romantic comedy. There’s plenty of great kills, some hilarious moments, and even some tender ones. This might actually be more romantic comedy than horror, but the Heart Eyes killer has an excellent design. Enjoy this one with your significant other.
Read our review of Heart Eyes here.
September 29th: Nosferatu (2024)
Nosferatu was the talk of the town at the end of 2024 with Robert Eggers giving us an atmospheric masterpiece. It was a Christmas movie, so we missed it for Fright-A-Thon, but it’s here to round out September. If you missed out on this one, shame on you, because it was an EVENT at the theater. You still have time to rectify that with some of the best gothic imagery, Willem Dafoe making me want to see him in a full movie as Van Helsing, and of course, Bill Skarsgard turning into a horrifying monster.
Read our review of Nosferatu here.
September 30th: Frankie Freako (2024)
If you love those 90s style horror movies with puppets and other little freaky creatures, Frankie Freako is for you. It’s from the same director as PG: Psycho Goreman, so if you loved that movie, this one is more of the same humor. It tells the story of a square, who doesn’t think he’s a square, that calls a late-night hotline number he sees on TV while his girlfriend is out of town. It brings out the Freakos, who destroy his house, but end up sucking Mr. Square into their world where the Freakos are being subjugated and eliminated by an evil dictator. Yes, it gets into that. This has plenty of nostalgic feeling and is one of my favorite movies of 2024, not just horror movies.
Read our review of Frankie Freako here.
October 1st: Trick ‘r Treat (2007)
Now we’re into the classic movies portion of the Halloween Movie Marathon. Trick ‘R Treat is about as classic as they come for a movie released in 2007. It’s a Halloween institution. We get the rules for the holiday from Sam, and you better bet that if you don’t treat the holiday with respect, he’s gonna get you. The anthology format of the film only adds to the feeling that you get when you’re a kid around the Halloween season. This one gets better and better as the years go on, and now we just need a sequel. You can rent this one, stream it on Max, or grab the excellent Blu-ray from Scream Factory or even the excellent 4K from Arrow Video.
October 2nd: Carnival Of Souls (1962)
There’s not too many of you out there that have seen Carnival Of Souls, unless you’re a fan of The Last Drive-In with Joe Bob Briggs. That’s where I first saw this movie and every horror fan needs to see it. Carnival of Souls is surreal, dreamy, and just has this underlying feeling of dread throughout. It was shot on location, in chronological order, and it all shows. Herk Harvey only did one “feature film” but it was a good one. You can stream this one on Shudder.
October 3rd: Street Trash (1987)/Street Trash (2024)
Now it’s time to get trashy. The 2024 remake/reimagining of Street Trash from Ryan Kruger eclipses the original from Troma. It might not even be a remake, and possibly a sequel, if you ask the right people. Through it all, both of these are body horror and have plenty of commentary on society as we know it. The 80s one is pure fun and the 2024 one expands upon that with plenty more gooey and gross effects. Both are a solid double feature for those that can hold their lunch.
Read our review of Street Trash (2024) here.
October 4th: From Beyond (1986)
Now for a tribute to the legendary Stuart Gordon. His name doesn’t get discussed with luminaries like John Carpenter, Sam Raimi, Tobe Hooper, Wes Craven, or George Romero as a master of horror, but it should. His work in the ’80s and ’90s on films like Re-Animator, Dolls, and From Beyond is truly legendary stuff. From Beyond also has some of the best special effects work out there and flips the script on gender roles with Barbara Crampton and Jeffrey Combs‘s characters. It’s gooey and gross, but From Beyond is perfect in this runup to Halloween.
You can watch this one on Blu-ray from Scream Factory, on 4K from Vinegar Syndrome.
October 5th: Ginger Snaps (2000)
Ginger Snaps is a triumph of the werewolf genre that doesn’t get enough love. It’s the blueprint for the resurrection of the teen horror genre revival in the mid-2000s and it’s got some of the best werewolf transformation scenes of the decade. All around, this is an excellent tale of teens doing stupid stuff and finding out the hard way. It stars Katharine Isabelle and Emily Perkins as sisters and Isabelle in particular is just magnificent. There are even sequels to this one, so if you enjoy it, you’ll have more to watch later on.
October 6th: Manhunter (1986)
We wrote about Manhunter for the first ever Fright-A-Thon back in 2020, but the movie gets better and better the more I watch it. It might not be the *best* Hannibal Lecktor (spelled like that in this movie), but Brian Cox‘s schoolboy charm and biting wit set Anthony Hopkins up to give the performance of a lifetime in Silence of the Lambs. Michael Mann‘s directing and a haunting soundtrack make this one a perfect “early Halloween” film.
October 7th: The Watch (2012)
The Watch was plagued by controversy out of its control when it released, so it flew way under the radar. If you haven’t checked this one out, it’s got body horror, aliens, drugs, terrible cops, and lots of laughs. If you’re in need of a good horror-comedy to lighten up the load a bit, this is the one. The cast is truly terrific together and the aliens look creepy in this one. I love a good horror-comedy, and this one is underrated as hell.
October 8th: Fright Night (1985)/Fright Night Part 2 (1988)
Fright Night is among my favorite horror flicks ever. The story is completely original, it has one of the best movie vampires ever in Jerry Dandridge, and it’s just a classic. The sequel, while not as good, still does enough original and has some great characters. It’s hard to track the second movie down (give YouTube a try), but it’s well worth it to see the continuation of Peter and Charlie’s story. Regine Dandridge in Fright Night Part 2 is also among the best movie vampires ever.
If you want to get crazy, you can even include the remake, which I will admit, is not terrible. Colin Farrell might be the hottest vampire put on screen in that movie, and David Tennant is great as a magician version of Peter Vincent.
October 9th: The Hitcher (1986)
Rutger Hauer is TERRIFYING in this movie.
Plain and simple, he goes to another level in The Hitcher that not many other performers have gotten to. In addition to that, this is just a beautiful horror movie that features a man escaping a murderous hitchhiker and then being chased by him again and framed for his crimes. It’s got a great cast that features 80s favorites like C. Thomas Howell and Jennifer Jason Leigh. This deserves a watch this Halloween season.
October 10th: Fade To Black (1980)
This one is for all the film nerds out there. It’s the dark side of being a movie fan, and it tells the story of a shy, lonely film buff who goes on a killing spree against those who make fun of him, browbeat him, and to add on to it, he stalks a girl that looks just like Marilyn Monroe. Dennis Christopher is fantastic as Eric and this is one that not too many people have seen, but it deserves some love.
October 11th: The Carpenter (1988)
Wings Hauser plays against type here as the murderous carpenter that terrorizes a family. Ed becomes a woman’s guardian angel, but it slowly unfolds that he’s an executed killer who’s spirit has come back to finish the dream house he once started. This one is WILD. It’s a perfect slice of the late 80s horror that doesn’t get a whole lot of recognition. Wings Hauser is irresistible here and gives one of the best performances of his career. Grab this one on Blu-ray from Vinegar Syndrome.
October 12th: Pledge Night (1988)
There’s plenty of silly slasher goodness in Pledge Night when a college fraternity in the middle of hazing their new pledges during “hell week” gets attacked by a long dead pledge who passed during a hazing incident 20 years earlier. If you ever wanted to imagine if Animal House was a horror flick, you get that and then some with Pledge Night. It also features Joey Belladonna of Anthrax for heavy metal fans out there.
October 13th: Subspecies (1991)
You might think, “oh this went straight to video, it probably sucks” and you’d be right, Subscpecies does suck, it sucks blood, and kicks plenty of ass in the process. This is peak Full Moon in the 90s with some awesome vampire effects and a battle between a good vampire and an evil vampire in the Transylvanian mountains. The stop motion effects are to die for in addition to the vampire makeup. There are plenty of sequels but none of them touch the greatness of this first movie.
October 14th: Scare Package (2019)/Scare Package II: Rad Chad’s Revenge (2022)
We here at THS love a good horror anthology. Horror short stories are always the best ones, because they get the scare in, and they get out before staying for too long. That formula translates really well to Scare Package, which combines a frame story and seven different horror stories that pay homage to decades of the past. The film is full of laughs and classic tropes that get skewered like the characters in the film. This one is also available on Shudder or they have an excellent Blu-ray release as well.
If one horror anthology is enough, how about a sequel anthology that ups the body count, the stakes, and the hilarity? That’s what you get with Scare Package II: Rad Chad’s Revenge. It even comes with a title that feels like a direct-to-video sequel. Whatever happened in the first film, you can add more to it with this sequel. This one also has an excellent Blu-ray with plenty of special features, or you can watch the movie on Shudder.
This was one of my best movies of 2022, and it came in pretty late in the year, so if you missed it, give it a shot now.
October 15th: Halloween 4: The Return of Michael Myers (1988)
This is the best “actual” Halloween sequel. I won’t be taking any questions. You can read my Halloween series ranking here for some more context. This movie just takes the series back to basics after trying out a “Halloween anthology” idea that didn’t pan out because people suck. It’s got some great kills, a not-so-great mask for Michael Myers, but it does the job of updating the story. There’s plenty of places they could have gone from this, including the best route, making Jamie Lloyd the new Michael Myers. That would have been the most interesting, but they went safe with the sequels after this. If you can call the Cult of Thorn safe.
October 16th: House (1985)
We lost the hilarious and awesome George Wendt earlier this year, and he stars in House. There’s only one other way you could pay tribute to the man, and that would be watching Cheers on repeat. This is a Halloween list, so we’re going to stick with the horror movies.
House bridges the gap between horror and comedy better than most films out there. It has plenty of creative talent behind it with Steve Miner directing, Sean S. Cunningham producing, Fred Dekker providing a story, and a cast that includes William Katt and George Wendt. A struggling writer inherits a mansion from his aunt and a nosy neighbor combined with ghosts that kidnap his son providing the horror elements for this movie.
October 17th: Frankenstein (1931)/Frankenstein (2025)
Thankfully, Netflix is putting out Guillermo Del Toro’s Frankenstein in theaters on this day, so before you check that out, you can go see the classic Universal Pictures version from 1931. The new film stars Oscar Isaac, Jacob Elordi, Mia Goth, Christoph Waltz, and Ralph Ineson. By all accounts, this is set to be one of the horror main events of the year. To watch and make something great in the present, you’ve gotta learn from the past though, so double feature these two.
October 18th: Night Of The Creeps (1986)/Halloween III: Season Of The Witch (1982)/Creepshow (1980)
This is national Tom Atkins Day, and I’m declaring that. So to celebrate, watch three of his best performances ever with these movies.
In case you didn’t notice here at Fright-A-Thon we F**KING love Tom Atkins. Night of the Creeps might be his finest hour, and it’s a damn fun monster flick that harkens back to the classics while also giving a modern (’80s modern) take on those films. It’s got some awesome creature effects to go with an absolutely badass third act. Any movie with a flamethrower is good enough for me. Fred Dekker does it again writing and directing this one. It also does one of my favorite things in horror movies, naming characters after famous horror directors like Carpenter, Romero, Cameron, and Raimi.
You can watch this on Blu-ray from Scream Factory or rent it on Prime Video.
If you just called Halloween III: Season of the Witch, Season of the Witch, it would be one of the most beloved and classic horror movies ever. It’s got Tom Atkins, stonehenge, creepy masks, and takes us back to the old days of Halloween, when people were getting sacrificed to the gods. Well, the owner and operator of Silver Shamrock wants to take us back there with his new line of masks. People hate this movie for no good reason, and it sucks, because they’re missing out on something awesome.
You can watch the absolutely stunning 4K or Blu-ray from Scream Factory or rent in from Prime Video.
Finally, Creepshow needs no introduction, but Tom Atkins plays the evil dad in the frame of the film, and he’s fantastic. Watch all three, enjoy.
October 19th: Tales From The Crypt Presents: Demon Knight
Demon Knight deserves to be seen by more people. It’s got William Sadler absolutely kicking ass, Billy Zane having the time of his life as the villain, and one of the best ensemble casts ever assembled for a horror movie. Add to it that it’s a Tales From The Crypt movie and you’ve got an all-timer from director Ernest Dickerson. Billy Zane is so good as the villain here that you almost want to root for him, but not quite. It’s a classic “group gets trapped in one pace, siege” kind of movie. Between the story, the badassery on display from Sadler, and a soundtrack that’s awesome, this movie is one of my favorites every Halloween season.
October 20th: Ravenous (1999)
This is a hell of a movie. It’s got a bit of a mixed tone but that stems from some issues while filming, sometimes it doesn’t know exactly what movie its trying to be, but across the board, its entertaining as hell. There’s some fantastic performances from Guy Pearce, Robert Carlyle, Jeffrey Jones, and Neal McDonough here. The finale is a battle between superhuman cannibals and it doesn’t get much better than that.
October 21st: The Immortalizer (1989)
This one might look a little bit like Re-Animator from the cover, but that green color is really the only thing in common. It’s about a mad scientist who sends out his mutant creations to kidnap young, beautiful people to swap brains with older, rich people. There are some nice gore effects that make for an entertaining straight-to-video B movie from the 80s. If you’ve seen everything you can see from the 1980s, you might have missed this one. The performances here are also much better than you would expect from the era.
October 22nd: Evil Dead (2013)
That poster promises a lot and Evil Dead (2013) delivers and then some. Fede Alvarez has already proven that he’s a master of horror with how he revitalized this series, Alien, and Texas Chainsaw Massacre. This is one of the best examples of modern horror out there, taking a classic like The Evil Dead and modernizing it. I still don’t think this is a remake and its a sequel to that movie, but that’s up for interpretation. Either way, this is a hell of a crowd-pleaser.
October 23rd: The Black Phone (2021)
The Black Phone had a wild time actually getting to audiences with a couple of delays, but it’s gone on to be a massive success at the box office and on streaming. Ethan Hawke, C. Robert Cargill, and Scott Derrickson craft an emotional powerhouse of a thriller/horror movie that feels a lot like a Stephen King adaptation, but it’s from his son, Joe Hill. We’re even getting a sequel later this year…
October 24th: Black Phone 2 (2025)
Speaking of that, Black Phone 2 is the sequel to the Blumhouse classic from 2021. It brings back the cast from the original film including Ethan Hawke, Mason Thames, Madeleine McGraw, Jeremy Davies and Miguel Mora. The film releases on this day in theaters, so you can go see just how the Grabber comes back in this film. Here’s hoping that they knock it out of the park and we get another horror icon in our lives. We could use them.
October 25th: The Bride Of Frankenstein (1935)
The Bride of Frankenstein is one of my favorite movie characters ever. Somehow, from about ~5 minutes of screen time, we got one of the biggest and best horror icons ever. Universal has taken her story and ran with it for their Halloween Horror Nights house this year. Go back and check out her origins in one of the best horror sequels ever in The Bride Of Frankenstein. This one is available on DVD, Blu-ray, and 4K from Universal. it should be up on Peacock in time for Halloween season.
October 26th: Slumber Party Massacre II (1987)
Slumber Party Massacre II continues from the first film but adds some strange supernatural elements to it. Are the events of the film actually happening? How did someone get a drill guitar like that? I don’t know, but it all adds up to an excellent sequel. It’s one of the most rocking horror movies out there and if you miss out on watching Trick Or Treat on the 1st, you can make for an excellent double feature.
October 27th: Dog Soldiers (2002)
That poster is heinous, which might be part of the reason why this movie didn’t do as well when it came out in 2002, but make no mistake, Dog Soldiers kicks an intense amount of ass. It’s werewolves, a siege, and a war movie all mixed up in one. There’s elements of Southern Comfort, An American Werewolf in London, and Assault on Precinct 13 here. It all comes together for a ripping time watching a movie. I watched this for the first time this year and was shocked that no one had recommended it to me before, so now I’m passing the favor along, and telling you to watch it this Halloween season.
October 28th: Trick Or Treat (1986)
Trick Or Treat is a celebration of all things 80s. It celebrates the biggest musical and movie genres in heavy metal and slashers. You get an absolutely kick-ass soundtrack from Fastway alongside some cameo appearances from Gene Simmons and Ozzy Osbourne. It might play right into the satanic panic BS of the 80s with its plot, but Trick or Treat gives some of the best of the 80s.
October 29th: Pumpkinhead (1988)
Pumpkinhead would really be the perfect film to start off a November 1st section of this marathon, it’s not a Thanksgiving movie, but it definitely captures that late Fall vibe from the imagery and plot on display. Lance Henriksen is in this one and he gets more than he bargained for when a vengeful demon named Pumpkinhead terrorizes his town. Stan Winston directs this one which means that the creature effects are among the best ever. Hope that it’s a little chilly so you can cuddle up with a blanket while watching this one.
October 30th: WNUF Halloween Special (2013)/Ghostwatch (1992)
if you’ve noticed across the years, these last two slots don’t change. I like a good holiday tradition, and my tradition is watching the WNUF Halloween Special the day before Halloween. If you ever remember seeing local news broadcasts when you were a kid in the late ’80s or ’90s, they looked like this. It comes complete with the made-up commercials between segments. What it all adds up to is a celebration of the holiday and era on film. It’s got a sequel, the Out There Mega Tape, but nothing tops the original for Halloween spirit. Terror Vision and Vinegar Syndrome have excellent physical media releases.
Adding onto the tradition of WNUF though, we’ve got Ghostwatch. This one has never been on the Halloween Movie Marathon and that’s kind of a travesty. It’s one of the best examples of these “fake” TV broadcast genre films. It was so good and convincing that it made people actually think the events of the movie were happening live. It’s creepy, unsettling, and one of the best examples of the genre.
October 31st: Halloween (1978)/Halloween II (1981)
Here it is, the reason for the season. You wait all year for Halloween. John Carpenter did it best with his slasher flick all the way back in 1978. It’s still one of the best examples of the genre and it’s a Halloween tradition around my house. You wait until it gets dark, grab the jack o’lanterns and sit around the TV. As the kids come and go, it only adds to the ambiance as Michael makes his rampage in Haddonfield. The night goes through, something strange happens: the light of the pumpkin casts a bit darker, a bit different. By the time the first film ends, the trick-or-treaters have dried up, and it’s time for Halloween II. As Laurie Strode is wheeled off in a different ambulance, your Halloween season ends, the spirits of the day heading back to hibernate for another year, the Jack ‘O Lanterns are all but extinguished, ready for another year, and awaiting their time to shine again.
Happy Halloween! That’s it for the 2025 Fright-A-Thon Halloween movie marathon!
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