2024 James McAvoy remake<\/a>.<\/p>\nTwo families hit it off while on holiday in Italy. Months after, they agree to meet at one of the family\u2019s remote homes in the Netherlands. But it quickly becomes apparent their newfound friends have sinister ulterior motives.<\/p>\n
Verging on something between horror and thriller, this will suit anyone comfortable being uncomfortable but may leave those desperate for bloodshed wanting.<\/p>\n
Fear factor: Stranger danger will never feel so pertinent.<\/p>\n
The Monkey (Amazon Prime Video)<\/p>\n
This film is based on a 1980 short story by Stephen King \u2013 the king of horror novels \u2013 so you know it\u2019s going to be a little weird and a lot scary. Directed by Osgood Perkins (Longlegs), it follows twin brothers who find their father\u2019s old cymbal-banging monkey toy, only to suddenly become haunted by a string of violent deaths. They get rid of it, but years later find themselves crossing its path once again.<\/p>\n
The deaths in this film are too zany and outrageous to be taken seriously (one person is trampled by dozens of wild horses while in a sleeping bag), but the monkey\u2019s eerie smile and its symbolism for an absent father still send shivers up your spine.<\/p>\n
Fear factor: It\u2019ll put you off your dinner.<\/p>\n
Dangerous Animals (Binge)<\/p>\n
Australians arguably make the best creature features (think of Russell Mulcahy\u2019s Razorback). But Sean Byrne takes it one step further by blending shark thriller with serial killer horror.<\/p>\n
A shark-obsessed killer holds a surfer captive on his boat, planning to feed her to the predators below. It\u2019s genre-fusing at its finest, leaving viewers uncertain over whether to be more afraid of sharks or humankind.<\/p>\n
Fear factor: You won\u2019t feel safe on land or in water.<\/p>\n
Heart Eyes (Binge, Paramount+)<\/p>\n
Every Halloween streaming guide needs a slasher. A masked killer with, you called it, heart eyes murders innocent couples on Valentine\u2019s Day. However, one couple eventually decides it\u2019s time to end cupid\u2019s reign of terror by fighting back.<\/p>\n
It\u2019s no Scream or Nightmare on Elm Street, but it\u2019s just the right amount of silly and gory for a fun night with mates.<\/p>\n
Fear factor: Unrealistic enough to sleep soundly afterwards.<\/p>\n
VelociPastor (Amazon Prime Video)<\/p>\n
The IMDb synopsis says it all: \u201cAfter losing his parents, a priest travels to China, where he inherits a mysterious ability that allows him to turn into a dinosaur. At first horrified by this new power, a [sex worker] convinces him to use it to fight crime. And ninjas.\u201d<\/p>\n
A movie about a dinosaur priest isn\u2019t going to petrify, and it\u2019s certainly not going to make sense. But if you\u2019re searching for something so-bad-it\u2019s-good, VelociPastor will be \u201cdino-mite\u201d.<\/p>\n
Fear factor: Outrageously entertaining.<\/p>\n
The Craft (Stan, Netflix, Paramount+)<\/p>\n
It\u2019s basically Mean Girls meets the occult. A girl befriends three teens at her new school who practise witchcraft against their nemeses. There are consequences for joining a coven, however, which they all soon discover.<\/p>\n
A nostalgic \u201990s favourite combined with Wiccan lore and Gothic outfits to die for \u2013 what more could you want on All Hallow\u2019s Eve?<\/p>\n
Fear factor: Teenagers \u2013 enough said.<\/p>\n
Hocus Pocus (Disney+)<\/p>\n
Speaking of nostalgic witchy films, Hocus Pocus is a Halloween must. Witch sisters Bette Midler, Sarah Jessica Parker and Kathy Najimy resurrect after 300 years to seek revenge on a young boy who lights the cursed \u201cCandle of Blake Flame\u201d.<\/p>\n
Both parents and children can delight in this movie, but it features a pretty realistic zombie and kidnapping, so parents of little ones should proceed with caution.<\/p>\n
Fear factor: Nostalgia trip with minor scares.<\/p>\n
Casper (Disney+, Paramount+)<\/p>\n
Not all ghosts are scary, as evidenced by Casper who peacefully \u201chaunts\u201d Whipstaff Manor. He befriends Kat (Christina Ricci), the daughter of a paranormal investigator hired to rid the house of spirits, thus making the investigator\u2019s job a lot more complicated.<\/p>\n
While it explores heavier themes, such as grief and the afterlife, Casper keeps it light with its cutesy animation and slapstick ghost comedy.<\/p>\n
Fear factor: Not a trick, but a treat for the whole family.<\/p>\n
*Stan is owned by Nine, which also owns this masthead.<\/p>\n
Must-see movies, interviews and all the latest from the world of film delivered to your inbox. Sign up for our Screening Room newsletter<\/a>.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"Vicious (Paramount+) Looking for a straight-cut, no-frills supernatural scare? This film from the directors of The Strangers should…\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":250421,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[27],"tags":[64,63,134,344],"class_list":{"0":"post-250420","1":"post","2":"type-post","3":"status-publish","4":"format-standard","5":"has-post-thumbnail","7":"category-movies","8":"tag-au","9":"tag-australia","10":"tag-entertainment","11":"tag-movies"},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/250420","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=250420"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/250420\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/250421"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=250420"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=250420"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=250420"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}