New Horror Movies and Shows To Watch This Week at Home or in Theaters, Including ‘Edgar Allan Poe’s “The Oval Portrait”’

October is doing what October does best—stacking the week with fresh scares across theaters and streaming. Below you’ll find the essentials on each title: what it’s about, who made it, and who’s in it, so you can pick your poison without getting lost in hype or vague teases. Dates and platforms are included right in the blurbs so you can plan your watch accordingly.

From a Rob Zombie cult sequel returning to the big screen to a new Netflix docuseries, wartime creature terror, and a handful of indie shockers, this week covers ghosts, sharks, art heists gone wrong, and more. Skim for your favorites or dig into all the details—either way, there’s plenty to keep the lights on.

‘The Devil’s Rejects’ (2005)

Rob Zombie wrote and directed ‘The Devil’s Rejects’, the second entry in his Firefly saga, with Sid Haig, Bill Moseley, Sheri Moon Zombie, Ken Foree, and William Forsythe leading the cast; the film follows the fugitive Firefly clan as Sheriff Wydell mounts a brutal manhunt. Cinematography is by Phil Parmet, editing by Glenn Garland, and music by Tyler Bates, with Lions Gate Films handling the original distribution; it returns to theaters on October 6, 2025.

Set after the events of ‘House of 1000 Corpses’, the story pivots from funhouse horror to a grim road-movie chase, tracking Otis, Baby, and Captain Spaulding across a scorched Midwest while Wydell’s vendetta escalates; the movie later spawned a 2019 sequel, ‘3 from Hell’. If you’re catching it again on the big screen this week, that October 6, 2025 date is your mark.

‘Edgar Allan Poe’s “The Oval Portrait”’ (2025)

‘Edgar Allan Poe’s “The Oval Portrait”’ is written and directed by Adrian Langley and centers on a petty thief, an aspiring artist, and a mysterious shopkeeper whose lives entwine around a haunted painting and a vengeful spirit; cast includes Simon Phillips, Louisa Capulet, Paul Thomas, Michael Swatton, and Pragya Shail. The film is produced by Adrian Langley alongside Doug Phillips and others, and it hits theaters and streaming on October 10, 2025.

Drawing from Poe’s classic tale, the adaptation relocates the ghost story’s themes of art, obsession, and sacrifice into a contemporary setting, with the antique shop as the nexus for the haunting; promotional materials and festival notes emphasize the portrait’s lethal secret. Mark October 10, 2025 for its release window.

‘Beast of War’ (2025)

Written and directed by Kiah Roache-Turner (‘Wyrmwood’, ‘Sting’), ‘Beast of War’ stars Mark Coles Smith, Sam Delich, Lee Tiger Halley, and others in a WWII survival tale about Australian soldiers stranded at sea. Reviews and production coverage note the film’s practical-effects approach, using a full-scale animatronic great white to menace the raft-bound unit; theatrical rollout begins October 10, 2025.

Plot details highlight a Timor Sea setting, a splintered platoon after a ship sinking, and a relentless shark stalking the survivors, with critics calling out the historical-war-meets-creature-feature blend; early festival writeups and features underline the focus on character dynamics amid set-piece terror. Pencil in October 10, 2025 for its arrival.

‘True Haunting’ (2025– )

Netflix’s ‘True Haunting’ is a five-episode documentary series combining interviews and dramatized reenactments to recount reported paranormal encounters; the credited on-screen participants include Wyatt Dorion, Rhys Alexander Phillips, and Makenna Pickersgill. Season details and episode runtimes are listed on Netflix’s official page, with the series landing on October 7, 2025.

The show leans on first-person testimony, archival elements, and stylized recreations to frame each haunting from the perspective of those who claim to have lived through it; it debuts on Netflix on October 7, 2025.

‘Vicious’ (2025)

Written and directed by Bryan Bertino, ‘Vicious’ stars Dakota Fanning as Polly, with supporting roles for Kathryn Hunter, Mary McCormack, Rachel Blanchard, and Devyn Nekoda; coverage confirms a streaming and digital release on October 10, 2025. Studio and credit listings identify Atlas Independent as the production entity.

Story summaries describe a reality-bending nightmare triggered by a strange gift from a nocturnal visitor, aligning with Bertino’s reputation for intimate, dread-driven horror; the October 10, 2025 date marks its streaming bow.

‘Within the Pines’ (2024)

‘Within the Pines’, written and directed by Paul Evans Thomas, follows sound recordist Sam Evans, who hears a scream while working in an isolated forest and stumbles on a hidden caravan; the cast includes Brendan Cooney, Barrie Cotton, Cheryl Douglas, and Nick Launchbury. Background listings and festival-style pages present it as a lean, single-location survival thriller.

Plot synopses emphasize Sam’s night-long fight for survival against an unseen pursuer after the discovery in the woods; the title is circulating on streaming watchlists this week for October 10, 2025 availability.

‘Solvent’ (2024)

Johannes Grenzfurthner directs ‘Solvent’, an Austrian English-language supernatural mystery-comedy-horror co-written with Benjamin Roberts; the cast features Jon Gries, Aleksandra Cwen, Johannes Grenzfurthner, and Roland Gratzer, with production by the art collective monochrom. Coverage notes a festival run beginning in 2024 and North American distribution by Film Movement in 2025.

The narrative centers on an investigation that spirals into occult territory, mixing POV elements with genre satire; aggregator listings currently show strong early critical marks. The film is appearing on streaming calendars for October 10, 2025.

‘Protein’ (2024)

Directed by Tony Burke and written by Burke with Mike Oughton, ‘Protein’ is a Welsh crime-horror dark comedy about a gym-obsessed serial killer named Sion; cast includes Craig Russell, Steve Meo, Kai Owen, Ross O’Hennessy, Charles Dale, and Andrea Hall. Production and distributor information lists Broadside Films and Buffalo 8, respectively.

Story materials outline Sion’s killings and the turf-war fallout with local gangs, with investigators Stanton and Patch closing in; reviews detail its blend of bleak humor and genre violence. Watchlist entries peg it for streaming this week on October 10, 2025.

‘Stay’ (2025)

‘Stay’ is a feature from director Jas Summers starring Megalyn Echikunwoke and Mo McRae, with Brandon Firla and Patrick Cloud among the supporting cast; listings describe a couple on the brink of separation who begin experiencing increasingly threatening events in their home. Platform pages currently associate the title with Hulu.

Available materials point to a domestic-set escalation narrative, with the relationship breakdown mirrored by unexplained phenomena; streaming calendars place it on October 8, 2025.

‘The Drowned’ (2025)

Directed by Samuel Clemens, ‘The Drowned’ follows three thieves who, after stealing a priceless painting, reach a seaside safe house and realize their fourth accomplice has vanished; producers include Julien Loeffler, James Kermack, and the filmmaker. Cast details vary by territory, with festival and trade writeups highlighting the art-heist setup and a mythic undertow.

Official descriptions and UK press note Greek-myth influences and an eerie coastal location as the film introduces possible supernatural forces; digital listings and trailers flag October 7, 2025 for its VOD/streaming availability.

‘The Healing’ (2025)

Written by Olga Loyanich and directed by Denis Kryuchkov, ‘The Healing’ centers on Lyuba, who flees an abusive relationship and joins friends at a secluded retreat where rituals and visions expose darker truths; cast includes Wolfgang Cerny, Alena Mitroshina, Vyacheslav Chepurchenko, and others. Production listings tie the film to Radragon and Bright Life Production.

Synopsis materials compare its folk-ritual structure to modern cult horror, with the plot unfolding as Lyuba navigates the retreat’s manipulative practices; watchlists place its streaming bow on October 7, 2025.

Got a favorite pick from this week’s lineup—or a hidden gem we missed? Drop your thoughts in the comments and tell us what you’re queuing up first.