All the best and scariest horror film screenings, movie marathons and live events happening in London throughout October 2016 until Halloween night.

To some people, Halloween isn’t just about one night at the end of October. Oh no, for us ghouls and creepos it’s about making the entire hell-damned month as spooky as possible.

With that in mind, we’ve pulled together an extensive list of all the very best horror film related live events, one-off screenings and movie marathons happening in London during October. Including live dates with John Carpenter and Fabio Frizzi, teen horror pyjama parties, Stranger Things themed quizzes and our pick of the best horror films showing during the London Film Festival.

For a more up-to-date guide, check out the best London film events in November 2016.

Jump to a section:

Horror movies screenings

Horror movie marathons

Live horror events

Horror movies showing at BFI London Film Festival 2016

Horror movies on general release

Horror movie screenings:

Playing for one night only are these horror classics in and around London. Some of them are outdoors, and during one of them there may be a high risk of being eaten alive.

The Blair Witch Project [Sunday 23rd October 6:30pm] Nomad, Hoxton.

Two things to be glad about here: it’s not in a wood and it’s not the very divisive Blair Witch remake. Anyone stood facing the corner the whole way through will be asked to leave. Tickets: Nomad

Psycho & Psycho II Double Feature [Tuesday 25th October 6:30pm] Prince Charles Cinema.

Come for the Hitchcock classic Psycho, stay because you haven’t seen the sequel before and you’ve got nothing else to do tonight. Tickets: Prince Charles Cinema.

The Shining [Friday 28th October 8pm] Rivoli Ballroom, Crofton Park.

Watch The Shining in a perfect location, second only to watching it in the actual Overlook Hotel itself. Or the toilets in Ikea. (Sorry, they look just like the toilets in the Overlook Hotel. Well the ones in Ikea in Edmonton do. Anyway, what were we talking about?) Tickets: Rivoli Ballroom

The Exorcist III [Friday 28th October 9pm] Prince Charles Cinema.

PCC are doing a run of scary sequels that are… if not as good as the original… at least not as unwatchable as Exorcist II: The Heretic. Tickets: Prince Charles Cinema

Science Fiction Double Feature Picture Show [Saturday 29th October 2016 18:00] BFI Southbank

Watch The Rocky Horror Picture Show and its quasi-sequel Shock Treatment on the Southbank. Live performers will shadow the on-screen action and the cast of Shock Treatment will be attending for a Q&A. First question: “Wait, there’s a sequel to Rocky Horror Picture Show?” Tickets: BFI Southbank

They Live [Saturday 29 October 2016 8:55pm] BFI Southbank

You’ve come to the BFI to kick ass and chew bubblegum, both of which are definitely not allowed in the BFI. Tickets: BFI Southbank

Werewolf Double Bill [Saturday 29 October 2016 7pm] Picture House Central

There are very few actual good werewolf movies, but the two best (and funniest) ones are showing tonight at PHC: An American Werewolf In London and What We Do In The Shadows. Tickets: Picture House Central

Little Shop Of Horrors [Sunday 30th October 6:30pm] Nomad, Farmopolis

Watch a homicidal plant run amok while sat surrounded by rehomed bushes and shrubs from the Chelsea Flower Show. Develop a crick in your neck from constantly looking over your shoulder suspiciously. Tickets: Nomad

Blade [Monday 31st October 11:30am] BFI Southbank

As part of its Black Star season, BFI are showing the under-appreciated and groundbreaking Blade at 11:30am. So, Daywalkers only then. Tickets: BFI Southbank

The Mist [Monday 31st October 8pm] Science Fiction Theatre

Nah I’m fine thanks. Yeah, yeah, I’ve seen The Mist, it’s great… but uh… yeah… maybe I’ll just come for the first 118 minutes. Tickets: Science Fiction Theatre

Under The Shadow [Monday 31st October 8:30pm] The Lexi

A terrifying Iranian horror, for those who are sick of seeing Halloween every Halloween. Tickets: The Lexi

Halloween [Monday 31st October 9pm] Prince Charles Cinema

*Tugs collar, quietly moves on to the next section* Tickets: Prince Charles Cinema



Horror movie marathons:

How much can you endure? Double-bills are for wusses. For true horror fans, we demand nothing less than eight hours of pure eye-gouging terror.

FrightFest Halloween Special [Saturday 22nd October 10:30am] Prince Charles Cinema

This year’s Halloween all-dayer brought to you by the good people at FrightFest, will sell out very soon. If you’re lucky enough to get tickets, then prepare for six of the very latest and most gruelling soon-to-be horror classics, including the hyper violent Head Shot. Tickets: FrightFest.

All Night at the Electric Vol II: The Gore Tour [Saturday 29 October 2016 23:45pm] Electric Cinema, Portobello

Take an around the world tour of terror, from Japan to the Deep South via Australia and Italy, with an impressive collection of gory classics, including Blood Feast, Audition, Wolf Creek and Deep Red. Tickets: Electric Cinema, Portobello

Classic Horror All Nighter [Saturday 29 October 2016 8:45pm] Prince Charles Cinema

660 minutes of pure 70s & 80s terror, featuring Alien, Texas Chainsaw Massacre, Halloween, The Exorcist, The Shining, and A Nightmare on Elm Street. Tickets: Prince Charles Cinema

Teen Horror Pyjama Party [Saturday 29 October 2016 9pm] Prince Charles Cinema

660 minutes of slightly safer 90s terror, featuring The Craft, Scream, I Know What You Did Last Summer, Urban Legend, The Faculty and Final Destination. All the ‘grown ups’ will be next door, so this is where the real party’s happening. Tickets: Prince Charles Cinema

Live horror events:

For the more sociable spirits among you, here are some spooky live music events happening in October.

Night Call: Stranger Things Halloween Special [Friday 28th October 9pm] Hoxton Square Bar and Kitchen

Hoxton Square will be transformed into “a fog-hazed homage to Hawkins” for a night of Stranger Things inspired music and standing in a corner looking moody in sunglasses. Expect a lot of S U R V I V E and the rental of a smoke machine.Tickets: Facebook

Chills in the Chapel with Fabio Frizzi [Saturday 29th October 6:45pm] UNION CHAPEL

Fabio Frizzi is the legendary Italian composer behind many a classic Lucio Fulci gloop-fest. In the perfect surrounding of the Union Chapel, Frizzi will dust off his synthesiser and play some of his most terrifying soundtracks. Tickets: Union Chapel

Stranger Quiz: Horror Film Quiz [Sunday 30th October 8:30pm] Prince Charles Cinema

On Halloween Eve, Filmageddon present their monthly film quiz, and this October it’s a Stranger Things themed horror quiz. Expect prizes, games, costume competitions and the disappointment that 100 people in a room know more about Dario Argento than you. Tickets: Prince Charles Cinema

John Carpenter Live [October 31st & November 1st] The Troxy

What could be more Halloween than going to see John Carpenter performing all of his classic soundtracks as well as his original Lost Themes work on the night of Halloween itself? None more Halloween! Or maybe you’re going on November 1st, in which case you’re less likely to get murdered by The Shape. Tickets: John Carpenter website

Horror movies showing at BFI London Film Festival 2016:

London Film Festival takes up a solid 11 days of movie watching time between October 5th – 16th, but that doesn’t we have to stop watching horror movies. LFF2016 has some daringly spooky treats, most of which will be receiving their UK premieres.

Tickets available from the LFF website.

The Autopsy of Jane Doe [Thursday 13th October 9pm] Embankment Garden Cinema

The director of cult hit Troll Hunter returns with The Autopsy of Jane Doe, a morgue-set shocker that will have you screaming in the aisles.

Creepy [ Haymarket Cinema

J-Horror master Kiyoshi Kurosawa returns to the genre which made him a cult name with Creepy, his latest study in terror.

Dearest Sister [ Prince Charles Cinema

A rich woman in Laos finds that her encroaching blindness gives her strange and frightening visions, in Dearest Sister, a bold drama from emerging talent Mattie Do.

Into the Forest [Wednesday 5th October 8:50pm] BFI Southbank

Into the Forest centres on two young boys taking a nightmarish trip to their father’s cabin in the woods in this supernatural thriller from Gilles Marchand.

Lake Bodom [Friday 14th October 9pm] Prince Charles Cinema

A gang of Finnish teens recreate the infamous Lake Bodom crime scene in this unexpected riff on the campsite slashers of the 1980s.

The Noonday Witch [ CA Cinema

A single mother must protect her daughter from a mysterious spectral figure in The Noonday Witch, a modern retelling of an old Czech folk tale.

Phantasm: Remastered [ Picturehouse Central

Phantasm: Remastered is a brand new 4K restoration of the 1970s horror cult classic, brought to us by devoted superfan J.J. Abrams.

The Wailing [ Picturehouse Central

A policeman investigating a string of mysterious deaths in a sleepy Korean village finds himself facing an ancient, unimaginable evil.

The Void [ Picturehouse Central

Terror unfolds inside a deserted hospital in The Void, a nightmarish throwback to old-school creature features and practical monster FX.

Without Name [ Prince Charles Cinema

A land surveyor has an encounter with the uncanny in Lorcan Finnegan’s creepy and imaginative slice of modern rural gothic.

Horror movies on general release

On general release throughout the entire UK are the following horror movies. There are fewer than you’d expect. Unless you count that new Oasis documentary. Ho ho ho.

The Greasy Strangler [7th October]

In the hilarious and deeply depraved The Greasy Strangler, the nighttime LA streets are being stalked by a naked, homicidal pervert and only an oddball father and son duo know the true identity. British director Jim Hosking’s disco-tinged debut features exploded eyeballs, prosthetic genitals and vats of grease. John Waters would be proud.

Ouija 2: Origin of Evil [21st October]

Ignore the terrible first chapter of this wannabe horror franchise, as apparently its sequel Ouija 2: Origin of Evil is a vast improvement, thanks to talented horror director Mike Flanagan (Oculus and Hush). Also proof that Hollywood will never go broke making parents terrified of their own children.

Train to Busan [28th October]

The high concept plot of Train to Busan features South Korean commuters fighting off zombies on a high speed bullet train as the infection spreads just as fast outside. It was The Ape’s favourite horror film at the recent FrightFest 2016 thanks to copious face-eating.

Alternatively you could stay in all month and work your way through our list of 31 best horror films to watch this Halloween.

Summary Title: 33 best Halloween events & horror films showing in London, October 2016 Description: All the best and scariest horror film screenings, marathons and live events happening throughout October until Halloween night. Author: Christopher Ratcliff Brought to you by: Methods Unsound