Halloween falls on a Saturday this year, and Hollywood has mostly cleared out of its way. The only new wide release this weekend is a Christmas horror comedy, while the biggest Halloween draw on the big screen is a 30-year-old slasher coming back to theaters. If you are planning a Friday night out — or a night in — here is what is actually playing from October 30 to November 1.
The short version: go to the theater for Scream, stay home for a new crime drama, or split the difference with a Christmas movie that is deliberately, gleefully wrong for the season.
In theaters: Scream is back, 30 years on
Paramount is bringing Wes Craven’s original Scream back to select theaters on Friday, October 30, for its 30th anniversary, according to Shortlist’s Halloween weekend guide. Kevin Williamson’s script, Neve Campbell as Sidney Prescott, and Drew Barrymore answering the phone in one of the most famous cold opens in horror history — rated R, 111 minutes, and still the smartest slasher ever made.
At home, Scream streams on Paramount+, Hulu and Peacock, according to JustWatch cited by Shortlist, and it joins HBO Max on November 1.
The only new wide release: Christmas at the Kringles
The frame is unusually quiet for studio releases, Boxoffice Pro noted, and the only new wide release is Christmas at the Kringles, an R-rated horror comedy from Briarcliff Entertainment. A Christmas movie opening on Halloween weekend is a deliberate joke in itself — and for audiences who have already seen every classic slasher, a horror comedy is a lighter way to spend the night.
Also opening or expanding this weekend: Everest: The Other Side (PG-13, Disney and National Geographic) in select theaters and IMAX, from the directors of Free Solo; Netflix’s The Mosquito Bowl (R) in select theaters; Liam Neeson’s The Mongoose (R); and Wicker (R) expanding nationwide.
At home: Apple TV’s Nocturne leads the weekend
The strongest new streaming bet of the weekend is Nocturne on Apple TV, which drops Friday. Liev Schreiber plays homicide detective Jonah Lynn, Zazie Beetz plays his protégé Saga Bauer, and Stephen Graham plays serial killer Jurek Walter, in an adaptation of Lars Kepler’s novels The Sandman and Lazarus. Tim Van Patten directs the first two episodes, with new episodes weekly through December 25.
It is a crime drama rather than a Halloween movie, but its serial-killer premise fits the weekend’s mood — and a weekly release means it will carry you well past Halloween itself.
What to pick
If you want the classic Halloween night out, Scream in a theater is the obvious choice. If you want something new and loud, Christmas at the Kringles is the only wide option. And if you would rather stay on the couch, Nocturne is the weekend’s most substantial new series. Check local listings first — the Scream re-release is in select theaters, not everywhere.
Key takeaways
- Scream (1996) returns to select theaters Friday, October 30, for its 30th anniversary (R, 111 minutes).
- Only new wide release: Christmas at the Kringles (R, Briarcliff), a horror comedy.
- Also out: Everest: The Other Side (PG-13, select theaters and IMAX), The Mosquito Bowl (select theaters), The Mongoose, and Wicker expanding nationwide.
- Streaming: Apple TV’s Nocturne premieres Friday, with Liev Schreiber, Zazie Beetz and Stephen Graham; new episodes weekly through December 25.
- At home, Scream streams on Paramount+, Hulu and Peacock, and joins HBO Max on November 1.
Bottom line: This Halloween weekend is less about new blockbusters and more about revisiting a classic — and Scream at 30 is still the scariest, smartest ticket in town.
