The Pick Your Poison Challenge 2025. Each day for the month of October, there is a horror theme, and each day there is a choice of 20 movies to watch based on the day’s theme.
In the previous year I picked a random film from each day, this year I might watch the most popular film for the day that I have not seen.
Day 1: Something Old 👵🏽 : Picnic at Hanging Rock
To kick things off, dive into some oldies but goodies. Enjoy a film that had its theatrical release before I was born!
Day 2: Ladies’ Night 👠 : American Psycho
Show some love to the ladies of the genre and watch a woman-directed horror film.
Day 3: When You’re Evil 😈 : Rosemary's Baby
Today, go to hell - watch a film featuring hell, devils, demons, fallen angels, the antichrist, or satanists.
Day 4: All You Need is Love 💋 : Companion
Today, we sample from films in which love conquers all. sort of. maybe. Okay, maybe not. But it’s the thought that counts.
Day 5: Dream a Little Dream 🛌: Sleep
Grab your favorite blanket and a stack of pillows - today we watch films that feature sleep, dreams, or nightmares.
Day 6: Sliced and Diced 🔪 : I Know What You Did Last Summer
Check your closets, and don’t forget to look under the bed. Today, we’re visiting slasher territory! I’ll be right back!
Day 7: Wake me up Inside 🧟 : Lisa Frankenstein
Zombies, people mysteriously coming back from the dead, havok being wreaked by folks that may or may not have a pulse. Check to make sure both of your ears are still firmly attached and get ready for a day of reanimated corpses and returning from the grave.
Day 8: The Deep Dark 🧗🏻♀️: Barbarian
Pray for daylight as we descend to explore horror set underground, in caves, in tunnels, or in basements.
Day 9: Snakes, Snails, and Puppy Dog Tails 🐌 : Edward Scissorhands
What’s your favorite nursery rhyme? Your favorite fairytale? Your favorite fantasy creature? We’ve got everything from lab constructed men, to Peter Pan, to werewolves, to Cinderella, to mermaids, to mysterious places in Mexico, India, Japan, Ireland, and China, and then some as we explore some dark fantasy horror.
Day 10: Central and South American Horror 🗺️ : El Conde
Pack your bags, grab your sunscreen, and get ready for fun as we jet set down South to sample horror films directed by folks from Central or South American countries.
Day 11: Glitz and Glamour 🎆 : I Saw The TV Glow
Prepare to have your eyeballs and brains wowed as we explore the world of visually-striking horror. This is one of my favorite days of the challenge!
Day 12: The End of the World as we Know it 💣 : Bird Box
You bunker or mine? Today we venture out into the wasteland with films centered on apocalypse horror.
Day 13: Trapped like a Rat 🐀 : Bodies Bodies Bodies
Get fenced in, boxed in, locked in, and sharked in with some single location horror.
Day 14: Family Ties 🧑🧑🧒🧒 : Coraline
Prepare to reevaluate your life decisions as we watch horror focused on children and families! It’s not just a phase, mom!
Day 15: Hello, Dolly! 🪆 : M3GAN
Children’s toys, mannequins, wooden creatures and more shock and scandalize as we select a movie focused on doll horror. Beware the stare of Mary Shaw, kids.
Day 16: Disability Horror 🩼 : Hush
Characters facing physical challenges rise to the occasion to take on all sorts of foe as we sample from films with disability representation.
Day 17: On the Road Again 🚘 : The Texas Chain Saw Massacre
Snacks? Check. Playlist? Check. Full tank? Check. Maniac with implements of torture? Double check. Get ready to play passenger princess as we hit the dusty trail with some road trip horror.
Day 18: Let’s Get It On 🍆 : It Follows
A friend once told me that he thought all human behavior stemmed from a drive toward sex or survival. Today, we ask ‘why not both?’ Horny horror incoming.
Day 19: Candyman, Candyman, Candyman 🐝 : Sleepy Hollow, Maybe Candyman or Ring too
Strap in and stare down your favorite region-specific lore as we become our own worst enemy by chasing after some urban legend horror. Hold onto your heads!
Day 20: Stay Out of the Woods 🌲 : The Witch, Possibly also There's Something in the Barn
Witches, killers, creatures, cults, oh my. Probably best to just stay home, based on today’s selection of forest and wilderness horror. We’re definitely not in Kansas anymore.
Day 21: She Blinded me with Science (Fiction) 🧬 : Nope
If you like body transformations, and stan giant brains. If you’re not into yoga but want to see reality change. If you like hiding out from creatures, from some distant place. This is the day that you’re looking for - watch sci-fi horror and escape.
Day 22: Tentacle Tales 🐙 : The Thing
Cosmic and Lovecraftian horror are on the menu for today friends! Tuck in your bib, and get your fork and knife ready to cut into all the weirdness this theme has to offer. Literal tentacles may or may not be included!
Day 23: Do you Hear the Lambs Screaming? 🐑 : Se7en, Maybe The Silence of The Lambs or Longlegs too.
Today we’re on the prowl to view some serial killer horror, with dastardly individuals from different countries and decades. Choose wisely, and don’t get caught in their traps. Dun dun dunnn.
Day 24: Story Time 📖 : Trick ’r Treat
Kick back and prepare for the best kind of tales - those of the spooky variety - as we dive into today’s theme of anthology horror.
Day 25: Fangs for the Memories 🧛🏻♀️ : What We Do in the Shadows
These guys and gals really suck - they’ll keep you up all night, try to nibble, and may even want you to join their club. Prepare your necks for some vampire horror.
Day 26: I See Dead People 💥 : Doctor Sleep
Open your hearts, minds, and your third eye as we check out films films featuring psychics, clairvoyants, mediums, or telepathy.
Day 27: An Unquiet Mind 🧠 : Psycho
The insides of our heads can be quite the uncertain place. Take a few slow, deep breaths and prepare to experience some psychological horror.
Day 28: Now Screening 🖥️ : Host
Click like and subscribe and log in for today’s theme - screen-life, computer, streaming, vlogging, and influencer horror.
Day 29: When You’re Strange 🫠 : Army of Darkness
The goal of today is to keep it strange. Embrace your inner oddball and dive head first into some weird horror.
Day 30: Filled With the Spirit 👹 : Late Night with the Devil
Say a little prayer and get that holy water ready - today, we’re watching possession horror!
Day 31: A Haunting We Will Go 🏚️ : The Conjuring
Creaky floorboards, spooky specters, and strange sightings abound as we go on today’s field trip to haunted and/or spiritually infested houses and buildings.
Credits go to Aubra_ letterboxd.com/aubra_/list/pick-your-poison-challenge-2025/
