The Scariest Horror Podcasts to Listen to This Halloween

Whether you enjoy hearing spooky stories year-round or not, October is undoubtedly the best time of year to treat yourself. If you’re looking for a podcast that will scare you silly, here’s a terrifyingly good roundup of perspectives – some based on true events, some thankfully not, some funny, some kid-safe, and all perfect for immersing you in spooky season. thinking. (Just don’t come to me crying when you can’t sleep after listening to an episode…)

Grimm, Grimmer. the darkest

In Grimm, Grimmer, Grimmest , Adam Gidwitz shares non-Disney fairy tales (I’m talking about the dark and scary fairy tales of the Brothers Grimm, who never missed a beat) with real kids so we can hear them reaction. . The stories are told with actors and beautiful, immersive sound, but what makes this podcast popular is how kids relate to the stories – what they would do if they came across an abandoned cabin in the woods, what they fear they will Do they feel and what do they do when they are afraid? This show has a creepy atmosphere, but also a cozy and charming atmosphere. Ghost level: 0

Hip-hop horror

In Hip Hop Horror Stories, rapper Belly invites other hip-hop artists to talk about things we don’t always hear from them: paranormal activity, ghosts, demonic possession, hauntings and anything else that scares them. It features French Montana, Iann Dior, Ty Dolla $ign, Dreezy, Riowdy Rebel, Smiiley and many more. The sound design is immersive and features original music. It’s as if ghost stories were rap tracks.

Ghost level: 6

Let’s make a horror movie

In the Let’s Make … series, Ryan Bale, Maddie Kelly and Mark Chavez spend entire seasons writing film scripts while interviewing other directors, writers and experts in the genre. The first season was about sci-fi script writing, the second season was all about rom-com script writing, and the new season, Let’s Make Horror , is about horror script writing. As in previous seasons, they talk to movie and ghost makers to figure out what makes a good horror movie, but this time they’re actually going to make one. Another twist: they don’t know anything about horror, and some of them (Maddie) don’t even like it. They start by talking to Blair Witch Project director Eduardo Sanchez and trying to identify what scares them. (Some things on the list… horses, “being alone in a field and someone comes running”, kidnappings and being buried alive.)

Ghost level: 3

Morrison’s Mysteries

The voice of Keith Morrison is known for narrating stories on Dateline NBC and podcasts such as Seduction and Murder and Magnolias (a personal favorite). People love these stories because there seem to be more true crime fanatics than there are stars in the sky. but also for Morrison’s voice, deep, calm and with a characteristic intonation. (Every holiday, Dateline releases an episode in which Morrison reads ” Twas the Night Before Christmas … for a Reason”). In his latest project, The Morrison Mysteries , Morrison narrates classic fiction, beginning with Washington Irving’s 1820 short story “The Legend of Sleepy Hollow.”

Ghost level: 1

Creepy

Never Told is a show where different creators share the mic to share weird, surprising, secret or embarrassing stories they’ve never heard before. The Never Told spin-off “Eerie” is an 8-episode anthology of original horror stories presented by a different writer each time. Listening to it is like pulling a random book from a creepy, cobweb-covered (possibly hidden) bookshelf: you don’t know what you’re going to get. (The first one was about an explorer alone in the Arctic… but what happened to her team? ) The Creepy Team tries really hard to scare you. (And we think it will.)

Ghost Level: 8

Night light

Nightlight is a World Fantasy and IGNYTE award-winning horror fiction anthology podcast featuring creepy stories beautifully produced, written and performed by Black writers and performers. No matter what type of horror you like – cults, monsters, zombie country singers – you’ll find something to scare you. These stories don’t hold back when it comes to gruesome details and thrilling plots. Having the opportunity to hear from (and interview) so many authors will help you discover new writers while also introducing you to the traditions and folklore of the African diaspora. Horror can often seem so white, and Nightlight is what happens when you hand the mic to a POC. Listen with the night light on.

Ghost level: 7

Low tide

Undertow is an ongoing supernatural horror series, and its new season , Undertow: The Sisters, includes Philadelphia’s Mütter Museum, witches, cults, the Gospel of Thomas, a family tragedy, a hospital for the criminally insane, and a very, very strange skeleton. It all revolves around Mütter’s curator Frankie Bradshaw, who receives a strange skeleton and a box of reel-to-reel tapes from the 1960s in the mail, drawing her into an investigation that takes her into the world of the occult, connecting her. family from the past and forces her to confront the skeletons hanging in her own closet. The script, sound design, acting and atmosphere are all top notch.

Ghost Level: 4

supernatural

In Strange, Danny Robins investigates true stories of paranormal encounters and the people who have had them. While he listens, his mind is open to everything he hears, as well as skepticism. He talks to scientists and experts of all stripes (sleep paralysis, building construction, toilet flushing mechanics, and more!) to find out if there is any explanation for these seemingly inexplicable events. Ghost Level: 8

Ghost!

In the Phantom! , comedian Roz Hernandez brings on celebrities, paranormal professionals (and maybe a few ghosts) for a live show about ghost stories, psychic experiences and other things that will give you goosebumps. (One segment, “EVPs or EV Puhleasssee??”, explores electronic voice phenomena.) It’s the perfect mix of comedy and the creepy—safe for skittish cats who want to get into the spirit of the spooky season without losing sleep. Roz is an interesting storyteller who will feel like your friend. That friend at the party who wants to tell ghost stories but can’t stop making jokes. Ghost level: 3

Radio rental

Radio Rental takes you to a fictional 1980s movie rental store (think: a haunted blockbuster) run by eccentric host Terry Carneis (voiced by The Office ‘s Rainn Wilson) and his cat Malachi. Terry is a scary DJ with real life stories ranging from creepy to bizarre, straight from the source. Created in a documentary style, the series brings together stories of close encounters with serial killers and inexplicable encounters with the other side that will make you question your normal, everyday interactions and remind you that something worth fearing may be lurking everywhere. corner. The new season is back and the first episode will make you afraid of the dark. Ghost Level: 9

Anxious and shocked

Rattled & Shook is an entertaining version of Radio Rental (it’s “Rattled Rental’s annoying little stepsister”) with scary stories, horror-themed games, special guests and more. Hosts Aprile Ruha and Meredith Stedman collect creepy stories, read to you by the people who lived them, and keep it casual and easy. It’s like renting a radio with a few fun things thrown in (including the added bonus of a friendly atmosphere that makes you want to pull up a chair and hang out).

Ghost Level: 8

Re: Dracula

Bram Stoker’s Dracula is an epistolary novel in which each chapter/letter is dated. The Re:Dracula Podcast publishes an episode every time a new entry appears, which coincides with a date in the story. Some entries are short and some are long and intense. The acting and sound design will keep you on the edge of your seat. Re: Dracula debuted at number two on the fiction podcast charts, was downloaded over a million times, and won Best Audio Drama at the Beyond the Curve International Film Festival and Best New Media at Magma Film Fest. Ghost level: 6

Ghosts in the Suburbs

Liz Sower was a fan of all things spooky, and when she moved to the suburbs, she noticed a darkness beneath the shiny façade, which she explores in her fictional podcast , Haunting in the Suburbs , a podcast (and blog ) about the people of Wellesley. , Massachusetts and the ghosts (and monsters) that haunt them. People love Liz’s creative storytelling (she was a librarian and that’s how she learned to podcast) and attention to detail. She once told me that her favorite episodes were ” Mimic ” and ” Third Time’s the Charm .” So start there.

Ghost level: 5