30 Days of Streaming Horror Adaptations for October Thrills
If you love all things Halloween and horror, chances are you’re already well into your creepy reading list for the year. But as the days become shorter and nights longer, nothing screams “get cozy” to horror lovers than lighting some candles, popping some popcorn, and settling in with a great scary movie (or ten). And thanks to the proliferation of streaming, taking time to marathon great horror flicks is easier than ever.
Many lovers of things scary and spooky love to challenge themselves to 30+ days of horror during October, and several streamers have taken the time to create fun lists of their current offerings. But as book lovers, how about upping the 30 days of horror challenge and turning it into a 30 days of horror adaptations to stream? Let’s take a look at over 30 options for horror films you can stream this month, all of which are adapted from books.
This list is not, of course, comprehensive, and it is limited to single films only. There have been several great series adaptations, which could be a whole other 30 day challenge in and of itself. This list combines adaptations for younger audiences and older ones, and it is limited to two of the biggest streaming services, Netflix and Prime. There are even more streaming horror adaptations via Hulu, HBO Max, and Shudder, but they are not included here.
It should not be a surprise at this point to know the majority of these horror films are adapted from books by white male authors. There are, however, more titles emerging each year from books by women and people of color, and as such, expect to see even more diverse offerings down the road. I’ve included as inclusive a list as possible, both in terms of creatorship and in terms of the types of scares these horror flicks offer. Horror is not a genre but a mood, and there is something here for every kind of viewer.
Get ready, grab your comfiest blanket, and prepare to enjoy a wide range of scary, silly, and downright fun horror film adaptations you can stream right now. I’m keeping this short and simple — you’ll get the name of the film, with a note about its source material, and where you can stream it. I’ve included a few trailers to break up the text as well.
Oh, and if you’re wondering why 30 days of horror when October clearly has 31 days, that’s because narrowing this list down to only 30 options was impossible, so you get 30, plus some bonus picks to choose if you’re a completionist.
30 Days of Horror Adaptations to Stream
Carrie, Prime
Based on the book Carrie by horror legend Stephen King (you’ll be seeing him pop up a lot here).
Daniel Isn’t Real, Prime
Based on In This Way I Was Saved by Brian DeLeeuw.
The Dead Zone, Prime
Based on the novel The Dead Zone by Stephen King.
The Devil All The Time, Netflix
Based on the novel The Devil All The Time by Donald Ray Pollock.
Fear Street 1666, Fear Street 1879, & Fear Street 1994, Netflix
A three-for-one set of film adaptations from the Fear Street book series by R.L. Stine.
Fever Dream, Netflix
Based on the book Fever Dream by Samanta Schweblin.
Flowers in the Attic, Prime
Based on the book Flowers In The Attic by V.C. Andrews.
Goosebumps: The Haunted Mask, Netflix
Based on the book Goosebumps: The Haunted Mask by R.L. Stine.
Hellraiser, Prime
Based on the The Hellbound Heart, a novella by Clive Barker
The House on Haunted Hill, Prime
Inspired by the book The Haunting of Hill House by Shirley Jackson.
I Know What You Did Last Summer, Prime
Based on the book I Know What You Did Last Summer by Lois Duncan.
In The Tall Grass, Netflix
Based on the book In The Tall Grass by Stephen King and Joe Hill.
The Influence, Netflix
Based on the book The Influence by Ramsey Campbell.
Let Me In, Netflix
Based on the novel Let The Right One In by John Ajvide Lindqvist. Note that the streaming version is the US version and not the original Swedish adaptation.
The Lighthouse, Prime
Based on the unfinished short story “The Lighthouse” by Edgar Allan Poe.
No One Gets Out Alive, Netflix
Based on the book No One Gets Out Alive by Adam Nevill.
The Ritual, Netflix
Based on the book The Ritual by Adam Nevill.
The Ruins, Prime
Based on the book The Ruins by Scott Smith.
Scary Stories to Tell in the Dark, Netflix
Based on the book Scary Stories to Tell in the Dark by Alvin Schwartz.
The Silence, Netflix
Based on the book The Silence by Tim Lebbon.
Silence of the Lambs, Prime
Based on Thomas Harris’s The Silence of the Lambs.
There’s Someone Inside Your House, Netflix
Based on Stephanie Perkins’s There’s Someone Inside Your House.
A Witch’s Ball, Netflix
Inspired by the book The Witches Ball by David Steinberg.
World War Z, Prime
Based on the book World War Z by Max Brooks.
