Well my ghoulish gawkers, the temperature is dropping, snappy love/hate insta posts about pumpkin spice abound, and the apartment is covered in polyester cobwebs, which can only mean one thing – we are weeks away from All Hallows’ Eve. Now that Squid Game has whet your appetite for something a little more twisted, it’s time to cut to some real horror and get ready for the 31st.
First, because I care about you and don’t want you to make the same mistake I did, let’s kick it off with what to avoid – Halloween Kills. . . any hope for future quality Halloween films with Jaime Lee Curtis. In this second sequel to a sequel (once removed?) we pick up right where we left off in the romp that was Halloween (2018). After learning that Michael Myers has survived what was supposed to be his final act, the plot quickly devolves, reintroducing characters we’d forgotten (and let’s be honest, never really cared to remember), and largely relegating some of the best, most dynamic characters of the 2018 film to waxing poetic from hospital beds.
With enough year/place title cards to fill a calendar, and enough “cut to”s to give you whiplash, this latest descendant of the John Carpenter cannon abandons the art of the slow build, the arc of a solid plot, and the value of a creative kill not just for the gore, but because we care about the story of the villain and the hero. Do yourself a favor and skip this one all together – avoid it in the theaters, at home on demand, and even on the airplane, and instead, click through some badass photos of Jaime Lee Curtis at the premiere dressed as mom Janet Leigh from Psycho, and rewatch the 2018 film. Halloween Kills opens in theaters on Friday, October 15.
Now, on to quality films. First, if you’re willing to drop some extra cash this Halloween season (or if you’re up for a one-week free trial), check out the streaming channel Shudder, chock full of both obscure and traditional horror films alike. While you’re there, definitely check out the Thai-South Korean film The Medium, which offers a smooth blend of found footage and faux documentary horror. In The Medium, a documentary film crew following a local Thai shaman pivots their focus to her niece, who hasn’t been acting herself. From mood swings and promiscuity, to uncontrollable periods and bouts of anger, she’s showing all the classic signs of possession – or puberty. While it veers a bit too far off the tracks near the end for my taste, this film has some of the creepier found footage
shots I’ve seen in awhile. And perhaps it should come as no surprise, with director Banjong Pisanthanakun of Shutter fame at the helm, but this film boasts high-quality pacing that grabs you from the start and holds you throughout. Don’t miss this one. The Medium is now available on Shudder.
Looking for a sequel that hits the mark? Try V/H/S/94. The V/H/S franchise has never let me down – perhaps because one of the benefits of offering multiple minifilms within each full-length feature is that you’re practically guaranteed to find something you like. This latest film in the franchise is framed up by a S.W.A.T. team taking on a cult in a raid that goes south. Along the way, participants take in several morbid videos that could not be more different – a mad scientist whose creations are out of control, a white supremacist group attempting to wrangle a monster, a rat-like man reportedly living in the sewers, and a haunted funeral home. Seriously how can you go wrong? Each story strikes a unique note of horror, 
scratching whichever scary movie itch you might have. From humor to gore to societal commentary, V/H/S/94 is simply a blast, and a roller coaster in the best of ways. With throwback nods to the 90s, when VHS tapes truly reigned, this one is an anthology for the ages. V/H/S/94 is now available on Shudder, where it boasted the channel’s biggest premier ever on October 6.
And finally, if you missed it in theaters, make sure to catch The Night House. A dark descent into a world of betrayal, fear, and grief, this film is a classic slow burn horror mystery, with all the jump scares, creepy dark corners, and silent beats you could ever want. Rebecca Hall’s masterful performance delicately balances a wide range of emotions, which is especially crucial when you’re essentially spending the entire length of the film at her side.
Director David Bruckner flexes his filmmaking muscle in The Night House, evoking the complex human relationships and 
dark themes he showcased in Ritual, and even some of the gore and jump scares he nailed in the V/H/S segment “Amateur Night.” Engrossing, eerie, dark, and deceptive, be sure to catch The Night House this Halloween season. The Night House is available for purchase on Amazon Prime Video.
SpecialK Verdict: So far this Halloween season, it’s safe to say you can skip the theaters in favor of your couch–don’t miss The Night House, V/H/S/94, or The Medium, but skip Halloween Kills.
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