It’s Halloween!
Director: John Lee Hancock
Writer: John Lee Hancock
Cast: Donald Sutherland, Jaeden Martell, Kirby Howell-Baptiste, Joe Tippett, Cyrus Arnold, Carl Zohan
When it’s available: October 5
Mr. Harrigan’s Phone is based on Stephen King’s novel of the same name and follows the unexpected friendship between an impoverished adolescent (Jaeden Martell) and an elderly tycoon (Donald Sutherland). When Mr. Harrigan’s vision begins to fail him, he hires the young Craig to read him books three times a week. The agreement lasts years, during which the millionaire teaches the child to be merciless with his enemies, and the teenager, in turn, teaches the elderly man about the wonders of smartphone technology. When Mr. Harrigan dies, what should have been a normal coming-of-age story takes a terrible turn. Craig, on the other hand, remains connected to his old friend via their smartphones, which now appear to be capable of communicating between the living world and what lies behind the veil. Mr. Harrigan promises to be another horrific tale from the master of horror, and Netflix already has a few popular King adaptations in their original collection, like Gerald’s Game and 1922.
Director: Jeff Wadlow
Writer: Todd Berger, Robert Rugan
Cast: Marlon Wayans, Priah Ferguson, Rob Riggle, John Michael Higgins, Nia Vardalos, Lauren Lapkus, Holly J. Barrett, Helen Slayton-Hughes, Kelly Rowland
When it’s available: October 14
People looking to enjoy Halloween spirit but unwilling to get scared will be well-served with The Curse of Bridge Hollow. The movie follows a skeptical science teacher (Marlon Wayans) whose world turns upside down once his daughter (Priah Ferguson) accidentally summons evil spirits on All Hallow’s Eve. The spirits possess Halloween decorations and bring chaos into town, leading the father and daughter to join forces and find a way to get rid of the evil that now haunts their lives. While The Curse of Bridge Hollow is a horror movie, it leans heavily into comedy, making it the perfect Halloween release to watch with your scaredy cat family members.
Director: Paul Feig
Writer: David Magee
Cast: Sophia Anne Caruso, Sofia Wylie, Laurence Fishburne, Michelle Yeoh, Jamie Flatters, Kit Young, Peter Serafinowicz, Kerry Washington, Charlize Theron
When it’s available: October 19
The School for Good and Evil, based on Soman Chainani’s renowned book series, is another Netflix original for the whole family. The story is set in the titular institution, where fairy tales are created and young humans are groomed to be either heroes or villains in the stories we tell our children. Unfortunately for Sophie (Sophia Anne Caruso) and Agatha (Sofia Wylie), they will be compelled to enrol on opposing sides of the school, with one destined to become a heroine and the other a villain. With a star-studded cast and a mega-budget,, The School for Good and Evil is one of the biggest Netflix releases for October. And should the movie prove successful, the streaming giant has five other books by Chainani they can adapt.
Director: Margaret Brown
When it’s available: October 21
Developed by Barack Obama and Michelle Obama’s production company, Higher Ground, Descendent is a documentary that has nothing to do with Halloween. It is, nevertheless, filled with terrors. Following the members of Africatown, a small community in Alabama, Descendent explores the personal stories of descendants of the Clotilda, the last known slave ship to come to America. The documentary dives into the painful history of slavery in the United States while discussing how heritage is a powerful tool to shape people’s lives.