A Few Post-Halloween Horror Viewing Recommendations

Written by John Edward Betancourt

First and foremost, Happy Halloween fellow horror fans, and I do hope your All Hallows Eve is filled to the brim with spooky movies and shows to get your horror fix before everyone demands that you put the scary stuff away to make way for the holiday decorations. In fact, it is that demand that is of concern today. Because there is a long-standing belief that somehow, horror movies should be put away for an entire year once Halloween comes to an end and well… that belief needs to go away.

Because horror is a year-round treat, one that should be celebrated whenever fans see fit and if you don’t believe me… just take a look at all the holiday horror themed movies that are out there… and the spooky stuff that is going to be available to us for the remainder of 2021. Because there are still plenty of horror films and shows waiting in the wings for us as the year winds down, and some stuff worth binging as well and with that in mind… here is my own personal list of spooky shows and movies to watch this fall and winter to keep the magic of the Halloween season, rolling. 

All Things Shudder

‘Great White’

The fact of the matter is that Shudder is the finest horror streaming service out there. They simply get horror fans and what they crave through and through and their November line up speaks to that. Because they’ve got four new movies hitting the service in November, plus they’re got a bevy of horror themed shows for everyone to enjoy beyond November. For The Boulet Brothers’ Dragula will be airing well into December since there are so many competitors on this show and you absolutely need to check out, Behind the Monsters. Because it is a fascinating documentary on the horror icons we idolize.
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Plus, this streamer is host to Creepshow. Which is Greg Nicotero’s brilliant continuation of George Romero and Stephen King’s horror baby and there are three seasons of this gem that you can easily binge watch since each season is roughly six episodes long. If anything, we’ve only scratched the surface of what Shudder has to offer since there are also some horror classics available in their database as well and for a complete list of what they are sending our way in November, click here.

The Walking Dead Universe

‘Fear the Walking Dead’

Normally, The Walking Dead Universe would be wrapping up its usual offerings right about now. But thanks to the wild nature of 2020, AMC has opted to keep the living dead on the air through the first leg of the holiday season. Since Fear the Walking Dead and The Walking Dead: World Beyond will be airing episodes into December. As an added bonus, both new seasons of this series are offering up some powerful storytelling as well. Since season 7 of Fear is moving the show into some dark and bold new territory and of course, World Beyond is finally exploring the inner workings of the mysterious Civic Republic Military in its final season. Which makes both of these stories quite worth your while, since you can never go wrong with intelligent and engaging zombie stories, especially a pair that share connective tissue with the biggest zombie series in history.

The Binge-ables

Sometimes, you just need to lose yourself within a story and the best way to do that in this era of peak television… is to just settle in and binge a show and there are some delightfully devious horror shows to binge out there. For instance, there’s basically everything Mike Flanagan has put together on Netflix. Because no one is examining the horrors of life quite like he is and his honest takes on trauma and loss and addiction and recovery, make for some engaging viewing and the horror elements surrounding his commentary are equally as incredible. So definitely give The Haunting of Hill House, The Haunting of Bly Manor and Midnight Mass a look when you have a chance, because they’re simply top-notch.
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However, if you’re looking for something different and special, then I’d definitely recommend you give Servant on AppleTV+ a look. Because this particular series is unlike any other horror show on the market. In large part because it too deals with some incredibly relatable and brilliant subject matter, but also because… it has woven together a powerful and engrossing mystery surrounding one of the main characters, Leanne Grayson, and her purpose in this life. Which is slowly being revealed to the audience in an organic and compelling manner and it doesn’t hurt that this story is also filled to the brim with stunning performances, and quality scares and twists for days and a little humor as well… and it is also an easy binge. Since each episode in this dynamic story is roughly a half an hour.

Last, I would be a fool to not encourage you to watch NOS4A2 from AMC. Because this visual re-telling of Joe Hill’s iconic novel is brilliant horror through and through. In large part because it offers up a fresh take on the vampire mythos, but also because… it deals with some powerful themes and concepts. Such as how the sins of our parents are often imparted upon us, how evil is molded and never born and of course… what it means to combat our demons and our trauma. Plus, this is another one that features stunning performances since Zachary Quinto and Ashleigh Cummings are electric as Charlie Manx and Vic McQueen respectively and it is perfect as a true holiday binge. Since Christmas is a huge theme in this story and it is also another easy binge. Since sadly, there are only two seasons of this series and if you’d like to give it a go, you can easily find it on Shudder/AMC+ and Hulu.

Feature Length Fear

‘Mother/Android’

Of course, if there’s one thing that horror fans love above all else, it’s big-time horror movies. Ones that feature a big budget and stars galore and there are plenty of those coming our way this holiday season. Of course, the four Shudder November features, Dead and Beautiful (11/4), Great White (11/11), Prisoners of the Ghostland (11/19) and The Strings (11/23), are worth mentioning again since Shudder has sent us brilliant horror films all year long and they are joined this holiday season by two other releases of note. 
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For Hulu is dropping a new horror/sci-fi flick on December 17th, entitled: Mother/Android. And this particular story… which stars Chloë Grace Moretz, plunges us into a world where the birth of artificial intelligence has gone wrong for humanity. For mankind is now embroiled in a horrific war with its creation and Chloë’s character Georgia and her boyfriend Sam (played by Algee Smith), are desperate to escape this war and begin a long trek to do so. Which is undoubtedly where the horror elements will come into play, since that will allow for the story to explore the horrors of unregulated technology and what mankind would become when faced with a revolution from its own creation and this should be quite the entertaining ride, one we will be sure to review.

Last, but certainly not least… there’s Black Friday. A horror film that features zombie mayhem in a toy store in the middle of Black Friday and well… that premise alone makes this movie worthwhile, since so many of us have a BF horror story to share with the world. But this movie made sure to go above and beyond for the audience, by casting Devon Sawa and horror legend Bruce Campbell and their acting chops and long-standing stature within the genre will only take this movie to the next level when it arrives on November 19.

So, as you can see, there’s plenty of horror to enjoy after Halloween has come to its end, and hopefully these recommendations help you get your horror fix. And if by chance I missed something or you’ve got some recommendations of your own the world needs to know of, shoot me a note on Twitter or drop a comment here and above all else, keep on enjoying horror movies whenever you please. Because Halloween only ends when you say so.