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NBCUniversal and Blumhouse Productions
- Halloween is the perfect time to put together your own horror movie marathon at home.
- There are tons of scary movies on streaming services like HBO Max, Hulu, Prime Video, and Netflix.
- You can stream some of our favorites right now, like “The Shining,” “Freaky,” “Hereditary,” and more.
Halloween is right around the corner, and there’s no better way to mark the spooky holiday than to sit back with some popcorn and binge-watch a bunch of scary movies. There are tons of horror films available to stream on every major subscription platform, from HBO Max to Paramount Plus.
Though there’s no shortage of options, figuring out which spine-tingling films are worth your time can be tricky. With that in mind, we asked our reporters and editors to recommend some of their own personal favorites. Our picks run the gamut from slasher flicks to supernatural ghost stories, ensuring that there’s something for every horror fan to enjoy.
Below, you can find all of our picks for the best horror movies you can watch right now. We’ve noted which streaming service you’ll need for each recommendation, so you’ll have no trouble setting up your own Halloween movie marathon.
Warner Bros.
Few horror movies are as iconic as Stanley Kubrick’s “The Shining.” Though it deviates a fair amount from Stephen King’s classic novel, the movie carves out its own equally terrifying identity.
When a father (Jack Nicholson) takes his wife and young child to a secluded hotel, he’s gradually driven mad by the evil spirits that reside there. Nicholson’s unhinged performance is perfect, and the movie’s haunting imagery will leave a lasting impact.
A sequel, titled “Doctor Sleep,” was released in 2019, nearly 40 years after the original movie. It’s not available on any subscription services right now, but it’s worth renting if you’re in the mood for a spooky double feature. — Steven Cohen, Tech and Streaming Editor
‘Willy’s Wonderland’ on Hulu
Screen Media
When you need a break from the jump scares and creeps, “Willy’s Wonderland” is a fun watch that doesn’t break the Halloween spirit. It stars Nicolas Cage as a wordless protagonist trapped in a Chuck E. Cheese-like restaurant for a night. The catch? All of the animatronic animals are possessed by evil spirits.
It’s bloody, action-packed, and a great watch with friends, especially if you’re a fan of the similar “Five Nights at Freddy’s” video game series. — Sarah Saril, Tech Deals and Streaming Reporter
‘Train to Busan’ on Amazon Prime Video and Peacock
Well Go USA
I’m not the biggest fan of paranormal or supernatural horror movies, as I enjoy being able to sleep at night, but I do love an occasional zombie movie. “Train to Busan” is an emotional and jarring film about a zombie outbreak in South Korea.
It follows the story of a dad (Yoo Gong) and his daughter (Su-an Kim) who are on the last train to Busan — the safe city of the outbreak. It will truly have you on the edge of your seat the entire time. — Anna Popp, Home and Kitchen Fellow
‘Halloween’ on AMC Plus, Shudder, and the Roku channel
Compass International Pictures/Sunset Boulevard/Corbis/Getty Images
If you’re looking for a horror movie to watch during the Halloween season, you really can’t go wrong with, well, “Halloween.” This quintessential slasher flick remains terrifying more than 40 years after it first hit screens, and it’s helped spawn a franchise with a dozen installments.
The original release from 1978 remains the best, with excellent direction from John Carpenter, a harrowing performance by Jamie Lee Curtis, and the debut of one of horror cinema’s most iconic villains, Michael Myers.
You need AMC Plus or Shudder to stream the first film without commercials, but you can watch it for free on the Roku Channel if you don’t mind ads. Meanwhile, viewers who want to watch the latest installment, “Halloween Kills,” can stream it on Peacock right now while it’s still in theaters. — Steven Cohen, Tech and Streaming Editor
‘Mother!’ on Paramount Plus
Paramount Pictures
I’m a big fan of director Darren Aronofsky (“Black Swan,” “Requiem for a Dream”). He’s a master at making you feel uncomfortable, and none of his movies are more discomforting than “Mother!”
The film stars Jennifer Lawrence (“The Hunger Games”) as a pregnant woman renovating her new home, and Javier Bardem (“No Country for Old Men”) as her struggling writer husband. Once he finds his inspiration and writes a bestselling book, their lives quickly spin out of control.
The film is visually dazzling and touches on so many themes, including religion, fame, privacy, gender roles, and more. I was left numb for days after watching this because it was so powerfully disturbing. — James Brains, Home and Kitchen Reporter
‘Freaky’ on HBO Max
NBCUniversal and Blumhouse
“Freaky” premiered on the big screen in November 2020 when many viewers were still hesitant to see films in theaters. With that in mind, it’s possible you missed this fun horror flick during its initial release. The movie is now streaming on HBO Max and it’s a worthwhile watch for anyone who likes slashers with a clever sense of humor.
The playful story puts a bloody spin on the classic “Freaky Friday” premise, as a serial killer (Vince Vaughn) and teenage girl (Kathryn Newton) switch bodies. What follows is an equal mix of scares and laughs.
The director’s previous two horror movies, “Happy Death Day” and “Happy Death Day 2U,” are also well worth seeking out, but they’re not available on any major subscription services right now. — Steven Cohen, Tech and Streaming Editor
‘Hereditary’ on Showtime
A24
For anyone in therapy or who attributes any of their psychological struggles to their upbringing, this movie is going to wreck you both emotionally and with some of the most frightening imagery ever filmed.
Written and directed by Ari Aster (“Midsommar”), the plot follows a struggling mother of two (played by Uma Thurman doppelganger Toni Collette) after the death of her abusive and mentally ill mother sends her into a depressive and supernatural spiral of generational trauma. — Joe Osborne, Senior Editor, Tech & Electronics
‘The Evil Dead’ on HBO Max
Lionsgate
Fans of low budget horror thrills should enjoy Sam Raimi’s cult classic “The Evil Dead.” The movie was one of the first supernatural horror flicks to popularize the now common “cabin in the woods” setup. Raimi uses this premise to create a bloody explosion of kinetic camera work as a group of friends accidentally summon deadly demons.
The movie makes the most of its cheap budget, proving that filmmaking ingenuity can trump million dollar special effects any day. Sure, it’s rough around the edges, but that’s all part of its enduring charm.
The movie’s equally celebrated sequel, “Evil Dead II,” might be even more entertaining, as Raimi dials up the camp to blend slapstick comedy with gory scares. Both films are streaming now on HBO Max. — Steven Cohen, Tech and Streaming Editor
‘The Taking of Deborah Logan’ on Amazon Prime Video
Millennium Entertainment
At a glance, this film had the potential to be a very cheesy watch, but it ended up being very spooky! The premise involves a film crew following an elderly woman with Alzheimer’s disease, but things take a supernatural turn.
Some of the scenes are so haunting, with imagery that still sticks behind my eyelids. It’s a found footage type of movie, but I was pleasantly surprised to find that it didn’t make me motion sick at all. — Sarah Saril, Tech Deals and Streaming Reporter
‘Mandy’ on Shudder and AMC Plus
Sundance Institute
I love scary movies, and ‘Mandy’ is one of the most underrated horror flicks ever made. The film takes place in the 1980s and stars Nicolas Cage as a man named Red. When a hippie cult kidnaps Red’s wife Mandy (played by Andrea Riseborough), he seeks revenge while learning about the group’s twisted pseudo-religious psychedelic practices.
Composer Jóhann Jóhannsson’s score is marvelous, and the cinematography keeps you transfixed. I loved the movie so much, I splurged on a novelty box of mac and cheese inspired by it. — James Brains, Home and Kitchen Reporter
‘Abraham Lincoln Vampire Hunter’ on HBO Max
20th Century Fox
This is a horror movie only by technicality, but I will sing its praises every chance I get. “Abraham Lincoln: Vampire Hunter” was a film I watched as a joke, but it quickly became one of my all-time favorite action flicks.
As the title implies, vampires are there, and so is Abraham Lincoln. It’s a better movie than it has any right to be, and it’s a great watch when you need a break from real spooks and scares. — Sarah Saril, Tech Deals and Streaming Reporter
‘The Cabin in the Woods’ on Peacock
Lionsgate
More than just a typical horror flick, director Drew Goddard’s “The Cabin in the Woods” acts as a clever satire on typical horror movie tropes and clichés.
The film starts off with a standard premise, similar to “The Evil Dead,” as five friends encounter a deadly threat in a secluded cabin — but as the story develops, the movie playfully turns that common plot on its head. Funny and thrilling, this is a slasher with some genuine smarts and laughs on top of a healthy helping of scares. — Steven Cohen, Tech and Streaming Editor
‘Await Further Instructions’ on Netflix
Dark Sky Films
If you want to see a very unlikable cast of characters have bad things happen to them, this movie is for you. “Await Further Instructions” is a compelling experience thanks to its claustrophobic nature, since the whole film focuses on a family trapped in one house.
I was reeled in by its bizarre thumbnail on Netflix, and I found it to be an entertaining watch. — Sarah Saril, Tech Deals and Streaming Reporter
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