The Best Weird and Wild Horror Movies to Stream in October

One of the complaints about horror films, which is valid in many cases, is that the plots are all redundant, merely serving as a way to deliver audiences sex and violence with the bare minimum of a narrative thread. In some realms of horror, such as slashers, this assumption is relatively accurate, as a masked murderer makes their way through any teen in their way, but the more exceptional corners of the genre feature entirely unexpected storylines that keep audiences on their toes. As we head towards the final days of Halloween, we’ve picked out some of our favorite oddball horror films featuring all manner of weird and wild events.

Whether it’s a twisted narrative, shocking humor, or just outright mayhem that you look for in a horror movie, Netflix, Hulu, and Amazon Prime Video have all got you covered.

Scroll down to see out picks for the weirdest and wildest horror movies to stream in October!

Society – Amazon Prime Video

The ’80s were a wild time in the world of horror, as the rise of VHS allowed burgeoning filmmakers to grab a video camera, slap some fake blood on the screen, and get their movie out in the home video market. This meant that theatrically-released films had to get a lot more ambitious in what they delivered audiences, with Society being one of the weirdest films you could ever witness.

While Billy feels like a relatively normal teen living in Beverly Hills, strange events happening in his town and his own home begin to make him think he isn’t quite like the rest of his family. His suspicions are confirmed as the plot reveals a twist that needs to be seen to be believed in one of the most disgusting, perverse, and shocking films of the ’80s.

Ravenous – Hulu

Thanks in large part to Scream, the late ’90s were filled with relatively repetitive teen slashers, all hoping to offer a new take on the formula that dominated the ’80s. With Ravenous, you couldn’t get much farther from teen-oriented slashers, as it depicted a tale of cannibalism in the 19th century.

When a mysterious figure shows up at a military outpost claiming that his hiking cohorts have died, a squad of soldiers is sent to investigate the matter, leading to the reveal of an even more unsettling explanation for the events.

Thanks to captivating performances by Guy Pearce and Robert Carlyle, director Antonia Bird delivers an entirely unique story that could have easily descended down predictable avenues, with its many narrative twists, embrace of humor, and musical choices making for one of the best cannibal films of all time.

The Perfection – Netflix

In recent years, Netflix has earned the reputation as being a place where horror movies are sent when no major distributor will release it. In the case of The Perfection, that theory would make perfect sense, as the narrative is too twisted to market in any profitable way.

A former cello student attends a concert being hosted by her former teacher, going on to strike up a connection with a current student. As the two grow closer, a hidden agenda emerges, resulting in a storyline you can’t look away from.

Thanks to its fractured storytelling and bold narrative decisions, The Perfection will keep you on your toes for its entire run time, descending into a finale you never would have predicted.

Lake Mungo – Amazon Prime Video

In the wake of Paranormal Activity, countless imitators delivered audiences found footage style horror movies, as the inherent low production value made it easy for a filmmaker to churn out an adventure. Rather than being found footage, Lake Mungo offers a mockumentary style supernatural story that constantly switches gears to reveal unexpected information.

Following the unexpected death of their daughter, a family believes that her spirit could be haunting their home. As they attempt to uncover what is happening in their home, they make one shocking discovery after the next. 

What makes Lake Mungo so effective is that, while it looks like your average found footage film, the mockumentary style filmmaking offers a fresh perspective, while the film’s final reveals will send chills down your spine.

Mother! – Hulu

One of only a small number of films to earn an “F” CinemaScore, so long as you expect the unexpected, mother! will take you on an absolutely wild ride.

Thinking they are taking a vacation in their remote farmhouse, a strange visitor puts a damper on their trip. This event kicks off a series of visitors who quickly make themselves at home, only to build towards a cacophony of madness that includes Biblical allegories and themes about the artistic process.

Based on the film’s marketing materials, most audiences were expecting a Jennifer Lawrence-starring home invasion thriller, only to be delivered one of the more ambitious films of the decade. While you can manage to enjoy the film at face value, the real joy will be the discussion you have with other viewers about what it all really meant.

Suspiria – Amazon Prime Video

The original Dario Argento film has a massive following, and for good reason, thanks in large part to its performances, its mythology, and its color palette. Knowing that those elements couldn’t be replicated, director Luca Guadagnino leaned much more into the horror elements of the narrative to deliver an unsettling experience.

A young American dancer heads to Germany to enroll in one of the most acclaimed dance schools in history, only to begin to uncover a secret that the school has long been hiding. At two-and-a-half hours long, the experience is truly exhausting, with its score, production design, and special effects take you on an unforgettable ride.

Midnight Meat Train – Hulu

An adaptation of a Clive Barker story, Midnight Meat Train stars Bradley Cooper long before he was an Oscar-nominated filmmaker in a story that only could have been conjured by Barker.

When a photographer is told that his art is too “safe,” he begins to explore the subway system late at night in hopes of finding something more captivating. After discovering that a murderer is lurking his neighborhood, he begins to investigate, ultimately uncovering an even more violent explanation than he could have ever imagined.

The serial killer elements of this story are absurd enough of an experience, with the buckets of blood and finale that goes full-on Barker cements Midnight Meat Train as one of the more bizarre horror films of the 2000s.