There are ghosts in this email
Referential's media diet for Halloween
If you’ve been following along the last few weeks, I’ve been very focused on horror content, whether with this spooky story collection or this steamy gay thriller. I’m also very deep inside my novel about a celebrity ghost hunting reality TV show and excited to wrap up this revision in the next week or so.
Ahead of the upcoming holiday, I wanted to drop in with a guide for your Halloween horror movie viewing and reading. Instead of recommending all my favorites again (Death Proof, Candyman, etc.), I wanted to learn about some other haunted media from a handful of very spooky writers.
Referential’s Halloween Recommendations
The Wailing: Murders, exorcisms, ghosts and demons—this movie has it all. The Wailing begins with an inept and cowardly cop investigating a string of small town murders as the circumstances around the killings become increasingly bizarre. Horror and comedy have always been linked, but this is one of the few movies I’ve found that succeeds at both without sacrificing levity for scares, or true scares for humor. Some might argue that this movie has too many twists, but I was delighted in its capacity to surprise me, and to change the stakes of the conflict multiple times. It’s a long movie that doesn’t feel bogged down by its runtime, and infinitely rewatchable.
—Puloma Ghosh, author of Mouth
House of Beth by Kerry Cullen: There is a ghost in Kerry Cullen’s brilliantly creepy debut, but the scariest scenes are literally all in the head of Cassie, the protagonist, who grapples with violent ideations from her harm OCD. Cullen—whose lived experience with OCD informed House of Beth—writes about Cassie’s struggles with care and sensitivity, bringing a fresh poignancy to this gothic tale.
—Lena Valencia, author of Mystery Lights
This House Has People in It: I’m endlessly fascinated by the haunted house and its world of metaphor. This House Has People In It was my introduction to the way living people can haunt a space, too. This surveillance-style film is a chaotic interpretation of neglect and—if you love a rabbit hole the way I do—there’s a whole world of evil lurking below the surface.
—McLeod Logue, poet
Through the Woods by E.M. Carroll: The woods you’ll find in E.M. Carroll’s collection of creepy graphic short stories are populated by hungry wolves, mysterious beasts, a grinning man in a wide-brimmed hat, and a murdered brother who won’t stay dead. The illustrations are beautiful, stark, and delightfully eerie. This is my go-to reread every October.
—Rebecca Turkewitz, author of Here in the Night
Root Rot by Saskia Nislow: Saskia Nislow’s novella, Root Rot, is the brain burning love child of Shirley Jackson and Jeff Vandermeer, a fusion of the queer haunted house narrative and New Weird reality twisting. Nislow writes gorgeous, haunting prose with a collective voice whose undoing is genuinely terrifying.
—Nic Anstett, writer
Looking for something else to read? Check out Referential’s books of 2025 so far.
Reference Section
If you are so inclined, you can read some thoughts of mine on Candyman in my column for No Contact, both here and here. You can also listen along to my novel revision process with this Philip Glass track.
Here’s a Cinemacabre guide for your slasher movie marathon.
Also, I kind of can’t believe this trailer:
Note: I earn a small commission when you shop for books through my Bookshop links, and I appreciate your support, which helps keep Referential free.