I love horror movies and was excited by the premise of the book and the idea of visiting the filming locations. But right away I was getting confused by the wordiness and vague mentions of prior events, I wasn't sure how all these characters connected, and I didn't understand the movie at the heart of all this. People in sheets? Silly. And six full minutes of static at various points? That sounds annoying, not scary. I don't see why Jorie should feel guilty about Hannah, a person they didn't even know and whose death they had nothing to do with. There needed to be better setup or something. I found myself skimming, hoping to eventually get to some answers but it didn't happen. I really wasn't feeling the creepiness and was mostly too confused to be creeped out. Just could not wrap my head around this book.

Blew me away! A glorious love letter to horror movies and the people who love them that nevertheless provides real scares for its starring horror cinephiles. Great characters, an intriguing and enticing cult horror movie I wish I could see despite the book's warnings, and an expert utilization of tone and pacing made this one that can't be missed.

Thank you, NetGalley and Michael Wehunt  for the ARC. I leave this review voluntarily and happily. Also, thank you publishers for your hard work!

This one was definitely interesting... but i had a hard time with it. I don't know what it was as a book like this is usually right up my alley. It's so strange and unique and so twisted, but it was just so hard to get through some parts. It dragged. I enjoyed the creepy atmosphere and just not knowing, but some parts just seemed to go a little too slow at times. I truly enjoyed the characters. I really loved the little media posts and newspaper articles we got to read. Always a sucker for books that has stuff like that. Not only that, this is kinda like a creepy pasta in a way. Even so, I still had a hard time with this book. I just can't explain why exactly.

I admit to getting through some of this book. i had to skim some of it as it seemed to repeat things a lot here and there, and I just can't stand that. There are a lot of characters in this book. Some I really liked, and some were just OK. Of course, you want nothing bad to happen to the main characters son. He is just an absolute jewel, and I love him! There are amusing parts, and like i said before, a lot of parts dragged on. Even so, I did enjoy a bit of the book.

There are death, blood, and very intense moments throughout the book. So be warned. This deals a lot with filming, so there are some things I didn't understand. That didn't bother me too much. I just wish it hadn't dragged so much.

The October Film Haunt is my first foray into Michael Wehunt’s fiction, and it’s a chilling, cerebral ride that blends horror with psychological suspense in a way that feels both modern and timeless. The story centers on Jorie Stroud, once a rising star in a trio of horror bloggers who gained notoriety for their obsession with cult films. A decade after a traumatic night at the graveyard filming location of Proof of Demons, Jorie has retreated into a quiet life in Vermont with her son, trying to escape the fallout of a viral blog post, internet hysteria, and a young woman’s death. Wehunt’s writing is atmospheric and emotionally layered, drawing readers into Jorie’s fractured world with eerie precision.

The characters are vivid and unsettling, especially the enigmatic director Hélène Enriquez and the “Rickies” a fanatical group of followers who blur the line between fandom and menace. Jorie herself is a compelling protagonist: haunted, fiercely protective, and increasingly paranoid as strange events begin to unfold. When a mysterious videotape arrives and she suspects someone is filming her, the plot takes a sharp turn. The twist that Enriquez may be orchestrating a sequel to Proof of Demons with Jorie as the “final girl” is both terrifying and brilliant. It reframes the narrative as a meta-horror experience, where the boundaries between fiction and reality collapse.

The conclusion is breathless and haunting. As Jorie confronts the truth behind the film and the forces manipulating her life, the story crescendos into a finale that is as emotionally devastating as it is terrifying. Wehunt doesn’t offer easy answers, instead leaving readers with lingering dread and a sense of awe at how horror can be used to explore trauma, obsession, and the hunger for meaning. For a first-time reader of his work, The October Film Haunt is a masterclass in genre-bending storytellingequal parts cerebral and visceral, and impossible to forget.

I found The October Film Haunt to be a chilling and immersive read that nails the eerie tension of the found-footage style - one of my favorite in horror. From the very first pages, it leans into the unsettling, piecing together a story through fragments, transcripts, and unsettling discoveries that pull you in like you’re uncovering the mystery yourself. The format works beautifully here—blurring the line between narrative and artifact—and gives the book a creeping authenticity that lingers after you put it down.

What makes it shine is the way it layers suspense: you’re never quite sure what’s real, who can be trusted, or how much is being deliberately concealed. That uncertainty becomes its own kind of dread, and it keeps the pages turning fast. Fans of found-footage horror will feel right at home—it’s clever, disorienting, and unsettling in all the right ways.

If there’s a drawback, it’s that the fragmented style can occasionally distance the reader from the characters, but in a way that almost feels intentional—it’s less about deep emotional arcs and more about keeping you on edge. Creepy, suspenseful, and thoroughly engaging, The October Film Haunt is a standout for anyone who, like me, can’t resist the unnerving allure of found-footage storytelling.

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 because it helps authors

Im not sure how I feel about this one. I want to love it so badly because it did creep me out, but I felt like it stumbled a little. The atmosphere was creepy and unsettling but the scare factor wasn't there for me. Overall, it was an enjoyable read, just not 'scare me horror' like I was hoping it would be.

Years ago, Jorie Stroud and her friends Beth and Colin used to visit the locations of their favorite cult horror movies and post their explorations to social media under the name The October Film Haunt. One of their most popular posts is about the cult film Proof of Demons, directed by the mysterious Hélène Enriquez. People flocked to the film haunt from the movie, resulting in the death of teenager Hannah Kim, and the October Film Haunt, as well as Jorie, Beth, and Colin’s friendship, fell apart.

Now, Jorie lives in Vermont with her son, determined to put the past, and her love of horror, behind her. This all changes when she is sent a VHS tape that appears to be related to Proof of Demons. After watching it, she starts to experience unexplained noises and thumps in her empty house. She starts seeing strange things and imagining someone following her. Proof of Demons starts trending on social media, along with Jorie’s original October Film Haunt hashtag, and people are convinced Enriquez is working on something new. More disturbing images begin to show up in uploaded videos. Jorie’s initials keep being mentioned by someone online named “helenelives.” Fans of Enriquez, called “Rickies,” dressed in the blue-green sheets of the movie, keep appearing everywhere. Jorie feels like she’s constantly being filmed. People uploading the strange videos begin to disappear. It’s up to Jorie to figure out exactly what is going on before it’s too late.

Michael Wehunt also wrote the short story collection Greener Pastures, which included a story called ‘The October Film Haunt: Under the House,’ which was in my opinion one of the standouts of the collection. While fans of the short story will enjoy how Wehunt weaves the film from the short story, Under the House, and its mysterious creator, Lecomte, into this novel, The October Film Haunt is mainly about Jorie Stroud and how easily the lines between ‘real life’ and ‘the movies’ can be easily blurred. While the book provides a fresh look at the idea of a ‘cursed’ film, it does drag on in places, which makes it hard to get into. Overall, Wehunt gives the reader a suspenseful, thought-provoking, and disturbing look at how stories can easily come to life in the age of social media, as well as riffs on grief, loneliness, and mortality.

3.5 Stars rounded up because I love the tropes in this book

I really enjoyed this one. It’s a tense, eerie story that knows how to build atmosphere and deliver genuine chills. The creeping dread takes a little while to gain momentum, but once it does, the story hits its stride and becomes hard to put down.

That said, the multiple POVs (five in total) felt like a bit too much at times. While each perspective added something unique, it occasionally broke the flow and diluted the tension. Since I read an ARC that included alternate chapters, the length also dragged a little, though I expect the final version will be tighter.

What stood out most to me (and what I loved) was the film within a book element paired with the true crime/horror fan podcaster angle. The way Wehunt explores the lingering consequences of the podcaster’s past decisions gave the story real bite. Those layered tropes (found footage vibes, ethical dilemmas, and investigative obsession) worked so well for me.

All in all, this is a solid, creepy horror tale that blends modern storytelling tropes with classic unease. Fans of true crime podcasts, cursed films, and atmospheric horror will definitely find something to love here.

Many thanks to NetGalley, Michael Wehunt, and St. Martin's Press for the ARC. All opinions are my own.

The October Film Haunt is an unsettling meditation about cult-like obsession and the dark gravity of art. A story about a cursed film, whispered about in underground circles, it does not just focus on the horror of this film itself. Wehunt explores the way horror stories embed themselves in us. The way art can take hold and refuse to let go. The novel captures the haze of memory and undeniable pull of the unknown. The October Film Haunt is a slow and haunting burn that lingers. Thank you to St. Martin's Press and NetGalley for the ARC. You can check this out September 30th, 2025.

The October Film Haunt by Michael Wehunt was obtained directly from the publisher and I chose to review it. I had never knowingly read this author before. This book is hard to review for the simple fact that it was too long. If you read my reviews, you know if there is too much inane dialogue and I wind up skimming, the book loses stars (out of five total). I rarely go into plot details in my reviews as everyone else does that but horror movies and book about them should really excite me. This book did indeed have its moments of scariness, creepiness and all out horror but it took to long to get there. Again, this is my opinion. On the flip side,, some may call this a Book of the Year or the like. If you, or someone you buy gifts for likes character developed to the extreme horror, give this book a read.

This book has a great premise and I was drawn right into it. It has good characters and a nice mystery element, slowly revealing the story and bringing the characters together. Something about the writing style just didn't click. This book just isn't for me.

DNF, honestly it was my fault for requesting a horror book without having read many on this genre. I learned my lesson.

Thank you for the ARC.

DNF.
I’m not sure what the issue was with this, but I found myself skimming pretty early on. I wasn’t hooked within the first 100 pages and felt myself not excited to pick it up.

First, I would like to thank Netgalley and St. Martins Press for offering me an advanced digital copy of this title in exchange for an honest review.
This book was very tough for me to even get to the half way point and I forced myself to read that far. The book was extremely slow and confusing.

I think the concept was a great idea. I love found footage horror films and the nostalgia horror films. Sadly the execution didn't work for me. I was often bored trying to get through what i did read. Some parts were intriguing, but I can’t say I recommend this one.

I DNFed this book. I wanted to like this book so badly, but I’ve been trying to read it for weeks and I’m not even halfway through. The writing style isn’t bad, but the book is incredibly slow. There’s such a long buildup and I don’t really see when it’s going to get more interesting. I feel like a lot of people will enjoy the pace and style but personally it wasn’t for me. I didn’t feel connected to the characters at all. When I went back to read it after a week I forgot who everyone was because I didn’t care.

Thank you to NetGalley and St. Martins for letting me read this ARC. I DNFed this book, I really wanted to like it but it was very slow. I spent almost three weeks because it took me a while to get through it. I had to re-read previous passages a few times to understand what was happening in the story.

A big thank you to the publisher and NetGalley for letting me read this book before it was published.

Unfortunately, for me, this was a dnf. I wanted to like it, but I couldn't seem to stay engaged. The writing style was good, but the story just didn't hook me. I sincerely hope that others find enjoyment in reading it!!

DNF at page 101. I was so excited for this one! The cover is fantastic, the description sounds great, but it’s just.. not doing it for me. I love the idea of this book but it’s just a slog to get through and I find myself just really not caring about any of it. Maybe I’ll try it again later but Its taken over a month to get to this point. It’s been very difficult get into and I find myself barely getting through a page or two before setting it down again.

I’m sure this is for some people, I’m just not one of them.

Firstly, I would like to thank St. Martin’s Press and NetGalley for provided me with a digital ARC copy.

Let’s start with what I liked.
The atmosphere and the mounting sense of dread and something being wrong is fantastic. I love the idea of a cursed film and just the vibes of the first 50% were perfect. It’s a bit slower paced but I think that really works in its favor. I kinda fell asleep reading it one night and fell right into one of the worst nightmares I’ve had in a while (lights on, wake up my husband, get the dog on the bed, the whole nine yards!). The book does a fantastic job of creating a nearly tangible feeling of being in a horror movie. The “villain” of the book is truly a villain in that you are completely repulsed by then and really really hate them by the end.

What I didn’t like.
This book was really close to being 6 stars, blow my mind good, but it just couldn’t quite get it there. It was a little long and I feel like it could have been about 100 pages shorter. After the first half I kinda just started to feel more meh about it and I can’t really put my finger on why. It definitely got pretty confusing at the end and I really had trouble keeping up with what was going on. However, this could very well could just be a me thing and it may just not be favorite style.

Overall I absolutely think it is worth a read, especially if you are a fan of Horror Movie by Paul Tremblay, or if you are a general horror devotee like Jorie. The story is a great exploration of how grief and guilt haunt us, how social media can seep into our lives and affect the real world, and the nature of belief and if demons are creatures from hell, or if we are the ones creating them all along.