Welcome to Horror Explorer, a curated column showcasing the month’s best movies, series, books and everything else spooky worth checking out. I’m William Earl, the executive digital director of Variety and the publication’s resident horror enthusiast. Please drop me a line at wearl@variety.com if there’s something I should check out for next month’s missive.

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Marquee Madness

“Predator: Badlands” (Opening in theaters on Nov. 7) — Elle Fanning stars in this prequel to the alien action series, which comes on the heels of this year’s solid animated film “Predator: Killer of Killers.” Dan Trachtenberg, who also helmed 2022’s excellent “Prey,” follows the journey of a young Predator fighting for his life.

“Keeper” (Opening in theaters on Nov. 14 via Neon) — Oz Perkins returns with his second movie this year, but this isolated and paranoia-filled vision is a world away from the gory comedy of “The Monkey.” Tatiana Maslany and Rossif Sutherland star in the film, which is being advertised with impressionistic teasers meant to keep fans from guessing twists and turns.

Off the Beaten Path

“The Carpenter’s Son” (Opening in theaters on Nov. 14 via Magnolia Pictures) — Nicolas Cage plays Joseph in this horror take on the life of young Jesus (Noah Schnapp). It’s just as outrageous and fun as the premise sounds, and that’s before Jesus has a serious showdown with Satan. Writer-director Lotfy Nathan somehow keeps this wild vision together.

“Zodiac Killer Project” (Opening in theaters on Nov. 21 via Music Box Films) — Filmmaker Charlie Shackleton won the NEXT Innovator Award when this meta work debuted at Sundance earlier this year. This documentary is more a meditation on the true crime genre itself, rather than a beat-by-beat examination of the elusive killer.

Killer Series

“The Creep Tapes” (Season 2) (Premiering on Shudder on Nov. 15) — Mark Duplass returns as the bloodthirsty Peachfuzz in this wonderfully demented film franchise-turned-series. The short episode length encourages bite-sized sketches of madness for those of us who still wish it was spooky season.

Bloodcurdling Books

“The Place Where They Buried Your Heart” by Christina Henry (Releasing Nov. 4 via Berkley) — This chilling story follows a young girl named Jessie whose brother is seemingly “eaten” by an abandoned house, never to return. Years later, Jessie looks for answers in Christina Henry’s slow-burning, character-focused haunted house novel.

“Bones of Our Stars, Blood of Our World: A Novel of Terror” by Cullen Bunn (Releasing Nov. 11 via Gallery Books) — Marvel Comics writer Cullen Bunn delivers this tale of a Southern town overtaken by evil after the arrest of a suspected serial killer — and the residents who must fight back. It’s a brisk read with great details that make the embattled Wilson Island seem all the more real, and the threats increasingly urgent.

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