Pictured: All of Us Are Dead, Midnight Mass, The Sandman, The Haunting of Hill House, and Stranger Things
It’s October, and that means spooky season is officially upon us. From ghosts to zombies, there are plenty of shows on Netflix to get your horror fix this Halloween. So sit down with your pumpkin spice latte and enjoy one or more of these spooky Netflix Originals!
Netflix is one of the best places to binge horror and supernatural shows on Halloween. From classic paranormal shows like Stranger Things, to the beloved ‘Flanaverse’, to the more fantastical horror elements of The Sandman — there’s something for everyone. If you’re looking for something to binge, look no further. Behold our list of the best spooky Netflix Originals to watch this Halloween!
The Fall of the House of Usher
Picture: The Fall Of The House Usher – Intrepid Pictures
Mike Flanagan’s The Fall of the House of Usher is a gothic horror series. Based on the works of legendary horror writer Edgar Allan Poe, the series is perfect for anyone looking to indulge in a chilling and unique whodunnit story.
The series follows couple Roderick and Madeline Usher, who have built their business Fortunato Pharmaceuticals into a superpower of wealth. However, when heirs to the Usher dynasty begin to mysteriously die, old secrets are unveiled.
The 8-episode miniseries dropped on Netflix in October 2023. If you missed it on last year’s Halloween, you’ve got no excuses this time around.
Dead Boy Detectives
DEAD BOY DETECTIVES. (L to R) George Rexstrew as Edwin Payne and Jayden Revri as Charles Rowland in episode 1 of DEAD BOY DETECTIVES. Cr. David Bukach/Netflix © 2023
Netflix’s Sandman spinoff Dead Boy Detectives may have suffered a cruel fate due to premature cancellation, but the 8-episode series remains a fantastic standalone series. The supernatural series was well received by critics and casual viewers; look no further than our hugely positive review. Sadly, the lackluster numbers weren’t quite enough to merit another installment.
That said, Dead Boy Detectives is a perfect binge for those of you out there who love silly, irreverent shows. It follows the deceased duo Edwin (George Rexstrew) and Charles (Jayden Revri), who decide against entering the afterlife and instead remain in the mortal world, investigating various paranormal mysteries.
The show already has a devoted and passionate fandom. Don’t let the cancellation put you off this brilliant series.
The Haunting of Hill House
Picture: The Haunting of Hill House – Intrepid Pictures
We’re again turning to Mike Flanagan, but this time for The Haunting of Hill House. If you’re looking for a horror series on Netflix, it doesn’t get much better than this. The 10-episode series is one of the best-rated horror shows on Netflix, currently at an impressive 8.5/10 on IMDb.
The series—which jumps from the past to the present—follows the fractured Crain family, haunted by fragmented memories of their old house and the harrowing events that drove them away.
If you still can’t get enough of Flanagan’s projects after The Fall of the House of Usher and The Hunting of Hill House, he has several other horror projects on the streamer. You can also check out The Haunting of Bly Manor, an anthology sequel series that is equally fantastic.
All of Us Are Dead
Picture: All of Us Are Dead – Film Monster Co
We can’t have a Halloween watchlist without including some zombies. Netflix has a decent catalog of zombie stories: Black Summer, Resident Evil, Zombieverse, and the list goes on. For me, the standout zombie series is the Korean drama All of Us Are Dead.
The premise of All of Us Are Dead is very simple: there’s a zombie apocalypse, and a group of students must escape their school, which has become ground zero of the outbreak. The execution is terrific. It’s brutal unforgiving, and the zombies are utterly relentless.
Moreover, All of Us Are Dead has been renewed for another season. The new batch of episodes won’t begin filming until 2025, but it’s officially on the way. Now is the perfect time to watch season 1 and get ahead of the curve.
The Sandman
Picture: The Sandman – DC Comics
The Sandman isn’t a horror show in the traditional sense. Instead, its story encompasses many different genres, horror being one of them. The show follows Dream of the Endless (Tom Sturridge), the personification of dreams, as he goes about his duties as the ruler of the realm we visit when we fall asleep at night.
At the beginning of the series, Dream is imprisoned and held prisoner for decades. When he eventually escapes, his totems of power — his helm, ruby, and pouch of sand — are all stolen, and he must embark on a quest to reclaim them and rebuild his kingdom. When he’s on his quest, the horror elements really come into play. Particularly when he seeks to reclaim his ruby, which has fallen into the wrong hands. Episode 5, 24/7, is one of the finest hours of horror you’ll see on Netflix.
The Sandman season 2 has wrapped filming and is set to premiere in 2025.
Kingdom
Picture: Kingdom – AStory
Kingdom is a zombie series, but it’s so much more than that. Most zombie stories are set in the modern day, but Kingdom takes viewers to 17th-century Korea.
Based on The Kingdom of the Gods by Kim Eun-hee and Yang Kyung-il, Kingdom is a post-apocalyptic drama like no other. The historical setting allows for gorgeous sets and costumes, while the zombie aspect adds a unique twist. The story follows Lee Chang, the Crown Prince of Joseon, who investigates the king’s deathly illness—only for the kingdom to be swept into turmoil. Joseon must not only contend with those attempting to oppose him but also fight the plague that threatens the kingdom.
Kingdom ran for two seasons on Netflix, along with a feature-length story, Ashin of the North. If you want to watch something wholly unique this Halloween, this show is for you!
Cabinet of Curiosities
Picture: Cabinet of Curiosities – Double Dare You
If you find yourself pressed for time this Halloween and unable to commit to a multi-season arc, then Guillermo del Toro’s Cabinet of Curiosities is a great choice.
Cabinet of Curiosities is an anthology series, telling short one-shot horror tales. The 8-episode season is a mixed bag. Some of the best episodes include: Graveyard Rats, where a grave-robber becomes trapped underground and faces an attack by an army of rodents; and The Autopsy, where a sheriff investigates a dead body in the woods and uncovers the terrifying events that caused the death.
Guillermo del Toro has proven time and time again that he’s a master of horror, and Cabinet of Curiosities does not disappoint — well, apart from episode 4, The Outside, which is perhaps a bit too odd.
Stranger Things
Picture: Stranger Things – Upside Down Productions
I know, I know, we’ve all seen Stranger Things at this point. It’s one of the jewels in the crown of Netflix’s immense success over the years.
Whether you’re a newcomer or a seasoned visitor to the Upside Down, Stranger Things is the ultimate October binge. I mean, season 2 literally takes place during Halloween. Not to mention, Stranger Things cosplays have become some of the most ubiquitous Halloween costumes out there.
Stranger Things has aired 4 seasons, with the fifth and final on the way. From the demogorgon to the Mind Flayer to Vecna himself — there’s no better time to indulge in the Upside Down than Halloween season!
Locke & Key
Picture: Locke & Key – IDW Entertainment
Based on the comic written by Joe Hill (the son of Stephen King), Locke & Key combines all the creepiness of Stephen King’s work, with Stranger Things spin mixed in for good measure.
Locke & key is a super fun wild ride. The series centers around a group of kids after they move into the mysterious Keyhouse — a home that holds many mysteries, including a bunch of keys that unlock all sorts of strange things. The keys can make you become a ghost, teleport you anywhere, open up people’s brains, perform time travel, and more.
While Locke & Key doesn’t lean too much into horror territory, it’s totally family friendly, it has still got a spookiness about it. There’s ghosts, and naturally, a demonic villain out to get our protagonists. Locke & Key is a completed 3-season series, meaning no worrying about whether it’ll get renewed or not.
Midnight Mass
Picture: Midnight Mass – Intrepid Pictures
For those of you who are looking for something pretty intense, allow me to direct you towards Midnight Mass. Between this, The Haunting of Hill House, and so on, Mike Flanagan has built himself up as one of the finest horror writers in the industry.
Midnight Mass is extremely gruesome and disturbing; it’s not a show for the faint of heart. The show effortlessly blends elements of horror and religion, as a priest, Father Paul, arrives in a small and isolated Crockett Island. His arrival on the island coincides with increasingly miraculous events — revealing a potentially sinister force at work.
Midnight Mass is a chilling and psychological horror that continuously offers shock surprises and twists.
Have a great Halloween! Have you got a favorite Netflix Original to watch during spooky season? Let us know in the comments below!
Netflix Synopsis: "A high school becomes ground zero for a zombie virus outbreak. Trapped students must fight their way out -- or turn into one of the rabid infected."
