Netflix horror/thriller additions bring us a skimpy September

Netflix has added only a handful of horror and thrillers to their streaming service this month, but a couple of the offerings are pretty fantastic!

Last year, Netflix brought on Halloween with a bang, bringing us new horror series such as The Haunting of Hill House and the more comedic, enchanting Curious Creations of Christine McConnell. There were also several new horror movies added, my favorite of which was Malevolent. Here’s hoping they plan to do the same this October, because the horror coming this month is scarce.

September 1:

American Psycho – Though Johnny Depp, Ewan McGregor and Leonardo DiCaprio were originally considered for the role of wealthy (and possibly psychopathic) Patrick Bateman, Christian Bale eventually made it his own. The film is considered a cult classic, and also features Willem DaFoe, Chloe Sevigny and Jared Leto.

Mystic River – Based on the novel by Dennis Lehane, Mystic River tells the story of  Jimmy, Dave and Sean, who were friends as kids, but have since drifted apart. As children, they were approached by two men, who kidnapped and sexually assaulted young Dave. As an adult, he is still haunted by the trauma, and is suspected in the murder of Jimmy’s teenage daughter. This is a grim film that will stick in your head after watching it, and the performances of Sean Penn, Kevin Bacon and Tim Robbins are fantastic.

Scream: Season 3 – This is the most recent season of the TV series, which was very loosely based on the movie. It’s six episodes long, so it’s a quick binge watch if you are bored one weekend.

Serial Killer With Piers Morgan: Season 1 – Television broadcaster, journalist and writer Piers Morgan interviews three serial killers in maximum-security prisons. He also interviews family members and law enforcement to figure out what makes them tick.

The Last Exorcism – Reverend Cotton Marcus performs fake exorcisms fairly regularly in Louisiana, at least since he lost his faith after his son died. When he agrees to allow a film crew to document one, he finds out the demons he scoffs at may actually be real.

The Taking of Pelham 123 – In this action-packed thriller (a remake of the original 1974 film), Ryder (John Travolta) highjacks a NYC subway train, and subway dispatcher Garber (Denzel Washington) has to negotiate with him.

The Walking Dead: Season 9 – Season 9 was the last season for Andrew Lincoln’s Rick Grimes and jumped ahead six years into the future in the sixth episode. Lauren Cohen’s Maggie also left the show after the fifth episode.

September 12

The I-Land  (Netflix Original) – Ten people wake up on a remote island. They do not know who they are, or how they got there, and must try to figure out how to get off the island while facing emotional and physical challenges.

September 13

Head Count – A group of young people vacationing at Joshua Tree Desert participate in the ancient ritual of telling ghost stories around the camp fire.  When one of them recites a poem he found on a website, a paranormal being is summoned.

September 14

We Have Always Lived in the Castle – This is the movie I am most excited to see added to Netflix this month. The Haunting of Hill House author Shirley Jackson wrote the novel this film is based on, and it’s one of my personal favorites. Taissa Farmiga plays 18-year-old Merricat, who lives with sister Constance and their sickly Uncle Julian in their family estate. Six years prior, Constance was acquitted of the poisoning and killing her parents, but townspeople still believe she is guilty. When cousin Charles shows up, their placid lives may be upended.

September 17

The Last Kids on Earth – This is a family friendly animated series, but I know plenty of adults who are excited to watch it. A group of middle-schoolers live in a tree house, where they do what any group of kids their age would do during a monster apocalypse. Yes, they eat all the candy they want and play video games, all the while battling zombies.

September 18

Come and Find Me – In this thriller, Breaking Bad‘s Aaron Paul plays David, who is traumatized by the mysterious disappearance of his girlfriend. He searches for her, aided by undeveloped photographs that she took, and ends up tangling with Russian mobsters and a government agent.

September 24

 American Horror Story: Apocalypse – The most recent season of Ryan Murphy’s horror anthology series features many actors and characters from prior seasons, including the witches from Coven. Nuclear missiles have destroyed much of the world, and to top it all off, the son of Satan is running rampant!

September 27

In the Shadow of the Moon (Netflix Original) – A Philadelphia police officer who aspires to become a detective is obsessed with tracking down a serial killer who kills every nine years.

What do you think of this month’s horror and thriller additions to Netflix? Which do you plan to check out? Let me know in the comments section.