10 Horror Movies Coming Out This Fall That Are Perfect for Halloween

Many people out there might be sad to see summer come to an end and the weather drop as fall sets in. For others, however, it is a different story. Horror fans around the world tend to rejoice as we enter the Halloween season and what is typically the busiest time of year for horror movie releases, and 2025 looks to be no different.

From new additions to classic franchises to insanely unique and quirky offerings, put out your jack-o’-lanterns, grab your candy, and check out the 10 best horror movies set to be released this fall.

‘Him’

September 19

Produced by Jordan Peele’s Monkeypaw Productions, Him is one of the more intriguing entries on this list. Sitting in the niche subgenre of “sports-horror,” it’s about a young up-and-coming football player who is invited to train at the isolated compound of a legendary, aging quarterback. It soon becomes apparent that these are no ordinary training sessions, and all hell breaks loose as things descend into blood-soaked chaos.

‘Him’ Is produced by Jordan Peele’s Monkeypaw Productions

If the trailer is anything to go by, this film is going to be utterly bonkers. Leaning heavily into psychological horror, there are also hints of sci-fi elements and perhaps even a supernatural undercurrent, with the lines between what’s real and what’s not becoming blurred as the dedicated sportsman is taken on a blood-chilling journey into the inner sanctum of fame, desire, power, and pursuit of excellence at all costs. Him is scheduled to be released in theaters on September 19, 2025.

‘The Strangers: Chapter 2’

September 26

Despite mixed reviews, 2008’s home invasion movie The Strangers was a huge surprise hit, spawning two sequels: 2018’s The Strangers: Prey at Night and The Strangers: Chapter 1. September 26 will see the release of The Strangers: Chapter 2, which promises more psychological terror as it picks up directly after the events of Chapter 1, with the sole survivor of the home invasion waking up in the hospital only to discover his masked assailants are still at large and more deadly than ever.

‘The Strangers: Chapter 2’ is the second entry in a planned trilogy.

Following its Hollywood premiere on September 16 and its world premiere at Fantastic Fest on September 20, The Strangers: Chapter 2 is scheduled for general release on September 26, marking the second entry in the planned trilogy, which started with Chapter 1.

‘Good Boy’

October 3

Good Boy is a haunted house horror presented from the perspective of a dog, played by director Ben Leonberg’s real-life pet canine. Employing a distinct visual approach, often framing scenes from the dog’s eye level to emphasize its perspective, Good Boy is set to be a truly unique visual experience.

‘Good Boy’ Offers a Unique Viewing Experience

Not to be confused with the 2025 Jon Komassa movie of the same name starring Stephen Graham, Good Boy premiered earlier this year at SXSW, where it was met with overwhelmingly positive feedback from critics who praised its originality, emotional depth, and genuine scares, landing it a near-perfect score of 95% on Rotten Tomatoes.

‘Bone Lake’

October 3

This indie gem, set for general release on October 3, premiered at last year’s Fantastic Fest, where it wowed critics with its unique take on the erotic thriller genre. Scoring an impressive 95% on Rotten Tomatoes, it follows two couples who are forced to share a secluded lakeside estate, leading to sex, lies, manipulation, and a bloody battle for survival.

A Dark and Terrifying Erotic Thriller

Following the acquisition of the U.S. distribution rights by Bleecker Street, Bone Lake will finally be getting a theatrical release on October 3. Expect plenty of mystery, intrigue, and blood-soaked mayhem from this supercharged game of survival.

‘V/H/S Halloween’

October 3

Following the surprise success of 2012’s found footage horror V/H/S, the franchise has grown to include a grand total of eight main movies and a further two spin-offs. Mostly an anthology film series, its success lies in the visceral way it taps into voyeuristic fear, and Halloween is set to be no different.

Coming Exclusively to Shudder

Produced by Bloody Disgusting and coming exclusively to Shudder, V/H/S Halloween will consist of six short found-footage horror films, with each being directed by someone different, including contributions from Bryan M. Ferguson, best known for his music videos for artists such as Garbage, Alice Glass, and Ladytron, and REC co-creator Paco Plaza.

‘Vicious’

October 10

While details on Vicious are somewhat scarce at the moment, we do know it will star Dakota Fanning as Polly, a woman who receives a mysterious box from an unexpected late-night visitor. With the box is the instruction: place three things inside—something you need, something you hate, and something you love. What seems like a simple task descends into a living nightmare.

‘Vicious’ Stars Dakota Fanning

Directed by Bryan Bertino, best known for his work on The Strangers, Vicious is expected to blend elements of psychological and supernatural horror to create a mind-bending experience that explores the consequences of seemingly simple choices.

‘Frankenstein’

October 17

Perhaps the most anticipated movie on this list, Guillermo del Toro’s take on Mary Shelley’s gothic science fiction horror story has already been making waves after premiering at the Venice International Film Festival and winning the Fanheart3 Award – Graffetta d’Oro for Best Film.

25 Years in the Making

Guillermo del Toro has been wanting to tackle the story of Frankenstein for over 25 years but hasn’t felt confident enough as a filmmaker to do so. Finally, the stars have aligned, and after multiple Oscar wins and establishing himself as one of the greatest directors of his generation, horror fans can rejoice as his version of Frankenstein will be hitting theaters on October 17.

‘The Black Phone 2’

October 17

The original supernatural thriller The Black Phone took the world by storm back in 2021, with Ethan Hawke delivering one of the finest performances of his career as a terrifyingly theatrical yet disturbingly real masked serial killer who abducts and murders young children. Outside of Hawke’s performance, the movie was praised for its bleak tone and brooding, eerie atmosphere, and it grossed over $160 million at the box office on a modest budget of around just $16 million.

Ethan Hawke Will Be Reprising His Role as The Grabber

Taking place four years after the events of the original, the sequel will see Hawke reprising his role as The Grabber, with the inspiration behind the screenplay reported as being based on the “iconic imagery” of the Grabber’s masks.

‘Dream Eater’

October 24

While it might be easy to write Dream Eater off as just one of the dozens of micro-budget horror flicks that come and swiftly disappear every year, amongst the horror community there is a real sense of excitement surrounding its release. Much of the hype stems from the involvement of horror icon Eli Roth, whose The Horror Section will be producing and distributing the movie, as well as it winning Best Feature at the H.P. Lovecraft Film Festival.

‘Dream Eater’ Scared the Wits Out of Horror Connoisseur Eli Roth

Presented through found footage, the story follows Mallory, a documentary filmmaker, who heads to a remote cabin in the mountains with her boyfriend to document his violent parasomnia. Things go from bad to worse, however, and Mallory begins to suspect that supernatural forces are at play. If Roth’s experience of watching the movie is anything to go by, expect one of the scariest movies in recent history. “It has been so long since I have been truly terrified by a film to such a degree that I had almost forgotten what it felt like.”

‘Queens of the Dead’

October 24

This fall we’re expecting to see some genuinely terrifying movies, so it’s refreshing to see that Tina Romero will be mixing in some humor with her latest feature, Queens of the Dead. The zom-com focuses on an eclectic mix of young adults as they find themselves fighting for survival when a zombie apocalypse breaks out on the night of a giant warehouse party.

The daughter of the godfather of zombie horror, George A. Romero, it seems like Tina will be following the blueprint her father created, while giving it her own unique twist by throwing in a healthy dose of pitch-black humor. Queens of the Dead is scheduled for a limited theatrical release on October 24, one week before Halloween.