Spooky season is in full swing, which quite a few horror titles among the new movies streaming this week on Netflix, Prime Video, Hulu and other streaming services. Some are available on digital release, so you can purchase them for a premium price, while others can be viewed with a streaming subscription.
Two recent theatrical releases are already hitting VOD: The Nun II and The Equalizer 3. The new exclusive streaming movies include horror comedy Totally Killer, erotic thriller Fair Play and Stephen King adaptations The Boogeyman and Pet Sematary: Bloodlines.
Here are the top new movies streaming this week.
The Equalizer 3 (digital release)
Denzel Washington’s vigilante is back! Retired U.S. Marine and defense intelligence agent Robert McCall is wounded during a violent encounter with the Sicilian mafia. Shot in the back, he wakes up in a small, idyllic town on the Amalfi coast. Robert meets his rescuers, police officer Gio Bonucci (Eugenio Mastrandrea), and doctor Enzo Arisio (Remo Girone). As he recovers, he befriends the locals and grows attached to the town. But when mob henchmen begin harassing the community, Robert breaks out his rusty, but still formidable, set of special skills to defend his new home.
Buy on Amazon or Apple starting Oct. 3
The Nun II (digital release)
The eighth installment of the Conjuring Universe delivers more supernatural scares with religious vibes.In 1956, four years after the events of the first film, Sister Irene (Taissa Farmiga) has settled into a new convent when she’s sent by the cardinal to investigate the seeming reappearance of the demon Valak (Bonnie Aarons). Unbeknownst to Irene, her friend Maurice (Jonas Bloquet) has been possessed by Valak and has unwittingly brought her along his travels. With the help of skeptical Sister Debra (Storm Reid), Irene must confront Maurice and find a way to exorcise Valak for good.
Buy on Amazon or Apple starting Oct. 3
Haunted Mansion (Disney Plus)
The iconic Disney theme park ride has been turned into a movie for the second time, following the 2003 movie starring Eddie Murphy. The new version comes from director Justin Simien (Dear White People) and features LaKeith Stanfield as astrophysicist Ben, who now works as a paranormal tour guide in honor of his late wife. He’s called upon to document the ghosts at Gracey Manor, which was recently bought by Gabbie (Rosario Dawson). But Ben discovers the mansion has a strange pull on him, Gabbie, her son and the priest Father Kent (Owen Wilson). They recruit a psychic (Tiffany Haddish) to help undo whatever mysterious curse has been placed on the house.
Stream on Disney Plus starting Oct. 4
The Blackening (Starz)
If you prefer horror flicks to have a mix of scares and laughs, look no further than The Blackening. This comedic slasher follows a group of friends as they travel to a remote cabin over Juneteenth weekend. Isolated from society, and lacking proper cell service, the group is relentlessly stalked by a masked killer with a vendetta against the group. Now these friends must use their street smarts and knowledge of horror movie tropes in order to survive to see the morning. The Blackening is extremely self-aware and takes great pleasure in making fun of all the cliché moments in more traditional horror movies. A great pick if you want a Halloween movie that will have you laughing more than screaming. - Rory Mellon
Stream on Starz starting Oct. 4
The Boogeyman (Hulu)
Stephen King’s 1973 short story comes to life for the first time as a feature-length film. High school student Sadie Harper (Sophie Thatcher) and her younger sister Sawyer (Vivien Lyra Blair) are reeling from the recent death of their mother. They aren't getting much support from their father, Will (Chris Messina), a therapist dealing with his own pain. A disturbed patient arrives at their home, ranting about an evil entity that killed his children. Soon after, the girls are terrorized by a sinister creature that feeds on the suffering of its victims.
Stream on Hulu starting Oct. 5
Fair Play (Netflix)
This erotic thriller was a Sundance darling that is expanding Netflix’s selection in the genre. Emily (Phoebe Dynevor) and Luke (Alden Ehrenreich) are a young couple who work at a cutthroat financial firm and are secretly engaged. When Emily lands an unexpected promotion, their relationship begins to unravel. Power dynamics, jealousy, ambition and gender norms all play a part in tearing them apart. Emily and Luke learn that success can come at a steep cost — and must decide if they’re willing to pay it.
Stream on Netflix starting Oct. 6
Passages (digital release, Mubi)
This taut, torrid bedroom drama follows a gay couple whose marriage breaks up due to an affair. Tomas (Franz Rogowski) is a German filmmaker and Martin (Ben Whishaw) is an English printer who live in Paris. One night at a party, Tomas sleeps with a female friend, Agathe (Adèle Exarchopoulos). A devastated Martin rejects attempts at reconciliation and begins the process of selling their house. He also begins to see writer Ahmad (Erwan Kepoa Falé), which makes Tomas jealous. The complicated romantic entanglements won’t be resolved easily.
Buy on Apple or stream on Mubi starting Oct. 6
Pet Sematary: Bloodlines (Paramount Plus With Showtime)
Stephen King is the king of spooky season. Another of his works gets the adaptation treatment in this prequel to 2019’s Pet Sematary. Set in 1969, it centers on young Jud Crandall (Jackson White), who dreams of escaping his hometown of Ludlow, Maine. Then, he discovers a local graveyard where sinister secrets are buried. He is coerced to confront a dark family legacy that will forever connect him to Ludlow. Jud bands together with his childhood friends to battle an ancient evil that has plagued the town since its founding.
Stream on Paramount Plus With Showtime starting Oct. 6
Strays (Peacock)
Following its digital release a few weeks ago (and that a mere month after the theatrical release), this canine comedy hits subscription streaming. Dog may be man’s best friend, but not when the man is a total dirtbag. Reggie (voiced by Will Ferrell) is a naive, relentlessly optimistic Border Terrier who is abandoned on the street by his nasty owner Doug (Will Forte).
Reggie ends up falling in with the fast-talking, foul-mouthed Bug (Jamie Foxx), a Boston Terrier stray who loves his freedom. With Bug’s help, Reggie realizes how toxic Doug was and decides to get revenge. He and his new pals hatch a plan to make Doug pay by biting off a beloved appendage — and it’s not his foot.
Stream on Peacock starting Oct. 6
Totally Killer (Prime Video)
Horror comedies combine chills, thrills and laughs, taking the best of both genres and putting them together. The latest entry is this flick revolving around an infamous “Sweet Sixteen Killer,” who returns on Halloween night 35 years after the shocking murder of three teens to claim a fourth victim.
Jamie (Kiernan Shipka) is a 17-year-old whose overprotective mother (Julie Bowen) was friends with the original three victims. When Jamie comes face to face with the masked killer, she accidentally time travels to 1987. While navigating the unfamiliar culture of the ‘80s, she teams up with the younger version of her mom (Olivia Holt) to catch the killer once and for all. - KW
Stream on Prime Video starting Oct. 6
V/H/S/85 (Shudder)
The horror anthology series returns for its sixth installment. V/H/S/85 presents five new shorts, each one directed by a different filmmaker. From the chilling tale of a boy who is fixated on his TV, to a filming crew’s desperate bid for survival against a natural disaster, and even a warped journey through a deadly dream, V/H/S/85 presents a collection of era-appropriate scary stories that will stay with you long after the credits roll. Critics have also praised this for being the most consistent entry in the V/H/S franchise with all five segments offering something unique. - Rory Mellon
Stream on Shudder starting Oct. 6
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