The onset of October initiates an almost Pavlovian desire in me to binge-watch horror movies. This is not to say that I don't already watch them in my normal every day life. I do. It just seems so much more imperative to get a good scare in when Halloween is on the horizon, especially since I've gotten into the habit of not doing much else to practice the holiday even though I theoretically love it—which will probably change as soon as my daughter is old enough to trick-or-treat. (People still do that, even in this age of paranoia and fear, right?)

So how do I decide what exactly to watch? I don't have any traditions, i.e., films I watch religiously every Halloween, although I've got some favorites; Aliens, Event Horizon, Get Out, Cabin in the Woods, The Descent, The Shining, and Let the Right One In (the Swedish original) among them. I do like finding new films. New scares. And there are a lot of new (and new to me) horror films on Netflix right now—and maybe some of them are new to you, too. I have some suggestions on where to start.

The Boy (2016)
I finished this one last night, and am still thinking about it. On its face, it's about a woman (The Walking Dead's Lauren Cohan) who's hired as a nanny to take care of a possibly possessed doll. The creepiness is well-layered, from the not-quite-blank-eyed stare of Brahms, the doll-boy, to the castle-like English country house where the film is set. But it takes a pretty unexpected turn, that, in hindsight, should have been expected, and this turn transforms it from a decent horror film into a great one.

The Conjuring (2013)
If you see Patrick Wilson leading the cast of a horror film, you can probably count on some freaky ass shit going down (see: Insidious). This one is set in the '70s, is "based on a true story" ala The Amityville Horror, and inspired by the same paranormal investigations of real life couple Ed and Lorraine Warren (played by Wilson and Vera Farmiga). Here, they're called upon to help a family experiencing increasingly aggressive disturbances by a dark presence in their secluded Rhode Island farmhouse. The Conjuring has a creepy-as-fuck doll in it, too, but it's used to build the tension, as opposed to being the sole cause of it. (Here's the original review we ran upon its release.)

Hush (2016)
A thrilling slasher flick whose heroine is deaf, but far from helpless. Had me on the edge of my seat from the moment the blank-faced killer makes his first appearance.

Life After Beth (2014)
How would you feel if your girlfriend or boyfriend died... and then mysteriously came back to life as you're still in the process of mourning them? What happens when your happiness at their return transforms into dismay, then a living nightmare with humorous effects? This is one of my all-time favorite horror comedies/zombie films, and Aubrey Plaza is pretty stellar as the protagonist's dead-not-dead girlfriend.

The Bad Batch (2017)
This isn't so much horror as horrifying, in the way that cannibalism always is. It's also a love story, sort of. Sean's thoughtful piece about this film—one part review, one part conversation with the director—will tell you more, but suffice to say that there's not much typical about this flick and it's worthy of the time you put into it.

I have two more films for your radar that are both of the love it or hate it variety, and thus come with disclaimers: The Babadook has a most freakish monster situation, some pretty great special effects, but an ending that leaves you wanting. Same goes for It Follows, which has a 97 percent rating on Rotten Tomatoes (the site's rec is why we watched it), but has too much slut shaming and plot holes for my taste. Also, as with The Babadook, the ending kinda sucks... Both are entertaining enough to be recommended, however, and maybe you'll feel differently than I about them.

I will be cycling through a bunch more horror films in the coming weeks, including a few Netflix originals that I feel kinda dubious about, but am curious enough to at least start (Before I Wake, starring Kate Bosworth, about a foster child whose dreams—and nightmares—become reality; and Delirium, which has Topher Grace playing a man recently released from a mental institution who's inherited a mansion that might be haunted—or he might just be crazy). Also on my list: Veronica, Cargo, The Unborn, The Vault, XX, 6 Souls, The Void, Stephanie, The Ritual, and The Nightmare. I'll report back here if any of these (or some other fear-inducing film discovery) warrants a mention.