Halloween 2024: 14 horror, thriller movies perfect for spooky season

Halloween will not be complete without the eyes feasting on movies of blood and gore, and this year is no exception. This year’s offerings from local and international film outfits will have horror fans in the mood for some heart-stopping jump scares, eerie folklore, or psychological twists, with a promise to keep aficionados on the edge of their seats this spooky season. Up for some slasher? Catch these 14 films in local cinemas and streaming platforms that are intended to torment your senses.

‘OUTSIDE’

Serving as the first local zombie feature on Netflix Philippines, this psychological horror film follows a family of four, led by its unstable patriarch, Francis (Sid Lucero), and wife, Iris (Beauty Gonzalez), who flee to the former’s secluded provincial farmhouse with their sons Josh (Marco Masa) and Lucas (Aiden Tyler Patdu) to escape a zombie outbreak.

Despite the facade to survive a zombie pandemic, the film is set to explore the traumatic journey of a family haunted by their own personal anguish. 

Directed by Carlo Ledesma and with special participation from Enchong Dee and Joel Torre,

“Outside” will premiere on Oct. 17 only on Netflix PH.

‘OFFLOAD’

Headlined by Allen Dizon and Angel Guardian, this suspenseful tale of survival aims to scare and sparks a message of healing and sacrifice. 

It tells the story of Dizon’s Ryke and his half sister, Guardian’s Dr. Audrey, going on an off-road adventure alongside a group of friends for an apparent donation drive. However, the trip leads them to a deadly confrontation with a sinister cult. The siblings then find themselves fighting for survival as their companions disappear without a trace.

Aside from Dizon and Guardian, other cast members include William Lorenzo, Vance Larena, Mark Derayunan, Andrew Gan, Rab Robes, Ava Mendez, Ayeesha Cervantez, Jun Nayra, Raymond Mabute, Zia Zamora, and Geo Soriaga. 

Helmed and written by Rommel Ricafort, the movie features scenes shot in Puning, Tarlac. 

Release date for “Offload” has been set this November.

‘THE GATEKEEPERS’

Marking her first lead role, Filipino-Italian actress Shanaia Gomez is set to send shivers down viewers’ spines this Halloween season as she faces supernatural elements in this gripping terror feature.

Told through the lens of an antiques dealer, Cita Mendoza (Gomez) comes across a strange cabinet that also serves as a portal to the horrific pits of the underworld.

Directed by Matthew and Dean Rosen, “The Gatekeepers” is set to dive into the demonic mysteries lurking in the real world while blending biblical elements into Filipino folklore.

This mystery-horror movie will begin streaming on-demand and for free beginning Oct. 19 only on iWantTFC.

‘NANAY, TATAY’

An official entry to the Sine Sindak 2024 film festival, this horror feature follows a married couple (Andrea Del Rosario and Jeffrey Hidalgo) who are suffering from the loss of their 13-year-old daughter, Malena, which leads them to welcome three new girls (Xia Vigor, Aubrey Caraan, and Heart Ryan) in need of a home. 

The story gets sinister once the family starts experiencing supernatural occurrences in their new house, making them wonder if it has something to do with the death of Malena.

Directed by Roni S. Benaid, “Nanay, Tatay” premieres in local cinemas on Oct. 30.

‘PASAHERO’

Another film that’s part of the Sine Sindak 2024 film festival, “Pasahero,” centers on a crime committed inside a train with seven witnesses who turn a blind eye set to pay the price.

Directed by Roman Perez, Jr., the film features Louise delos Reyes, Yumi Garcia, Katya Santos, Mark Anthony Fernandez, Andre Yllana, Keann Johnson, Rafa Siguion-Reyna, Dani Zee, and Bea Binene.

Haunted by their choice to ignore, can this group survive despite the loss of a girl who could have been alive if it wasn’t for their neglect?

“Pasahero” opens in local cinemas on Oct. 30.

Other horror films included in the Sine Sindak 2024 film festival are “House of Sayuri,” “Mads,” “My Mother’s Eyes,” “Tenement,” and “The Thorn: One Sacred Night.”

‘SMILE 2’

This sequel promises the same level of gore and fright as the first movie but with revamped storyline and elements. 

“Smile 2” follows global pop sensation Skye Riley (Naomi Scott) about to embark on a new world tour yet begins experiencing increasingly terrifying and inexplicable events.

Overwhelmed by the escalating horrors and pressures of fame, Skye must confront her dark past before her life spirals out of control. 

Directed by Parker Finn, this psychological supernatural horror is now showing in local cinemas.

‘DON’T MOVE’

Premiering on Oct. 25 on Netflix, this thriller feature centers on a woman (Kelsey Asbille) who is grieving in an isolated forest when she meets a menacing stranger who injects her with a paralytic agent, giving her limited time to seek help before her entire nervous system completely shuts down.

Known for her role as Monica Dutton in the hit series “Yellowstone,” Asbille is set to keep the viewers terrified as she fights for her life.

‘TIME CUT’

Also premiering on Netflix on Oct. 30, “Time Cut” is set to bring nostalgia in the form of life and death. Telling the story of Lucy Field (Madison Bailey), a teenage girl who travels back to 2003 in an attempt to stop a vicious serial killer from murdering her sister, Summer (Antonia Gentry).

Will Lucy succeed and prevent the crime or will she end up like her sister—dead and buried?

‘V/H/S BEYOND’

Ushering as the seventh installment from the V/H/S horror anthology series, “Beyond” mixes science fiction with terror as they showcase eerie circumstances through a video camera. This horror flick opens in cinemas on Oct. 30. 

‘VINA: BEFORE 7 DAYS’

Loosely based on a true story of the late Vina Dewi Arsita, this Indonesian feature follows Vina as she refuses to accept her death and uses her spirit to reveal the facts. Before 7 Days, what actually happened?

This horror drama is set to premiere on Oct. 23 in local cinemas.

‘VENOM: THE LAST DANCE’

Coming in as the final film in the trilogy, Tom Hardy returns as Venom. Hunted by both of their worlds, Venom and Eddie are forced into a devastating decision that will bring the curtains down on their last dance. 

Aside from Hardy, the film also stars Chiwetel Ejiofor, Juno Temple, Rhys Ifans, Peggy Lu, Alanna Ubach, and Stephen Graham. 

Directed by Kelly Marcel, “Venom: The Last Dance” arrives in Philippine cinemas on Oct. 23.

‘SANA: LET ME HEAR’

Premiering on Nov. 13, this horror film is set in 1992, as a rooftop confrontation between schoolgirls ends in tragedy after one girl, Sana, accidentally falls to her death. Mysteriously, a cassette recorder was found next to her body, still recording. 

32 years later, a young woman named Honoka (Nagisa Shibuya) is hired to teach summer classes at the same school. History repeats itself as another student falls from the same building, witnessed by Honoka and her students, Hitomi (Hayase Ikoi) and Takeru (Soma Santoki).

‘WICKED’

“Wicked” is the untold story of the witches of Oz. It tells the story of Elphaba (Cynthia Erivo), a green-skinned, misunderstood young woman who befriends Glinda (Ariana Grande), a popular lady gilded by privilege and ambition. Together, they help to recognize their true power and heart.

The musical adaptation is set to cast its spell on moviegoers on Nov 20.

‘RED ONE’

Led by Dwayne Johnson and Chris Evans, this action-adventure comedy is set to set the tone early for Christmas as it follows Santa Claus—Code Name: RED ONE—who gets kidnapped, the North Pole’s Head of Security (Johnson) must team up with the world’s most infamous bounty hunter (Evans) in a globe-trotting, action-packed mission to save the festive season. Premiering on Nov. 6 in Philippine cinemas, this is the best film to cap off the spooky season and embrace the holiday season.