October is finally here, which means horror lovers can rejoice in everything that spooky season will bring. Luckily for them, there’s no shortage of content available to stream. The best horror movies on Hulu, Netflix, and pretty much every other major service will offer more than enough chills to satisfy those well-versed in the intricacies of the genre and those who are only looking to experience it because of the season.
However, while watching more mainstream offerings is perfectly OK, October also offers the chance to watch other, more underappreciated efforts. From genuinely terrifying tales of dread to more psychological series that favor atmosphere and gloom, these underrated horror gems will be perfect to watch in the days leading up to Halloween. So grab your popcorn and put on your witch hat because these movies call for it.
Witchfinder General (1968)
Horror legend Vincent Price stars in the 1968 seminal folk horror film Witchfinder General. Based on the eponymous 1966 novel and set during the English Civil War, the film follows the exploits of infamous witch-hunter Matthew Hopkins, who brags about receiving the title of “witchfinder general” despite never receiving an appointment from Parliament. After Hopkins targets the wrong woman, he becomes the subject of a young soldier’s wrath.
Witchfinder General‘s importance to horror is impossible to ignore. Quite possibly the first folk horror film in history, Witchfinder General, which was later retitled to The Conqueror Worm in the U.S., finds terror in the very real danger of fanaticism and weaponized hysteria. The film preys on very real fears to craft a tale of paranoia, power lust, and indoctrination, using the mighty Vincent Price to deliver its message.
The actor was seldom better than he’s here as Matthew Hopkins, an utterly despicable and truly chilling figure that ranks among his finest on-screen creations. The ending will surely haunt audiences’ nightmares for days, making Witchfinder General a perfect watch for horror fans.
Witchfinder General is available to stream on PlutoTV.
The Company of Wolves (1984)
When one thinks of the fantasy genre, chances are that images of knights, dragons, and wizards come to mind. Hardly anyone would expect one of the best fantasy movies to be a dark and dreadful fairy tale, yet that’s exactly what Neil Jordan’s The Company of Wolves is. This gothic tale, inspired by the classic Little Red Riding Hood, follows young Rosaleen (Sarah Patterson), who dreams of traversing a wolf-infested forest to reunite with her grandmother. When she meets a mysterious hunter in the woods, her life changes for good.
The Company of Wolves is an exquisite and lush Gothic story that shows a new side to horror. Blending disturbing scenes with straight-up body horror and fantasy sensibilities, the film offers a thoughtful and oneiric tale of sexual awakening, self-discovery, and the treacherous, ever-changing human nature that drives our actions.
Equal parts traditional fairy tale and off-putting and occasionally revolting horror story, The Company of Wolves is packed with meaning in every shot, brought to life by an absorbing production design that brings a dark yet alluring forest to unbelievable life.
The Company of Wolves is available to stream on Tubi.
You Won’t Be Alone (2022)
Stories about witches are at the very foundation of the horror genre; luckily, modern cinema keeps delivering new and incredible versions of a well-known tale — for example, 2022’s You Won’t Be Alone. Starring an ensemble cast, including Noomi Rapace and Alice Englert, the film follows Nevena, a mute girl in 19th-century Macedonia who is captured by a witch and transformed into a shapeshifting witch herself. Alone in the world, Nevena adopts new identities on her way to discovering everything life has to offer.
You Won’t Be Alone is light on jump scares, preferring instead to build an atmosphere of mystery, anxiousness, and fear that dominates every scene. Like the best horror movies, it uses traditional horror and supernatural settings to tell a deeply humane story about self-discovery and the complicated, winding, and painful road to maturity, both physical and emotional.
Nevena’s tale is universal yet still profoundly intimate, brought to life by an excellent collection of actors who act as observers of the human condition. Silent but packed with meaning, You Won’t Be Alone is a thoughtful and thought-provoking entry into the so-called elevated horror movement.
You Won’t Be Alone is available to stream on Starz.