October Horror Watchlist Spans Seven Decades, From The Exorcist to 2025's Sinners and Weapons
This October, a specially selected collection of ten must-see horror films ranges from the 1970s through 2025. Featured titles include The Exorcist (1973), which received 10 Oscar nominations and secured two wins; Halloween (1978), an independent film with a $300,000 budget that earned around $70 million; The Shining (1980), renowned for its psychological tension; The Witch (2015), set in 1630s New England; Get Out (2017), produced for $4.5 million and grossing over $255 million, winning the Best Original Screenplay; Hereditary (2018), highlighting Toni Collette's performance; Talk to Me (2023), which grossed over $90 million; Nosferatu (2024), making over $180 million; Sinners (2025), starring Michael B. Jordan, with earnings exceeding $370 million; and Weapons (2025), which grossed over $270 million from a $38 million budget.
Key facts
- The Exorcist (1973), directed by William Friedkin, received 10 Academy Award nominations and won Best Sound and Best Adapted Screenplay.
- Halloween (1978), directed by John Carpenter, was made for around $300,000 and grossed about $70 million worldwide.
- The Shining (1980), directed by Stanley Kubrick, received no major Academy Award nominations on release.
- Get Out (2017), directed by Jordan Peele, grossed more than $255 million worldwide on a $4.5 million budget and won Best Original Screenplay.
- Talk to Me (2023), directed by Danny and Michael Philippou, grossed over $90 million worldwide against a budget of around $4.5 million.
- Nosferatu (2024), directed by Robert Eggers, grossed more than $180 million worldwide against a $50 million budget.
- Sinners (2025), directed by Ryan Coogler, grossed more than $370 million worldwide against a budget of around $90 million.
- Weapons (2025), written and directed by Zach Cregger, grossed more than $270 million worldwide against a $38 million budget.
Entities
Artists
- Stanley Kubrick
- John Carpenter
- William Friedkin
- William Peter Blatty
- Linda Blair
- Max von Sydow
- Jamie Lee Curtis
- Donald Pleasence
- Jack Nicholson
- Shelley Duvall
- Stephen King
- Robert Eggers
- Anya Taylor-Joy
- Jordan Peele
- Daniel Kaluuya
- Allison Williams
- Ari Aster
- Toni Collette
- Alex Wolff
- Danny Philippou
- Michael Philippou
- Sophie Wilde
- Bill Hinzman
- Daley Pearson
- F.W. Murnau
- Bram Stoker
- Bill Skarsgård
- Lily-Rose Depp
- Nicholas Hoult
- Aaron Taylor-Johnson
- Willem Dafoe
- Ryan Coogler
- Michael B. Jordan
- Jack O'Connell
- Hailee Steinfeld
- Wunmi Mosaku
- Miles Caton
- Delroy Lindo
- Ludwig Göransson
- Zach Cregger
- Josh Brolin
- Julia Garner
- Amy Madigan
- Alden Ehrenreich
- Benedict Wong
Institutions
- A24
- Warner Bros.
- Marvel
- National Board of Review
- American Film Institute
- Academy Awards
Locations
- Washington, D.C.
- Georgetown
- Haddonfield
- Illinois
- New England
- Mississippi Delta
- Prague
- Czech Republic
- Australia
Sources
- Quartz —