Press play...If you dare: Breaking down horror movies for Halloween

For thrill-seekers, horror films can offer a safe outlet to feel fear and the chance share a scare with friends. Horror is enjoying a renaissance on-screen. It’s the fastest-rising genre right now, with Gen Z audiences among the most dedicated of fans.

But whether you’re a mega fan or occasional viewer, not all content will feel right for you. Different types of horror can affect people in different ways. What’s considered scary often comes down to personal taste and experience. When we asked our Youth Advisory Panel for their feelings on the genre, opinions varied person-to-person about which elements had a bigger effect on them. You might be fine with slashers but draw the line at the supernatural. Sometimes humour can offset the tension. Or maybe the more realistic, the scarier it is for you.

When I watched the movie Backrooms (2026) with my sister, I was scared most by the flickering lights and liminal spaces. For her, it was the ‘uncanny valley’ monsters.

Deciding what to watch

When deciding what to watch, content warnings are your friend! Look out for warnings like supernatural themes, horror, or content that may disturb. Labels help you navigate your limits and gauge how intense the horror will be. For example, you can expect much stronger content from an 18 warning for content that may disturb than a 13 carrying the same. On the other end, ‘scary scenes’ is more likely found on low-level horror aimed at younger audiences.

On our Find a Rating tool, we break down content rated by our office as well as content self-rated by streaming providers – particularly those that are high profile or appeal to younger audiences.

We’ve rounded up some recent and popular horror movies and shows to help you decide what you may want to watch (or avoid) this Halloween.

Note: All the films listed are rated or self-rated M or higher. Some also carry legal age-restrictions. For more tamariki-appropriate scares, check out our blogs Something new to watch for Halloween and 13 Spooky Films for Halloween.

More information about labels and content warnings is available on our website.

Movies

TV Shows

True Crime

Backrooms

M | Violence and offensive language

Two people who discover a place beyond a furniture showroom – and seemingly beyond our known reality.

Content breakdown: Backrooms | Age rating and content warnings | Classification Office

The Last House

16 | Horror and violence

A family of four is suddenly sealed inside their house with no way out. They must work together to survive against both their dwindling resources and the mysterious, looming threat that is keeping them trapped.

Content breakdown: The Last House | Age Rating and Content Warnings | Classification Office

The Devil’s Mouth

R13 | Horror scenes

A survival thriller where five college friends are trapped in an underwater cave system with a bull shark.

Content breakdown: The Devil's Mouth | Age rating and content warnings | Classification Office

Other Mommy

R16 | Graphic violence, horror, and gore

Amid her parents’ strained relationship, a young girl befriends a sinister entity whom she calls “Other Mommy”. Initially comforting, the entity becomes increasingly monstrous and violent.

Content breakdown: Other Mommy | Age rating and content warnings | Classification Office

Obsession

R16 | Violence, horror, sex scenes, offensive language, suicide, and content that may disturb

After breaking the mysterious “One Wish Willow” to win his crush’s heart, a hopeless romantic finds himself getting exactly what he asked for in this horror film. Wishing she'd love him more than anyone in the whole world, he soon discovers that some desires come at a dark, sinister price.

Content breakdown: Obsession | Age rating and content warnings | Classification Office

28 Years Later: The Bone Temple

R16 | Graphic violence, cruelty, offensive language, and nudity

Post-apocalyptic horror series centred on the “rage virus” which turns infested humans into zombie killers. The most recent instalment follows a cult-like group who travel the country mercilessly torturing survivors of ‘the infected’. Dr Kelson may have also found a cure.

Content breakdown: 28 Years Later: The Bone Temple | Age rating and content warnings | Classification Office

The Housemaid

R16 | Domestic violence, sexual violence, self-harm, wound detail, cruelty, and sex scenes

A young woman on parole lies her way into a housemaid position for a wealthy family. Soon after starting the job, she is subjected to cruelty and manipulation by the family.

Content breakdown: The Housemaid | Age rating and content warning | Classification Office

Weapons

R16 | Graphic violence, horror, and gore

When all but one child from the same class mysteriously vanish on the same night at exactly the same time, a community is left questioning who or what is behind their disappearance.

Content breakdown: Weapons | Age rating and content warnings | Classification Office

Scary Movie 6

R16 | Violence, offensive language, drug use, sex scenes, nudity, and sexual material

In this sixth instalment of the horror comedy franchise, a character’s daughter is attacked by a ghost-faced killer, pushing her to call on friends for help.

Content breakdown: Scary Movie 6 | Age rating and content warnings | Classification Office

The Conjuring: Last Rites

R16 | Horror, violence, and suicide

A shared universe centres around supernatural horror films. The most recent film, The Conjuring: Last Rites follows Paranormal investigates Ed and Lorraine Warren face one final chilling case, confronting dark and mysterious entities.

Content breakdown: The Conjuring: Last Rites | Age Rating and Content Warning | Classification Office

Widow’s Bay

13 | Content that may disturb, drug use, domestic violence, offensive language, sexual references, suicide, sexual violence themes, and violence

A horror-comedy about a mayor who is trying to boost tourism on his island, despite the fact it might legitimately be cursed.

Content breakdown: Widow’s Bay | Age Rating and Content Warning | Classification Office

The Boroughs

13 | Horror, offensive language, and violence

A grieving widower reluctantly moves to a retirement community where he discovers things are not as picturesque as they first seem. He teams up with his neighbours to solve an otherworldly mystery that is threatening their sanity and lives.

Content breakdown: The Boroughs | Age rating and content warnings | Classification Office

American Horror Story: 13

16 | Violence, horror, offensive language, and content that may disturb

The thirteenth season of the horror series American Horror Story follows Ben DeSoto, a hospice caretaker suffering from a phobia of the number 13, who takes a strange job at The Apollyon, an eerie residential building inhabited by characters from seasons past.

Content breakdown: American Horror Story, Season 13 | Age Rating and Content Warnings | Classification Office

Carrie

16 | Bullying, suicide, domestic violence, violence, and offensive language

After her father’s sudden death, Carrie finds herself battling the challenges of attending high school, a bullying scandal, and the emergence of mysterious telekinetic powers. A new reimagining of the Stephen King story.

Content breakdown: Carrie | Age Rating and Content Warnings | Classification Office

Below

18 | Horror

With his family caught in the middle and the future of their struggling Newfoundland community already uncertain, Calvin Penney must confront both the danger emerging from the ocean and the secrets that have remained for generations.

Content breakdown: Below | Age Rating and Content Warning | Classification Office

Monster: The Lizzie Borden Story

18 | Graphic violence, sex scenes, sexual violence, and offensive language

Fourth season of the true-crime Monster anthology. This instalment follows Lizzie Borden, a woman accused of murdering her father and stepmother.

Content breakdown: Monster: The Lizzie Borden Story | Age rating and content warnings | Classification Office

Fiction isn’t the only place viewers encounter unsettling content. Prevalent across streaming services and enjoys a large community fandom, True Crime often taps into the classic horror tropes like spooky settings or eerie music and sound effects. Some of our recent True Crime content breakdowns include:

The Idaho Murders: College Nightmare

13 | Offensive language, content that may disturb, and violence

A 911 call leads to the discovery of a gruesome quadruple murder in a quaint college town in Idaho. A three-part documentary featuring interviews with the victims’ family and friends and bodycam footage.

Content breakdown: The Idaho Murders: College Nightmare | Age rating and content warnings | Classification Office

Death of the Pastor’s Wife

16 | Sexual violence themes, content that may disturb, and domestic violence

A three-part true-crime documentary investigating the promising life, toxic marriage, and mysterious death of Mica Miller.

Content breakdown: Death of the Pastor’s Wife | Age Rating and Content Warnings | Classification Office

My Grandfather Charles Manson

16 | Offensive language, content that may disturb, drug references, and sexual violence themes

After her father learns he is the son of the murder cult leader Charles Manson, Sophia Maddox goes on a quest to find out what it means to be related to an infamous criminal.

Content breakdown: Death of the Pastor’s Wife | Age Rating and Content Warnings | Classification Office

Further reading

• Why are ratings and content warnings important for me and my whānau? | Classification Office
• The Conjuring changed me: When sleepovers go bad, a first person experience. | Classification Office
• Through the Ages: Tim Burton Films | Blog | Classification Office
• Learn and Watch, don’t Watch and Learn – ‘Find a Rating’ Tool | Blog | Classification Office