This month's collection of horror movies newly added to the world's best streaming services is a delightfully tense smörgåsbord of big names and indie films with smart premises.
Out of the main contenders, genre streaming service Shudder is gifting us a wealth of library titles and brand new creepfests, including recent festival favorites, while Peacock is dropping enough spooky offerings that made it tough to pick just a few.
The best horror movies streaming in September truly run the full gamut so, whatever you're in the mood for, be it a classic slasher, new body horror, or whatever the heck you wanna describe Annihilation as, you're in for a treat. Read on for our picks of the best horror movies to stream on Netflix and company this month.
Perpetrator (2023)
When: September 1
Where to stream it: Shudder (AU, UK, US)
Jennifer Reeder's latest outing builds on the director's panache for unpicking the horror that lurks within every teenage girl's experiences. Where we saw glimpses of her frenzied approach in the VHS 94 wraparound segment 'Holy Hell' and Knives and Skin, Perpetrator looks poised to put her firmly on the map.
The movie follows Jonny (Kiah McKirnan), a capable teen who is shipped off to live with her aunt Hildie (Alicia Silverstone) shortly before her 18th birthday. Around this time, girls at her school begin to go missing while Jonny's coming-of-age signals the arrival of mysterious supernatural abilities. A glorious body horror that's the perfect start to the spooky season.
The Funhouse (1981)
When: September 1
Where to stream it: Peacock (UK, US), Prime Video (Australia)
While The Texas Chain Saw Massacre and Poltergeist are both synonymous with director Tobe Hooper, this schlocky gem arrived between the two and warrants a watch if you haven't already.
Undoubtedly a product of the early '80s slasher boom, Hooper's awareness of its era is signaled in the first ten minutes through a masked point-of-view shot. The rest of the movie follows four teenagers who find themselves locked in at a traveling carnival only to discover they're being stalked. Its production design is its biggest selling point, but this delightfully weird stalk 'n' slash packs some unusual kills as the kids try to escape the funhouse. Bizarrely, despite the film's lack of intense gore it landed it on the infamous video nasties list, itself now a horror badge of honor.
Annihilation (2018)
When: September 1
Where to stream it: Paramount Plus (US), Netflix (Australia, UK)
Alex Garland took loose inspiration from the first book in Jeff Vandermeer's existential sci-fi trilogy when he scripted Annihilation. In fact, Garland's process involved penning the screenplay using his memory of reading the novel some time prior, gifting us with a kaleidoscopic moodscape of dread posing as an adventure quest.
Natalie Portman stars as Lena, a woman whose husband is the sole survivor of a mission exploring a parcel of land in Florida affected by an alien entity. Lena heads up a team of women who venture into 'The Shimmer' to try and piece together what happened to every other mission. Disinterested in constructing a straightforward narrative, Garland crafts a psychedelic journey into a hellscape that may include one of the most terrifying monsters ever committed to celluloid.
Bride of Chucky (1998)
When: September 1
Where to stream it: Peacock (UK, US), Prime Video (Australia)
A third sequel to Child's Play has no right being this damn good. In the wake of Scream's success, the late '90s became a hotbed of reanimated legacy franchises including Chucky.
Bride of Chucky understands the assignment, too, a perfect Friday night schlock fest that requires no homework – you can pick up the thread even if you've not seen the previous films. Director Ronny Yu keeps things moving along at a brisk pace – it's only 89 minutes – as the action follows a young couple (Nick Stabile and Katherine Heigl) trying to escape for a better life, only to find Chucky (Brad Dourif) and his paramour Tiffany (Jennifer Tilly) are in tow. The road trip framework works beautifully to leverage domestic turmoil amid a blizzard of ingenious kills. Funny, slick, and gory. Ade Due Damballa!
The Menu (2022)
When: September 3
Where to stream it: Hulu (US), Disney Plus (Australia, UK)
This scathing take-down of foodie culture gets better with every repeat viewing. Anya Taylor-Joy stars as Margot, a woman invited by her foodie snob date Tyler, a brilliant Nicholas Hoult, to spend the evening at a prestigious eatery reserved for the elite.
From the get-go, you might want to try and figure out what 'the twist' or the 'catch' is, but try to reserve those desires and marinate in this jet-black horror comedy as a group of diners are subject to a deranged tasting menu experience. Ralph Fiennes steals the show as the head chef, a man whose drive for culinary excellence is unparalleled and tinged with mania.
The Autopsy of Jane Doe (2016)
When: September 4
Where to stream it: Shudder (Australia, UK, US)
With a title that feels plucked straight from the bargain bin, it's easy to overlook André Øvredal's Trollhunter follow-up that deserves a top spot on your watchlist.
Brian Cox (Succession) and Emile Hirsch (Into the Wild) play father and son coroners who accept the body of a Jane Doe (Olwen Kelly) one stormy night after law enforcement finds the corpse at the site of a grisly double homicide. Over the course of its 86-minute runtime, the duo tend to her and attempt to figure out exactly who she is – with terrifying results.
Kelly's performance as the unmoving corpse is subtle and horrifying, a perfect complement to Øvredal's direction that mounts tension until you're ready to jump from your skin. Many sequences within the confines of the morgue will have you watching this from between your fingers. Never before has the innocuous tinkle of a bell been so dread-inducing.
The Angry Black Girl and Her Monster (2023)
When: September 22
Where to stream it: Shudder (Australia, UK, US)
This sublime festival favorite takes inspiration from Mary Shelley's Frankenstein, but repurposes that classic story to investigate the trauma which stems from gang violence.
Writer and director Bomani J. Story's movie revolves around Victoria (Laya DeLeon Hayes), a science-obsessed teen whose life is scarred by death and irrevocably changes when her brother Chris (Edem Atsu-Swanzy) is killed. Seeking answers to death, she resurrects her sibling who returns, but is changed, and begins to embark on a killing spree of his own. With whiffs of Pet Sematary and Candyman, this Frankenstein reimagined delivers on all fronts but mostly due to its leading performance from Hayes who is a revelation.
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