New scary movies to see this October, from 'Other Mommy' to 'Clayface'
New scary movies to see this October, from 'Other Mommy' to 'Clayface'
Brian Truitt, USA TODAYThu, October 1, 2026 at 11:31 AM UTC
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Obsessed with "Obsession"? Visited those "Backrooms"? Resided for a couple of hours in "Resident Evil"? We feel you: It's been a great year for horror fans. And with Halloween coming, the scary movies are just getting started.
Spooky season is bringing a bunch of cinematic treats – and, yeah, a few tricks – to watch in theaters and at home. Jessica Chastain pulls double duty as a desperate mom and her supernatural doppelganger in the freaky "Other Mommy." "Hereditary" breakout Milly Shapiro fights off post-apocalyptic meanies in "Hallowarrior." And Tom Rhys Harries will melt your face off in "Clayface," the DC universe's first creeptastic entry starring a new take on a classic Batman villain.
Here are 15 horror films you'll want to check out to best prep for Halloween:
'Beware Boiúna' (Oct. 2)
Scream queens Kiana Madeira ("Fear Street") and Jessica Rothe ("Happy Death Day") star in the monster flick as members of a humanitarian mission in the Amazon. The jungle gets even more treacherous for them when they accidentally awaken a gigantic mythical serpent and scramble to survive.
Where to watch: In theaters
'Infirmary' (Oct. 2)
The found-footage chiller centers on Edward (Paul Syre), a young ex-soldier working his first night as a security guard at an abandoned psychiatric hospital where bad stuff happened in the past. While his coworkers are a bit strange, the real weirdness hits when he begins to feel a dark presence following him.
Where to watch: Shudder
'Other Mommy' (Oct. 9)
Jessica Chastain is no stranger to fright fests, starring in the likes of "It: Chapter Two" and "Mama." And she's bound to give you nightmares in her dual role here, playing both a mom trying to protect her child and the truly disturbing lookalike (who the kid calls "Other Mommy") haunting their lives.
Where to watch: In theaters
'R.L. Stine’s Pumpkinhead 2' (Oct. 9)
You can't have Halloween without an appearance from Cassandra Peterson, aka horror hostess – and iconic Mistress of the Dark – Elvira. In the sequel based on a R.L. Stine story, Peterson plays a witch who's the only hope for a couple of kids trying to rid their hometown of the returned Pumpkinhead curse.
Where to watch:Tubi
'V/H/S/Mixtape' (Oct. 9)
The popular "V/H/S" found-footage horror anthology franchise returns for a ninth installment, this time with scary stories all centered around themes of music and sound. Musicians RZA and Flying Lotus direct two of the segments, and the movie also features metal rock band GWAR and murderous puppets from the Jim Henson Creature Shop.
Where to watch: Shudder
'Clown Panic' (Oct. 12)
What's more terrifying than a "killer clown"? Real life, obviously. In the true-crime documentary, a bunch of South Carolina kids in 2016 report seeing strange clowns in the woods. No one believes them, but when weird dudes in face paint start showing up and threatening children, chaos spreads on social media and around the country.
Where to watch:Hulu
'Devour' (Oct. 13)
The gore-filled horror comedy centers on an all-female metal band – who are also vampires! – when they get trapped by a dark wizard after playing a remote gig in a small town. The blood-sucking rockers wind up facing all sorts of trouble, including local cannibals, a minotaur and a pesky werewolf.
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Where to watch: In theaters, Apple TV and Fandango at Home
'Breeder' (Oct. 16)
Daniel Doheny stars as a college student needing funding for a research project. He gets lured by an eccentric poodle breeder (Dot-Marie Jones) to her ranch, is introduced to her daughters, and then finds out he's been recruited as a stud for her human-breeding machinations.
Where to watch: In theaters
'Crawlers' (Oct. 16)
Hardcore arachnophobes might want to avoid this one. An infestation of deadly and venomous spiders results in an apartment building being quarantined by police. The building manager (Matilda Lutz) and other residents have to avoid being attacked by multiplying creepy crawlies while also dealing with a potential gassing by the authorities.
Where to watch: In theaters
'The Devils' (Oct. 16)
Ken Russell's restored and re-released 1971 historical horror drama is filled with plenty of blood and gore, disturbing visuals, a dark sense of humor and so, so much blasphemy. The controversial film stars Oliver Reed as a charismatic priest whose sexual fervor creates enemies and Vanessa Redgrave as the hunchbacked nun lusting after him.
Where to watch: In theaters
'Hallowarrior' (Oct. 16)
In the post-apocalyptic tale, Pumpkin (Milly Shapiro) survives a deadly epidemic and believes she's "the last girl on Earth." On Halloween, though, she has to defend her house from the sudden attack of the vicious Thalia (Shannyn Sossamon) and her pack of sinister scavengers.
Where to watch: Shudder
'You Can’t Leave' (Oct. 16)
In this new take on a familiar trope, James (Spencer Boldman) rounds up some friends to go looking for his missing sister. He tracks her to a remote forest with an eerie cabin in the woods, and the group quickly discovers that an ancient evil pervades the place and has trapped them there.
Where to watch: In theaters
'Clayface' (Oct. 23)
James Gunn's rebooted DC superhero universe takes a horrific turn in this psychological thriller based on the classic Batman villain. When his moneymaker gets brutally disfigured, rising movie star Matt Hagen (Tom Rhys Harries) signs up for an experimental treatment − but instead of fixing his face, his body becomes malleable clay.
Where to watch: In theaters
'The Cycle' (Oct. 23)
if Stephen King gives a thumbs up on a horror flick, that's all you . Deborah Ann Woll plays a forensic specialist called in when the body of her estranged father, whom she hasn't seen in decades, turns up at a crime scene. She signs on to help with the case, which involves her dad's dark past and a vicious creature.
Where to watch:Shudder
'Christmas at the Kringles' (Oct. 30)
It's never too early to celebrate the holidays, even in a horror comedy. Ron Livingston plays a suburban father who lives next to an odd couple all about Christmas year-round. When his son begins to hang around them, and the yuletide couple shows a violently peculiar side, the dad partners with a rogue Santa (Rob Riggle) to save the day.
Where to watch: In theaters
This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: New scary movies to see this October, from 'Other Mommy' to 'Clayface'
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