Looking for Halloween horror shows to binge this week? October 2026 has been a big month for scary TV: a Stephen King remake from Mike Flanagan, a Friday the 13th prequel, a sea monster on Netflix and the last episode of American Horror Story 13, all landing within a few weeks of each other. Here are 12 series worth your time, split into what is new this October and what is already waiting on your streaming service. Where we have actually watched a show, we say what we thought.
New Halloween horror shows this October
1. Below (Netflix, October 8)
Josh Hartnett plays a Newfoundland fisherman whose town is under attack from something in the water. It is a six-episode limited series created by Jesse McKeown, and it topped Netflix’s global TV chart.
Our take: we have watched it all, and it was a mixed one for us. The final shot looks to us like a setup for a season 2, even though Netflix calls it a limited series. Full spoilers in our Below ending explained.
2. Carrie (Prime Video, October 7)
Mike Flanagan’s take on Stephen King’s 1974 novel is the first full TV series made from it. Summer H. Howell plays Carrie White and Samantha Sloyan plays her mother, Margaret, with Matthew Lillard as Principal Grayle. All eight episodes are out, and Flanagan directed four of them. Critics have been kind: it sits in the mid-80s on Rotten Tomatoes, ahead of the 2002 and 2013 versions, though still behind Brian De Palma’s 1976 film.
The official Carrie trailer, from Prime Video’s YouTube channel.
3. Crystal Lake (Peacock, October 15)
A Friday the 13th prequel, with Linda Cardellini as Pamela Voorhees, Jason’s mother. All eight episodes dropped together. Cardellini gets the most praise, with The Hollywood Reporter’s Daniel Fienberg saying she makes the role her own. Not everyone is sold: some critics found the pacing uneven, and the show’s take on Jason’s backstory is expected to split fans. Its early Rotten Tomatoes score was the best the franchise has ever had.
The official Crystal Lake trailer, from Peacock’s YouTube channel.
4. Yaga (AMC+, October 23)
A modern spin on the Baba Yaga folk tale, adapted by showrunner Kat Sandler from her own play. Hudson Williams leads, with Carrie-Anne Moss as Katherine, a charismatic university professor. It premiered at TIFF before its streaming debut. Two episodes are out, new ones arrive every Friday, and the two-part finale lands on November 27, so it is one to start now and finish after Halloween.
5. American Horror Story 13 (FX and Hulu)
Ryan Murphy’s anthology is back with a reunion-sized cast: Sarah Paulson, Evan Peters, Angela Bassett, Kathy Bates and Jessica Lange all return, alongside Ariana Grande and Emma Roberts. It premiered on September 24 and has been releasing episodes in pairs on Thursdays. The 13th and final episode is out on Thursday, October 29, two days before Halloween, so there is just time to catch up.
6. Monster: The Lizzie Borden Story (Netflix, September 17)
The fourth season of the Monster anthology from Ryan Murphy and Ian Brennan swaps the supernatural for true crime. Ella Beatty plays Lizzie Borden, with Vicky Krieps, Rebecca Hall and Charlie Hunnam. All eight episodes are streaming. Pick this one if you want something grim without the monsters.
7. Dexter: Resurrection season 2 (Paramount+, October 30)
Michael C. Hall’s serial killer returns the night before Halloween, with new episodes every week through December. The season jumps ahead three years, Uma Thurman is back, and Brian Cox and Dan Stevens join as two new killers working New York.
The official Dexter: Resurrection season 2 trailer, from Paramount+’s YouTube channel.
Halloween horror shows already streaming
8. FROM (MGM+, and Netflix in the US)
A town that traps everyone who drives into it, and the things that come out at night. Seasons 1 to 3 arrived on Netflix in the US on October 19, while season 4 is on MGM+, and the fifth and final season is due in 2027.
Our take: FROM is the best mystery show on TV right now. If you are new to it, our FROM series explainer gets you up to speed, and our list of shows like FROM covers what to watch after it.
9. Stranger Things (Netflix)
The Duffer Brothers’ series about Hawkins, the Upside Down and a group of kids on bikes finished with its fifth season, so you can now watch the whole thing start to finish.
Our take: it is still a classic, and season 1 is still the best Halloween binge there is. More in our Stranger Things coverage.
10. Widow’s Bay (Apple TV)
Apple’s horror-comedy, starring Matthew Rhys. It earned 19 Emmy nominations, the most of any new show this year, and went on to win 14, including Outstanding Comedy Series and lead actor for Rhys. It is the pick if you want scares and laughs in the same episode.
11. The Haunting of Hill House and Midnight Mass (Netflix)
Mike Flanagan’s two best-loved Netflix series. Hill House is a family ghost story told across two timelines, and Midnight Mass is about a small island parish and a new priest. Both are complete, and watching them first is a good way to see why so many people were excited about his Carrie.
12. Something lighter: Wednesday or Ghosts
Not everyone wants to be scared. Netflix’s Wednesday brings the Addams Family’s gloomiest daughter to boarding school, and CBS’s Ghosts has an hour-long Halloween special due in late October, its first ever hour-long episode.
Which Halloween horror shows to start with
If you only have one night, the quickest Halloween horror shows to start are Below or Crystal Lake: both are short, complete and new. If you have the whole week, FROM is the one we would pick. And if you want to be on time for something, American Horror Story 13 ends on October 29 and Dexter: Resurrection is back on October 30.
Which of these Halloween horror shows are you watching this week? Comments are open.
Image credits: featured image, Charlie Heaton in Below, (c) Netflix, photo by Jan Thijs, via Netflix Tudum. Trailers from the official YouTube channels of Prime Video, Peacock and Paramount+. All used for editorial commentary; all shows belong to their respective studios and streaming services.
Sources: Carrie via TVLine and ComicBookMovie; Crystal Lake via Dread Central and Dark Horizons; Yaga via Show Snob and TIFF; American Horror Story 13 via TheWrap and Wikipedia; Monster via TVLine; Dexter via Dread Central; FROM via TV Insider; Widow’s Bay via Bloody Disgusting and iPhone in Canada; Ghosts via Popverse.
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