October is my favourite month of the year and every fall when I line up my horror film playlist, I’m always looking for documentaries that might fit the Halloween themed bill. In addition to Best Worst Movie, a hilarious and heart-filled look at the making of Troll 2, Michael Paul Stephenson has now created the perfect Halloween documentary double bill with his latest feature, The American Scream. The film looks at three households that take their Halloween decorating to obsessive levels, creating interactive works of art that delight and terrify their neighbourhood trick-or-treaters.

Every Halloween, sleepy Fairhaven, Massachusetts erupts with the most ambitiously creative spookery in the world. Endless styrofoam tombstones and backyard beasts come courtesy of a few supremely dedicated local “home haunters” who’ve devoted their lives to the art of handmade monstermaking. In this surprisingly touching documentary, The American Scream follows three of these horrific households to uncover the triumphs and tragedies that come with carrying the blackened banner of true Halloween spirit.

The American Scream won the Best Documentary Award at Fantastic Fest and is playing in theaters in select cities throughout October and November, including Seattle, Portland, Chicago, NYC, L.A., San Francisco, Boston, Houston, Austin and more. The film also premieres on the Chiller network on October 28th! Be sure to tune in! Until then, have a look at the trailer embedded above!