We’re nearing Halloween weekend, which means that spooky season is officially upon us. Thus, horror movies are dominating the streaming charts in preparation for the scariest, goriest and most enjoyable time of the year. We’re back again for another horror news roundup, and this one’s a scream. Before Mariah Carey and Michael Bublé defrost from their slumber, we’d better cherish every last moment of Halloween before another month passes us by and we’re forced to endure another 365-day hiatus. Thankfully, horror has infinite replay value, so it’s accessible year round.
Speaking of Christmas, a fan-favorite festive classic is making an appearance in today’s roundup along with honorable mentions for a reboot-remake-sequel and supernatural scarefest. The leaves are falling, the air is bitter-cold, and the ghoulish ghosties and creepy-crawlies are out to play. Let’s see what ghastly news the witches are brewing.
Black Christmas (1974) is showered with praise
Somehow, a Redditor hadn’t seen Bob Clark’s Black Christmas (1974) until almost 50 years after its initial release. We won’t dwell on that, but the redditors were kind enough to suspend their disbelief and instead rally together to give Black Christmas the praise it deserves. Releasing long before cult-classics Halloween (1978), Friday the 13th (1980) and Scream (1996), it was Black Christmas that single-handedly revitalized the slasher sub-genre and paved the way for future franchises. It doesn’t boast such believable special effects, but the premise is terrifying in itself, and the acting is top-notch, so the lack of surrealism can be excused. Redditors held Black Christmas in such high regard that one diehard fan got a tattoo of the movie’s stalker-killer, Billy.
Somehow, Rings (2017) makes a name for itself on streaming charts after a slow start
If we’re being completely honest with ourselves, Rings (2017) was a total dumpster fire. It goes without saying that the reboot/remake trilogy pales in comparison to the Japanese originals. Following on from The Ring (2002) and The Ring Two (2005), Rings (2017) further explores the online communities (known as “Rings”). They experiment with Samara Morgan’s curse and challenge themselves to outlast the one-week time limit before chickening out and passing the curse along. Somehow, even with its mediocre haul at the box office and shocking reviews, Rings has made a home for itself on streaming charts, specifically FlixPatrol, even though it doesn’t deserve it in the slightest. We have no idea how it happened, but it did. We’ll assume that the supernatural forces of Halloween are at work, and leave it at that.
Although Antlers didn’t live up to the hype, it’s creeping onto streaming charts
Another sub-par supernatural horror that failed to live up to its own expectations, Antlers (2021) follows Lucas Weaver (Jeremy T. Thomas) whose teacher becomes concerned after noticing his strange behavior. She would soon discover that Lucas is harboring a dark secret about his family, specifically his father, which places small-town Oregon in great danger. Scott Cooper teamed up with renowned horror director Guillermo del Toro for Antlers, but it wasn’t enough to prevent audiences leaving the theater with a severe sense of disappointment. In recent weeks, however, Antlers has crawled from the ashes of its lackluster debut to invade the Hulu streaming charts. Again, there’s no explanation as to how it happened, but it did, so we remain as stunned as ever.
Get the pumpkins carved, the hot chocolates brewed, and the comfy pajamas at the ready, horror fans. You’re in for another trick or treat tomorrow.