The spookiest season is upon us once again, and as the temperatures are finally cooling down, it’s time to settle in with some Halloween movie favorites and more at theaters all around St. Louis. The Hi-Pointe has plenty of great options with their “Hi-Pointe Haunts” program and “Graveyard Shift” marathon; Alamo Drafthouse St. Louis has unearthed a supernatural, metal-tinged ‘80s gem; Arkadin Cinema & Bar has some seasonally appropriate benefit screenings; and the Webster University Film Series has a program highlighting the work of visual artist and director Sky Hopinka. Here are the films you should keep on your radar this month.
Powwow People | October 2, 7:30 p.m.
Winifred Moore Auditorium, 470 E. Lockwood
The Webster University Film Series is kicking things off this month with an exciting program highlighting the work of visual artist and director Sky Hopinka. The first film in this program is Powwow People, Hopinka’s acclaimed 2025 documentary. This verité-style documentary gives viewers a look into the rhythms, relationships, and lived experience of a contemporary Indigenous gathering, highlighting central figures of the powwow as they reflect on the past, present, and future, and culminating in a stunning performance. Hopinka will be in attendance for this screening, so be sure to stick around. Additionally, all films in this program are “pay what you wish.”
The Lost Boys | October 3, 7 p.m.
Hi-Pointe Theatre, 1005 McCausland
One of the enduring horror films of the 1980s, and the basis for a recent Tony Award-winning Broadway musical adaptation, director Joel Schumacher’s The Lost Boys has never been more fun to watch. Set in the fictional seaside town of Santa Carla, California, The Lost Boys follows two teen brothers (Jason Patric and Corey Haim) who move to town and begin to realize something isn’t quite right, and a nocturnal biker gang led by a terrifyingly charismatic Kiefer Sutherland seems to be at the center of it. Moody, gothic, and full of ‘80s charm, seeing The Lost Boys on a big screen, especially projected on 35mm, is the perfect way to kick off spooky season.
The Mothman Prophecies | October 4, 7 p.m.
Arkadin Cinema & Bar, 5228 Gravois
Stories of the Mothman have spread far and wide beyond its home of Point Pleasant, West Virginia, and director Mark Pellington’s 2002 film The Mothman Prophecies immortalized this eerie legend onscreen. Based on the allegedly nonfiction book of the same name, the film stars Richard Gere as a grief-stricken journalist investigating sightings of the mysterious winged cryptid that are linked to nightmares and feverish visions. This screening at Arkadin Cinema & Bar is particularly exciting because Pellington himself will be present for a post-screening Q&A, which you won’t want to miss.
Ken Russell’s The Devils | October 15-21
Hi-Pointe Theatre, 1005 McCausland
Ken Russell’s The Devils carries a reputation as one of the most controversial films of all time. It was heavily censored over the years, and it has never been easy to find on home video or streaming. Now the film is returning to theaters fully restored and uncut through the newly established Warner Bros. Clockwork imprint. The film chronicles the fall of Urbain Grandier (Oliver Reed), a 17th-century Catholic priest in Loudon, France, who was accused of witchcraft following a string of possessions, with a particular focus on Sister Jeanne (Vanessa Redgrave), a sexually repressed nun with a hunchback whose sexual obsession with Grandier fans the flames of the accusations. Don’t miss your chance to see this controversial marvel of a film, which is just as striking and provocative as it was in 1971, projected on the big screen at the Hi-Pointe Theatre.
Buffy the Vampire Slayer | October 10, 4:30 p.m. & 7 p.m.
Arkadin Cinema & Bar, 5228 Gravois
While many are likely familiar with the cult favorite TV show starring Sarah Michelle Gellar, it’s possible folks are less familiar with the original Buffy the Vampire Slayer film. This early ‘90s classic stars Kristy Swanson in the title role as a high-school cheerleader who is tapped by the mysterious Watcher (Donald Sutherland) as the “slayer” to protect Los Angeles from the Vampire King, Lothos (Rutger Hauer), and his sidekick Amilyn (Paul Reubens). This original take on Buffy is campy, breezy, and a perfect movie for the Halloween season. What’s more, Arkadin Cinema & Bar will be hosting two benefit screenings of Buffy the Vampire Slayer as a fundraiser to support the Missouri Abortion Fund.
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Maximum Overdrive | October 16, 9:15 p.m.
Arkadin Cinema & Bar, 5228 Gravois
Maximum Overdrive carries the rare distinction of being the only film directed by master of horror Stephen King, and while there might be a reason for that, it doesn’t make the film any less fun to watch. The film imagines a world where space radiation has caused machines of all types to go haywire and revolt against humans. Emilio Estevez stars as the leader of a crew of survivors holed up in a truck stop, trying to escape homicidal big rigs. Yes, it is as gleefully chaotic and over the top as it sounds, but it also makes total sense as a tongue-in-cheek benefit screening double feature with John Carpenter’s Christine, to support Arkadin’s neighbor, The Heavy Anchor, in rebuilding efforts after a car crashed through the front of the business in early September.
The Fly | October 24, 8 p.m.
Hi-Pointe Theatre, 1005 McCausland
Director David Cronenberg is the king of a specific strain of delightfully gross body horror, and one of his most successful examples is 1986’s The Fly. A reimagining of the 1958 Vincent Price film of the same name, Cronenberg’s film follows Jeff Goldblum as Seth Brundle, an eccentric scientist working on groundbreaking teleportation technology. But following a freak accident in which a common housefly inadvertently interferes with an experiment, Brundle begins experiencing a terrifying transformation. The Fly will screen on 35mm as the first part of the Hi-Pointe Theatre’s all-night horror movie marathon “Graveyard Shift 2: Overtime,” which also includes It’s Alive, Piranha 3D, and a mystery double feature to close things out.
Au hasard Balthazar | October 24, 7:30 p.m.
Winifred Moore Auditorium, 470 E. Lockwood
One of director Robert Bresson most revered films, Au hasard Balthazar is a classic for a reason. The film chronicles the life of a donkey named Balthazar who is passed from owner to owner, being adopted by children, being put to work by a bakery, and getting tangled up in local crime. Profound and moving, Au hasard Balthazar has been a fixture on greatest films of all-time lists and frequently cited as a favorite by filmmakers such as Wes Anderson, Werner Herzog, Richard Linklater, and Michael Haneke. That should be more than enough reason to seek this classic out on the big screen at the Webster University Film Series.
Devil’s Night at the Hi-Pointe Theatre | October 30, 7 p.m.
Hi-Pointe Theatre, 1005 McCausland
Presented in conjunction with Cinematic Chaos and the St. Louis Punk Rock Flea Market, the Devil’s Night celebration at the Hi-Pointe Theatre will feature a screening of Sam Raimi’s Army of Darkness. The film sees Bruce Campbell’s hapless, chainsaw-handed Ash Williams transported back to medieval England, where he must battle the undead and find the Necronomicon to get back home. The screening will feature a performance by the band Bastard Squad, a costume contest, a Sam Raimi Super 8 preshow, and a free event poster, while supplies last.
Trick or Treat | October 30, 9 p.m.
Alamo Drafthouse St. Louis, 3765 Foundry
Before Halloween draws to a close, the Alamo Drafthouse St. Louis has a seasonally appropriate gem: director Charles Martin Smith’s 1986 supernatural horror film Trick or Treat. The film follows Eddie, a metalhead social outcast who receives a copy of late rock star Sammi Curr’s final album, which appears to have a backmasked message from Sammi’s ghost meant just for him. The ghostly message instructs Eddie to carry out a revenge plot against his bullies and avenge Sammi Curr, but it appears there may be more sinister forces at play than Eddie realizes. Complete with cameos from rock gods Ozzy Osbourne and Gene Simmons, Trick or Treat is exactly the kind of cult classic to close out your spooky season.
