Netflix & Chills is a pre-Halloween treat

Netflix treated its horror-loving viewers in advance by debuting the 2019 Netflix & Chills category on Friday the 13th. Let’s take a peek inside the treat bag to see what looks tasty.

Included in the category are network series, Netflix original series and movies, and movies that were in both wide and limited release. The list looks very intriguing, so let’s see what will be available for us to watch this Halloween season!

Sept. 13:

Marianne (Netflix original series) – This 8-episode French series has been getting great buzz, and it sounds intriguing. Horror writer Emma finds that Marianne, an evil entity who inspires her work (and haunts her dreams) is now wreaking havoc in the real world. I watched the first episode today, and it definitely hooked me.

Sept. 14:

We Have Always Lived in the Castle – Taissa Farmiga stars as Merricat Blackwood, who is one of only three family members remaining after a poisoning incident six years ago. The townspeople are convinced her sister Constance is responsible, although she was acquitted. When cousin Charles shows up and it appears he may take Constance away with him, Merricat’s world is turned upside down. We Have Always Lived in the Castle is based on the novel by Shirley Jackson (The Haunting of Hill House).

Sept. 24:

American Horror Story: Apocalypse – Season 8 of the popular FX horror series featured a crossover of characters and events from two prior seasons: Murder House (season one) and Coven (season three). After nuclear war destroys the world, a handful of privileged people are housed in an underground bunker. To make matters worse, the son of Satan pops up.

Sept. 25:

Glitch: Season 3 (Netflix original series) – Set in Australia, Glitch tells the story of seven people who return from the dead, seemingly in perfect health and peak physical condition. None of them have any memory of their lives or identities, and a local police officer and doctor try to help, while attempting to keep the story from getting out.

Sept. 27:

In the Shadow of the Moon (Netflix film)- This film is scheduled to premiere at Fantastic Fest on September 21, and stars Boyd Holbrook (A Walk Among the Tombstones) and Michael C. Hall (Dexter). A detective tracking a female serial killer who commits seemingly impossible murders starts to unravel.

Oct. 1:

A.M.I. – Debs Howard (iZombie) appears as Cassie, a high school girl who programs her Siri-like virtual assistant with her deceased mother’s voice. All is well until the assistant starts directing Cassie to do terrible things.

 House of the Witch – Premiering two years ago on SyFy, House of the Witch is another of those “teens throw a party in a spooky old abandoned house” flicks. Unfortunately for the teens, this house is inhabited by a witch who traps them all inside.

Scream 2 – Released less than a year after the original Scream, the second installment follows our hero Sidney Prescott to college. While she tries to be just another student, Ghostface has other plans, which include killing her friends and trying to kill her as well. This is an above-average sequel.

Sinister Circle – When a group of teenagers die after a fun-filled night playing with a Ouija board, a psychologist named Fernanda and her son find themselves stalked by an evil being.

Oct. 4:

In the Tall Grass (Netflix film)- Based on the novella by Stephen King and his son Joe Hill (NOS4A2), this film takes place in a grass field in Kansas. A man and his pregnant sister find themselves lost when they try to follow a child’s cry for help.

Oct. 11:

Haunted: Season two (Netflix original series)- Netflix’s paranormal documentary series from last Halloween returns for a second season. People tell their own stories of paranormal activity they have experienced, surrounded by family and friends who have often never even heard the tales. While a few episodes of season one were interesting, I am still a bit bitter that this was renewed, while Netflix chose to cancel the far superior The Curious Creations of Christine McConnell (also from last year).

Fractured (Netflix film) – Sam Worthington (Avatar) is Ray Munroe, who is driving home after a holiday weekend, accompanied by his wife Joanne (Lily Rabe, American Horror Story) and their daughter Peri. When Peri is hurt in an accident, Ray and Joanne rush her to a hospital staffed with suspicious individuals. Peri and Joanne vanish, and Ray tries to find them. I am very interested in this one, since it was directed by Brad Anderson, who also directed the excellent Session 9.

Oct. 16:

Sinister 2 – A sequel to 2012’s dark and disturbing horror film Sinister, the story of Bughuul continues. “Deputy So-and-So” from the first film tries to burn down the houses all of the demon’s victims lived in, so that no new families will be murdered.

Oct. 18:

Eli (Netflix film) – Starring Charlie Shotwell, Lili Taylor (The Conjuring) and Sadie Sink (Stranger Things), Eli tells of a boy with a rare disease. His family takes him to a secluded clinic, in which he becomes imprisoned.

Oct. 24:

Daybreak (Netflix original series) – After the zombie apocalypse, teen outcast Josh tries to locate his girlfriend. Along the way he is joined by fellow outcast Angelica and a boy who used to bully him.

Oct. 25:

Rattlesnake (Netflix film) – When a woman’s young daughter is bitten by a rattlesnake, a stranger helps her. But, in repayment for her child’s life, the woman must agree to do something awful in return.

Prank Encounters (Netflix original series) – Gaten Matarazzo (better know as Dustin in Stranger Things) not only produced this hidden-camera series, but hosts it as well. People thinking they are starting a new job become the victims of spooky pranks. In response to backlash, Netflix has clarified that everyone involved in the show had fun, and the people were under the impression they had been hired for a one-day job.

Netflix has given us some great horror-related stuff to watch between now and Halloween, let’s just hope they are all treats!

Will you be watching any of the new offerings on Netflix & Chill? Let us know what you think in the comments section.