Happy Spook-tober Screenagers! I write to you from the past, as I queued this post up before a long-overdue vacation. Not to fear, though; I still included lots of fun horror classics and some new stuff on this list. These are some of the picks at the top of my October rewatch list this year.
Peacock: Obsession (2026)
This one came out of nowhere and took the world by storm (and for good reason!). Obsession is the feature film debut from YouTuber Curry Barker, and follows a teenager named Bear as he wishes on a novelty toy that his friend Nikki would love him. His wish quickly turns into a nightmare in both the most expected and unexpected ways. With so much big-budget horror feeling very formulaic and reliant on jump scares, Obsession felt like a breath of fresh air. Definitely worth checking out if you missed its theatrical run, or just to watch it a second time.
FOR FANS OF: Oddity; Talk to Me
HBO Max: Perfect Blue (1997)
Satoshi Kon might be one of the most underrated directors of all time, and Perfect Blue is his magnum opus. If you’ve seen Aronofsky’s The Black Swan, I’m gonna politely ask you to never watch that film again and instead watch the masterpiece he ripped off to create it. Perfect Blue is about a young idol transitioning her career from singing to acting, and the absolute horror that comes with it. Everything about this film is so well-executed and the art is backed up by incredible and thoughtful storytelling. Probably the heaviest watch on this list, it is so worth adding to your Halloween queue.
FOR FANS OF: Memento; Cam (2018)
Netflix: The Fall of the House of Usher (2023)
I’ve made no secret that I’m a fan of Mike Flanagan’s work, but this is maybe his most fun. In The Fall of the House of Usher, a large pharmaceutical dynasty is picked off one by one in gory, brutal and satisfying ways. Based on the works of Edgar Allen Poe, it maintains the creepy tone of his stories but I have to be honest, this is mostly just pure fun. You’ll know by the end of the first episode if this show will work for you or not but if it does, you’re in for a great time. Still featuring interesting and complex characters but in a setting constructed for their demise, it’s an easy pick for this spooky season.
FOR FANS OF: Archive 81; Another (2012)
Prime Video: Oculus (2013)
I’m going to keep being annoying about Oculus until everyone I know watches it. Directed by Mike Flanagan, Oculus follows two siblings and the haunted mirror that destroys their family. On paper, the premise sounds pretty boilerplate, but the execution here is just incredible. So many of the most horrific scenes are just playing with the idea of not knowing or not being in control of your surroundings. One of my favorite parts about this movie is that you can watch it both ways: the kids are crazy and making everything up, or the mirror is really haunted. The movie still works, no matter which side you fall on. I’ve seen it many times now, and each time I still find myself noticing something new or different. It’s a very dense movie that never feels overly pretentious and is perfectly accessible to horror newbies.
FOR FANS OF: Insidious; It Follows
Hulu: Castle Rock (2018-19)
This one is just for the Stephen King fans. An arguably cancelled-too-soon Hulu original, Castle Rock follows the eerie and weird happenings of Stephen King’s fictional setting for many of his stories. Taking direct inspiration from Salem’s Lot, Misery, The Shining and many others, it sets up a world of supernatural weirdness that I think even non-King fans will love. Sadly it’s only two seasons, but what we got was wonderful and absolutely worth checking out.
FOR FANS OF: Channel Zero; It: Welcome to Derry
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