WIKIPEDIA: Dark Harvest is a 2023 American fantasy horror film directed by David Slade and written by Michael Gilio, loosely based on the 2006 novel of the same name by Norman Partridge. It stars Casey Likes, E'myri Crutchfield, Dustin Ceithamer, Elizabeth Reaser, and Jeremy Davies.
IMDb SYNOPSIS: In a small Midwestern town, a deadly annual ritual unfolds when the mythical nightmare, Sawtooth Jack, rises from the cornfields and challenges the town’s teenage boys in a bloody battle of survival.
STORYLINE: Every fall in a small Midwestern town, a supernatural specter named "Sawtooth Jack" arises from the cornfields and approaches the town's church, where violent gangs of young boys hungrily await their chance to confront the legendary nightmare in an annual harvest rite of life and death. Richie Shepard lives in the shadow of his big brother who won last year's "October Prize" to get his ticket out of town. To prove himself and join his brother, Richie pairs up with restless dreamer Kelly Haines, who will do whatever it takes to escape this dead-end town. Against the rules and the odds, Richie and Kelly decide to hunt down the legendary nightmare to win the Run and their freedom, together.
RELEASE: It was theatrically released exclusively in select Alamo Drafthouse Cinema theaters for one day on October 11, 2023, before being released digitally on October 13. It was previously scheduled to be released on September 24, 2021, and September 9, 2022. There is no official DVD, Blu-ray or 4K UHD releases.
CRITIC RESPONSE: On the review aggregator website Rotten Tomatoes, 67% of 42 critics' reviews are positive, with an average rating of 6/10. The site's consensus reads: "The satisfyingly spooky Dark Harvest might have been scarier, but it wrings some stylish chills out of its intriguing premise". Metacritic assigned the film a weighted average score of 51 out of 100 based on four critics, indicating "mixed or average" reviews.
Horror anthologies have always been a Halloween staple. Whether you’re looking for bite-sized scares or interconnected tales dripping with autumn atmosphere, these films offer a grab-bag of tricks and treats. But, like any mixed bag of candy, some pieces are delicious while others feel more like a rock-hard Tootsie Roll left at the bottom of the pail. Here’s a rundown of the best, the mid and the worst Halloween horror anthology films to help you decide what’s worth streaming this spooky season.
The undisputed king of Halloween anthologies. From creepy kids to twisted urban legends, Michael Dougherty’s film captures the spirit of Halloween better than any other anthology. Sam, the iconic pumpkin-headed mascot, has earned his place among horror icons.
STANDOUT CHARACTER: Sam is the spirit of Halloween, aka Samhain, and enforcer of the 4 Rules of Halloween. 1. Always wear a costume, 2. Always hand out candy, 3. Never blow out a jack-o'-lantern before midnight, and 4. Always respect the dead.
George A. Romero and Stephen King gave us the blueprint with Creepshow. Lovingly inspired by EC Comics, the franchise balances horror and camp. The Shudder series continues the tradition, proving Creepshow is timeless.
HALLOWEEN SCENE: Lookout for a jack o lantern in the widow in Creepshow (1982). In the Creepshow series the 1st half of episode 3 season 1 is called "All Hallows Eve". There is also a Halloween Special titled "A Creepshow Animated Special" but their is no holiday related iconography.
More of a dark fairy tale vibe than pure Halloween, but still worth mentioning for anthology fans. Unofficially considered to be the real Creepshow Part 3 by horror fans and the filmmakers.
HALLOWEEN SCENE: In the final segment "Lover's Vow" their is a very short scene of the kids in costumes returning home from trick or treating where they hug their mother near the end of the film.
Ten short stories stitched together into one neighborhood of mayhem. From killer pumpkins to demonic trick-or-treaters, this one’s a love letter to Halloween night. It feels like wandering through a haunted suburb.
STANDOUT CHARACTER & SEGMENT: Every Halloween, a murderous spirit, dubbed "Sweet Tooth", roams the neighborhood looking for candy. Children are warned they have to leave some candy to share with the entity, or it will rip open their stomachs for the candy already eaten.
Equal parts horror anthology and meta-comedy. Scare Package pokes fun at horror clichés while still delivering gory fun. If you’re a hardcore horror fan, this one rewards you with in-jokes galore.
HALLOWEEN SEGMENT: "The Night He Came Back Again! Part IV: The Final Kill" is kind of like a comedic Halloween '78.
This Latin horror anthology is bold, inventive, and brimming with cultural flavor. It’s one of the freshest entries in recent years, showing the anthology format can still surprise.
HALLOWEEN SEGMENT: "El Vampiro" a clumsy vampire losing his way after a murder spree on Halloween Night.
A micro-budget gem that perfectly captures autumn vibes. More spooky fun than outright terrifying, it feels like watching lost Halloween specials you dug up on a VHS tape.
STANDOUT EPISODE: Episode 4 "They Live Inside Us" was remade into a full feature length Halloween horror film by the filmmakers.
Found-footage chaos at its finest. The V/H/S franchise has consistently delivered inventive, shocking, and terrifying shorts. The franchise is not always seasonal, but the upcoming V/H/S Halloween (2025) could finally give us the perfect Halloween edition.
HALLOWEEN SEGMENTS: V/H/S (2012) segment "10/31/98" involves a group of friends heading out to a Halloween party, but unknowingly stumble upon something terrifying. The "Slumber Party Alien Abduction" segment in V/H/S 2 (2013) was remade into the feature Halloween horror movie Kids Vs. Alien (2023).
"Raatma" is the name of a terrifying, grotesque half-human, half-rat monster featured in the "Storm Drain" segment of V/H/S/94 (2021). You see autumn leaves and people in coats. At the very end the female news anchor mentions it fall and she intros a story about a pumpkin festival then it ends with the best conclusion of all the V/H/S franchise segments. Hail Raatma 🐀! Watch below.
An experimental, dialogue-free anthology told entirely through visuals and atmosphere. It’s strange, haunting, and unlike any other Halloween film. A must-watch for horror fans looking for something unique.
BEST PARTS: This film does not shy away from blood and gore, it's fucking gruesome. The kills are not that original when you consider the subject but the effects are great. Plus creepy Halloween vibes.
An underrated relic of the VHS era. While a little rough around the edges, this anthology captures the campfire-storytelling spirit with a nostalgic charm. Horror hosted by Texas Chain Saw Massacre's Gunnar Hansen in the wraparound.
HALLOWEEN SEGMENT: "The Hook" is about a serial killer who doesn't have a hook but attacks a boyfriend and girlfriend on a Halloween night date with a gardening hand rake tool.
It also features a Christmas segment titled "The Fright Before Christmas," where an evil Santa Claus, dubbed "Satan Claus," punishes a greedy man on Christmas by ripping out his heart.
An indie series of Halloween shorts stitched together. They’re uneven but ambitious, often delivering creative DIY scares. Great for diehards who want quantity and don’t mind some rough production edges.
BEST SEGMENT & HALLOWEEN VIBES: 10/31 Part 2's segment "Overkill" is a clever and comedic story where several serial killers arrive to kill the same victim, Becky the Babysitter. There's funny dialogue between a BTK-type killer who trys to reason with a Voorhees/Myers hockey masked silent hulking killer.
Fantastic Halloween vibes and many horror throwbacks/homages with a synthwave score in most of the segments and trailers in the whole franchise!
The series that introduced Art the Clown. The first film is unsettling, with Art stealing the show. The sequels vary wildly in quality, with Trickster (2023) and Inferno (2024) leaning into over-the-top gore and mixed storytelling.
BEST PART: Art the Clown's feature film debut in All Hallows Eve (2013) and Steve "Uncle Creepy" Barton produced the last 2 films in the franchise.
The first All Hallows Eve (2013) film was spinned off into the Halloween (Parts 1 & 2) and Christmas (Part 3) Terrifier franchise.
A Halloween radio broadcast ties together various scary tales. The atmosphere is solid, it looks like Trick 'r Treat and/or Tales of Halloween, but the bad CGI effects and uneven execution hold it back. Think of it as a bag with a few fun-sized Snickers mixed in with stale candy corn.
STANDOUT CHARACTERS: Slipknot's Corey Taylor and Gremlins' Zach Galligan play radio DJs who host the stories in the wraparound. Look out for the Man Bat Demon in the sequel, also directed by Scott B. Hansen, called Devour (2025) which also features werewolves. Expected to be released in 2025.
Each segment tackles a different holiday, with Halloween represented in the mix. It’s uneven, but some shorts are sharp and twisted enough to make it worth sampling.
HALLOWEEN SEGMENT: The Kevin Smith directed the Halloween segment also called "Hallow Ian" or "Camhain" features camgirls who get revenge on their pimp Ian on Halloween night. This story could've taken place on any holiday or even day. Nothing about the story is related to Halloween, I don't even think it's a horror related story.
A psychiatrist interviews patients, leading to a series of short films. A neat framing device, but the quality swings from creepy to forgettable.
HALLOWEEN SEGMENT: "The Body" on Halloween, a killer uses the opportunity to dispose of a corpse in plain sight. There's an homage scene of three trick or treaters wearing Silver Shamrock Halloween III masks.
The segment was later turned into a feature length Halloween movie in Hulu's series of holiday films called "Into the Dark" Season 1/Episode 1 is also titled "The Body."
Despite the promising title the segments are weak with flat scares and poor pacing. But it’s Halloween vibes are terrific. Still, it’s worth a look for Halloween completists.
HALLOWEEN WRAPAROUND: The wraparound is an engaging story. I thought star Molly Gazay, as the character Liza, did a great job leading it along. Hopefully in the sequel we will see more of this story and have better segments. Also want to see more of Tiny!
Despite terrific Halloween window dressing, this anthology struggles with weak writing and amateur execution. More trick than treat. Good to see cameo appearances by horror scream queens Tuesday Knight (A Nightmare on Elm Street 4: The Dream Master), Beverly Randolph (The Return of the Living Dead), and Felissa Rose (Sleepaway Camp, Terrifier 2) has a funny line about camping.
BEST SEGMENT: The 3rd segment following the young man who witnesses a clown butcher his family and friends at his birthday party is a solid entry if you can look past the cringe acting and bad dialogue. I thought the ringmaster, played by Chris O'Brocki (Out There Halloween Mega Tape), and the wraparound were pretty good also. I love the pie in the face death in the end.
Marketed as a Halloween anthology but fails to deliver much of the orange & black holiday in the forgettable and bland segments. Though there is a badly made stopmotion animated Christmas segment.
BEST WRAPAROUND: The segments are devoid of the autumnal spirit but the wraparound is gloriously Halloweenish where three kid's trick-or-treat adventure brings them to the home of the local town legend "Scary Mary" who shares the six segments/stories of the film. It has a predictable ending but I just love it.
A Halloween-set anthology with a killer title and fantastic story, that all lines up in the end, but the audio and acting are the worst and only letdown. Feels more like a rough student project than a fully-formed film.
BEST CHARACTER: The final episode features a powerful return and performance of Baron Von Laugho the Clown, who first appeared in the horror anthology film Baron Von Laugho’s Halloween Spook-A-Thon followed by Baron Von Laugho’s Christmas Special. Played by producer, actor, and writer of the series Dylan R. Nix, he feels very much like a horror icon in the making.
Obscure and awkwardly stitched together. The camp factor might make it fun for so-bad-it’s-good viewing, but otherwise, it’s bottom of the apple dunking barrel.
HALLOWEEN SEGMENT: The fourth story is called, "Groovy Ghoulie Garage," where two friends find out the people of a town called Tower Springs take Halloween a little too seriously.
Three intertwining stories set on Halloween night. It’s atmospheric and ambitious for an indie, though the execution drags by the end which makes it feel like leftover candy no one wanted.
A big-screen revival of the classic series with segments from heavy-hitters like Spielberg, John Landis and George Miller. Iconic and essential for anthology history viewing.
Trick or treat isn’t enough for him – he runs amok across the streets on Halloween, egging houses, leaving burning bags of dog manure on the front porch; stealing bags from other kids; and single-handedly ruining the holiday for everyone he can – enjoying every minute of his mischief.
Then all the things that were make-believe began to become real and turn against him as a sort of cosmic punishment. There would have been a postbox lurching at him; a little girl in a witch’s costume suddenly growing into an ugly, full-sized witch lurching out to seize him.
The streets full of ‘REAL’ werewolves and patched-together Frankenstein Monsters and vampires, all stalking him in earnest. A doorknob attempting to BITE his hand when he tries to take refuge in his own house.
And ultimately, when he thinks he is safe in his own home, safe at last from the unexpected horrors which have transformed his neighborhood into a living hell, he catches a glimpse of his reflection in the hall mirror, and he sees Quasimodo – the real thing. His simple makeup and costume are gone. He IS Quasimodo!
Horrified, he runs out of the house in total disorientation, and the monsters catch sight of him, and we last see them in close pursuit as he stumbles on his twisted legs across a large vacant lot with the huge October moon in the sky beyond.
Vincent Price and John Carradine headline this campy mix of gothic horror and rock ’n’ roll performances. Quirky and atmospheric, it’s a cult oddity worth seeking out.
HALLOWEEN WRAPAROUND: Though they are supposed to be monsters in the wraparound, the dancers just look like people wearing Halloween masks rockin' out in the monster club.
A Spanish language black and white anthology with gothic flair. Spooky atmospheric enough for a seasonal viewing.
HALLOWEEN SCENES: In one segment you see a Pennywise animatronic, elephant man and Bela Lugosi mannequins in a haunted house ride. Jack o lanterns and trick or treaters appear briefly only in the opening of wraparound, which happens to be the best part.
🎃 Final Thoughts
Horror anthologies are like trick-or-treat bags: some are overflowing with delicious treats (Trick 'r Treat, Creepshow), others are mixed bags with both gems and duds (10/31, All Hallows Eve), and a few are the kind you leave on the porch and hope someone else takes (Shriekshow, CreepTales).
Whether you’re in the mood for iconic horror mascots, VHS-era nostalgia, or microbudget DIY scares, there’s an anthology here to keep your Halloween night packed with frights.
