Hello, ghosts and ghouls! Welcome to another rendition of the spookiest content available at your fingertips! Who doesn’t love a good slasher flick or a paranormal thriller? While homicidal slashers, demon-possessed homes, and creature features are made to terrify and delight, there’s one thing even scarier than all of that: real life. Some of the films responsible for our darkest nightmares are inspired by real-life events, and, because of that, documentaries are the perfect way to spend a chilly October night. Below are some of the spookiest documentaries available on streaming services for the spookiest season of all!
Haunters: The Art of the Scare
Available on Netflix
This documentary is not what I was expecting. I expected a documentary talking about the ins and outs of running a haunted attraction. And while it is definitely that, I did not know there were such extreme haunted attractions out there. If being pushed out windows or kidnapped and tortured for hours sounds like a good time to you, some of these attractions might be what you’re looking for. Trust me, your jaw will drop, and you won’t be able to look away from this documentary.
Dark Tourist
Dark Tourist is a travel documentary on Netflix documenting some of the weirdest and eeriest vacation destinations (even one of the attractions from the above documentary is featured). From towns affected by Chernobyl to tours dedicated to Jeffrey Dahmer, this fascinating show has a little something for everyone.
Haunted
Haunted (which recently released a second season) is a show where people discuss their personal paranormal experiences with friends and family. The spine-tingling stories paired with the well-done dramatizations, this show is super easy to binge… just don’t watch it in the dark.
Extraordinary: The Stan Romanek Story
Full disclosure: I’ve never been into aliens. For some reason, while ghosts and ghouls seem to make sense to me, I just never could wrap my head around the idea of aliens– until this documentary. Not only are Stan’s experiences terrifying, but the potential government involvement will make your hair stand on end.
Missing 411
Some of America’s greatest treasures are our national parks: vast spreads of lush forests to beautiful mountains to warm deserts. As beautiful as these forests are, they are also full of dangerous possibilities and over 1,000 people go missing in them every year – some of them without a trace. This documentary focuses on a handful of stories about children who have disappeared without a trace in our national parks system. If that’s not enough, you can check out the books that inspired the documentary
Cropsy
Available on Hulu
Every town has its share of local legends to scare young children away from dangerous areas or to warn them of stranger danger. However, Cropsy dives deep into a local legend of a real-life boogeyman from the filmmaker’s hometown, and they find that their might be more truth in the legend than they expected.
Killer Legends
From the same director as Cropsy, Killer Legends is a documentary that dives into the truth behind legends like The Candyman or the old legend about a hook-handed killer searching out young teenagers. This documentary shows a terrifying side of humanity that will keep you up late into the night.
Beware the Slenderman
Available on Hulu (HBO)
Beware the Slenderman is an HBO documentary that dives into the creepypasta tale and the two young girls who took it seriously. The internet story took on a whole new nature when two girls stabbed a friend and left them for dead in hopes that Slenderman would come and take them away. This documentary takes a look at the case and how creepypastas affect their audiences.
Rats
While rodents have never really bothered me, Rats is one of those documentaries that will change your view on things. This documentary not only details the horrible diseases rats carry, but it also reveals the horrifying reality that rats simply thrive on humanity’s waste. So, in short, we’ll never get rid of them. Which, trust me, that might not sound scary right now, but after you check this out… You might think differently.
The Jinx
Available on Hulu (HBO)
In all honesty, The Jinx might be the scariest one on this list. This is an HBO documentary series, but it is extremely binge-worthy and the ending will literally leave you with your jaw on the floor. It follows the story of Robert Durst, real estate heir and more-than-one-time accused murder, and his incredibly odd history. But, seriously, make sure you watch until the very last second because it will blow your mind. Seriously.
Whether it is real-life scares from the documentaries listed above or settling in with your all-time favorite horror film, popping in your favorite scary game or going to an actual haunted attraction, we here at The Nerd Stash wish you all the spookiest Halloween ever. For more Halloween or horror-themed content, check out this article detailing some of our favorite horror games of all-time.
