The spooky season is nearly upon us, but that doesn’t mean the horror movie binges can’t happen early.
October is reserved as the great horror movie month, but plenty of streamers are getting ahead of the game and adding scary stories to their libraries a month early. And if they’re already there, why not just start watching your favorites – both new and old – a bit early? From classics like “Carrie” to new wonders like “Backrooms,” there are plenty already up to start Halloween just a bit early.
Here are five horror movies to stream in September.
Carrie
This Stephen King story has been done over and over again – but nothing has topped the original. For those looking for a lighter touch with sci-fi elements, “Carrie” follows a girl who develops telekinetic abilities at the same time she begins going through puberty. With an overbearing, religious mother at home and a group of mean-girl bullies at school, Carrie becomes a ticking time bomb as she is pushed further toward unleashing her new powers on the people who torment her. A new iteration of “Carrie” is coming in October, so now is the perfect time to return to the original.
Backrooms
“Backrooms” was one of the big horror hits of the summer, and it’s finally streaming. The film was helmed by 20-year-old Kane Parsons and expanded on his popular YouTube series exploring the lore and concepts of the titular backrooms – a place apart from reality where things and people get trapped and slowly distorted. The movie is light on plot and heavy on vibes and those vibes are unsettling. If you want a constant pit in your stomach throughout a runtime, try “Backrooms.”
The Silence of the Lambs
“The Silence of the Lambs” has sat in the hearts of horror fans for years and with good reason, as the terrifying Hannibal Lecter was brought to the screen. The film stars Anthony Hopkins and Jodie Foster as they play their own mental cat-and-mouse game while hunting Buffalo Bill. Another that isn’t your traditional “horror” film but every scene with Hannibal is a tense thrill and the case remains a nightmare as it unfolds.
Seven
“Se7en” is a gut-roiling hunt for a killer who is using the Seven Deadly Sins as a killing motif. Brad Pitt and Morgan Freeman star on the hunt for John Doe and take us through a film that keeps you guessing at each turn of the propulsive plot – right up until that shocking and iconic “what’s in the box?!” scene. If you want your horror to be rooted in terrifying reality rather than with things that go bump in the night, then this serial killer cat-and-mouse film from David Fincher is your pick.
Smile 2
“Smile 2” – and the new franchise as a whole – has been a pleasant and creepy surprise to the genre. The sequel far outstrips the original as it explores fame and addiction as a rising global pop star is the latest to be infected by the terrifying and demonic Smile curse. Naomi Scott is astounding in the lead as she fights for her life as the curse continues to feed on her trauma. If you want an elevated take on your classic slasher film, “Smile 2” will leave you… well… smiling, for better or worse.
