The October Film Haunt
The October Film Haunt by Michael Wehunt is “it’s going right back in my TBR so I can read it again” good. It’s scary, funny, the characters are so real, you feel like you’re right there with them, maybe you were even part of the original October Film Haunt because you, too, always assume that you’re living in a horror movie where you don’t take your eyes off the doll as it could come to life at any moment, you do not say Bloody Mary or Candyman in the mirror because you’re no dummy, and you make a wide berth around that that tree because it could be the Pine Arch Creature.
For a horror film fan like myself, this book has everything: a final girl called Jorie Stroud, cursed videotapes, demonic cults, mysterious occult film producers, and visits to horror film locations (I live a short drive from the infamous location of the Evil Dead cabin, so I like to imagine they definitely haunted there.)
The chill factor hits within the first pages. 1. Jorie’s son Oli’s best friend is a creepy doll called Agatha, and 2. Jorie receives a mysterious package containing a VHS tape (objectively the creepiest medium) marked “FUNERAL WATCHING”.
Rewind some years: Jorie and her friends, Beth and Colin, visit horror filming locations and share on their blog, gaining a huge social media following and opening doors for creative careers.
That all ended when their - not altogether factual - blog post on cult film Proof of Demons led to the death of a teenage girl, causing much ado all over the internet- and the justice system- leading to the breakup of the group.
Now, years later, Jorie is scraping together a life for her and her son in rural Vermont, having fled an abusive husband, when she receives the videotape that launches her unwilling participation in a real-life sequel to Proof of Demons - and reminding us that fan is short for “fanatic”.
The October Film Haunt is a found footage novel, so besides Jorie, we also see through other characters’ eyes as well as clippings of various webpages and communications. (A note on the audiobook here: This was particularly effective with having two narrators perform the parts - Tim Lounibos and Zura Johnson - both excellent, and some of the sound effects were bone-chilling.)
This isn’t a quick read, you’ll need some time to get to know all the characters and the world, but getting to be part of the world of October Film Haunt is worth it, and you’ll probably find yourself not wanting to leave - if it will even let you.
Thank you to NetGalley, St. Martin’s Press, and Macmillan Audio for the advance copies for my honest review. Pub. Date: 9/30/25
Note: I read the ebook in conjunction with the audiobook, and this review is for both formats.
Support your favorite indie bookstore (and me) by using my link to order the audiobook from https://libro.fm/referral?rf_code=lfm60355 OR if you prefer using your eyes to read, support your favorite indie (and give us both 20% off if it’s your first purchase) by using my link at https://refer.bookshop.org/candidanorwood.
