31 scary films to watch this October

Halloween is my happy place. Sure, Thanksgiving is tasty. Christmas is cheery. My birthday is nice. But Halloween is my everything.

Growing up, my sister and I would cling to ABC Family’s 31 Nights of Halloween, blankets and candy corn in hand. We would consume hour after hour of “family friendly” scares in anticipation of All Hallows’ Eve. Beetlejuice, Hocus Pocus, Clue—ABC Family had it all. 

As we grew up, these sacred thirty-one nights were downgraded to a measly thirteen. Then ABC Family became Freeform and, eventually, I stopped getting cable. Things were never the same. 

But, if Halloween is the one time a year you can be anything you want and journey to any land you dream, then I choose to go back to those magical 31 nights of October this year.

After combing through hours of freaky, fiendish, and fearful footage, we have put together thirty-one of the best Halloween flicks—each highlighting an iconic trope of the genre—in the perfect viewing order.

From creepy kids to surprise endings, here are “31 Days of Streamable Scares,” organized into a pretty calendar for your fridge. (Don’t worry. Attack of the Killer Refrigerator isn’t on it.) 

Happy Halloween, horror fans!

Image: bob al-greene / mashable

October 1 | High school horrors: Scream

Scream (1996) is available for rent or purchase on Prime Video.
Fun Fact: The final scene of Scream took 21 nights to shoot, a process the production staff called “the longest night in horror history.”

October 2 | Found footage: The Blair Witch Project 

The Blair Witch Project (1999) is available on Hulu beginning 10/1.
Fun Fact: To add to the realistic feel, The Blair Witch Project had a 35 page script with no dialogue. 

October 3 | Vampires: What We Do in the Shadows

What We Do in the Shadows (2014) is available to stream on Prime Video.
Fun Fact: The fake body used during the movie’s funeral at sea scene was swept away during filming. The directors subsequently released a press statement informing locals and encouraging them not to worry if they found a charred body on the beach.

October 4 | Possessions: The Babadook

The Babadook (2014) is available to stream on Netflix.
Fun Fact: Tim Purcell, the actor behind the Babadook, originally worked in the art department. He was given the role after he performed as the Babadook in camera tests.

October 5 | Home invasions: Don’t Breathe

Don’t Breathe (2016) is available for rent or purchase on Prime Video.
Fun Fact: Director Fede Alvarez has stated in multiple interviews that the criticism surrounding his 2013 remake of Sam Raimi’s The Evil Dead largely influenced his desire to subvert expectations in Don’t Breathe. 

October 6 | Cyber scares: Unfriended

Unfriended (2015) is available for rent or purchase on Prime Video.
Fun Fact: Each cast member of Unfriended helped to decorate the room of their character.

October 7 | Psychological thrills: Blue Velvet 

Blue Velvet (1986) is available to stream on Prime Video.
Fun Fact: Dennis Hopper was originally going to inhale helium throughout his scenes as the ominous Frank. However, the voice-altering effect was more “Donald Duck” than scary and the idea was scrapped.

October 8 | Haunted houses: House on Haunted Hill

House on Haunted Hill (1959) is available to stream on Prime Video.
Fun Fact: Exterior shots of the house show The Ennis Brown House. Located in Los Angeles, this 1924 home was designed by Frank Lloyd Wright.

October 9 | Killer romances: Fatal Attraction

Fatal Attraction (1987) is available for rent or purchase on Prime Video.
Fun Fact: Glenn Close had the knife she used in the film framed and hung in her kitchen.

October 10 | Evil robots: The Terminator

The Terminator (1984) is available to stream on Hulu.
Fun Fact: Director and writer James Cameron based the script for The Terminator on one of his own nightmares. 

October 11 | Creepy kids: Firestarter

Firestarter (1984) is available for rent or purchase on Prime Video.
Fun Fact: The appearance of Drew Barrymore’s character, Charlie McGee, was loosely based on Stephen King’s daughter.

October 12 | Family frights: Hereditary

Hereditary (2018) is available for rent or purchase on Prime Video.
Fun Fact: Director Ari Aster referred to actor Alex Wolff by his character name, Peter, for the entirety of filming in an effort to aid in Wolff’s commitment to method acting the role.

October 13 | Disney Channel favorites: Hocus Pocus

Hocus Pocus (1993) is available for rent or purchase on Prime Video.
Fun Fact: The leading role of Max was originally offered to Leonardo DiCaprio.

October 14 | Feminist fright fests: Teeth

Teeth (2007) is available to stream on Netflix.
Fun Fact: Vagina dentata is a real condition, but nothing at all like the portrayal in Teeth.

October 15 | Serial killers: Silence of the Lambs

Silence of the Lambs (1991) is available to stream on HBO Now.
Fun Fact: Anthony Hopkins says he drew from three sources when embodying Dr. Hannibal Lecter: Katharine Hepburn, Truman Capote and HAL the computer from 2001: A Space Odyssey.

October 16 | Extraterrestrial terrors: Alien

Alien (1979) is available for rent or purchase on Prime Video.
Fun Fact: Xenomorphs were originally intended to be partially transparent, but the design was made darker to speed up the process and accommodate the production schedule.

October 17 | Underwater thrills: Jaws

Jaws (1975) is available to stream on Prime Video.
Fun Fact: The victim of an unsolved murder case is believed (by some) to appear in a crowd scene of Jaws. The unidentified woman has come to be known as the “Lady in the Dunes.”

October 18 | Killer clowns: It

It (2017) is available to stream on HBO Now.
Fun Fact: Bill Skarsgård’s embodiment of Pennywise came 27 years after Tim Curry played the role in the 1990 miniseries. This parallels Stephen King’s lore that Pennywise reemerges every 27 years.

October 19 | Surprise endings: Get Out

Get Out (2017) is available to stream on Cinemax.
Fun Fact: In the context 2017 of current events, Get Out‘s original ending was deemed too dark by creator Jordan Peele and subsequently altered.

October 20 | Werewolves: An American Werewolf in London

An American Werewolf in London (1981) is available for rent or purchase on Prime Video.
Fun Fact: David Naughton was actually naked and caged with live wolves for a scene in the film.

October 21 | Snow-covered scares: The Shining

The Shining (1980) is available to stream on Netflix beginning 10/1.
Fun Fact: Director Stanley Kubrick has been accused by conspiracy theorists of helping to (and later confessing to) staging the moon landing. 

October 22 | Petrifying puppets: Magic

Magic (1978) is available for purchase on Prime Video.
Fun Fact: Anthony Hopkins took the puppet, Fats, off set to practice for his performance. Ultimately, Hopkins became so trouble by having Fats in his home that he insisted someone come get it in the middle of the night.

October 23 | Satanic spooks: The Exorcist

The Exorcist (1973) is available for rent or purchase on Prime Video.
Fun Fact: During the film’s original release, many audience members reported becoming nauseous at showings. As a result, some theaters handed out barf bags.

October 24 | Stories based IRL: The Conjuring

The Conjuring (2013) is available to stream on Netflix.
Fun Fact: The Conjuring is based on the real life case of the haunting of the Perron Family.

October 25 | Zombies: Shaun of the Dead

Shaun of the Dead (2004) is available for rent or purchase on Prime Video.
Fun Fact: The film’s original title was Tea Time of the Dead.

October 26 | Torture porn: Final Destination 2

Final Destination 2 (2003) is available for rent or purchase on Prime Video.
Fun Fact: The film’s car pileup sequence was intended to be shot with real logs falling off of a truck, but screen tests revealed that they wouldn’t bounce enough. Ultimately, they were done with CGI.

October 27 | Ghost stories: Beetlejuice 

Beetlejuice (1988) is available for rent or purchase on Prime Video.
Fun Fact: Michael Keaton’s titular character only appears in 17-and-a-half minutes of the film.

October 28 | Witchy ways: The Witch

The Witch (2016) is available to stream on Netflix.
Fun Fact: The goat responsible for portraying Black Philip was reportedly incredibly difficult to work with.

October 29 | Animal antics: The Birds

The Birds (1963) is available to stream on STARZ.
Fun Fact: A veterinary aviary was created on set to nurse birds that were injured or sick at the time of filming.

October 30 | Slasher flicks: A Nightmare on Elm Street

A Nightmare on Elm Street (1984) is available for rent or purchase on Prime Video.
Fun Fact: The film’s “blood geyser” used 500 gallons of fake blood. In one take, it malfunctioned and sprayed nearby equipment causing a temporary electrical failure on set. 

October 31 | Halloween nights: Halloween double feature

Halloween (1978) is available for rent or purchase on Prime Video.
Halloween (2018) is in theaters October 19.
Fun Fact: The new film will once again star Jamie Lee Curtis and pick up where the first left off—treating the events of the other nine films as universe rumor or legend.