Halloween Havoc

With my favorite holiday fast approaching, here are a selection of terrifying titles that are sure to chill you to the bone

It's that time of year again. The leaves are turning colors and the air is crisply cool. It's difficult to say what trick or treating will look like with the fear of COVID lurking around, but watching scary movies from the comfort of your own home is always a safe choice. Here are some overlooked gems currently available for streaming and VOD.

"Before I Wake" (Netflix)

If you thought I'd compile a watchlist without mentioning Mike Flanagan, you're wrong. As with most of his projects, Flanagan co-wrote and directed this dark fantasy tale about a grieving couple (Kate Bosworth and Thomas Jane) who take in a foster child (Jacob Tremblay) with special abilities. His unique gift, while amazing, comes with horrifying consequences. Bosworth's strong performance and Tremblay's cuteness make the storyline easy to connect with. It isn't Flanagan's best work, but there are enough ghostly jump scares to make viewers think twice about watching it with the lights off.

"Arachnophobia" (IMDbTV and Amazon Prime Video)

Balancing horror and humor can be difficult, but this film does it with ease. The movie starts in Indiana Jones-like fashion with an expedition to South America where a new species of spider is discovered. After one of them hitches a ride back to the States, it starts causing chaos in the small town where Dr. Ross Jennings (Jeff Daniels) has just moved into. Don't let the PG-13 rating and lack of blood fool you, as it still manages to be spine-tingling, given the inherent spookiness of creepy crawlies. Its sharp wit and great cast (featuring Haley Jane Kozak, John Goodman, Julian Sands and Stuart Pankin) make it an absolute blast to watch. If you're looking for some milder fair this Halloween, give this creature feature a spin.

"No One Lives" (IMDbTV and Amazon Prime Video)

Luke Evans stars in this action-horror vehicle directed by Japanese genre specialist Ryuhei Kitamura. A ruthless gang of thieves gets a lot more than they bargained for after kidnapping Evans' character, who turns out to be a methodical serial killer. Its production values look a little cheap and the story is utterly ridiculous, but honestly, that's all part of its charm. It has some fun gory moments and while the acting is mediocre at best, the film mostly succeeds as a guilty pleasure. Kitamura, who directed the cult classic "Midnight Meat Train", knows how to shoot violence and with the kills being the main draw, that goes a long way into making this cheesy slasher a worthwhile watch.

"Stir of Echoes" (Hulu, IMDbTV and Amazon Prime Video)

Tom Witzky (Kevin Bacon) is a hard-working everyman with a wife (Kathryn Ebre), a son (Zachary David Cope) and another baby on the way. Believing it to be a party trick, he allows himself to be hypnotized by his sister-in-law (Illeana Douglas), only to be haunted by disturbing dreams and visions as a result. Considering 1999 is jam-packed with instant classics and blockbusters like "American Beauty", "Fight Club", "The Blair Witch Project", "The Green Mile" and "The Matrix", it's easy to see why this gets lost in the shuffle. While some of the story elements may feel similar to a certain film released the very same year, it cements itself as a formidable mystery-thriller with a supernatural twist.

"The Autopsy of Jane Doe" (Netflix and Amazon Prime Video)

Tommy Tilden (Brian Cox) is a small town coroner who's assisted by his son Austin (Emile Hirsch). Through the course of a multiple homicide investigation, the body of an unknown young girl is found in the basement of the same house. She's brought to the Tildens and they discover increasingly bizarre findings when trying to determine her cause of death. It features stellar acting by its two leads and an amazingly convincing performance by Olwen Kelly as Jane Doe, who lies frighteningly still throughout the film. Its first 60 minutes are much better than its last 20, as the tension steadily builds while the father-son duo delve deeper into the mystery. However, it's a bone-chilling experience overall and there are some noteworthy allegorical elements working under the surface of the story. I highly recommend it, but if you can't stomach realistic medical gore, you might want to give this one a pass.

"Would You Rather" (Netflix and Amazon Prime Video)

Iris (Brittany Snow) is down on her luck and desperately seeking a donor so her brother can get a bone marrow transplant. Her wish may be granted when a wealthy philanthropist (played by horror veteran Jeffrey Combs) offers her an opportunity. The catch? She must attend a dinner party where she'll compete against seven other guests. As one might suspect, they're subjected to a series of brutal challenges that twists a game of child's play into a living nightmare. The film sprinkles in some black comedy and will likely have viewers on the edge of their seats right until the very end. Perhaps it falls a little short of its full potential, but it's still an entertaining midnight movie.