I've been watching at least 1 horror movie daily in October. I'll run through them all quickly, some are not horror.
1. The Toxic Avenger Unrated - Better seen as a tribute to Troma than a remake of the 1984 original movie. It does very well at that, though I wish it was shorter and Kevin Bacon's role was stronger, he wasn't as good as he was in MaXXXine. My favorite performance was from Elijah Wood. 7.5/10
2. Intruder. Fun late-80s slasher from Scott Spiegel based on his time working in a grocery store. Spiegel passed away last month, so I felt like it was right to pay some respect to him. He co-wrote Evil Dead 2 and was a Fake Shemp in the first 2 films. Sam and Ted Raimi play roles in this, Bruce Campbell even has a little appearance! The kills are great, some of the acting is so bad it's funny. The ending really saved the movie, it was hilarious. 8/10
3. The Devil's Advocate - Al Pacino owned the movie, but can't forget strong performances from Keanu Reeves and Charlize Theron. A total blast. 9/10
4. Fried Green Tomatoes - Not a horror movie, but parts of the film are horrific. There were times where I was surprised this movie was PG-13, especially the ending! Anyway, very entertaining drama with comedic elements. Tremendous performances from Kathy Bates, Jessica Tandy, Mary Stuart Masterson, and Mary Louise Parker. It's lowkey queer-coded and also touches on heavy subject matter that right-wingers want to downplay. 9/10
5. The Monkey - Fun and simple movie, but it's a little too long and loses steam in the third act. It's more replayable than Oz Perkins' previous movie, Longlegs. 7/10
6. Together - Great body horror movie that's carried by the performances from Dave Franco and Alison Brie. A real-life married couple with incredible on-screen chemistry. It's what carries a movie where the execution is just fine. It could've been better. It's darkly humorous at times, and I was overjoyed to see the actor who played the Blue Power Ranger in Jungle Fury. He was wearing blue too! 8/10
7. The Ugly Stepsister - I had some of the strongest reactions watching this. The surgery scenes and other grotesque moments were insane. I'm such a sucker for dark fairytales and this was a very brutal, unsubtle, almost nihilistic take on Cinderella. The advertising for the movie and many reviews put this movie along with The Substance. That's valid, but I think both movies have enough differences to stand out from each other. The Substance is a movie that gets insane in the third act. The Ugly Stepsister is insane at many parts from start to finish. I loved the viewing experience of The Ugly Stepsister so much that I want to give it a 9/10, but I've been holding myself back. I'm just so high on the movie. 8.5/10
8. HIM. To quote Peter Griffin, it insists upon itself. Marlon Wayans was great though. 4/10
9. Bring Her Back. Messier than the first film from the Philippous, with them trying to throw all kinds of horror tropes and motifs at the wall to see what sticks. The acting from the cast carry the movie, with Sally Hawkins being the best of the group. It's slow at times, but the emotional weight of the story, especially toward the end, was so heavy that I ended up liking the movie a bit more than Talk to Me, even though that film is more unique. 8/10
10. Companion - Highly fun sci-fi/thriller with some great kills, and a nice amount of twists. It's carried by Jack Quaid and Sophie Thatcher. 8/10
11. 28 Days Later - Still bold and groundbreaking. The music is incredible, the atmosphere and the old digital camera footage is so gritty and appealing. The acting is fantastic, with a young Cillian Murphy showing that was destined to win an Oscar. It gets very sad at times, but offers a fair amount of hope. 9/10
12. 28 Weeks Later - A major step down from the first movie. Whereas 28 Days Later felt unique and challenging, this film felt like any old zombie film from the 2000s, and probably owes itself to Zack Snyder's Dawn of the Dead remake as much as 28 Days Later. It's an inconsequential sequel, but it's not bad. The opening sequence was fantastic. 6/10
13. 28 Years Later - Definitely not what I expected. I knew The Last of Us was an inspiration, but I didn't expect the movie to be a crushing character drama and one boy's odyssey to help his mom. It was basically a post-apocalyptic version of The Wizard of Oz. Ralph Fiennes was the Wizard. It has some of the same strengths as the first movie, with some bold creative choices, tremendous music, nice violence, and scary sequences. The Alphas are pretty huge, in more ways than one! The ending was just a huge "WTF" and I know it's gotten criticism, but I actually laughed from it! It would've been better if that was a mid or post-credits scene, because it does tease the next movie in this apparent trilogy. I look forward to The Bone Temple. 8/10
14. Clown in a Cornfield - A pretty basic slasher with a clown killer and some dark comedy. The 2nd half shifted things for the better, and is a big reason to watch the movie. There were some nice twists in the 2nd half too. The 2nd half also had better kills. 7/10
15. Presence - It's a ghost story but it turned out to not be a horror movie. It was a family drama that was very slow, but had a bold direction by being told from the perspective of a ghost. The craft in the movie is very respectable. The acting is solid, but it does lose its footing a few times. The ending was great though! 7/10
16. Dangerous Animals - I used to hate Jai Courtney, but this movie changed my mind on him. I guess the key was having him be Australian, since the actor's from there. He was so bland playing an American character. Here, he's so lively and charismatic that he carries the whole movie. The female lead in this was also great, and some of the kills are sweet. It does lose steam in the third act, mainly because it felt like there were too many fake-outs and endings. But it's a finely directed movie. 7.5/10
17. The Cat - So this is a horror movie with a cat, a dog, aliens, an indestructible killing machine ala The Terminator, John Woo-style action sequences, stopmotion, insanely gross visuals, decent acting, a very cute Chinese girl, and an evil threat that's basically like The Blob. All of it in a lovely Hong Kong package, I fucking loved this movie! It's so niche, it's so "for me." 9/10
18. Evil Bong - Probably watchable when high, but completely unwatchable and unlistenable when sober. Absolute trash. 1/10
19. Terrifier 2 - Proof that I can watch a Terrifier movie more than once. I like this movie a little less the 2nd time around, mainly because it's still slow as fuck and is way too long for a slasher film at 2 hours and 18 minutes. The attempts at having a plot are decent, and the two young main actors in this were very good. The final girl especially was charming, with a beautiful face. David Howard Thornton did a fantastic job as Art the Clown, he's certainly the heart and soul of the franchise. The kills are absolutely viles and seriously not for the faint of heart. 8/10
20. Hiruko the Goblin - Fun and crazy yokai hunting movie from Shinya Tsukamoto, the guy who directed Tetsuo: The Iron Man. This one's a lot more accessible than Tetsuo, with two very strong male acting performances. There are some insane practical effects and gore, and also a lot of laughs! It's a bit like Hausu in its dream-like presentation and tonal shifts, and has a very heartwarming ending. It takes a bit for it to start, but once it gets going, it's a blast. 8/10
21. The Stuff - This was kind of a remake of the 50s Blob that came out a few years before the actual remake of The Blob! It's also a decent satire on consumerism, mass media, and the food industry. More than that, it's just a fun B-movie with some hokey acting, bad acting even from certain people. The kills and the practical effects are insane. The commercials for The Stuff are hilarious, and other aspects of the movie made me laugh a lot. The theatrical cut is good, but the pre-release cut, which was only released a few months ago, is a significant improvement. The satire is slightly stronger, the relationship between the 2 main adult characters is better and more tangible, more commercials, more necessary plot points, it's much more of a complete movie than the theatrical cut. The ending is even better, the theatrical cut's final couple of minutes felt disjointed. The theatrical cut would be a 7.5 or 8. The pre-release cut is undoubtely an 8.5/10
22. Fright Night - A super fun, nostalgic feeling vampire film with decent teen characters, hokey acting, a very lovable Roddy McDowall, and an aura farming Chris Sarandon as the vampire villain. The music is great, the atmosphere is fantastic, the comedy is very nice, it's basically a slightly more adult version of an episode of Goosebumps or Are You Afraid of the Dark. It has that similar tone of comedy and horror. Oh, and the third act is an amazing showcase of special effects. 9/10
23. The Long Walk - Absolutely devastating, with top notch performances from Cooper Hoffman and David Johnsson. They had incredible chemistry, and having seen Jonsson steal the show in Alien: Romulus a few months ago, I'm convinced that this actor is one of the best going today! I actually cried from the final moments in this movie. If this had better craft and some of the little flaws were ironed out, then this would've been my number 1 movie of 2025,. So far, it's number 2, with Sinners still at 1, but it is still high praise. 9/10
24. The Return of the Living Dead - One of my all-time favorite zombie films. One of my all-time favorite horror/comedies! This has everything I want in those movies. Awesome gore and practical effects, cartoonish and/or fun characters, an kick-ass soundtrack and score, fast pacing, exciting moments, hilarious parts, and just a lot of energy. The only downside is that Brian Peck is in it. Fuck that guy. 10/10
25. Re-Animator - One of my all-time favorite horror movies! I struggle to make a conclusion on what my favorite horror movie is. Re-Animator is one of the candidates. This is another horror film from 1985 that has everything. Insane gore and practical effects, a lovely score, even though the main theme is basically a ripoff of the Psycho theme. It's as strong as a dark comedy as it is a horror film. The main cast is excellent and Stuart Gordon made a masterful first impression as this was his debut as a film director. What truly pushes Re-Animator to GOAT status is the character of Herbert West, played by Jeffrey Combs. He was menacing, an asshole, and very manipulative. But he's also charismatic and devilishly entertaining. A true antihero and easily one of my all-time favorite horror movie characters. This is such an easy 10/10 movie for me.
26. The Host - A Hollywood-like monster blockbuster on the surface, a very biting satire on South Korean government and the national identity being tainted by the American influence. It's also very funny in places and should appeal to those who liked Bong Joon Ho's more critically acclaimed film, Parasite. The committment to satire is similar in The Host. Also like Parasite, a family is at the center of the story. This one was dysfunctional, but they came together for one purpose. The CGI for the monster is very dated, but it was bold of Bong Joon Ho to always have the monster shown during the day. Many people would've gone for nighttime visuals since that hides the CGI a bit better. There are some tonal shifts in The Host that might be too goofy, but I still enjoy this movie a lot on the second viewing. 9/10
27. Lifeforce - A space succubus is the main villain in this very insane and horny sci-fi horror film from Tobe Hooper. It epitomizes the wackiness of Cannon Films, who were crazy enough to back this movie. Even though this was a bomb and contributed to Cannon Films' financial decline, it's one of the best films from that studio! It is very slow at times with the big SFX showcases spread far apart. Once you get to them though, you can't look away, they burn into your soul. That far exceeds the acting in this movie, which wasn't bad at all, and other conventional aspects of this film. It's truly a spectacle, and it's definitely recommended if you want to see a naked female vampire for so long that you wonder if you're watching a softcore movie! 9/10
28. Good Boy - Tropes and painfully slow moments aside, the performance from Indy the dog and the overally independent filmmaking feat that this movie is makes me respect it. I would rate it lower, but I really can't dislike the movie. For all its faults, Good Boy is a great showcase of indie filmmaking. 7/10
29. Demons - A very pleasant surprise here. I went in fairly blind and expected a fun Italian horror movie. It was directed by Lamberto Bava, who co-wrote the movie with Dario Argento and 2 other guys. Argento was the producer. The score for this was one by one of the members of Goblin, the band that scored a few Argento films, such as Suspiria and Opera. The movie doesn't take long to show that it's a gross and violent horror movie about demons killing people, though the demons look and kind of act like zombies. It's some basic and effective horror fun, but what pushes the movie further is the score, the soundtrack full of rock and metal music, the absolutely disgusting and impressive makeup and effects, some vile kills, and a third act that was nothing short of awesome! I threw up the metal horns during the third act. The final scene in the movie was also wild, ending with a very strong exclamation point. This was a total blast. 8,5/10
1. The Toxic Avenger Unrated - Better seen as a tribute to Troma than a remake of the 1984 original movie. It does very well at that, though I wish it was shorter and Kevin Bacon's role was stronger, he wasn't as good as he was in MaXXXine. My favorite performance was from Elijah Wood. 7.5/10
2. Intruder. Fun late-80s slasher from Scott Spiegel based on his time working in a grocery store. Spiegel passed away last month, so I felt like it was right to pay some respect to him. He co-wrote Evil Dead 2 and was a Fake Shemp in the first 2 films. Sam and Ted Raimi play roles in this, Bruce Campbell even has a little appearance! The kills are great, some of the acting is so bad it's funny. The ending really saved the movie, it was hilarious. 8/10
3. The Devil's Advocate - Al Pacino owned the movie, but can't forget strong performances from Keanu Reeves and Charlize Theron. A total blast. 9/10
4. Fried Green Tomatoes - Not a horror movie, but parts of the film are horrific. There were times where I was surprised this movie was PG-13, especially the ending! Anyway, very entertaining drama with comedic elements. Tremendous performances from Kathy Bates, Jessica Tandy, Mary Stuart Masterson, and Mary Louise Parker. It's lowkey queer-coded and also touches on heavy subject matter that right-wingers want to downplay. 9/10
5. The Monkey - Fun and simple movie, but it's a little too long and loses steam in the third act. It's more replayable than Oz Perkins' previous movie, Longlegs. 7/10
6. Together - Great body horror movie that's carried by the performances from Dave Franco and Alison Brie. A real-life married couple with incredible on-screen chemistry. It's what carries a movie where the execution is just fine. It could've been better. It's darkly humorous at times, and I was overjoyed to see the actor who played the Blue Power Ranger in Jungle Fury. He was wearing blue too! 8/10
7. The Ugly Stepsister - I had some of the strongest reactions watching this. The surgery scenes and other grotesque moments were insane. I'm such a sucker for dark fairytales and this was a very brutal, unsubtle, almost nihilistic take on Cinderella. The advertising for the movie and many reviews put this movie along with The Substance. That's valid, but I think both movies have enough differences to stand out from each other. The Substance is a movie that gets insane in the third act. The Ugly Stepsister is insane at many parts from start to finish. I loved the viewing experience of The Ugly Stepsister so much that I want to give it a 9/10, but I've been holding myself back. I'm just so high on the movie. 8.5/10
8. HIM. To quote Peter Griffin, it insists upon itself. Marlon Wayans was great though. 4/10
9. Bring Her Back. Messier than the first film from the Philippous, with them trying to throw all kinds of horror tropes and motifs at the wall to see what sticks. The acting from the cast carry the movie, with Sally Hawkins being the best of the group. It's slow at times, but the emotional weight of the story, especially toward the end, was so heavy that I ended up liking the movie a bit more than Talk to Me, even though that film is more unique. 8/10
10. Companion - Highly fun sci-fi/thriller with some great kills, and a nice amount of twists. It's carried by Jack Quaid and Sophie Thatcher. 8/10
11. 28 Days Later - Still bold and groundbreaking. The music is incredible, the atmosphere and the old digital camera footage is so gritty and appealing. The acting is fantastic, with a young Cillian Murphy showing that was destined to win an Oscar. It gets very sad at times, but offers a fair amount of hope. 9/10
12. 28 Weeks Later - A major step down from the first movie. Whereas 28 Days Later felt unique and challenging, this film felt like any old zombie film from the 2000s, and probably owes itself to Zack Snyder's Dawn of the Dead remake as much as 28 Days Later. It's an inconsequential sequel, but it's not bad. The opening sequence was fantastic. 6/10
13. 28 Years Later - Definitely not what I expected. I knew The Last of Us was an inspiration, but I didn't expect the movie to be a crushing character drama and one boy's odyssey to help his mom. It was basically a post-apocalyptic version of The Wizard of Oz. Ralph Fiennes was the Wizard. It has some of the same strengths as the first movie, with some bold creative choices, tremendous music, nice violence, and scary sequences. The Alphas are pretty huge, in more ways than one! The ending was just a huge "WTF" and I know it's gotten criticism, but I actually laughed from it! It would've been better if that was a mid or post-credits scene, because it does tease the next movie in this apparent trilogy. I look forward to The Bone Temple. 8/10
14. Clown in a Cornfield - A pretty basic slasher with a clown killer and some dark comedy. The 2nd half shifted things for the better, and is a big reason to watch the movie. There were some nice twists in the 2nd half too. The 2nd half also had better kills. 7/10
15. Presence - It's a ghost story but it turned out to not be a horror movie. It was a family drama that was very slow, but had a bold direction by being told from the perspective of a ghost. The craft in the movie is very respectable. The acting is solid, but it does lose its footing a few times. The ending was great though! 7/10
16. Dangerous Animals - I used to hate Jai Courtney, but this movie changed my mind on him. I guess the key was having him be Australian, since the actor's from there. He was so bland playing an American character. Here, he's so lively and charismatic that he carries the whole movie. The female lead in this was also great, and some of the kills are sweet. It does lose steam in the third act, mainly because it felt like there were too many fake-outs and endings. But it's a finely directed movie. 7.5/10
17. The Cat - So this is a horror movie with a cat, a dog, aliens, an indestructible killing machine ala The Terminator, John Woo-style action sequences, stopmotion, insanely gross visuals, decent acting, a very cute Chinese girl, and an evil threat that's basically like The Blob. All of it in a lovely Hong Kong package, I fucking loved this movie! It's so niche, it's so "for me." 9/10
18. Evil Bong - Probably watchable when high, but completely unwatchable and unlistenable when sober. Absolute trash. 1/10
19. Terrifier 2 - Proof that I can watch a Terrifier movie more than once. I like this movie a little less the 2nd time around, mainly because it's still slow as fuck and is way too long for a slasher film at 2 hours and 18 minutes. The attempts at having a plot are decent, and the two young main actors in this were very good. The final girl especially was charming, with a beautiful face. David Howard Thornton did a fantastic job as Art the Clown, he's certainly the heart and soul of the franchise. The kills are absolutely viles and seriously not for the faint of heart. 8/10
20. Hiruko the Goblin - Fun and crazy yokai hunting movie from Shinya Tsukamoto, the guy who directed Tetsuo: The Iron Man. This one's a lot more accessible than Tetsuo, with two very strong male acting performances. There are some insane practical effects and gore, and also a lot of laughs! It's a bit like Hausu in its dream-like presentation and tonal shifts, and has a very heartwarming ending. It takes a bit for it to start, but once it gets going, it's a blast. 8/10
21. The Stuff - This was kind of a remake of the 50s Blob that came out a few years before the actual remake of The Blob! It's also a decent satire on consumerism, mass media, and the food industry. More than that, it's just a fun B-movie with some hokey acting, bad acting even from certain people. The kills and the practical effects are insane. The commercials for The Stuff are hilarious, and other aspects of the movie made me laugh a lot. The theatrical cut is good, but the pre-release cut, which was only released a few months ago, is a significant improvement. The satire is slightly stronger, the relationship between the 2 main adult characters is better and more tangible, more commercials, more necessary plot points, it's much more of a complete movie than the theatrical cut. The ending is even better, the theatrical cut's final couple of minutes felt disjointed. The theatrical cut would be a 7.5 or 8. The pre-release cut is undoubtely an 8.5/10
22. Fright Night - A super fun, nostalgic feeling vampire film with decent teen characters, hokey acting, a very lovable Roddy McDowall, and an aura farming Chris Sarandon as the vampire villain. The music is great, the atmosphere is fantastic, the comedy is very nice, it's basically a slightly more adult version of an episode of Goosebumps or Are You Afraid of the Dark. It has that similar tone of comedy and horror. Oh, and the third act is an amazing showcase of special effects. 9/10
23. The Long Walk - Absolutely devastating, with top notch performances from Cooper Hoffman and David Johnsson. They had incredible chemistry, and having seen Jonsson steal the show in Alien: Romulus a few months ago, I'm convinced that this actor is one of the best going today! I actually cried from the final moments in this movie. If this had better craft and some of the little flaws were ironed out, then this would've been my number 1 movie of 2025,. So far, it's number 2, with Sinners still at 1, but it is still high praise. 9/10
24. The Return of the Living Dead - One of my all-time favorite zombie films. One of my all-time favorite horror/comedies! This has everything I want in those movies. Awesome gore and practical effects, cartoonish and/or fun characters, an kick-ass soundtrack and score, fast pacing, exciting moments, hilarious parts, and just a lot of energy. The only downside is that Brian Peck is in it. Fuck that guy. 10/10
25. Re-Animator - One of my all-time favorite horror movies! I struggle to make a conclusion on what my favorite horror movie is. Re-Animator is one of the candidates. This is another horror film from 1985 that has everything. Insane gore and practical effects, a lovely score, even though the main theme is basically a ripoff of the Psycho theme. It's as strong as a dark comedy as it is a horror film. The main cast is excellent and Stuart Gordon made a masterful first impression as this was his debut as a film director. What truly pushes Re-Animator to GOAT status is the character of Herbert West, played by Jeffrey Combs. He was menacing, an asshole, and very manipulative. But he's also charismatic and devilishly entertaining. A true antihero and easily one of my all-time favorite horror movie characters. This is such an easy 10/10 movie for me.
26. The Host - A Hollywood-like monster blockbuster on the surface, a very biting satire on South Korean government and the national identity being tainted by the American influence. It's also very funny in places and should appeal to those who liked Bong Joon Ho's more critically acclaimed film, Parasite. The committment to satire is similar in The Host. Also like Parasite, a family is at the center of the story. This one was dysfunctional, but they came together for one purpose. The CGI for the monster is very dated, but it was bold of Bong Joon Ho to always have the monster shown during the day. Many people would've gone for nighttime visuals since that hides the CGI a bit better. There are some tonal shifts in The Host that might be too goofy, but I still enjoy this movie a lot on the second viewing. 9/10
27. Lifeforce - A space succubus is the main villain in this very insane and horny sci-fi horror film from Tobe Hooper. It epitomizes the wackiness of Cannon Films, who were crazy enough to back this movie. Even though this was a bomb and contributed to Cannon Films' financial decline, it's one of the best films from that studio! It is very slow at times with the big SFX showcases spread far apart. Once you get to them though, you can't look away, they burn into your soul. That far exceeds the acting in this movie, which wasn't bad at all, and other conventional aspects of this film. It's truly a spectacle, and it's definitely recommended if you want to see a naked female vampire for so long that you wonder if you're watching a softcore movie! 9/10
28. Good Boy - Tropes and painfully slow moments aside, the performance from Indy the dog and the overally independent filmmaking feat that this movie is makes me respect it. I would rate it lower, but I really can't dislike the movie. For all its faults, Good Boy is a great showcase of indie filmmaking. 7/10
29. Demons - A very pleasant surprise here. I went in fairly blind and expected a fun Italian horror movie. It was directed by Lamberto Bava, who co-wrote the movie with Dario Argento and 2 other guys. Argento was the producer. The score for this was one by one of the members of Goblin, the band that scored a few Argento films, such as Suspiria and Opera. The movie doesn't take long to show that it's a gross and violent horror movie about demons killing people, though the demons look and kind of act like zombies. It's some basic and effective horror fun, but what pushes the movie further is the score, the soundtrack full of rock and metal music, the absolutely disgusting and impressive makeup and effects, some vile kills, and a third act that was nothing short of awesome! I threw up the metal horns during the third act. The final scene in the movie was also wild, ending with a very strong exclamation point. This was a total blast. 8,5/10
