The Best Shows and Films to Watch on Netflix this Halloween
I Spit on Your Grave
Steven R Munroe’s 2010 remake of the cult classic made its mark on Netflix this month and it’s every bit as harrowing as the original. When Jennifer (Sarah Butler) rents an isolated cabin in the woods to finish her book, she is subjected to brutal and calculated mental, physical and sexual torture. In a bid for survival, she must overcome some of the most gruelling and heart-breaking peril that anyone could face.
Once her plot for vengeance is ignited, she meticulously tracks down each of her tormentors to serve him his brutal punishment. This film is not for the faint-hearted and is extremely difficult to watch. The need for vengeance runs through our veins in sympathy with Jennifer and the satisfaction felt as you peek through your hands makes this arguably one of the better revenge films out there.
Hold the Dark
Based on Macon Blair’s screenplay, Hold the Dark creeps onto Netflix this October. Director Jeremy Saulnier leads us into a cold and isolated setting, and we are unsure of our surroundings as the production begins.
A fire is lit in a young mother’s heart when her little boy goes missing in the snow one fateful evening. After three children go missing and the authorities claim that they were taken by wolves, Russell Core is hired by the boy’s parents to investigate his disappearance. The looming sense of abandonment refuses to dissipate throughout the flick as we follow the experienced writer in his attempt to find the missing boy. What he uncovers, however, is far beyond anything he could have expected. It soon becomes apparent that there are underground forces at work that he was not prepared to handle alone.
The Lizzie Borden Chronicles
Christina Richie returns with her intense portrayal of the infamous Lizzie Borden. The eight-part series portrays the chilling tale of Borden, who was the main suspect in the August 4th 1892 axe-murders of her father and stepmother in Massachusetts.
Borden was tried for the murders but later acquitted. This limited series portrays embellished accounts of Borden and those who surround her throughout her adult life, suggesting that not all is what it seems.
The Haunting of Hill House
One of most gripping paranormal tales to come to Netflix for a while, this series definitely sets you up for a drama-filled experience. As we follow the lives of a broken family, the juxtaposition between past and present catapults us through paranormal puzzles to uncover why a supernatural doom hangs over them.
Written and directed by Mike Flanagan, the series has been such a hit that horror maestro Stephen King has been quoted to say “The Haunting of Hill House is a work of genius”. The series seems to have set tongues wagging and its August release date has made it perfect fodder for a chilling Netflix marathon this Halloween season.
The Chilling Adventures of Sabrina
Sabrina makes her return on October 26th in the long-awaited series, but with a bit of a twist. If you are of a certain age, you may remember Sabrina the Teenage Witch as a TV series for a younger, more innocent audience. Cohabiting with two bickering elder witch aunts, and of course Salem the talking cat, Sabrina’s life as a teenage witch did not differ greatly from our own… for the most part. Boys, bullies and the coming of age dramas made Sabrina a likeable pre-teen heroine.
However, in her new iteration, Sabrina (Kiernan Shipka) appears to have grown up and her girl-next-door image is now a thing of the past. As we follow the enchantress, we quickly discover that she harbours a few sinister secrets. We soon delve into the realms of Satanism and revenge in a new cult movement this Halloween.
Making a Murderer
We at Vampire Squid did a happy dance when we saw that the eagerly anticipated Season 2 of Making a Murderer had finally arrived on Netflix! In Series 1 of the documentary series, we began following the unhappy story of the Avery family and their quest for justice for their son Steven Avery. Avery was wrongly convicted of sexual assault in 1985. After serving 18 years, he was eventually acquitted of the crime and returned to his family. After being released, however, he was then arrested in 2005 for the murder of Teresa Halbach, and in 2007 was sentenced to life imprisonment. Even more shockingly, his 16-year-old nephew Brendan Dassey was convicted as his accomplice following a troubling confession that may have been coerced.
The pair were sentenced to life imprisonment, Brendan with the possibility of parole in 2048, but Steven with no possibility of parole. Consistently proclaiming their innocence in a long pursuit of justice, we follow the latest from the Avery family as the documentary uncovers serious flaws in the prosecution’s case, and the defence team strive for exoneration, hoping to clear Avery’s name once and for all.