Insights / Opinion / Oh My Gourd: Netflix Horror Originals Top Halloween Charts
Opinion / 30th October 2024
Happy Halloween! It’s time to trick or treat yourself…to more scary movies.
Horror films and shows reign supreme during the month of October at Netflix. Programming in the genre led the Top 5 monthly streaming charts in 2021-2023. Viewing time percentages increased on average from 9% to 13% during the month in the UK. In the U.S., where scary content viewing hours eclipse the UK’s nearly year-round, they increased from 11% to 14%.
High-profile Netflix Originals were at the top of these Hallow-tober charts. And it wasn’t just thrills and chills that drove consumer demand: Well-timed themed content slates directed viewership when the category was at its most popular.
The trends are clear. Capitalizing on seasonal data and timing promotional efforts accordingly are key to taking full advantage of this genre-heavy period.
Early marketing is becoming critical to a successful Halloween season. In September 2022, Netflix released the high-profile true crime drama Monsters: The Jeffrey Dahmer Story; shortly after, the original docuseries Conversations with a Killer: The Jeffrey Dahmer Tapes emerged. True crime inspires both scripted and unscripted for Netflix and continues to emerge as a genre to watch. Both titles made the October Top 5 in the UK and U.S.
In 2021, dystopic thriller Squid Game was also released in September. Over several weeks, it gained enough popularity and traction to make it October’s #1 on Netflix in both the U.S. and UK, expanding what we define as Halloween Horror in the process.
The glass bridge gave plenty of Squid Game fans October nightmares. But classic horror-themed original content also rose to #1 at Netflix during the scary season. The Fall of the House of Usher and The Watcher (in 2023 and 2022 respectively) were leaders at the streamer in the U.S and UK.
Crime thrillers have cross-continent autumnal appeal as well. The Reptile charted in both the U.S. (#2) and U.K. (#5) in 2023. In 2022, Monsters and Luckiest Girl Alive were equally as popular in both countries, at #2 and #3 respectively.
Source: Digital i viewing estimates based on actual account viewing from a representative panel of streaming homes.
Other titles with more broadly harrowing themes gained in popularity over the same period. Notably, original content about trauma recovery (Maid) and sociopaths (You) made it into the Top 5 in 2021.
Some of the best horror movies contain elements of comedy, so it’s no surprise to see humor finish strong in the October Top 5s. The Dave Chapelle comedy special The Closer in the U.S. and Sex Education in the UK kept subscribers laughing while crying (from fright!).
In spooky times like these, Digital i brings critical analysis and insight to our seasonal streaming data. It is crucial to match cyclical trends when customizing holiday content slates, and we have over 20 years of experience scrutinizing granular information within a larger context to give our clients the information they need.
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