The October Film Haunt: A Novel

by Michael Wehunt

Horror Movie meets the scope and emotion of Stephen King in this heart-pounding, magnetic tour de force novel, destined to become an instant classic, about a woman pulled into a cult horror film that is determined to have a sequel, by critically acclaimed author Michael Wehunt. This program features light sound design throughout.

Ten years ago, Jorie Stroud was the rising star of the October Film Haunt – a trio of horror enthusiasts who camped out at the filming locations of their favorite scary movies, sharing their love through their popular blog. But after a night in the graveyard from Proof of Demons – perhaps the most chilling cult film ever made, directed by the enigmatic Hélène Enriquez – everything unraveled.

Now, Jorie has built an isolated life with her young son in Vermont. In the devastating wake of her viral, truth-stretching Proof of Demons blog entry — hysteria, internet backlash, and the death of a young woman — Jorie has put it all, along with her intense love for the horror genre, behind her.

Until a videotape arrives in the mail. Jorie fears someone might be filming her. And the “Rickies” – Enriquez obsessives who would do anything for the reclusive director – begin to cross lines in shocking ways. It seems Hélène Enriquez is making a new kind of sequel…and Jorie is her final girl.

As the dangers grow even more unexpected and strange, Jorie must search for answers before the Proof of the movie’s title finds her and takes everything she loves.

This riveting and layered horror novel unleashes supernatural terror in a world where truth can be manipulated, and nothing is as it seems. Beautiful and horrifying, with an unforgettable cast of characters, The October Film Haunt will shock and delight readers all the way to its breathless final page.

"So unique and steeped in 21st century paranoia and dread you won't be able to read this alone at night." —Paul Tremblay

"The horror in here is palpable, but the writing itself is just as How can one pen have this many good lines in it?" -Stephen Graham Jones

A Macmillan Audio production from St. Martin’s Press

Genres: Horror, Fiction, Thriller, Audiobook, Adult, Contemporary, Horror Thriller

Audible Audio

First published September 30, 2025

About the author

MICHAEL WEHUNT has been a finalist for multiple Shirley Jackson Awards and was shortlisted for the International Association for the Fantastic in the Arts' Crawford Award. In Spain, his stories have garnered nominations for the Premio Ignotus and Premio Amaltea, winning the latter. He haunts the woods outside Atlanta with his partner and their dog. Together, they hold the horrors at bay. Find him in the digital trees at www.michaelwehunt.com.

Reviews

[Court Zierk · Rating 2 out of 5]

⭐️ ⭐️

This was so close to being a good book. Closer than the skin on my bones. Closer than the air I breathe. But you know what they say… close only counts in horseshoes and hand grenades.

I was pulled in by the premise and by the early pacing. 25% in, and I thought I could be reading one of the better horror novels of the year. Then, I ran headlong into an immovable brick wall. And that brick wall demolished every molecule of positive sentiment I had built, and turned me into a bitter, reluctant reader the rest of the way. I don’t know how long this book was (my version didn’t have a page count), but it felt like a 500 page slog. There could have easily been 100-200 pages edited out of this monster. There really is a good story buried somewhere below all this superfluity.

I think this story is unique, compelling and unnerving. It just needs all the boring filler, impenetrable prose and jarring perspective jumping dialed back… like a lot.

I do appreciate the opportunity to provide an honest review, and thank you to NetGalley and St. Martin’s Press for the advanced copy.

[Char · Rating 4 out of 5]

October Fillm Haunt: Under the House was among my favorite stories from the collection Greener Pastures, written by Michael Wehunt about 10 years ago. It was the first time I read anything by him and I absolutely loved it. He has since written another collection, (The Inconsolables, which I also loved), but this book, THIS is the one I've been excitedly looking forward to for a decade. It did not disappoint!

Jorie Stroud is a woman who loved horror movies. I mean REALLY loved horror movies. She and two of her friends created a group called October Film Haunt and when they could, her group would camp out at the film sites of horror movies they loved. Feel the vibes, you know? One night, after camping out at the site of a location featured in the movie Proof of Demons, everything goes wrong and Jorie leaves the world of horror films behind. She's DONE.

Fast forward 10 years and Jorie now has a son and lives in an isolated part of Vermont. She left her old life behind completely. Left her email accounts, left all of her blogs and websites, and left her love of of the genre behind. Until a VCR tape arrives in her mailbox and her life is now about to change forever. Again. Will Jorie and her young son survive? You'll have to read this to find out!

I felt very unsettled throughout this book. Narratives are coming from different points of view all throughout and I think that contributed to my feeling of being off-balance. Oftentimes a chapter with one character would end at a very tense point, and then we'd move to a different character and it would happen again. i grew used to this flow and actually began to enjoy it. The pacing was uneven at times, but there came a point where this became extremely difficult to put down.

However, there were times when events became confusing and this made for a slower read than normal. If I was even a little unclear, I would reread it until I got "it." For example, in addition to moving back and forth between characters, we are also moving back and forth between movies and a lot of the current day occurences had previously occurred in one film or another. By the denouement, all of this was somehow blended together into a final scene that I will not forget. Why? Again, you'll have to read this to find out. For me, the end was jarring, but also the type I usually love. This time it didn't work 100 percent for me, but it was fairly close.

This book is definitely not for everyone and I can certainly understand why. I've read all kinds of extreme and brutal horror over the years and have enjoyed much of it. My preferred type of horror these days is more of the...unsettling kind. The kind that makes me uncomfortable. The kind that makes me not want to read a book when home alone at night. I am a seasoned horror reader of 45 years or so, and I have to say I'm rarely actually... affected. But this book had me scanning my back yard looking for any hint of green or blue sheets-espeically out back near the trees. (If you read this, you'll know why.) I even had a dream about it.

This is a unique type of story, my cuppa for sure, and if it sounds like something you would enjoy, I highly recommend you give it a go! It wasn't perfect, but it was creepy AF, disturbing and I'm not going to fully relax again for some time.

4.5/5 stars

*ARC from publisher, but I pre-ordered a copy too.

[Dutchie · Rating 2 out of 5]

I wanted to really like this one, but ultimately it didn’t work for me.

The October Film Haunt spends their time traveling to famous spots that were filmed in their favorite horror movies. During one of these excursions, they were investigating a scene from a movie that everyone claims has a sort of ritual that opens up a gate to hell… I think. Things don’t quite work out so well and the group ends up splitting up and going their separate ways. Until… Our FMC receives a VHS in the mail referencing the movie….

This was very convoluted and hard for me to immerse myself in the storyline. It was kinda all over the place which made for a very creepy, unsettling read, but one that ultimately was not satisfying. What I believe it was missing was backstory and character development, but I feel like that may have been the intention? Looking at it from a high level, it almost appeared to be like watching a movie, maybe? This review is very convoluted, which is exactly how I felt while reading this novel. To try and sum it up, it reminded me of Tremblay’s Horror Movie mixed with a cult like following similar to the show called The Following with Kevin Bacon (The Rickies reminded me of this show). If you like either of those things, then this novel might be for you. I can definitely say it will not be for everyone and unfortunately, I was one of those readers.

Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher, for my advanced copy in exchange for an honest review.

[Will Byrnes · Rating 4 out of 5]

Jorie vanished from the scene, from the entire internet. Her connections, her film production and book deal, the screenplay she sold, her agent, the October Film Haunt brand, the two hundred thousand followers scattered across social media—everything drained out of her life a long time ago. She hasn’t so much as watched a trailer for a scary movie since.

--------------------------------------

“Until it became real. I don’t know if it’s evolution or some Lovecraftian construct, but what is it to know something, really? Belief leads us to something more real than knowing, Jorie. Have you not noticed that everywhere lately?”

Sometimes “belonging” is not such a wonderful thing.

The October Film Haunt is not a book for everyone. If you are a nerd-level horror maven, this will be a bloody fabulous read, with links, left, right, center, up, down and all around for you to catch and relish. For those of us who are just folks who like reading some horror books, it can be disjointed, confusing, and potentially unsatisfying.

About a decade back, Jorie Stroud, a nod to Halloween’s final girl, Laurie Strode, and two friends formed The October Film Haunt. Their schtick was to go to places where horror movies had been filmed, and scope them out for atmospherics, filling their site with reportage and recordings of their outings. Could real places be as creepy or even creepier than the flicks that were made there? Unfortunately, they went a step too far with an indie film, called Proof of Demons, suggesting that there might be more reality to that film than was justified. As a result, some foolish teens tried something out that they should not have, and one of them died.


Michael Wehunt - Image from Pseudopod

There was blowback, and Jorie’s film ambitions, of any sort, were buried under a caul of notoriety. Then there was another death in the ripples from the initial fatality. Jorie has lived all these years with a heavy burden of (deserved) guilt. Then one day, a VHS package arrives, a trailer for what appears to be a sequel to the Proof of Demons film that had sparked all the trouble. Why? And why send it to Jorie? Is someone trying to punish her?

The primary stream of the story is final girl Jorie enduring the assaults on her sanity, her person, and those close to her. Who is doing this to her, and why? Is the mysterious PoD director, Helene Enriquez, making a sequel and somehow forcing Jorie to be a part of it?

This novel plays with several horror sub-genres simultaneously. The found-footage form, epitomized by The Blair Witch Project, is one. That film marketed itself as being based on real-world footage left behind by missing documentarians, that was discovered and cobbled together into a narrative. It was nothing of the sort, of course, but many people bought into the PR, which included a documentary style TV special and a website claiming the people who had shot the footage were really missing.

Wehunt adds slasher and demon-possession into the mix. He imbues the former with the sort of faceless, mindless killing machine aspect we would expect of Michael Myers, substituting sheets for disturbing masks. We are not talking KKK sheets here, which should be feared, but hospital sheets (maybe to be feared for different reasons?) featuring crowns worn beneath the bed linen for which the unusual outerwear seems ill-designed. And offers wrinkles on the demon possession motif by blurring the lines between possessor and possessed,

I wanted the book to be, you know, secular. I really wanted to avoid the priest vs. demon Abrahamic Christian typical dynamic of a demon possession story. - from the Talking Scared interview

while tossing into the genre blender cursed films. It is pretty much a part of this story that seeing the VHS tapes that are making the rounds can be lethal for the viewers. Home invasion? Sure, plenty of that. Cult madness? Yup. And probably more.

There are other characters who travel along this dark path with Jorie. Coleman’s brother, Jackson, went missing when he was a kid, in circumstances eerily resonant with the Proof of Demons film. He gets dragged in by a vague promise to find his brother, and maybe rid himself of his cancer.

I wanted to be there as someone who just doesn't, horror is not on his radar. It's never been an interest of his. He's almost 60 years old. He's not going to become a horror fan now. But he's chosen for this one element of the book. And so he would have no touchstones.He would have no easy point of reference for the things that are happening to him. And simultaneously, he has been diagnosed with stage four cancer. So, things that happened to his body would to him sort of feel like it's the cancer, isn't it? - from the Talking Scared. interview

Beth Kowalczyk was the other survivor of the October Film Haunt trio. Jorie reconnects with her, after a very long estrangement, hoping to gain some support and understanding.

Trevor Henderson created the Pine Arch Creature for the film.

He cheered the modern legend leaking out of the film—but soon became uncomfortable and spoke out against it. “It was a really cool folklore for a minute there,” Henderson says. “A great monster that lingered with you...But then people were pushing these rituals. Some of them were like self-harm. It wasn’t just for fun anymore, so I checked out…Looking back, I can see the root of that kind of thinking that’s everywhere now, that sort of desperation to believe anything you want even when the reality is right there. There’s a difference between make-believe and post-truth. One of them isn’t dangerous.”

Roger Eilertsen was the character actor who played the PoD lead, lending gravitas to the role. He is in his 80s now, and it is unclear why he is being troubled by the sorts of intrusions endured by all the main characters. And the intrusions are considerable, beginning with delivery of a VHS tape and progressing to stalking, home invasion, unwanted filming, assault, kidnapping and worse.

The primary conceptual question that gives this book weight is the notion that belief can create reality. A very different example of such is the musical, The Music Man in which a conman persuades the kids of a midwestern community that they really can play the instruments he has only been pretending to teach. Lo and Behold, the parents somehow perceive their kids as having actually learned to play and construct an idyllic image of their new town orchestra that sounds great to them. But that perception is clearly in the eyes of the receivers. The paranormaling of the world here is quite real. There is plenty that could be made of this in a political analysis, but Wehunt claims no interest in that, so I will take a pass, well mostly, Pathetic followers of QAnon believe some pretty outrageous bullshit, and act on those beliefs in the world. Not to mention the daily flood of lies and provocations spewing from the current administration. And their attempts to create the reality of their fantasies.

The fear level is considerable as common horror trope rules are disregarded and thus expectations are thwarted. The apparent mindlessness of the cult behavior is inexplicable. Not that real-world cult behavior is necessarily understandable. Questions abound, primarily why? Why was this person dragged in to this bizarre undertaking? Why that one? I found the answers less than satisfying. The lines between reality and something else grow increasingly smudged. The portrayal of the Pine Arch Creature, also literally smudged, may offer a suitable metaphor. As does the literal eye in the sky, whether it represents a deity, a film director, or a voyeur. Metafiction can be a difficult thing to pull off, particularly as it makes it a challenge sustaining a reader’s interest in the characters when one so frequently points out the literary and structural underpinnings of the story itself.

There are plenty more details for you to find for yourself, a virtual cornucopia in fact. And catching the references can definitely be fun. But it all seemed too much for me. As noted above, if you are a horror maven, have at it. Enjoy! But it was form over substance, over fear, for me.

“Until it became real. I don’t know if it’s evolution or some Lovecraftian construct, but what is it to know something, really? Belief leads us to something more real than knowing, Jorie. Have you not noticed that everywhere lately?”

Review posted - 10/10//25

Publication date – 09/30/25


I received AREs of The October Film Haunt from Saint Martin’s Press in return for a fair review. Thanks, folks, and thanks to NetGalley for facilitating.




This review will soon be cross-posted on my site, Coot’s Reviews. Stop by and say Hi!

=============================EXTRA STUFF

Links to Wehunt’s personal, FB, Instagram, and Blue Sky pages

Profile – from his site

Michael Wehunt grew up in North Georgia, close enough to the Appalachians to feel them but not quite easily see them. There were woods, and woodsmoke, and warmth. He did not make it far when he left, falling sixty miles south to the lost city of Atlanta, where he lives today, with fewer woods but still many trees. He writes. He reads. Robert Aickman fidgets next to Mary Oliver on his favorite bookshelf.

Interviews
-----Cinemachords - The October Film Haunt Author Michael Wehunt Talks Fandom, Urban Legends, & Digital Mythologizing
- Howard Gorman
-----The Nerd Daily - Q&A: Michael Wehunt, Author of ‘The October Film Haunt’ by Elise Dumpleton
-----Talking Scared - 255 – Michael Wehunt & What If A Horror Film Broke Into Your House? - open in podcasts – then transcript is available

Items of Interest
----- The Philip Experiment: A Benchmark in Paranormal Research by C. Wesley Clough
-----Wikipedia - The Medium is the Message
-----Wikipedia - metafiction

[Sadie Hartmann · Rating 3 out of 5]

So many thoughts, soon!

[Matty · Rating 4 out of 5]

Proof of Demons a mysterious cult classic film by a recluse occult producer, the Pine Arch Creature, a demonic entity summoned by a transfiguration ritual that also opens up a moving hole that allows you to look into hell, the October Film Haunt, a group of three young aspiring horror enthusiasts who travel to horror film locations and document their findings, COUNT ME IN! That’s everything needed for an exceptional horror story.

After the October Film Haunts blog post on The Proof of Demons film leads to a teen death, murders, harsh backlash from the online community, and the breakup of the group (Jorie, Beth, Colin) Jorie moves away with her young son trying to put it all in the past. Over ten years later a VHS film shows up at Jorie house along with some online posts recommencing the mystery of the cult film, guidance for summoning the demon, and the start of a potential sequel. Jorie is forced to play out the sequel and all its evilness in reality.

The set up was exceptional, Jorie the main character and her son were engaging, and the demonic entity was hair raising. The pacing lagged a bit in the middle of the book, could have cut a bit out, but the intensity of the ending makes up for it. The story is primarily told from the POV of Jorie but does bring narration from a few other characters, along with some website posts, emails, and film scripts. The book was a nice blend of the supernatural, the occult, and the horrors of reality. It was a slow burn with a constant fear of being watched and approaching doom. The last few chapters get very intense as all the characters and sub stories merge together.

Fans of found footage films and books will definitely love this one. I’m a huge fan of horror films so this book was perfect for me. I wish Proof of Demons was a real film! It was a very entertaining read so put this one on your list. I would have given it 5 stars but I found one character a bit confusing and had some trouble tying him to the main plot. The book was based on a short story in Greener Pastures written by Wehunt, I’ll need to read that as well. The book will be available September 30, 2025.

[Erin · Rating 5 out of 5]

ARC for review. To be published September 30, 2025.

5 stars

Ten years ago Jorie Stroud, Beth Kowalczyk and Colin Davies made up the October Film Haunt, a popular online group that visited the locations of their favorite film haunts. They were really going places…until the night it all went bad, when they visited the Arden, North Carolina (my parents used to live there! It’s a suburb of Asheville.) graveyard location for the cult classic “Proof of Demons,” a film by Helene Enriquez. What did they see that night? What did they experience? And why did a high school student named Hannah Kim have to die?

Now Jorie lives life as a semi-recluse with her young son Oli when she gets a VHS tape in the mail. Is someone filming her? Is there a connection to “Proof of Demons?”

This horror story won’t necessarily work for everyone, but I absolutely loved everything about this. First, I’m a sucker for well done stories about haunted film…NIGHT FILM by Marsha Pessl is one of my all time favorites. This has that vibe. The story is told primarily from Jorie’s POV, but also from several others and there are also scattered Interludes which are articles, blog posts, etc. The story works as great horror but also has interesting things to say about religion and faith. It’s not a perfect book, but it was perfect for me and I appreciated everything the author had going on here. Gimme more!!!

[Nilufer Ozmekik · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book presents an eerie and immersive dive into the lasting grip of cult horror cinema, obsession, and the blurred lines between reality and fiction. At its heart is Jorie Stroud, once a passionate horror enthusiast whose blog propelled her to online fame—until one fateful night at a haunted filming location changed everything. A decade later, she’s distanced herself from that world, raising her son in seclusion. But when a cryptic videotape lands in her possession and unsettling figures from the past resurface, Jorie finds herself ensnared in a chilling sequel she never agreed to star in.

Wehunt masterfully builds a slow-burning, unsettling atmosphere, weaving in psychological tension with supernatural horror. His characters feel authentic, and the exploration of horror fandom, devotion, and the price of notoriety adds layers of depth to the narrative. The novel excels at capturing the creeping dread of being watched, of past sins never staying buried.

However, the pacing stumbles in places, with moments where the length is felt, and the execution loses some of its grip. Despite this, the eerie concept and rich horror elements keep the story engaging. A solid, unsettling read for those who appreciate atmospheric terror with a meta twist.

3.5 stars

A big thank you to NetGalley and St. Martin’s Press for the opportunity to read this advance copy in exchange for my honest opinions.

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[Ghoul Von Horror · Rating 1 out of 5]

TW/CW: Language, scary scenes, domestic abuse, physical abuse, toxic relationships, cancer, drug addiction, drug overdose, death by suicide (mention), grieving

*****SPOILERS*****
About the book:
Ten years ago, Jorie Stroud was the rising star of the October Film Haunt – a trio of horror enthusiasts who camped out at the filming locations of their favorite scary movies, sharing their love through their popular blog. But after a night in the graveyard from Proof of Demons – perhaps the most chilling cult film ever made, directed by the enigmatic Hélène Enriquez – everything unraveled.

Now, Jorie has built an isolated life with her young son in Vermont. In the devastating wake of her viral, truth-stretching Proof of Demons blog entry — hysteria, internet backlash, and the death of a young woman — Jorie has put it all, along with her intense love for the horror genre, behind her.

Until a videotape arrives in the mail. Jorie fears someone might be filming her. And the “Rickies” – Enriquez obsessives who would do anything for the reclusive director – begin to cross lines in shocking ways. It seems Hélène Enriquez is making a new kind of sequel…and Jorie is her final girl.

As the dangers grow even more unexpected and strange, Jorie must search for answers before the Proof of the movie’s title finds her and takes everything she loves.
Release Date: September 30th, 2025
Genre: Horror
Pages: 336
Rating: negative 5 stars

What I Liked:
1. Weird dislocated atmospheric locations
2. The mystery of this movie cult
3. Scary scenes felt creepy
4. Kept me wanting to know the end

What I Didn't Like:
1. Some parts came off very confusing
2. Sentances that make little to no sense
3. Feels too much like a rip off of another book I read
4. Confusing confusing confusing
5. Book switches people's names back and forth even mid sentence;
• Officer Willard to Ryan
• Mrs. Compton to Leah
6. The ending

Overall Thoughts:
{{Disclaimer: I write my review as I read}}
In the Wikipedia plot it says that Jackson was stabbed but then on the next page it says Jackson is arrested after being seen in the church near a murder weapon and sheet, so what happened with him being stabbed? Did nothing go on there?

It's wild to me that Jorie puts a USB that she was just sent into her laptop having no idea what's even on it.

This cemetery scene is actually pretty creepy. I do not need to be reading this before bed and imagining people watching me.

Trying to understand why if Jorie gets this weird VHS sent to her a odd scene from a movie and then feels like she is being stalked she would go to the cemetery alone to find the scene from the movie? She says she is weirded out by the movie showing up and that she feels as though someone is following her but she puts herself in danger. Maybe I missed the why but I don't get it.

The scene with Jorie thinking her son is hitting the wall is creepy especially when she realizes he isn't even home. I'd be so scared and weirded out.

From what I understand so far there is a surge of people filming funerals now to summon the demon; Pine Arch Creature to come back so they can have a second movie. People are dressing up in the green sheets to get others to believe too. I'm 100 pages in the book and I wish I understood more of what was even happening. It all is very confusing at times. So far my questions I have currently;
A. Why was Coleman stabbed?
B. How did they know about his cancer?
C. How is Trevor so important to the PAC killer that he is mentioned in reddit posts?
D. Why is Jorie scared of things happening again but then putting herself right in the middle of it again?
E. What even really happened???

I currently feel as though I understand 80% of what is happening in every chapter but then it starts getting gibberish and rambles about things and characters I don't know that are relevant to them. I almost feel like as though I'm at a party and I keep walking up on a secret joke between two friends so I laugh but I don't really know what's so funny.

I'm still confused why people are "haunting and stalking The October Film Haunt since they were just a group of film lovers that traveled around seeing old sites of horror movies. How could they help in even getting the movie made now? I don't get how Jorie would be important to the Rickies since she liked the movie after it was already made.

Beth is so annoying. I'm really trying to understand her. She leaves the grocery store to go back to the cabin to investigate what is happening. A Rickie is there and attacks her then she has a choice to go to the car but the driver side is the side where the Rickie is so rather than just get in the passenger seat and climb over to leave she throws herself onto the driver's side to have a confrontation with the other man. Of course she gets cut and has to run to the woods

I don't get it these women know horror so they know the rules. Why do they keep going back to this isolated cabin in the middle of the Woods? They already know that the Rickies know that they are there and have set up cameras but they continue to return to this location. Why are they being so dumb? I just think someone with this amount of knowledge into the cliches of horror movies could not possibly be this dumb.

Maybe it was irony also that while I was reading this book I had also went to a funeral.

Jorie is under attack by the Rickies. They are at her house. She has a cop out front. She tries to call him - twice but he doesn't answer. She then decides rather than calling the police department to tell them what she saw and that the officer stationed at her house isn't answering she hides her son and gets a knife. She also decides she is going to check on the police officer herself putting herself outside and leaving the house door wide open with her son alone in it! Why? Call the police department so they can start coming to the house and then you can defend yourself. You can not convince me these people were into horror movies because they make all the mistakes the characters make in the movies. Ahhhhhh!

I am on page 214 and still have no idea how Jorie's blog is responsible for Hannah's death. Everytime it's brought up no one says anything deeper than her being to blame for the death.

Author keeps giving us these random news updates between some chapters just telling us about things we already read about before.

Every second I spend with this book feels like a new root canal I'm starting. I think I'm in hell myself.

So now I get why Coleman was in this book (finally). The director found him through Coleman's website where he wrote about his brother, which before this was never mentioned at all. Felt so random. Anyways, Coleman is becoming the demon in exchange for him no longer having cancer.

The sentences in this book are absolutely terrible and they start off gibberish.

“It’s a lot of your house on the tape,” Willard says"

We get so many sentences like this. I'm ripping my hair out trying to know what the author means or is saying.

The whole thing with Mrs. Compton is suspicious. The call gets dropped right at the time when Jorie asks to talk to him and when she calls back it's ignored. Mrs. Compton has her son over and he has his kids that are coming over too. She calls Mrs. Compton the next morning and wakes her up but later when she calls there's no answer. Jorie you are not getting your kid back.... Mrs. Compton is dead and now Oli is with the Rickies. A part of me still wonders if she was working for the director.

Page 267 we get a random character po thrown in! We are 60 pages from the end! Why????

So I guess we never thought to put up cameras. She keeps having to tell the police what's going on but if she put up cameras from the beginning maybe it would have made a difference.

Omg I only have 20 pages left... Thank God!

We just keep touching down on this Hannah thing and we still have very little to go on with it.

Mrs. Compton is a part of what's going on. She is actually the elusive director.

What a dumb ending. It ends on a cliffhanger. You don't know what's really real. There were these weird cut scenes but in the ending for some reason Jorie thought she got out but now she has to fight her way out.

I'm going to have to assume the thing with Hannah is that she was doing a challenge while wearing the shirt of Jorie's blog on it because Jorie made up a legend of the Pine Creature and being buried, but she died from lack of oxygen. Who knows though.

For the love of me I just can't understand what made Jorie so important to Leah/Mrs. Compton to have this odd parasocial relationship with her. That she says she is behind making the sequel. *throws up hands*

Final Thoughts:
God, some parts in this book made it absolutely difficult to read in the dark on my kindle. The parts were so scary that I started imagining it happening to me and then I couldn't sleep.

So there is Paul Tremblay praising this book on the cover and back for being unique but I felt as though this is an almost exact copy of his book Horror Movie.

This book was such a hard one to finish. The writing style just felt like it rambled at times. There would be paragraphs with 7 sentences in it and I would understand 2 of them because the author almost made zero sense in what they were saying. I'd say the writing style had so much to do with me not liking this book. It took me a month to get through it and when I had to pick it up I dreaded it. I'd read 10-20 pages and sigh to myself. I will say that I did want to finish this book because the premise of the book kept me hooked and wanting to know what was happening. It's so weird and odd that something grabbed me to want to know the ending.

This book reminded me of the weirdness of a Panos Cosmatos movie (Mandy), a fever dream, and if sludge metal was doing the soundtrack.

Don't buy me a ticket because I don't want to see this movie. I seriously can not believe I pushed myself to finish this book. What a waste of time...

This is the kind of book you can't skim when you are bored and just want to know how it ends because it is so odd and crazy that you either quit it or finish it. I wanted to quit this book 200 pages ago but I knew I'd never know the ending if I did.

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Thanks to Netgalley and St. Martin's Press for the advanced copy of the book. All thoughts and opinions are my own

[inciminci · Rating 4 out of 5]

Single mom Jorie Stroud used to be part of the horror trio "The October Film Haunt" who were camping at locations of their favorite horror films and discussing them, and she was also the author of the conjoined blog project. Their very last session was in the graveyard from "Proof of Demons", a supremely scary cult film by the enigmatic director Hélène Enriquez, and went majorly wrong, resulting in the dissolution of the group and project, and the death of one person followed by online hysteria and shit storms. Putting all this behind her, Jorie lives an isolated life with her son in Vermont, until she receives a videotape in the mail and a sort of game that targets Jorie begins, and it gradually crosses the boundaries of sanity.

"Do you think a cult must be religious by nature?"

Coming from the pen of Wehunt, I thought this would be form over function, given Wehunt's prose weighed slightly more than the content in my judgment of his last short story collection, The Inconsolables, but this novel tipped the scale back into balance, as I loved the many layers of horror in The October Film Haunt. And also I'm a sucker for a good scary movie story made by mysterious directors with cult-followers. I could relate to Jorie's passion for the genre, the mere idea of camping at filming locations of good scary movies sounds like so much fun that I'm a little mad I didn't think of it (but not living in the USA my options would be slight anyway). I did think that at some point there were too many points of view for my liking (and that's something I prefer in very big series of books only, like Tad Williams' Otherland books) but in the end it all comes together nicely. Plus, the demon-villain thing was genuinely creepy, if you listen to the audiobook version like I did, the narrator does something with his voice that's really unsettling.

[Gyalten Lekden · Rating 3 out of 5]

Strong atmosphere and a wonderfully creepy premise carry this story a long way, but some rambling plotting in the front half hold it back from being great. I like the idea, and the genuine exploration of the power of belief, especially the ways in which that can be both weaponized and multiplied given modern social media. The story plays fast and loose with reality, having fictionalized versions of actual people play a role in the story, which parallels the story’s own relationship to verisimilitude, the idea that truth is whatever you believe in hard enough and convince others to sign on to. This world building is only enhanced by occasional epistolary interludes between chapters, in the form of blog posts, Wikipedia entries, message board threads, and more. I enjoyed the characters and the world, and the ideas are really exciting and engaging. The writing, too, is fun. At times it feels almost a little purple, leaning into gothic sensibilities but run through a found-footage filter, and I think it works. The writing reflects the characters and the world, and the style gave the story a sense of personhood and place. What didn’t work as well for me is the pacing and plotting. Part of the story is just how in the dark the readers are, matching the protagonist’s experience, but that led to the first two-thirds of the story feeling like it was just constant set-up without any clear end in sight. I liked the constantly ratcheting tension and the occasional sight of a figure in your peripheral vision, but it felt a little slow and was hard to keep my consistent attention. The final third ramped up the pace quite a bit and found me anxiously turning the next page, needing to see what was going to happen, the senses of desperation and urgency palpable. It just took its time to get there, and it wasn’t entirely effective for me. I think this is in part because the relationships and resolutions between the characters, plots, and inner & outer journeys was still a little nebulous to me, and I wasn’t convinced. I mean, I think the ending itself was good, and felt earned and appropriate. But the whole logic behind what was happening and why it was happening to certain people, that felt a little thin to me, and since the first two-thirds was building up to those reveals their lack of (what I felt to be) heft made the first two-thirds even duller, as a result. There could have been some world-shattering revelations that reconfigured my experience of that first part, but that isn’t what happened. The story has great vibes and atmosphere and a unique and genuinely interesting plot. I think the back third is quite tense and hard to put down, and even though the pacing didn’t work for me entirely I still had a fun time with the book and am really glad I picked it up. If you need your stories to be fast-paced and to have really neat bows tied around the antagonists’ logic systems then this might fall a little flat. But if you enjoy brooding in heavy atmosphere, if you like the emotional aesthetics of a found footage story that is full of love for the horror genre in general, and if you are interested in tackling some themes about belief, faith, and what we might be willing to sacrifice for a sense of belonging then you will enjoy this story.

[Adrienne L · Rating 4 out of 5]

Jorie Stroud has spent the last ten years running from her youthful past in horror entertainment after a post on her popular blog leads to tragedy. But her isolated existence in the northern Vermont woods with her young son Oliver will soon be shattered by the realization that, while can take the horror out of the girl, you can't always take the girl out of the horror.

The first 50% of The October Film Haunt was a resounding five stars for me. This was the book I wanted from Horror Movie. I've been a fan of Michael Wehunt since reading his first short story collection Greener Pastures, and the writing in this book did not disappoint. The description of woodsy New England in the fall, and the discussions of horror fandom and nods to favorite horror movies were delightful bonuses to the creepy and effective mixed media format and excellent writing.

The October Film Haunt contains multiple references to two short stories Wehunt previously published, "The October Film Haunt: Under the House," in the aforementioned Greener Pastures, and "The Pine Arch Collection," in The Inconsolables. Those were both exceedingly creepy five-star stories for me, and I would encourage fans of this novel who haven't read them to seek them out. Where The October Film Haunt stumbles for me is in going on for too long and thereby removing a portion of the unsettling mystery behind those stories. I did expect this going into the book - it's only natural that the mystique behind a short story would be diluted by expansion into a novel - but it was still a bit of a let down. And I will say that while my hardcover edition clocks in at a little over 300 pages, the font is quite small and it felt much longer. I think some of the POVs could have been cut entirely, and this would have been a tighter, more dread-infused novel. My other criticism is of Jorie falling into the cliche of a dumb horror movie MC. How did she not see that "twist" at the end coming?

Overall, though, I would recommend The October Film Haunt, and my opinion of Wehunt's writing and ability to evoke unsettling scares is intact. I look forward to more of his writing, whether short or long form, in the future.

[Dona's Books]

DNF @ p194

Pre-Read Notes:

The cover and title grabbed me here. I found this one when I was looking for books for October, go figure!🎃

Final Review

(thoughts & recs) Unfortunately, by the 20% mark, I was thoroughly lost. Even though I mostly go into books as blind as possible, I went and read the Goodreads description of this one and smattering of reviews to make sense of what I was ready. That did help, so I actually recommend reading them before you jump in and find yourself confused. But for me, there was no following this one, so I DNFed halfway through. I liked some things too, so don't avoid this one unless you have an intolerance (like mine) of loose plots.

My Favorite Things:

✔️ Wonderful descriptive writing! "But Coleman realizes he’s being followed, too, there’s the prickle of eyes behind him, like insects caught in the fine hairs on the back of his neck." p34

✔️ Wonderful setting work: "There’s something about the tangled density of nature in the South. There’s a wildness you can feel, trees swallowed by vines, puddles of pine needles, old pollen, acorns, with the Appalachians hemming much of the land . They’re some of the oldest mountains on earth, gorgeous but worn down to nubs by relentless age, laid out like a horizon line God traced with an arthritic hand. There is no sense of youth here. You expect the ghosts to be bony and withered." p50

Notes: hauntings, gaslighting, DV, violence,

Thank you to Michael Wehunt, St. Martin's Press, and NetGalley for an accessible digital arc of THE OCTOBER FILM HAUNT. All views are mine.

[kimberly · Rating 2 out of 5]

Jorie Stroud—her name a tribute to Laurie Strode? is that a reach?—and her two friends became horror sensations when they launched their blog, October Film Haunt, where they shared their experiences of visiting the filming locations of their most beloved horror movies. It all came crumbling down when their visit to the location of “Proof of Demons”, was published and tragedy ensued.

Now, ten years later, Jorie is living with her son in a quiet suburb where she can keep her past life and anything to do with horror shut away. When VHS tapes and strange notes, all linked to “Proof of Demons”, start showing up on her doorstep, Jorie knows she must confront her past if she wants to protect herself and her son.

Wehunt does a wonderful job creating an intensely unsettling atmosphere, providing a terrifyingly accurate depiction of paranoia while mixing in occult themes and meta angles, blending the psychological with the supernatural. The chapters are broken up by epistolary pieces—excerpts from the Wiki page about “Proof of Demons", blog posts, reddit posts, etc. I found them enjoyable; a way to bring readers in closer to the horror of the film that ultimately destroyed many lives. The plot here is incredibly unique and it provokes an indescribable sense of nostalgia in me.

Unfortunately, the execution lacked and the writing really messed with me. It was clunky and sentence structures were often confusing, ruining the flow of the narrative, making the book challenging to get through, and making it feel longer than it needed to be—this book was expanded upon from a short story, so there's that. Still, it is undeniably suspenseful and lovers of cultish vibes and found-footage horror will want to give it a try. There is a really good plot within in these pages but I can’t decide if it needs a heavy editing comb before it goes to print—it does—or if it’s just the way Wehunt writes. I’m tempted to rate higher because as I said, I think there's something special to this story and that it just needs more workshopping but as it stands, I can’t budge. 2.5 overall.

Thank you St Martins Press for the early copy in exchange for an honest review. Available Sep 30 2025

[Carolyn Walsh · Rating 1 out of 5]

DNF. I was pleased to receive the ARC through NetGalley and the publisher, as the premise seemed promising. I usually enjoy horror stories and movies, as well as an eerie atmosphere. Unfortunately, I was not engaged with the characters and writing style. The narrative was very slow and unevenly paced. I found it convoluted with overly descriptive fillers. I plan to try again, but it just wasn't for me at this time.

[Michael Hicks · Rating 5 out of 5]

This review was originally published at FanFiAddict.

Michael Wehunt’s The October Film Haunt is a love letter to horror films and creatives. Yes, it’s a slasher book by way of cosmic horror and cursed media, but it’s an ode, first and foremost. Wehunt has a clear affection for the horror genre and film medium, born from watching The Exorcist when he was seven. I think most horror fans are created at an age most would consider too young to be socially appropriate, which is only fitting for a genre often viewed as an outcast and a bastard. We horror hounds confront those scary things in the dark and greet them on our own terms, driven by curiosity as much as defiance, throwing caution to the wind because we want to be scared. We need to stare into the abyss just to see if anything really does stare back. Horror frightens as much as it entertains. Wehunt gets it.

His characters get it, too. Jorie Stroud was a dyed in the wool horror fanatic and, ten years ago, an Internet celebrity thanks to her October Film Haunt website. She would trek to the real-life locations of found-footage horror films with her friends and try to recapture the feelings those movies brought about. One such film, Proof of Demons, and its director, Hélène Enriquez, developed a cult following and Internet urban legend status thanks to Jorie’s writings and video essays, which culminated in a tragedy compounded by a drug-assisted suicide by one of her pals. Forced to confront real-life trauma, Jorie’s love of horror died and she put all that behind her. She’s left her abusive husband to raise her son in Vermont and work as a freelance editor, making ends meet clerking at a grocery store. She’s spent the better part of a decade in isolation, far removed from the online horror community, building a new life where nobody knows or remembers her. Or so she thinks, until a VHS tape arrives in her mail and a string of disappearances across the country are linked to Proof of Demons. The fans of that film are attempting to create an all-too real sequel to bring the Pine Arch Creature into our world, and they’ve found Jorie, their final girl and film star.

The October Film Haunt is one of those books that almost feels like it was written just for me. Wehunt has taken a few of my favorite horror subgenres – slashers and cosmic horror – and melded them together into something smart and literate that, dare I say it, elevates them both. He understands and utilizes the customary tropes expected of such material, but there’s a certain freshness to them thanks to his strong character work. The book is a bit of a slow burn at first, with Wehunt taking the time to let us really get to know Jorie and her son, Oli, and the traumas that have upended her life. There’s an unsettling eeriness to her falling victim to stalkers hiding in the woods and recording her every movement, and the increasingly viral nature of the social media hashtags breaking into reality to promulgate the summoning rites to bring forth the Pine Arch Creature.

By the time physical violence strikes close to Jorie and the cult of Enriquez claims its first victim, it’s visceral, tense, and scary, even as it echoes Wes Craven’s Scream films or a Benson and Moorhead production. Wehunt does this knowingly, of course, with The October Film Haunt functioning as a meta horror novel, with the story echoing previous genre efforts in ways that mimic the call-and-response used to summon the Pine Arch Creature. Jorie Stroud knows all the tropes and knows that she’s in a horror movie come true. It may be an accident on her parents’ part, but certainly not Wehunt’s, that her name is so damn similar to final girl supreme, Laurie Strode. She’s the kind of final girl Jade Daniels would love.

Even with its callbacks to slasher classics and focus on a demonic entity and summoning rituals, The October Film Haunt feels wonderfully grounded. Despite being targeted by nutjobs, Jorie still has to go to work, still has to deal with her boss, still has to get forced into making small talk with the neighbor, and make sure her son is fed and clothed. She wryly notes at one point that she has to live through all the movie’s deleted scenes. Her life is upended, but the day-to-day dealings of living go on. And then there’s the cult she has to contend with, too. The masked psycho gimmick in these types of stories are, of course, rooted in real-life terrors. Masked, knife-wielding assailants stalking and breaking in – these things can and do happen. It’s a common fear, and one that reminds us that there is no safety in this world, least of all in our own homes. Clad in bedsheets and wearing pointed crowns made of sticks, the imagery of these cult members coming out of the woods to attack, one can’t help but think of their real-life analogs in the KKK or red hat-wearing MAGA acolytes or tiki torch wielding racists marching down the streets. They’re scary because they’re real. We maybe even know some of them.

What’s scarier, though, is the nature of the Pine Arch Creature. Not the creature itself, but the essence of the creature, the things it embodies, the way it welcomes you with its reassuring callback to the summoning’s opening gambit of “I belong with you” with “You belong.” The creature offers transcendence, but it promises acceptance. The horror genre has long been counterculture, and the horror community has proven itself, over and over, to be an ally, much to the chagrin of the anti-woke crowd. For far too many in a self-proclaimed Christian nation (many of whom have shown they truly only worship a pedophile, rapist grifter and helped propel him to the highest office of the land, because what’s more Christian-American than that?), we horror fans are outcasts, degenerates, and devil worshippers. Our books are easy targets for school and library bans, our movies too often dismissed and derided by mainstream critics. But within this circle of horror, we recognize one another, we see each other. Gay, straight, trans, it doesn’t matter. You’re a horror fan? You’re in. You belong. Troubled by trauma and suicidal ideation? You belong. To see that policy of open arms twisted by psychotics and eldritch terrors turning it all inside out for its own devious purposes, the horror – writ large – becoming an abusive lover – that’s scary. We see it happening on a national level now, under our current administration so rife with fascism. It’s terrifying to imagine our final refuge, this safe space built on terrors otherworldly and human, turned similarly and weaponized against us in violent idolatry.

The October Film Haunt is easily one of this year’s scariest books, not just because of what Wehunt puts readers and characters through, but because of all the subtext that haunts its passages and prose. There’s what the book is about, and then there’s what the book is really about. It’s meta and metaphor. Beyond being a damn good story that hits several of my own personal sweet spots, it’s chillingly invasive thanks to Wehunt’s literary-cinematic style and mixed media elements in the form of blog posts, Reddit threads, investigative reports, and the like. I don’t often feel that sense of creeping dread or the need to look over my shoulder when reading a horror book, but I certainly did here. I couldn’t help but feel watched as Wehunt blurred the lines between fiction and reality, slowly but surely ratcheting up the tension and eeriness in absorbing fashion. This book isn’t just a crowning achievement, it’s damnably haunting and wicked as hell.

[Casey Bee · Rating 5 out of 5]

I seriously loved this book! It feels like it’s real—real places, real stories, real sightings, real groups, real people—well one of these things is at least true! We have a super fun surprise guest in this book, that if you know him, will make your horror heart squeal. As for everything else, it’s not real, but I actually looked stuff up thinking some of it was going to be!

The October Film Haunt was a three-person group of horror enthusiasts who would camp at famous horror movie locations, blogging about it. They started gaining some serious notoriety. Proof of Demons is a cult classic horror film, seemingly more like a guide to summoning a creature than a fictional movie. This started people believing it. After a blog post about this film by OFH member Jorie results in the death of a teen, Jorie gives it all up. Beth, Colin and Jorie disband. Jorie, now living with her son in rural VT and ten years later, is sent a chilling VHS tape. This starts a string of unnerving events and it seems like Jorie is an unwilling participant in the Proof of Demons sequel.

That’s really all I am going to say, because I don’t want to give anything away. But wow! This was so good and honestly unique, which is hard to accomplish these days. There is this other character who, as you’re going along, you’re not sure where he fits in exactly, but it all comes together. It’s a bit of a slow burn leading up to a heart racing ending, but the dread and tension mounting during that burn makes it impossible to put down. We get a mix of the supernatural, the occult, and just pure humanity being horrible. I really loved this reading experience—unique, fun, super creepy, believable—5 stars.

Thank you to NetGalley and St. Martin’s Press for the e-ARC! Book releases 9/30/25.

[Chelsea | thrillerbookbabe · Rating 2 out of 5]

I had such high hopes for this book. It sounded SO good and I loved the plot. It started off pretty well, but quickly slowed down. I wanted so much more from this book, and the plot got lost for me somewhere in the middle. Sadly it was a DNF at around 60%, but I may come back in the future.

[Heathers_readss · Rating 3 out of 5]

What I liked about it:
The mixed media was definitely a fun part to the book, the use of old VHS tapes, the participation of online media and the POV of the main character all merged together really well.

The whole plot surrounding a small group of horror lovers who showed up to the filming locations of their favourite horror movies was a unique storyline for me and one that caught my interest.

There are definitely a lot of eery scenes that will creep you out as to be expected in a horror book 😂

What didn’t work for me:

Overall this book felt a little too long and a little too slow at times. The plot was there and the characters were interesting I just wished we could have kept a fast paced momentum from beginning to end.

Thank you to St Martin’s press and Michael Wehunt for the EARC!

Publish date - September 30th 2025

[Stacy (Gotham City Librarian) · Rating 4 out of 5]

Sometimes you take a chance on a random book and it pays off in spades. I can’t believe more people aren’t talking about this one.

The writing is SO spooky and atmospheric. I was hooked from the first page. I love books that take on the found footage horror genre, because it’s tough to pull that off in literature form. This one also had other media bits mixed in with the narrative, like blog posts and Wikipedia pages. The movie within the story, “Proof of Demons,” legit sounds so scary. I would absolutely watch it.

A couple of the main characters in this book were horror film bloggers and super fans who are now being confronted by dark things from their past, and the plot very much has that meta “Scream” vibe but in a way that’s effective and not obnoxious (like when so many other pieces of media try to do it now.) This was the more slasher horror aspect of the plot. It involves real people as a threat, but also the possibility that a film might actually be haunted somehow and affecting reality. (I thought this whole thing was handled in a chilling and visually thoughtful manner.)

It’s very rare that a book manages to give me the creeps but this one is genuinely frightening. The writing is gorgeous and the pages are dripping with tension and dread. It feels like you’re watching a well crafted horror film, the kind that has you constantly expecting a scare that doesn’t always materialize. If you are freaked out by faces appearing in corners and unknown things reaching for you in dark rooms, then this is the book for you.

Sometimes I admittedly do think that the classic horror nods in these contemporary works are a little too blatant. The main character, Jorie Stroud, was named after Laurie Strode. Another minor complaint in an otherwise gorgeously written book: the author does commit the literary sin of “she lets out the breath she didn’t realize she was holding.” And it felt like things were a bit too easy for the human threat, by which I mean the stalkers and murderers were easily able to get into houses at all times with no issue. It just bothers me when things are so effortless for assholes in stories like these.

The characters we’re expected to root for also make some VERY stupid mistakes and that’s so frustrating. (If you claim to be a final girl, you’ve gotta act like one.) This and the ending are why I gave the book four stars instead of five. I did feel that the story deserved a more definitive finale. I’m not opposed to conclusions like this one, but after going through so much with these characters I felt a little cheated and dissatisfied. Overall, though, this was a great October read.

Filled with believable characters that will break your heart. Coleman, especially. (Though in the end, maybe some of them were a little bit too human, because I wanted more of a powerful and smart final girl than I ended up with.) I don’t like bullies or cults and this story has the most dangerous combo of both. If you hate it when supernatural elements seep into your slasher story, (which is valid), then this one won’t be for you. But I thought every angle of the plot was handled so well that I enjoyed it all. A real treat for anyone who loves it when horror films of all kinds seep into the pages of their novels.

One last thing that was very strange to me: the guy that made the indie game Siren Head is a character in this book. The fact that the author used a real person kind of took me out of the immersion. Maybe if I wasn’t so chronically online and I didn’t know what Siren Head was, this wouldn’t have been an issue.

I read a physical ARC copy that I got from my job at the library, but this book has been published and is available. Despite a few small issues, I’m so glad I picked this one up!

Biggest TW: Domestic abuse, Chronic illness, Suicidal ideation, Stalking

[A.M. (ᴍʏ.sᴘᴏᴏᴋʏ.ᴡᴀʏs) · Rating 4 out of 5]

Like I mentioned in my Goodreads updates, I had a real love/hate relationship with this book. 𝐓𝐡𝐞 𝐎𝐜𝐭𝐨𝐛𝐞𝐫 𝐅𝐢𝐥𝐦 𝐇𝐚𝐮𝐧𝐭 is intricate and morbid, as well as atmospheric, but there were times where it felt unnecessarily long. The horror elements were strong and there were definitely moments that gave me chills, but some chapters dragged when they should have been tighter and more direct.

That said, there is still a lot to appreciate. Michael Wehunt clearly loves horror and it shows in the way he blends meta commentary, cult film obsession, the darker side of fandom, and lingering trauma. I could immediately tell that the story shifts from feeling like an affectionate nod to horror into something more uncomfortable and/or reflective of what obsession can cost.

The moments that worked best for me were the ones where the dread built slowly, like when Jorie and Beth dealt with the Rickies shortly after reuniting. The horror did not just happen to the characters, it moved through them and through the film and the online culture around it. This part I enjoyed the most. That part of the story truly stood out. The ending especially was tense and delivered a strong payoff.

But here is where my issues come in. The pacing often slowed the momentum. There were too many places where the story wandered into details that did not feel necessary. As someone who loves sharp/punchy and fast paced horror, those slower parts pulled me out of the experience just when I was starting get absorbed into the creepiness.

The concept of a cursed cult film and the obsession of the Rickies had a lot of potential, but it did not always dig as deep as I wanted or expected. Some of the themes around trauma, media, and fandom felt touched on rather than fully explored. And even though the ending was satisfying enough, a part of me felt as though it was a little abrupt compared to the long build up of the rest of the book.

Overall, I landed at 3.8 stars and rounded up to 4. This book is very much ambitious, eerie, and has some truly memorable and creepy moments. But, again, the uneven pacing and occasional detours kept it from being the perfect horror read I hoped for.

If you enjoy horror that plays with fandom culture, cult films, internet paranoia, and the way obsession can twist people, give this one a try. Just know going in that it is a slow burn with some wandering chapters, and the scares come more from atmosphere than nonstop terror.

Would I read it again or keep it in my collection? Yes. I am a sucker for cursed film lore and meta horror, and this book definitely scratches that itch. I would probably read it in shorter sessions next time though, or perhaps try the audiobook and see if I feel it more.

A solid and memorable horror release for 2025. Not perfect, but creepy enough.

[Erin Clemence · Rating 4 out of 5]

Special thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for a free, electronic ARC of this novel received in exchange for an honest review.

Expected publication date: Sept. 30, 2025

Jorie Stroud and her friends are horror enthusiasts, spending their nights camping out at popular horror movie locations and documenting it in Jorie’s blog, “The October Film Haunt”. When they spend the night in the graveyard where the popular cult classic, “Proof of Demons” was filmed, something goes terribly wrong, forever altering Jorie and her friends’ lives. Now, Jorie has left anything horror-related in her past and is trying to live a quiet life with her eight-year-old son, Oliver. Until Jorie receives a videotape in the mail that resembles the original “Proof of Demons”, except Jorie unknowingly plays a central part. It seems die-hard fans of “Demons” want Jorie to pay for her mistakes, making Jorie the ultimate ‘final girl’.

Michael Wehunt’s “The October Film Haunt: A Novel” is haunting and poetic, a deliciously spooky horror novel for fans of Stephen Graham Jones or Paul Tremblay. Narrated by Jorie, and a collection of other characters who are relevant to the story in different ways (some more obvious than others), “October” is relentless and engaging.

Wehunt writes beautifully, with voluptuous words and captivating language. So much so, that it took me a while to get into the novel, as I had to adjust to Wehunt’s style. Once I got in though, I jumped in with both feet. Wehunt’s depictions of the setting and the terrifying “Rickie’s” were stunning, creating a totally immersive experience.

I loved the throwback to the 90s in “October”, with old school VHS tapes, and the cult-like following of “Proof of Demons”, that speaks to the epic power of filmmaking, especially in the horror genre. The characters, especially Jorie, were unique and likable, and I loved hearing from multiple narrators, as it added depth and even more levels of terror to an already terrifying novel.

It wasn’t until about two-thirds of the way through the novel when a single conversation clued me in to who the ringleader was. Although this novel was less of a “who” and more of a “how” and “why”, I still enjoyed knowing who was responsible, and Wehunt definitely surprised me with his reveal. The ending itself was speculative and left me guessing, however Wehunt makes no secrets that he’s going to end the novel this way, as he drops multiple hints throughout the novel (and doing it this way pays homage to horror movies and novels the world over).

“The October Film Haunt” is the ideal novel for the upcoming spooky season.

[Elric Kane · Rating 4 out of 5]

An unsettling dive into literal CULT Horror Movies and the life they take on with each follower. Distinctly modern online, folk horror mixed with 80’s VHS culture make it a must for horror film freaks.

[Mother Suspiria]

Gripping, unsettling, and scary af, THE OCTOBER FILM HAUNT is an eerie examination of the power of belief, fandom, and what words and actions can birth. Multi-layered, merciless, and masterful, Michael Wehunt's fantastic story will horrify AND haunt you. Read it and belong.

[megs_bookrack]

ARC received! Thank you, St. Martin's Press!!



I think this sounds amazing. I can't wait to check it out!

[Jessica Woodbury · Rating 3 out of 5]

Torn on this one. I think in terms of executing on its concept, it is hard to find fault with it. Cult horror becomes real life, horror obsessives find their fantasies becoming real. It is creepy as hell, has plenty of legitimately scary sequences, and even though it's a novel it does a great job of creating visual scenes. The fictional films are brought to vivid life and the mythology that begins to rise up also feels organic and possible. There is so much Wehunt does here that is beautifully put together. It does very well at incorporating multiple points of view and other ephemera such as screenplays and blog posts and message boards effectively. (I have seen many many books do this particular part badly, so I appreciate it.)

This is, in my opinion, the closest readalike to NIGHT FILM we've had in the 10+ years since that book came out. But where Night Film was more about an abstract view of horror, about horror as a means to an end and a vehicle for a certain type of surreal storytelling, The October Film Haunt is for horror lovers. It is about horror lovers and horror much more literally.

But as a novel, it has a looseness and a surrealism that is not traditional horror, that is more like Night Film than the Stephen King that is comped. (I'm sorry but Stephen King is a terrible comp. I don't see anything here that connects the two! Not in style or subject matter, just horror as a genre. Stop comping all horror to King!) Even at a time when audiences have been more open to "elevated" horror, this is much more on the experimental side of the spectrum than the traditional. And I do just fine with this in a 90 minute film, but the pacing works differently in a 300+ page novel that takes over 14 hours on audio, that pacing can feel positively glacial.

For the first half, October Film Haunt feels like it could turn into something very traditional any moment. But by the end, it's clear that we have moved well into the inexplicable and strange. Usually I love that. I love not knowing what is going to happen. But here I felt frustrated more than excited.

Perhaps because there is no real thesis to orient ourselves around? The further we move into the surreal, the less stakes the story has. Desperate woman, protective mother, our central character Jorie has always been a little on the one-dimensional side (not all that uncommon for this kind of final girl type) but her experience for the entire climax is one-note. She is not surprised or thoughtful, she is just in desperate chased mother mode. Which would be fine if this was a traditional horror story. But it isn't. It is no longer a world governed by reality, and when characters start to give long speeches everything just slows down and it isn't in service of anything. It is harder to care about what will happen to Jorie when it's not even clear why all of this is happening to Jorie in the first place.

Cult horror where we don't really understand the point of the cult is tricky. What do they want? What do they care about? Are they after the same kind of experience that sent Jorie and her friends into their original October Film Haunt blog where they'd try to make reality into something straight out of one of their favorite films? It feels distinctly different, but it isn't clear why or how. There is a big gap from Jorie's youthful obsession and whatever obsession must be behind this group. And, again, if we had less pages, if we had a tighter story, it would be easier to get away with this. But as this book goes on and on, as it tries to talk more and more about this cult and what it means, it doesn't make anything clearer. It just makes it wordy.

All that to say: I think this book really depends on the reader. I am not sure that any of Wehunt's choices are bad ones. They just didn't land for me the way I would like. I think traditional horror readers will struggle with the surrealism and the looseness of the structure. I think more experimental readers may not find their way to it (Night Film wasn't marketed as horror, after all).

And all that to say: I think Wehunt has done something unusual and interesting here. It's certainly one of the most interesting horror novels of the year.

I did this on audio and it's really well produced, thoughtfully done. And, definitely, scarier. I had to take breaks! Should definitely get some audio award recognition, imo.

[Katherine Moore · Rating 5 out of 5]

The October Film Haunt is horror for the fan who has read and watched everything. You read all the different horror sub-genres, but you also watch horror movies; you go down horror rabbit holes, read about urban legends, cursed films, and watch documentaries about horror source material. You’ve heard about the legend of Cropsey, the internet lore of Slender Man, and have seen everything from The Blair Witch Project to Ringu and Lake Mungo. You’ve pored over House of Leaves. You think you can discern fact from fiction. Or can you?

The main character Jorie Stroud once had a life that revolved around horror movies, but she's had to put that in her past. She and her friends Colin and Beth, formed a group called the October Film Haunt, and they would camp out at the filming locations of horror movies. They ran a blog, posted videos, and the haunts became a social media sensation with a following that included some of their horror idols. But then everything went disastrously wrong. So badly wrong that she’s had to isolate herself, due to the death threats and the trauma.

Jorie is now a copyeditor, living in secluded Vermont with her son Oli; her new life is disrupted when a VHS tape with the words FUNERAL WATCHING along the spine shows up in her mailbox. The images on it are familiar; it's a funeral scene similar to one from Proof of Demons, at the site of their last film haunt. The arrival of this tape opens up an unwelcome window to her past, and Jorie quickly finds herself trapped in an unavoidable role in a horror sequel. She reunites with her friend Beth, but along with their reunion, she is stalked, preyed upon, and is haunted by images from ten years ago; engaging with these faceless 'filmmakers' comes at a massive cost.
Gradually, the line between fact and fiction becomes so blurred that Jorie doesn’t know how to move about without imagining everything through a camera lens and becomes hyperaware of her surroundings. She has no choice but to play the leading role in a horror movie where she doesn’t have the script, and she doesn’t know who’s calling the shots. Her paranoia and fear spill off the pages.

Author Michael Wehunt has written a haunting novel that digs into every dark crevice that horror can conjure. Horror movies are at the core of this very meta novel, one filled with many Easter eggs and nuggets. It’s not a quick read by any means, a story told through several storylines, as well as passages from webpages and articles. This is far from ‘horror lite.’
This may mean rereading passages, but if you’re someone who likes to dig in, Wehunt has done so much research that this book is a horror treasure trove. It will probably require a second read to gather all the references and appreciate every one. But on the first read, this atmospheric, visceral jaunt to Vermont in the fall will leave you feeling thoroughly haunted. It’s finally October, and it’s time for a film haunt.

Thank you to St. Martin’s Press for the early copy.

[Bradley · Rating 5 out of 5]

This was so well done. The “haunted movie” genre is one of my favorites and this skyrocketed to the top of my favorites list.

[myreadingescapism · Rating 4 out of 5]

I think the audiobook version made this..

[Curtis · Rating 2 out of 5]

As a big fan of Michael Wehunt’s short stories, it would pain me to write a negative review for his debut novel.

So I’m not going to.