Manchester’s indie cinema CULTPLEX is once again lifting the coffin lid on the North’s biggest horror extravaganza as STAB Horror Film Season returns this October for a full month of sinister cinema, creepy classics, terrifying television and enough big‑screen horror to keep even the bravest audiences awake at night.
Now firmly established as CULTPLEX’s annual celebration of all things horrifying, from 1 October to All Hallows’ Eve every film on the big screen will be dedicated to horror, bringing together a bloody blend of cult favourites, genre classics, modern nightmares, movie marathons and a bone‑chilling all‑nighter.
What to expect at STAB
This year’s programme promises plenty of familiar faces, kicking off with the annual screening of The Living Dead at Manchester Morgue (1974), filmed right here in Manchester. The now official cult classic Ghost Hunting with Girls Aloud returns, along with The Simpsons Treehouse of Horror Simpsons Quiz hosted by award‑winning comedy heroes A Lovely Time.
For fans of true classic horror, the latest Hammer Uncut and Uncensored restoration of Christopher Lee’s Dracula (1954) will be shown, alongside the 50th anniversary of Brian De Palma’s Carrie (1976) and a celebration of Tim Curry’s iconic turn as Pennywise in Stephen King’s IT (1990).
World cinema is a huge part of CULTPLEX’s everyday programme, but never more so than in October. The season begins in Mexico with the fantasy crime horror Tigers Are Not Afraid (2017), followed by the edge‑of‑your‑seat Korean masterpiece I Saw the Devil (2010). CULTPLEX will also screen the original Danish‑language Speak No Evil (2022), urging audiences to forget the American remake and prepare for a week‑ruining experience.
The season will host the UK premiere of Velocipastor 2, bringing prehistoric religious mayhem back to the big screen with the promise that audiences will never have seen anything like it. Other special presentations include a chaotic bottomless‑booze screening of Scooby‑Doo 2: Monsters Unleashed (2004) and a Haunted House All Nighter featuring The Shining (1980), Japanese cult classic Hausu (1977), Lucio Fulci’s The Beyond (1981) and the original Poltergeist (1982).
As the month draws to a close, Halloween itself will see all tickets priced at £6.66—the lowest and scariest ticket price in Manchester. The day begins with family favourite Hocus Pocus (1993) and ends with a daring double bill of Curry Baker’s Obsession (2026) and Sam Raimi’s stone‑cold classic Evil Dead II (1987) for one final night of big‑screen horror.
Whether you’re looking for a classic you’ve been dying to see on the big screen, a cult oddity you’ve never heard of, or simply an excuse to spend the whole of October watching horror films, STAB Horror Film Season has something lurking in the shadows.
Tickets are on sale now, and the full line‑up and booking information are available here.
