The best month has finally arrived—October! Not only is it my birthday month (I’ll gladly accept Kit Kat bars and tacos, cough cough), but it’s also officially Halloween season! It’s that magical time of year when we horror fans truly come alive—though, let’s be honest, we thrive all year round. So dust off your Halloween décor, light your favorite pumpkin-scented candle, and get ready to dive into some of my favorite Halloween deep cuts that absolutely deserve a watch.

The Barn (dir. Justin M. Seaman)

Where You Can Watch: Tubi, Amazon Prime, and Fandango at Home

The Barn is a love letter to my favorite decade of horror: the 80s! I’m talking about grainy visuals, blood, guts, the works! Set on Halloween, two friends accidentally unleash three demonic harvest ghouls—The Boogeyman, Hallowed Jack, and The Candycorn Scarecrow—after disturbing an old barn that has been sealed for a reason. What was supposed to be a night of fun and rebellion turns into a gloriously gory romp filled with over-the-top kills and nostalgic charm. If you end up enjoying this, check out the sequel, The Barn Part 2. 

Dark Night of The Scarecrow (dir. Frank De Felitta)

Where You Can Watch: Tubi, Pluto TV, and Fandango at Home

Ooh baby! This is one of my favorite yearly watches, and I couldn’t wait to include it in my list. Dark Night of the Scarecrow is a haunting made-for-TV gem that’ll give you chills. Set in a quiet rural town, the story follows Bubba Ritter, a kind-hearted man with an intellectual disability who is falsely accused of harming a little girl. When a mob made up of townspeople decides to take justice into their own hands, they think that they have it handled. But when a scarecrow mysteriously appears in the fields, the real reckoning begins. 

Hack-O-Lantern (dir. Jag Mundhra)

Where You Can Watch: Tubi

This gem follows a small town family cursed by a pumpkin-worshipping cult led by their evil grandfather (played by Hy Pyke), who is grooming his grandson to carry on his dark legacy. What unfolds is a wild fusion of mayhem, satanic panic, and a random music video that takes place in the middle of the film. A fever dream of pumpkins, pentagrams, and pure ’80s excess, Hack-O-Lantern is essential viewing for anyone who loves their horror, fun, and unhinged.

Trigger Warning: The film includes a scene of sexual assault.

Candy Corn (dir. Josh Hasty)

Where You Can Watch: Tubi, Amazon Prime, PLEX, Pluto TV

If you ask me, Candy Corn doesn’t get enough love! This revenge slasher pays homage to the gritty horror of the late 70s and early 80s, oozing with vintage Halloween vibes from start to finish. A group of small-town bullies torments and ultimately kills a local carnival worker. But when he’s resurrected for revenge, their sleepy town becomes a bloody nightmare. With horror icons like Tony Todd, P.J. Soles, and Courtney Gaines gracing our screens, Candy Corn feels like a forgotten VHS unearthed from the past. 

HauntedWeen (dir. Doug Robertson)

Where You Can Watch: Tubi and Fandango at Home

A college fraternity desperately trying to raise money decides to throw a fundraiser party. In the midst of the festivities, a mysterious figure arrives and offers them the key to the old abandoned Burber house, suggesting they turn it into a haunted house. Seizing the opportunity, the frat quickly set up the property, but little do they know, Eddie Burber has returned home and intends to have some fun with the group- setting up his own “Kill Room”.  What starts as a fun, spooky fundraiser quickly turns into a chaotic night of terror, making it a great deep cut slasher for the Halloween season. 

Cemetery of Terror (dir. Rubén Galindo Jr.)

Where You Can Watch: VOD

Cemetery of Terror aka Cementerio del Terror is a wild, supernatural slasher. When a group of med students decides to steal a corpse for a Halloween prank, they accidentally resurrect a satanic serial killer and an army of zombies! From start to finish, director Rubén Galindo Jr. delivers one helluva horror film that is non-stop mayhem. If you’re looking for a fun triple feature, I say pair this with The Return of the Living Dead (1985) and Night of the Demons (1988).

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