As Halloween approaches, New York City's cinemas are offering a broad array of horror and cult film screenings, catering to fans of the season’s traditional scares as well as those interested in alternative or classic selections. Across Manhattan, Brooklyn, Queens, and Staten Island, venues large and small are programming an eclectic mix of movies that span decades and styles, from new releases to restored classics.
Alamo Drafthouse, a dine-in theater chain with locations in Manhattan’s Financial District, Downtown Brooklyn, and Staten Island, features a lineup highlighting cult favorites and horror staples, including screenings of “Halloween” on October 31 and “House of 1,000 Corpses” earlier in the week. The Manhattan location additionally hosts a revived version of Kim’s Video, a nod to the city’s cinema heritage.
At Anthology Film Archives in Manhattan’s East Village, renowned for its avant-garde and experimental film programming, Halloween-themed showings include Troma Entertainment’s cult titles such as “Toxic Avenger” and “Class of Nuke ’Em High” through November 1. The archive also screens classics like the 1928 silent film “The Fall of the House of Usher” as part of its Essential Cinema series.
The Brooklyn Academy of Music (BAM) presents ongoing showings of “Ken Russell’s The Devils” alongside screenings of “The Texas Chain Saw Massacre” on select dates. BAM uses multiple spaces within its Fort Greene complex to balance new releases with specialized retrospectives.
Film Forum on West Houston Street continues its tradition of extensive retrospectives and family-friendly programming, with recent screenings including “Corpse Bride” and the animated film “Coco.”
Greenwich Village’s IFC Center offers a diverse schedule, including “Ken Russell’s The Devils,” “Hellraiser,” and the Japanese horror “Ju-On: The Grudge,” reflecting its engagement with genre films.
Queens’ Low Cinema, a smaller 42-seat venue in Ridgewood co-founded by filmmaker John Wilson, showcases a mixture of genre favorites such as “Leprechaun 2,” “Orphan,” and “House on Haunted Hill,” often with multiple screenings over the holiday weekend.
Harlem’s Maysles Cinema, specializing in documentary films, features socially conscious works like “Black Zombie” during its seasonal programming.
The Lower East Side’s Metrograph, known for its curated retrospectives and upscale amenities, is offering screenings of horror classics such as “The Curse of Frankenstein,” “Rosemary’s Baby,” and “Bram Stoker’s Dracula” in the days surrounding Halloween.
The Museum of Modern Art in Midtown continues its long-standing film series with offerings like the 1976 thriller “Obsession” and the horror-comedy “Send Help.”
In Queens’ Astoria neighborhood, the Museum of the Moving Image screens a variety of horror films including “The Exorcist,” “American Werewolf in London,” and F.W. Murnau’s silent masterpiece “Nosferatu,” often accompanied by live piano performances.
Nitehawk Cinema operates two Brooklyn locations, Prospect Park and Williamsburg, each hosting a slate of genre films such as “Ginger Snaps,” “Halloween,” and “The Blair Witch Project,” some paired with live scores or special events.
Quad Cinema in Greenwich Village reopens its renovated four-screen space with screenings of “Prince of Darkness” and a shadowcast performance of “The Rocky Horror Picture Show.”
Roxy Cinema New York, located in Lower Manhattan, continues to offer nostalgia-infused screenings of horror classics on 35-millimeter film, including titles like “Suspiria” (1977), “The Texas Chain Saw Massacre,” and “Ganja & Hess,” often complemented by modern sound technology.
In Brooklyn, Spectacle Theater in Williamsburg presents an eclectic mix of obscure horror and martial arts films, while Syndicated, a Bushwick venue combining dining with film programming, screens Asian horror favorites such as “Kwaidan,” “Ringu,” and “Ju-On: The Grudge,” alongside cult thrillers like “The Exorcist” and “The Strangers.”
Together, these venues reflect a robust celebration of horror cinema in various forms, appealing to a wide audience ranging from dedicated cinephiles to casual moviegoers seeking seasonal thrills throughout the city.