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Though it is not widely celebrated in Jamaica, October has been dubbed the spooky season which means there will be a lot of terrifying and thrilling content to consume throughout the month.

Halloween’s origins can be traced back to the ancient Celtic festival known as Samhain, which was held on November 1 in contemporary calendars. 

It was believed that, on that day, the souls of the dead returned to their homes, so people dressed in costumes and lit bonfires to ward off spirits.

Over the years, particularly in the United States, this holiday is an excuse for children or even grown adults to dress up in scary costumes, not to ward off spirits but just for fun.

If you are not a fan of costumes and are looking for another way to celebrate the spooky season, or if you are just a lover of scary movies, here are a few you can watch.

1. The Witch – October 1

Streaming platform: HBO Max

Synopsis: A banished Puritan family sets up a farm by the edge of a huge remote forest where they are haunted by sinister forces.

Cast: Anya Taylor-Joy, Ralph Ineson, Kate Dickie, Julian Richings and Harvey Scrimshaw.

2. Mr. Harrigan’s Phone – October 5

Streaming platform: Netflix

Synopsis: Craig forms a relationship with an elderly man named Mr. Harrington who dies at the beginning of the film. After his death Craig discovers that he can still communicate with Harrington through his old cellphone.

But, as he continues to use the phone to ask his deceased friend for advice, he finds himself influenced and haunted by the phone.

Cast: Donald Sutherland, Jaeden Martell, Kirby Howell-Baptiste and Joe Tippett.

3. Hellraiser – October 7

Streaming platform: Hulu

Synopsis: A young woman discovers that the mysterious death of her brother was linked to an enigmatic puzzle box that holds a supernatural force. She then tries to confront the force and avenge her brother’s death.

Cast: Odessa A’zion, Jamie Clayton, Adam Faison, Drew Starkey and Brandon Flynn.

4. Grimcutty – October 10

Streaming platform: Hulu

Synopsis: An internet meme called Grimcutty targets young children, causing them to harm themselves and others.

When a teen girl becomes his next target her parents do not believe her, thinking she is pretending for attention. She is then forced to learn to defeat him on her own.

Cast: Sara Wolfkind, Shannyn Sossamon, Usman Ally and Callan Farris. 

5. The Curse of Bridge Hollow – October 14

Streaming platform: Netflix

Synopsis: After a mysterious spirit causes Halloween decorations to come alive and cause chaos, a man and his daughter go on a quest to save the town.

Cast: Marlon Wayans, Priah Ferguson, Rob Riggle, John Michael Higgins, Nia Vardalos and Lauren Lapkus, 

6. Halloween Ends – October 14

Streaming platform: HBO Max

Synopsis: Four years after her last encounter with masked killer Michael Myers, Laurie Strode is living with her granddaughter and trying to finish her memoir. 

However, when a man is accused of killing a child he was babysitting she is forced out of retirement because the incident ignites a cascade of violence and terror that forces her to confront the evil she can’t control.

Cast: Jamie Lee Curtis, Laurie Strode, Kyle Richards, Lindsey Wallace and Andi Matichak.

7. The School for Good and Evil – October 21

Streaming platform: Disney Plus

Synopsis: Two best friend find themselves on opposing sides in an enchanted school that balances the forces of good and evil. They are then forced to face off against each other in an epic battle.

Cast: Sophia Anne Caruso, Sofia Wylie, Laurence Fishburne, Michelle Yeoh, Jamie Flatters and Kerry Washington.

8. Matriarch – October 21

Streaming platform: Hulu

Synopsis: Afflicted with a mysterious disease after surviving an overdose, a woman returns to her childhood home to confront her personal demons but instead discovers a real one.

Cast: Jemima Rooper, Kate Dickie, Sarah Paul and Simon Meacock.

9. Smile

Streaming platform: Available in theaters now

Synopsis: After witnessing the suicide of a patient, a doctor finds herself possessed by an evil spirit.

As an overwhelming terror begins taking over her life, Rose must confront her troubling past in order to survive and escape her horrifying new reality.

Cast: Sosie Bacon, Jessie T. Usher, Kyle Gallner, Caitlin Stasey and Robin Weigert.

10. Choose or die

Streaming platform: Netflix

Synopsis: A broke college student  plays an obscure 1980s survival computer game in pursuit of an unclaimed $100,000 prize.

After a series of unexpectedly terrifying moments, she soon realizes she’s no longer playing for the money, but for her own life.

Cast:  Iola Evans, Asa Butterfield, Robert Englund, Angela Griffin and Ryan Gage.