9 Halloween movies you need to watch before they leave Netflix next week
It's the season of scares, and Netflix has nine must-see horror and dark fantasy titles to watch before they leave the streaming service.
Do you feel that chill in the air? That's not the seasons changing. That's the feeling of some damn good horror and dark fantasy gems leaving Netflix before or on Halloween.
As we face a Halloween without parties and trick or treating, there's no better time than to throw on a movie. And if you don't have a robust DVD and Blu-ray collection, you're probably relying on streaming services like Netflix. The good news is that Netflix has a ton of options to check out. The bad news is that some great options are leaving, too.
If you're looking to indulge in some spooks and scares for All Hallow's Eve, here are nine horror and dark fantasy movies you need to stream before they leave Netflix on October 31.
Aaron Eckhart in 'Battle: Los Angeles.'
9. Battle: Los Angeles (2011)
Leaving Netflix: October 26
Strictly speaking, Battle: Los Angeles isn't a horror movie. It's a war movie with a faceless alien army as its enemy, a Call of Duty adaptation of War of the Worlds. But alien invasions are still pretty damn scary, and Battle: Los Angeles succeeds in generating tension and atmosphere equal to a classic alien movie. If you've seen enough horror movies in October, let Battle: Los Angeles give you a shot of adrenaline.
Haley Bennett in 'Kristy.'
8. Kristy (2014)
Leaving Netflix: October 30
Is Kristy the first Thanksgiving horror movie? Even if it's not, it is definitely the most memorable. Released in 2014, Kristy is an indie thriller about a college student (played by Haley Bennett) who is left behind on campus during the long Thanksgiving weekend. All alone, Kristy finds herself stalked by a cult of murderers. Be sure to catch this underrated, overlooked gem before it leaves its streaming home of Netflix on October 30.
Sennia Nanua in 'The Girl With All the Gifts.'
7. The Girl with All the Gifts (2016)
Leaving Netflix: October 31
In 2020 there might be little appetite for stories about a post-apocalypse caused by infectious diseases. But The Girl With All the Gifts, released in 2016, is an engaging, can't-miss sci-fi horror thriller based on Mike Carey's novel about the aftermath of a zombie outbreak. Gemma Arterton, Paddy Considine, Glenn Close, and Sennia Nanua star in a movie that deserves more attention worldwide than it got a short four years ago.
'The NeverEnding Story.'
6. The NeverEnding Story (1984)
Leaving Netflix: October 31
Yeah, you got me, The NeverEnding Story isn't a horror movie. But damn it, Artax's death in the Swamp of Sadness still haunts millions of people, myself included. And if the kids in Stranger Things are allowed to be obsessed with it, then that's a good enough reason to include it in your Halloween rotation.
Jodie Foster and Anthony Hopkins in 'The Silence of the Lambs.'
5. The Silence of the Lambs (1991)
Leaving Netflix: October 31
"Hello, Clarice." Jonathan Demme's psychological horror hit The Silence of the Lambs endures today almost 30 years later, and for good reason. Jodie Foster and Anthony Hopkins' tense "team up" to take down serial killer Buffalo Bill ("Goodbye, horses...") is as enthralling and gripping as it was all those years ago. There have been many adaptations of Hannibal Lecter, and many starring Anthony Hopkins, but this one still reigns supreme.
Johnny Depp and Christina Ricci in 'Sleepy Hollow.'
4. Sleepy Hollow (1999)
Leaving Netflix: October 31
Despite Tim Burton's liberties with Washington Irving's 1820 short story, his 1999 film Sleepy Hollow is emblematic of both his gothic sensibilities and commercial appeal. Creepy, fun, and strange in all the right amounts, Burton's Sleepy Hollow is a millennial touchstone that totally gets away with casting Christopher Walken as the undead Hessian soldier. Catch it before it flees Netflix on horseback on October 31.
Kate Beckinsale in 'Underworld.'
3. Underworld (2003)
Leaving Netflix: October 31
Two years after Kate Beckinsale starred as the lead of the romantic drama Serendipity, the British star made a hard left turn when she became Selene, the gun-toting heroine of a supernatural action flick that spawned a multi-film franchise. In Underworld, surprisingly not based on a comic book or video game, an ongoing secret war between vampires and werewolves comes to a head when a medical student, Michael (Scott Speedman) holds the power to end the war forever. Catch Michael Seen as the uncharacteristically rugged Lucian, leader of the werewolves.
Kate Beckinsale in 'Underworld: Evolution.'
2. Underworld: Evolution (2006)
Leaving Netflix: October 31
If the first movie was a fluke, its 2006 sequel Underworld: Evolution proved people really dig Kate Beckinsale kicking werewolf butt in black leather. Picking up just moments after the first film, Underworld: Evolution continues Selene and Michael's evasion of werewolves and vampires alike. It's a bit easy to lose the plot, but watching it now in 2020, the use of physically-real werewolf costumes and John Woo-inspired slow-motion action is a taste of what kind of action Hollywood of the mid-aughts dished out and did best.
Michael Sheen, in 'Underworld: Rise of the Lycans.'
1. Underworld: Rise of the Lycans (2009)
Leaving Netflix: October 31
2009's Underworld: Rise of the Lycans reveals the origins of Michael Sheen's Lucian, reframing his villain into the hero of a gothic parable of racism and class warfare. When this movie rolled around in 2009, Underworld had accepted its fate as a B-tier Lord of the Rings for Evanescence fans. But it still delivers the goods; these films look way, way better than most action movies today, and the absence of Beckinsale in this one doesn't hurt it a bit. If you need inspiration for your next Dungeons & Dragons campaign, throw on Rise of the Lycans.
