October 2020 VOD & Digital Releases Include HAPPY HALLOWEEN, SCOOBY-DOO!, SCARE ME, SPONTANEOUS, 12 HOUR SHIFT

It’s finally here! October officially arrives tomorrow, and while I know that we’re all bummed that this year’s Halloween season is going to be very different than usual, we will at least have a ton of genre films heading to VOD and Digital platforms throughout the month to keep you in the spirit as you celebrate the spooky season at home.

Honestly, this is easily the biggest month of digital releases I’ve ever seen in my years of doing this column, which means there is definitely going to be something for everyone to enjoy during the Halloween season. Between all the amazing spooky offerings at Shudder and Netflix this October, plus the rest of the titles that are headed to a variety of other digital outlets, there will still be plenty of Halloween-themed entertainment to enjoy even if we can’t head out to enjoy all the usual tricks and treats of the season.

Happy streaming, boils and ghouls!

All-New Ghoul Log (Shudder) – Exclusively on Shudder October 1st

Halloween’s answer to the Christmas Yule Log, the Ghoul Log is: a 24/7 streaming jack-o’-lantern (available on demand as a Shudder TV feed ‘round the clock) that offers the perfect ambience for all your Halloween festivities. This year’s edition has been lovingly crafted by a fan-favorite filmmaker who knows a thing or two about the holiday. Visit Shudder October 1 for the big reveal…

Mass Hysteria (The Horror Collective) – October 1st

When a tourist dies on Halloween night, the crowd seeks justice by mounting a modern day witch hunt.

Scare Me (Shudder) – Exclusively on Shudder October 1st

During a power outage, two strangers tell scary stories. The more Fred and Fanny commit to their tales, the more the stories come to life in the dark of a Catskills cabin. The horrors of reality manifest when Fred confronts his ultimate fear: Fanny may be the better storyteller.

12 Hour Shift (Magnet Releasing) – October 2nd

It’s 1998 and over the course of one night at an Arkansas hospital, a junkie nurse, her scheming cousin and a group of black market organ-trading criminals get caught up in a heist gone wrong.

2067 (RLJE Films) – October 2nd

By the year 2067, Earth has been ravaged by climate change and humanity is forced to live on artificial oxygen. An illness caused by the synthetic O2 is killing the worlds’ population and the only hope for a cure comes in the form of a message from the future: “Send Ethan Whyte”. Ethan, an underground tunnel worker, is suddenly thrust into a terrifying new world full of unknown danger as he must fight to save the human race.

Daddy’s Girl (Cleopatra Entertainment) – October 2nd

A young woman held captive by her stepfather becomes the focus of a female vigilante.

Death of Me (Saban Films) – October 2nd

Vacationing on an island off the coast of Thailand, Christine (Maggie Q) and Neil Oliver (Luke Hemsworth) awake hungover and with no memory of the previous night. They find footage on Neil’s camera, and watch, horrified, as Neil appears to murder Christine. With twenty-four hours until the next ferry and a typhoon threatening the island, Christine and Neil attempt to reconstruct the night’s events—and are snared in a web of mystery, black magic, and murder.

Halloween Party (Red Hound Films) – October 2nd

HALLOWEEN PARTY follows a college student named Grace on a journey to find out who killed her best friend after the girls trigger a cheesy yet disturbing Halloween-themed computer meme.  With the help of a talented I.T. student named Spencer, the two soon discover that their old college has a terrible secret...

Let’s Scare Julie (Scream Factory) – October 2nd

When a group of teen girls sets out to scare their reclusive new neighbor, what seemed like a simple prank goes horribly wrong, and not all of them will make it home in Let’s Scare Julie, a white-knuckle thriller filmed in one uninterrupted, terrifying take.

Vampires vs. the Bronx (Netflix) – Exclusively on Netflix October 2nd

A group of young friends from the Bronx fight to save their neighborhood from a band of vampires.

The Expecting (Platinum Dunes/Dark Castle) – Exclusively on Quibi October 5th

When a down-on-her-luck waitress suffers disturbing effects from her pregnancy, she embarks on a dark journey to uncover the potential conspiracy surrounding it.

The Curse of Audrey Earnshaw (Epic Pictures) – October 6th

Set against the autumnal palette of harvest season in 1973, THE CURSE OF AUDREY EARNSHAW explores the disturbed bond between Audrey, an enigmatic young woman, and Agatha, her domineering ‘mother’, who live secretly as occultists on the outskirts of a remote Protestant village. As the community is besieged by a pestilence of unknown origin: children, fields, and livestock begin to die — yet the Earnshaw farm remains strangely unaffected. As mass hysteria sets in the village, the townsfolk commence accusations against Audrey and Agatha of witchcraft. 

Dead (1091 Media) – October 6th

Marbles, a hapless stoner, can see ghosts. Tagg, a recently dead wannabe super-cop, needs to find a serial killer. Can a critical ghost cop and a directionless stoner get over their prejudices and work together to save lives… and deaths?

The Devil to Pay (Uncork’d Entertainment) – October 6th

After the disappearance of her husband, Lemon, a struggling farmer in an isolated Appalachian community, must repay her husband’s debt to the oldest family on the mountain and their murderous biscuit-making matriarch in order to save her young son’s life. Armed with only her wits and tenacity, Lemon must unravel the mysteries her husband left behind or lose everything she’s ever loved.

Happy Halloween, Scooby-Doo! (Warner Bros. Home Entertainment) – October 6th

Scooby-Doo and the gang team up with their pals, Bill Nye The Science Guy and Elvira Mistress of the Dark, to solve this mystery of gigantic proportions and save Crystal Cove!

Save Yourselves! (Bleecker Street) – October 6th

Jack (John Reynolds) and Su (Sunita Mani) are a hip Brooklyn couple who, like many of their friends, find themselves dependent on technology and unable to put down their phones. Fearing their mindless scrolling may impact their connection with each other, they seize the chance to head to an isolated cabin in the woods, vowing to unplug from the outside world for a week. Sheltered from texts and push notifications, they are blissfully unaware that the planet is under attack. As strange events unfold, the couple must figure out a way back to civilization—or what’s left of it.

Spontaneous (Paramount Pictures) – October 6th

When students in their high school begin inexplicably exploding (literally…), seniors Mara (Katherine Langford) and Dylan (Charlie Plummer) struggle to survive in a world where each moment may be their last. As an unexpected romance blossoms between them, Mara and Dylan discover that when tomorrow is no longer promised, they can finally start living for today.

Welcome to the Blumhouse: Black Box (Amazon Studios) – Exclusively on Amazon October 6th

After losing his wife and his memory in a car accident, a single father undergoes an agonizing experimental treatment that causes him to question who he really is.

Welcome to the Blumhouse: The Lie (Amazon Studios) – Exclusively on Amazon October 6th

When their teenaged daughter confesses to impulsively killing her best friend, two desperate parents attempt to cover up the horrific crime, leading them into a complicated web of lies and deception.

Yummy (RLJE Films/Shudder) – October 6th

In YUMMY, while waiting for his girlfriend to come out of surgery, Michael stumbles upon a terrified young woman, gagged and strapped to an operating table; she is the result of an experimental rejuvenation treatment. Offering to help her escape, he removes her restraints but soon realizes he’s just unleashed a virus that will turn the entire hospital into bloodthirsty zombies….

Hubie Halloween (Netflix) – Exclusively on Netflix October 7th

Hubie Dubois (Adam Sandler) thanklessly spends every Halloween making sure the residents of his hometown, Salem, celebrate safely and play by the rules. But this year, an escaped criminal and a mysterious new neighbor have Hubie on high alert. When people start disappearing, it’s up to Hubie to convince the police (Kevin James, Kenan Thompson) and townsfolk that the monsters are real, and only he can stop them.

The Cleansing Hour (Shudder) – Exclusively on Shudder October 8th

Max and Drew are millennial entrepreneurs who’ve made themselves famous with a webcast they created called “The Cleansing Hour,” which streams live exorcisms. The catch? Each ceremony is elaborately staged to look real in order to dupe their global audience—until today, when today’s subject, Drew’s fiancé, actually turns out to be possessed.

The Haunting of Bly Manor (Netflix) – Exclusively on Netflix October 9th

From the producers of The Haunting of Hill House comes a new ghost story. The Haunting of Bly Manor arrives October 9th, only on Netflix. The Haunting of Bly Manor stars Victoria Pedretti, Henry Thomas, Oliver Jackson-Cohen, Kate Siegel, T'Nia Miller, Rahul Kohli, Benjamin Evan Ainsworth, Amelie Smith and Amelia Eve.

The Wolf of Snow Hollow (Orion Classics) – October 9th

The Wolf of Snow Hollow follows a small-town sheriff, struggling with a failed marriage, a rebellious daughter, and a lackluster department, is tasked with solving a series of brutal murders that are occurring on the full moon. As he's consumed by the hunt for the killer, he struggles to remind himself that there's no such thing as werewolves…

Monster Force Zero (Wild Eye Releasing) – October 13th

After their comic book dreams are crushed, a group of sci-fi cosplayers are granted superpowers and are transported into the multiverse to do real battle with evil alien forces bent on earth's destruction.

The Special (Red Hound Films) – October 13th

Suspecting his wife of infidelity, Jerry retaliates at the urging of his best friend who takes him to a mysterious brothel for “The Special."  But everything has a price, and Jerry’s night of pleasure sets off a dark chain of events as he spirals into obsession - because once you’ve had “The Special” you can’t go back to the ordinary.

Welcome to the Blumhouse: Evil Eye (Amazon Studios) – Exclusively on Amazon October 13th

A seemingly perfect romance turns into a nightmare when a mother becomes convinced her daughter’s new boyfriend has a dark connection to her own past.

Welcome to the Blumhouse: Nocturne (Amazon Studios) – Exclusively on Amazon October 13th

Inside the halls of an elite arts academy, a timid music student begins to outshine her more accomplished and outgoing twin sister when she discovers a mysterious notebook belonging to a recently deceased classmate.

A Babysitter’s Guide to Monster Hunting (Netflix) – Exclusively on Netflix October 15th

When high school freshman Kelly Ferguson (Tamara Smart) reluctantly agrees to babysit Jacob Zellman (Ian Ho) on Halloween, the last thing she expects is to be recruited into an international secret society of babysitters who protect kids with special powers from monsters. In order to keep Jacob safe from harm, Kelly teams with no-nonsense chapter Vice President Liz Lerue (Oona Laurence), tech genius Berna Vincent (Troy Leigh-Anne Johnson), creature expert Cassie Zhen (Lynn Masako Cheng) and potions master Curtis Critter (Ty Consiglio) to defeat a Boogeyman known as "The Grand Guignol" (Tom Felton), a glamorous witch named "Peggy Drood" (Indya Moore) and their legion of mysterious monsters.

Bullets for Justice (The Horror Collective) – October 15th

Man faces off against mutant pigs in the post-apocalyptic aftermath of World War 3.

The Mortuary Collection (Shudder) – Exclusively on Shudder October 15th

A young drifter applies for a job at the local mortuary and meets an eccentric mortician who chronicles the strange history of the town through a series of twisted tales, each more terrifying than the last.

Don’t Look Back (Gravitas Ventures) – October 16th

Caitlin Kramer, a woman overcoming a tragic past, is among several people who see a man being fatally assaulted. When the witnesses start dying mysteriously, she must unearth if they’re being targeted by a killer or something far more insidious.

Monochrome: The Chromism (Tempest Studios) – October 16th

MONOCHROME: THE CHROMISM, follows Isaac Ward, the first person to turn “hue” in this black and white world. After being shot in a downtown crossfire, he is found bleeding “red”. As Isaac’s body also begins to streak with color, other outbreaks develop across the globe. Isaac now struggles to survive while society tears itself apart to try to capture and comprehend these new unexplainable “hues”. Leaving countries at odds, at war and Isaac determined to find answers.

Chop Chop (Gravitas Ventures) – October 20th

An ordinary pizza delivery leads to a night of chaos when a murderous psychopath targets a young couple who might be harboring a secret of their own. 

Scare Package (RLJE Films/Shudder) – October 20th

Chad Buckley is a lonely Horror aficionado, spending his days overseeing a struggling video store and arguing with his only customer, Sam. When an unsuspecting job applicant arrives, Chad sets out to teach him the rules of Horror.

Rebecca (Netflix) – Exclusively on Netflix October 21st

A young newlywed arrives at her husband’s imposing family estate on a windswept English coast and finds herself battling the shadow of his first wife Rebecca, whose legacy lives on in the house long after her death.

32 Malasana Street (Shudder) – Exclusively on Shudder October 22nd

It’s 1976. The Olmedo family has left the countryside for a new life in Madrid. But their new home becomes a house of horrors in this hit supernatural thriller based on actual paranormal events. 

Joe Bob’s Halloween Hideaway (Shudder) – Exclusively on Shudder October 23rd at 9 pm EST

Horror host and drive-in movie expert Joe Bob has left the trailer park behind in favor of a more remote retreat, but he’s still ready to serve up a double feature of films hand-picked for your Halloween enjoyment. Premieres live on the ShudderTV feed Friday, October 23, and will be made available on demand on Monday, October 26.

The Creepshow Halloween Special (Shudder) – Exclusively on Shudder October 26th

Though Greg Nicotero and his team are hard at work shooting season 2 (coming in 2021), they’ve crafted a fully animated Creepshow special for us just in time for Halloween, featuring two tales to die for: “Survivor Type,” based on the short story by Stephen King and adapted by Nicotero, stars Kiefer Sutherland (24, Designated Survivor) as a man determined to stay alive alone on a deserted island no matter what the cost. “Twittering from the Circus of the Dead,” based on the short story by Joe Hill and adapted by Melanie Dale, stars Joey King (The Kissing Booth, The Act) as a teen whose family road trip includes a visit to the gravest show on earth. 

The Craft: Legacy (Blumhouse/Columbia Pictures) – October 28th

Zoe Lister-Jones’ film, from Blumhouse and Red Wagon Entertainment for Columbia Pictures, is a continuation of the cult hit The Craft (1996), in which an eclectic foursome of aspiring teenage witches get more than they bargained for as they lean into their newfound powers.

May the Devil Take You Too (Shudder) – Exclusively on Shudder October 29th

Timo Tjahjanto has made a name for himself as one of the world’s most exciting horror directors, with standout segments in anthology films The ABCs of Death and V/H/S/ 2, and features like supernatural thrill ride May the Devil Take You and action extravaganza The Night Comes for Us. Now Tjahjanto returns with a sequel to his unforgettable 2018 hit. Two years after escaping from demonic terror, a young woman is still haunted by unnatural visions. The dangers that await her and her friends grow as a figure of darkness rises, threatening to take their lives.

His House (Netflix) – Exclusively on Netflix October 30th

After making a harrowing escape from war-torn South Sudan, a young refugee couple struggle to adjust to their new life in a small English town that has an unspeakable evil lurking beneath the surface.

The True Adventures of Wolfboy (Vertical Entertainment) – October 30th

Paul lives an isolated life with his father in upstate New York. He finds making friends impossible due to a rare condition he has known as congenital hypertrichosis - an affliction that causes an abnormal amount of hair growth all over his face and body. On his 13th birthday, Paul receives a mysterious gift that compels him to run away and seek out the mother he has never known.