Stream These Crazy Creature Horror Movies This October

The Ritual - Netflix

Adventures into the wilderness with friends are meant to be relieving respites from the everyday hustle and bustle, unless, of course, you discover a remote community in the woods that seemingly worships a monstrous deity.

A hike through wooded mountains brings with it a number of challenges, which a group of friends begins to experience on a traditional hike, as they get lost and begin to earn injuries. Thinking they've found salvation, they seek refuge in a small outpost, ultimately getting much more attention than they bargained for.

Just as each thrilling element of the narrative starts to lose steam, a new wrinkle is thrown into the mix, keeping the viewers on their toes. As if the natural horrors aren't creepy enough, the unconventional creature design in the film helps birth one of the more unique movie monsters in recent years.

The Monster - Netflix

While the title alone might tip you off that you're about to see a story unfold focusing solely on a brutal beast, as the actual narrative begins to unfold, you'll question what, or who, the title could be referring to.

When a troubled mother takes her daughter on an emergency trip to be with the girl's father, car trouble leaves them stranded in the middle of nowhere and without any help in sight. This ends up only being the beginning of their troubles, as another mysterious threat emerges from the darkness.

The Monster might be a relatively straightforward creature feature, but the emotional stakes of the troubled relationship between the mother and daughter amplifies the horror, putting the viewer on edge from the opening moments and ratcheting up that tension even further as more literal manifestations of the title make themselves known.

A Quiet Place - Hulu

One of the breakout hits of 2018 proved that, even with a somewhat hokey concept, a strong execution can revitalize a narrative a lesser filmmaker could have floundered.

After mysterious creatures emerge and eradicate large pockets of the population, one family manages to survive thanks to the realization that the monsters hunt by sound, forcing these survivors to adopt a life of near-silence. Understandably, this presents a series of challenges, some of which are harder to overcome than you would imagine, such as the mother being pregnant.

Strong performances and compelling direction help A Quiet Place stand out not just in the realm of the horror genre, but in all fantastical storytelling, earning a well-deserved sequel landing in theaters next year.

Splinter - Hulu

Thinking they get to spend a romantic weekend together, a couple's plans begin to crumble when they are carjacked and forced to make a pit stop at a gas station. This proves to only be the beginning of their harrowing journey, as the group encounters a terrifying parasite intent on infecting anything in its path.

The scale of the story might be entirely different, but Splinter takes a page out of the Tremors playbook by stranding a group of characters in a scenario against monstrous creatures who have a specific set of physiological rules that they adhere to, offering the survivors a small chance of survival if they can manipulate those rules to their advantage. While the creatures might not be as massive, the storytelling and tension are just as effective as that classic monster movie, with multiple exciting twists.

An American Werewolf in London - Hulu

Horror fans who saw National Lampoon's Animal House might not have immediately demanded director John Landis craft a werewolf movie, but it's his comedic sensibilities that help An American Werewolf in London stand out from its peers.

When two backpacking Americans are forced to take an impromptu detour through the moors, their trek puts them in the path of a mysterious beast lurking in the darkness. While the event proves fatal for one of the backpackers, the other becomes cursed by transforming into a werewolf once a month, wreaking havoc across the city.

Equally effective with is humor and its horrors, the film and its practical effects are just as impressive today as they were when it debuted in 1981.

The Prophecy - Amazon Prime Video

Debuting at a time when protecting the environment was far less of a concern than it is today, The Prophecy leans into the inadvertent dangers of humans meddling with nature.

When a logging company finds themselves in a dispute with a nearby Native American tribe, a representative from the Environmental Protection Agency is sent to investigate the matter, only to discover this dispute is only one of many issues going on in the community. Arguably the bigger issue is that the waste from the mill has tainted the water supply, resulting in the creation of a massive mutated bear causing chaos in the town.

As if bears on their own aren't an intimidating enough threat, the inventive monstrosity created for this film makes it an all-time great movie monster, even if the limitations of the special effects at the time don't always invoke terror, yet the film remains endlessly entertaining.

Pumpkinhead - Amazon Prime

The name of the beast might not immediately strike fear into the hearts of viewers, but once the creature makes its on-screen debut, Pumpkinhead won't be a character you soon forget.

After a group of teens accidentally kills a small boy, his father makes an offering to an ancient beast in pursuit of revenge, resulting in the horrific Pumpkinhead appearing to kill off the teens one by one. With the power unleashed, however, it's harder to stop the beast from its mission, no matter what stands in its way.

The film marked the directorial debut of Stan Winston, who did the effects for films like The Thing, Aliens, and Monster Squad, with all of the sequences related to the titular monster worthy of the filmmaker's legacy. Even if the rest of the film might not be as effective, Pumpkinhead makes for one of the genre's best fantastical creations.