A bunch of new horror movies and series are landing on Netflix just in time for Halloween
With the new films coming to Netflix during the next few weeks, a night spent watching a horror flick whilst curled up under the safety of the duvet covers might actually be the best way to celebrate Halloween this year.
It was there for us in March when we all hunkered down for the first time, and it’ll be there if we need it on October 31.
Indeed, with so much scary media popping up on Netflix during the next few weeks, a night spent watching horror movies whilst curled up under the safety of the duvet covers might actually be the best way to celebrate Halloween this year.
Here’s what’s set to drop on the streaming platform in time for the spookiest date on the calendar.
Ratched
Netflix
What better way to embrace the chilling spirit of Halloween than by watching an origin story about one cinema’s most iconic villains of all time?
Nurse Ratched – the widely-despised antagonist from One Flew Over The Cuckoo’s Nest – is being given her very own series on Netflix, with Sarah Paulson replacing Louise Fletcher in the title role.
It drops tomorrow (18 September).
#Alive
What better way to escape from the surroundings of a real-life pandemic than watching a movie where a disease turns people into flesh-eating monsters?
#Alive, a South Korean zombie flick, has generated some good buzz among critics and is currently certified fresh on Rotten Tomatoes – putting a scary new spin on a genre that has its fair share of competition.
Directed by Cho Il-hyung, this horror movie documents a video game streamer’s struggle for survival as he’s boxed inside his Seoul apartment whilst the undead roam outdoors.
It’s available to watch right now.
The Haunting Of Bly Manor
A follow-up series to The Haunting of Hill House, Bly Manor has been conceived by horror master Mike Flanagan – the man behind Absentia, Oculus, Hush, Ouija, Gerald’s Game and Doctor Sleep.
A reimagining of literary classic The Turn of the Screw, the film is set in England in the 1800s – examining the strange happenings that occur to a woman whilst nannying a pair of children at the eponymous location.
According to Entertainment Weekly: “The story tells of a young governess hired by a man to look after his niece and nephew at the family country house after they fall into his care. Arriving at the Bly estate, she begins to see apparitions that proceed to haunt the premises.”
It’s set to be released on Netflix on October 9.
House of 1,000 Corpses
One of the most gruesome horror films of the early noughties, Rob Zombie’s House of 1,000 Corpses is an unapologetically violent ode to seventies slashers.
It simultaneously managed to impress and repulse audiences upon its initial release, and it’s coming to Netflix next month – giving younger audiences the chance to watch the debut of a horror filmmaker who has gone on to develop a notorious reputation.
Watch it from October 1.
Unsolved Mysteries – Series 2
The first series of the rebooted Unsolved Mysteries series was an enormous success – and now a second instalment is set to follow.
A fresh set of true crime investigations will land on Netflix on October 19.
According to What’s On Netflix, a bunch of classic horror movies are also set to appear across the platform in the coming days.
These include:
Halloween (2018) – September 25
Addams Family Values (1993) – October 1
Corpse Bride (2005) – October 1
Into The Storm (2014) – October 1
Paranormal Activity 4 (2012) – October 1
The Conjuring (2013) – October 1
Yep. There’s definitely plenty of opportunity to scare yourself senseless whilst remaining indoors this year.
What's On
Five free places to watch Wimbledon on the big screen in Manchester this summer
Danny Jones
It’s grass court season, folks, and as a truly music and tournament-filled summer kicks into fifth gear, we’re making a civilised foray into the all sporting action with Wimbledon, which got underway at the end of June– and we’ve got the perfect places to watch every second here in Manchester.
Us Mancs love sports of pretty much any discipline, it practically makes up the fabric of our city, and in this case, that just so happens to be breathable white cotton or perhaps poly-blend suitable for running around and swinging a racket in.
On a serious note, everyone loves watching tennis for at least this one fortnight during this time of year, and with a record number of British players competing in the tournament right now, there’s all the more reason for you to tune in.
So, all that being said, here a five free, largely family-friendly places to watch Wimbledon 2025 on the big screen here in Manchester city centre.
Where to watch Wimbledon 2025 in Manchester for free
1. Tony Wilson Place – First Street
First up, rather fittingly, we’re returning to one of our go-tos whenever Wimbledon rolls around these days: the big temporary lawn laid out over on the big square at Tony Wilson Place. A sun-trap with deck chairs and plenty of places for food and drink around you – what more could you ask for?
The ever-thriving First Street complex has been paving the way for free social listening/watch parties here in Manchester, especially when it comes to utilising public open-air spaces, and it’s sure to be backed once again for this year’s Women’s Euros too. Trendsetters, they are.
Heading over towards Castlefield direction and the emerging area known as New Jackson, next on the list of free places to watch Wimbledon in central Manchester is Deansgate Square, where property developers Renaker have set up a special dedicated section for a jam-packed summer of sport.
Simply called ‘Screen on the Square’, the viewing zone not only sits in the shade of the city’s now skyline-defining towers but also catches plenty of rays throughout certain periods of the day. This space will also be doubling up (if you’ll pardon the pun) as a free outdoor cinema throughout the season.
Entertainment of all forms over at The Residences.
3. Courts Club – St John’s
From the outskirts of Deansgate to the area’s newest addition, the thriving St John’s district has the perfect home for all things court-based, with a free outdoor screen whilst the sun is out and another big project inside the venue, where you’ll also find plenty of food and drink options.
Courts Club has genuinely started realising its potential as a genuinely popular social hangout as well as being a bar, pub quiz destination, food spot and places to enjoy a rally or shoot a few hoops. Not unlike First St, the faux beach and lawn layout is ideal for a laid-back Wimbledon watchalong.
Heading out of the city centre for a spell – though only a tram ride away – the waterside viewing zone at the similarly titled ‘Screen on the Docks’ over at Media City is back for summer 2025 with a wide range of live sport, including cricket, F1 and, yes, Wimbledon.
Situated on the steps right next to the old harbour area, turned home of Greater Manchester mainstay, Box on the Docks, there are all kinds of entertainment to catch for free. Make sure you check their socials for the regular schedule even after the tournament is over.
5. The Lawn Club
Finally, the last one on this list isn’t necessarily a free viewing area; however, we’ll confess to having wandered in here and taken in the big screen without getting so much as a water before. Also part of the Shiko Group, like Courts, The Lawn Club is exactly as on brand as it sounds.
Located in Spinningfields just a short walk from St John’s around the corner, the bottomless brunch favourite once again has a big screen out on the artificial garden terrace out back. That being said, you might as well give them your custom and grab a Pimm’s while you’re at it.
Best of luck to all our UK stars taking part in Wimbledon this year, and we hope these Manchester venues and their big screens serve as an ace place to watch the games with Hawk-Eyes…
Smash-hit musical Mean Girls to open in Manchester at start of its first UK tour
Emily Sergeant
One of the most popular new musicals of the last decade is set to head out on its first-ever UK tour early next year.
And it’ll be kicking things off here in Manchester.
Based on the iconic 2004 movie of the same name, which is known and loved right across the globe, Mean Girls The Musical debuted at to huge success at the National Theatre in Washington D.C in 2017, before transferring to Broadway in April 2018, again to ecstatic responses where it played to sold-out theatres most nights.
The show then went on a hugely-successful US tour in 2019 and recently completed a second US tour.
Continuing on its run, the production then opened in the West End in 2025, where it was seen by more than 330,000 people over its run and recently took home the coveted ‘Best New Musical’ award at the 2025 WhatsOnStage Awards.
Mean Girls The Musical is opening its first-ever UK tour in Manchester next year / Credit: Brinkhoff Mögenburg
Not only that, but in 2024, you may remember that the new musical twist on the fan-favourite from the comedic mind of Tina Fey was released as a new feature film with sensational musical performances.
But for the first time ever, the rest of the UK is about to get a slice of the action.
Mean Girls The Musical will be heading out on tour early next year, and it’s us lucky musical lovers of Manchester that’ll get to see it before anyone else, as it’s landing on the legendary Manchester Opera House stage in February 2026.
Unfamiliar with the plot of Mean Girls The Musical? Just like the film, the musical follows Regina, Gretchen, and Karen, otherwise known as ‘The Plastics’ of North Shore High, as they meet homeschooled new girl, Cady Heron, as finds out that high school is a whole new level of savage.
Tickets go on sale this week / Credit: Brinkhoff Mögenburg
When Cady devises a plan to end Regina’s reign, she learns the hard way that you can’t cross a queen bee without getting stung.
Expect iconic characters, razor-sharp wit, and killer songs.
Mean Girls The Musical has a book by Tina Fey, music and vocal arrangements by Jeff Richmond, lyrics, and direction and choreography by Casey Nicholaw, among many other big names of the theatre world involved.
The Manc -
17th September 2020 
