31 Nights, 31 Screams: Polygon’s Halloween Countdown — A Nightly Guide to Must‑Watch Horror to Stream
Halloween season is back, and Polygon has returned with its annual Halloween Countdown: a 31-day series of staff-picked horror recommendations for every night in October. For the fifth year in a row, the list covers movies, TV episodes, shorts, and online oddities — each entry is easy to stream at home and dated by day so you can plan your scares.
- Overview
- Oct 1 — Doctor X / Mad Love
- Oct 2 — This House Has People In It
- Oct 3 — The Collector
- Oct 5 — Heck
- Oct 6 — Re-Animator
- Oct 8 — Frankenweenie
- Oct 21 — The Trapper
- Oct 26 — Late Night with the Devil
Overview
Polygon’s Halloween Countdown runs every day in October with a new pick. There are 31 entries, and the series includes classics, recent releases, TV episodes, animated features, YouTube short-form horror, and experimental pieces. Each recommendation lists where to find the title, and staff writers explain why it fits the season.
Oct 1 — Doctor X / Mad Love
Doctor X (1932) and Mad Love (1935)
The Oct. 1 recommendation pairs two early non-Universal mad-scientist horror films. Both films date to the 1930s and explore characters whose experiments cross ethical lines. Polygon notes the pair as a thematic double feature for fans of gothic and mad-science stories.
Oct 2 — This House Has People In It
Adult Swim Infomercials short (2015)
This House Has People In It is a 2015 entry in Adult Swim’s Infomercials series. The short is presented as CCTV footage from inside a suburban home and follows a family through an unsettling, ordinary day. The format and presentation place it among late-night experimental broadcast pieces.
For background on Adult Swim’s Infomercials series, see this Adult Swim fandom page.
Oct 3 — The Collector
The Collector (2009)
The Collector follows a former convict who breaks into a house to rob it and finds the occupants already terrorized by a masked psychopath and elaborate traps. The film’s original script title was The Midnight Man. At one point, producers considered linking it to the Saw franchise, but that plan was not pursued.
For the development note about Saw interest, see this Bloody Disgusting article.
Oct 5 — Heck
Bitesized Nightmares short (YouTube)
Heck is a roughly 30-minute lo-fi horror short from Kyle Edward Ball’s Bitesized Nightmares. It predates some recent low-budget horror trends and uses locked-off shots, liminal spaces, and ASMR-style narration for an unsettling effect. The short is available on Ball’s YouTube channel.
https://www.youtube.com/c/BitesizedNightmares
Oct 6 — Re-Animator
Re-Animator (1985)
Re-Animator marked director Stuart Gordon’s feature debut. Based on H.P. Lovecraft’s “Herbert West — Reanimator,” the film follows a medical student whose serum reanimates the dead with violent results. The film is noted for its special effects and black-comedy tone.
Oct 8 — Frankenweenie
Frankenweenie (2012) — Tim Burton
Tim Burton directed a 2012 stop-motion feature that expands his 1984 live-action short of the same name. The feature is shot in black and white and adapts the Frankenstein story with a child protagonist who revives his dog. The original live-action short is available on Disney+ in some regions.
Watch the 1984 short on Disney+ where available.
Oct 21 — The Trapper
Short fan film inspired by Dead by Daylight
The Trapper is a fan-made short that pays tribute to Dead by Daylight’s Killer called The Trapper. The short is a community-produced piece released on YouTube and reflects the game’s asymmetrical horror premise: one Killer versus four Survivors in a purgatory controlled by an entity.
Oct 26 — Late Night with the Devil
Late Night with the Devil (2024)
Late Night with the Devil is a 2024 found-footage-style film by Colin and Cameron Cairnes. The movie frames a 1977 late-night talk-show broadcast and backstage recordings, centering on a host who invited a medium, a magician, and a possibly possessed girl to a live broadcast. The film mixes documentary-style setup with a real-time narrative.
Across the month, Polygon’s staff offer context such as production years, creators, and where to stream each pick. If you want the full daily calendar, check Polygon directly for the complete list and daily links. Meanwhile, these highlights show the mix of classic and modern horror the Countdown includes.
