Top 5 Horror Movies Coming to kanopy this Month

This October, Kanopy is serving up a chilling mix of horror that spans every corner of the genre. You’ll find a slasher that redefined the rules of scary movies, a haunting tale of isolation set against a wintry backdrop, a groundbreaking found-footage nightmare that feels terrifyingly real, a twisted anthology of short films each more shocking than the last, and a brand-new adaptation of a classic horror story about a cursed toy. Together, these films promise to bring suspense, dread, and a few surprises to your Halloween season.

Here are the top 5 horror films hitting kanopy this October:

October 1st

Paranormal Activity

Experience the terror that redefined modern horror. Paranormal Activity brings found-footage chills straight into your home, capturing a young couple’s descent into nightmarish encounters with the supernatural. What begins as simple late-night noises escalates into an unrelenting haunting that feels all too real. If you dare, turn off the lights and watch the nightmare unfold.

Director: Oren Peli

Writer: Oren Peli

Stars: Katie Featherston, Micah Sloat

The Blackcoat’s Daughter

Bleak, atmospheric, and deeply unsettling, The Blackcoat’s Daughter lures you into a wintry New England boarding school where sinister forces and isolation take hold of two stranded students. With creeping dread and shocking revelations, it’s a haunting tale of loneliness and possession that lingers long after the credits roll. Step inside—but don’t expect to leave unchanged.

Director: Oz Perkins

Writer: Oz Perkins

Stars: Emma Roberts, Kiernan Shipka, Lucy Boynton

October 10th

Scream

A slasher that rewrote the rules, Scream is a razor-sharp blend of horror and satire where no one is safe—not even the genre itself. When a masked killer begins targeting high school teens, the lines between scary movies and reality blur in ways both terrifying and wickedly clever. With its mix of scares, laughs, and iconic set pieces, this one will keep you guessing until the last call.

Director: Wes Craven

Writer: Kevin Williamson

Stars: Neve Campbell, Courteney Cox, David Arquette

October 17th

V/H/S

A visceral anthology of found-footage nightmares, V/H/S unleashes a series of terrifying short stories, each more shocking than the last. From haunted houses to monstrous encounters, every tape reveals another layer of inventive, gut-wrenching horror. If you’re looking for variety, intensity, and relentless scares, press play—just don’t expect to stop watching.

Directors: Adam Wingard, David Bruckner, Ti West, Glenn McQuaid, Joe Swanberg, Radio Silence

Writers: Various

Stars: Calvin Reeder, Lane Hughes, Adam Wingard

October 31st

The Monkey

Based on Stephen King’s chilling short story, The Monkey explores how an innocent-looking toy becomes a harbinger of death. Each time its cymbals clash, tragedy follows—dragging its owner back into a cycle of fear and doom. With its blend of supernatural dread and psychological tension, it’s a reminder that sometimes the most terrifying monsters are the ones we least suspect.

Director: Osgood Perkins

Writers: Osgood Perkins

Stars: Theo James, Tatiana Maslany, Elijah Wood

Horror Wrap Up

As the nights grow longer and the air turns colder, Kanopy invites you to face the darkness head-on with stories that haunt, slash, and terrify in unforgettable ways. These films aren’t just scary—they’re cultural milestones, cult classics, and modern nightmares that showcase the endless creativity of horror. So grab your blanket, dim the lights, and let Kanopy’s October lineup remind you why this is the season to embrace fear. Because the only thing scarier than these movies… is missing them.