Welcome to Horror Explorer, a curated column showcasing the month’s best movies, series, books and everything else spooky worth checking out. I’m William Earl, the executive digital director of Variety and the publication’s resident horror enthusiast. Please drop me a line at wearl@variety.com if there’s something I should check out for next month’s missive.

Marquee Madness Image Credit: Courtesy of Focus Features

“Black Phone 2” (In theaters Oct. 17 via Universal Pictures) — Ethan Hawke’s murderous Grabber channels Freddy Krueger in a sequel that allows the dead killer to attack through dreams. Scott Derrickson’s gorgeously shot film takes advantage of its wintry setting to make a spooky, desolate tale.

“Frankenstein” (In select theaters Oct. 17 via Netflix; will debut on

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