October marks the start of the “spooky season,” a time when pumpkins see their annual end before being thrown away, and people forget you can actually eat them. Traditions can often be idiosyncratic tropes, a sign that we are still deeply intertwined with our past. The annual ritual of scooping out a pumpkin’s internal makeup and carving a devil’s face into the outside is perhaps one of the strangest customs. A quick Google search will tell you that the Halloween pumpkin fetish is actually called “Jack-o-lanterns” and is designed to scare away “Jack’s wandering soul”… Afraid of pumpkins? Jack, whoever you are, you are a monumental dweeb.
As the date quickly approaches, production companies are starting to produce their annual Halloween horror, most of which are instantly forgotten as soon as the next big horror movie comes out. Naturally, Netflix is on the train as usual and has a list of original movies scheduled to hit the streaming platform in October 2022; these may be the best.
Mr. Harrigan’s phone
The formula horror usually starts with an attempt to lure you into a false sense of security, and Mr. Harrigan’s phone is no different. The horror film based on Stephen King’s story portrays the initially charming, sweet story of Craig, a young boy who befriends John Harrigan, a lonely elderly man (played by the great Donald Sutherland), who lives in solitude with a huge fortune. Craig helps him adapt to 21st century technology and gives John a phone; however, when John dies, the real horror kicks into action, as Craig finds himself communicating with John from six feet underground. Mr. Harrigan’s phone will be available on Netflix October 5.
Happiest girl in the world
Mila Kunis stars in this mystery thriller based on Jessica Knoll’s New York Times bestselling novel of the same name. The foundation has been laid for Happiest girl in the world to translate as spectacularly on screen as on paper. The mystery film presents the story of Ani FaNelli, a successful New York Times writer and editor, whose life is the perfect blend of emotional and financial stability, not to mention her razor-sharp tongue and an extremely wealthy fiancé. All is not as it seems, however, when her turbulent, deeply hidden past haunts her existence and threatens to derail her idyllic life. Happiest girl in the world will stream on Netflix from October 7.
The Curse of Bridge Hollow
The Curse of Bridge Hollow ties in well with October’s spooky theme and certainly promises to be a comedic horror that, judging by the synopsis and Marlon Wayans’ involvement, doesn’t take itself too seriously. When a young family moves out of town to the suburbs, the couple’s teenage daughter accidentally activates an ancient curse, bringing the town’s Halloween decorations to life. With a mix of pumpkins, ghostly mannequins and suspended plastic skeletons roaming free and ravaging the tranquil city, Sydney (Priah Ferguson) and her father must battle the decorations wreaking havoc to save the city. The Curse of Bridge Hollow begins streaming on Netflix on October 14.
The good nurse
The good nurse is poised to become a complex film and one of Netflix Original’s standout arrivals next month, with Academy Award nominee Eddie Redmayne and Academy Award winner Jessica Chastain side-by-side in this crime thriller. Directed by the writer behind the phenomenal Danish thriller The hunt, Tobias Lindholm, The good nurse tells the story of Amy Loughren (Chastain), who is left in disbelief when one of her friends and colleagues, Charlie Cullen (Redmayne), is found responsible for the murders of multiple patients over a 16-year period. The good nurse will stream on Netflix from October 16.
The school for good and evil
Starring some great A-list names (Charlize Theron, Laurence Fishburn, Kerry Washington, and Cate Blanchett), the teen fantasy film The school for good and evil (the film adaptation of Soman Chainani’s novel) tells the mystical story of an enchanted school, whose students are aspiring heroes and villains, in a Harry PotterHogwarts-esque setup. The school for good and evil will be available on Netflix from October 21.
Wendell & Wild
Directed by Henry Selick (of Coraline fame, and the man behind the stop-motion in The nightmare Before Christmas) and written by Selick and sovereign horror fantasy Jordan Peele, this stop-motion animation is sure to speed up those Halloween pulses leading up to the scariest day of the year. Wendell and Wild are two demon brothers (played by Peele and his longtime partner Keegan-Michael Key), who face their nemesis and get the help of Kat, a 13-year-old who helps them in their search for the Land of the Living. . Wendell & Wild will be available on Netflix from October 21.
No news from the western front
Like Halloween, we no doubt wish all of October away for good. A remake of the 1930s classic and the film adaptation of Erich Maria Remarque’s novel of the same name, this film tells the story of a 17-year-old’s WWI journey. From the initial excitement of being hoisted into the war, to the dawning realization of its horrors and the very real danger it poses to the lives of him and his comrade, Paul Baumer (Felix Kammerer) faces a very rough awakening.
No news from the western front offers a devastating insight into what it was like in the German trenches, and truly humanizes the people who have been largely seen as the “enemy” ever since. Edward Berger’s film will not only be a moving illustration of the life of German soldiers during WWI, but also invariably has the makings of one of the best films from an axis perspective. No news from the western front will be available on Netflix from October 28.