scary movie review youtube

The Best Free Horror Movies You Can Watch On YouTube Right Now

In his treatise on the nature of human fear, American multi-instrumentalist Andrew Gold posited that, "Spooky, scary skeletons / Send shivers down your spine / Shrieking skulls will shock your soul / Seal your doom tonight." He was right, of course — spooky scary skeletons can, as a rule, be counted on to sneak from their sarcophagi and just not let you be. But what if you're not close to a sarcophagus? What, indeed, if bags of bones are, to your eyes, a terror that's best categorized as merely semi-serious?

If that's the case, then consider this: YouTube offers a genuine smorgasbord of horror flicks, each designed to scare you and the ones you love, and each for the unbeatable price of zero dollars. The list is extensive, and runs the gamut from blood-soaked action to psychological thrillers that'll have you questioning the very nature of your existence — you know, just for fun. Here, we'll take a look at some of the best and most gruesome films that YouTube has on the menu.

On paper, "Cube" really should have turned out boring and bad. It was shot on a budget of less than half a million dollars on a Toronto sound stage and, in an especially foreboding development, involved hiring a math consultant. It had precisely no right to be good.

But here we are, nearly 25 years later, and "Cube" is still a classic of the low-budget, high-concept horror oeuvre. Written and directed by Vincenzo Natali of "Splice" fame, it tells the story of a group of strangers caught in what could best be described as a page from the Jigsaw Killer's dream journal — a maze of identical square rooms, intermittently booby trapped with all manner of unpleasantries, ranging from your boilerplate face-melting acid to a device that turns people into easily stackable segments of themselves. Typical as to what tends to happen in these situations, the argument is presented that human cube steak machines aren't the real monster — the real monster was the friends we made along the way.

Nosferatu the Vampyre

A full 40 years before he tried to kidnap Grogu, acclaimed filmmaker and amateur Henry Kissinger impersonator Werner Herzog took a swing at the legend of Dracula, reimagining 1922's "Nosferatu,"  the single most beloved piece of stone-cold plagiarism in the history of cinema.

The result: "Nosferatu the Vampyre." Released in Germany as "Nosferatu : Phantom der Nacht," the movie starts out about as unsettling as is generally considered possible, smacking viewers right in the gob with shots of very real, entirely not fake bodies of mummified children. With the tone having been set, the story continues in roughly the same direction as Bram Stoker's original novel, while taking design cues from the original "Nosferatu" and ramping up the horror thanks to Herzog's unique eye for creeping you the hell out.

"Nosferatu the Vampyre" has received near universal critical acclaim since its 1979 debut. Klaus Kinski's performance as the film's ratlike blood sucker, creepy from the get-go, becomes all the more unnerving when you realize that he's currently in your closet and there's nothing you can do about it.

Dead Snow 2: Red vs Dead

Uniformed, goose-stepping Nazis have luckily become more of a rarity to come by in the years following World War II. However in 2009's "Dead Snow,"  the plot   merged them with cinema's other favorite baddy to blow up, stab, and slap chop into pulpy bits: the humble zombie.

All of which raises a new problem: how do you up the ante on a story about undead fascists? In 2014, "Dead Snow" writer and director Tommy Wirkola gave audiences the answer: surgically attach a sentient zombie arm to the hero from the last movie. Maybe toss in an army of shambling Communist corpses, too. Also, see if Martin Starr is available, since he's literally only ever made things better.

"Dead Snow 2: Red vs. Dead" is a certifiable banger of a flick, somewhere between "Army of Darkness" and "Shawn of the Dead" in tone, with shades of "Idle Hands" and the undeniably striking image of a zombie in an SS uniform driving a tank thrown in for good measure.

The Jangsan Tiger is a well known (and very scary) urban legend in South Korea (per Asian Movie Pulse ). The white-furred and fanged creature supposedly stalks the Jangsan Mountain outside of the city of Busan, and in order to capture humans and eat them, it emits a wail that sounds like that of a woman in peril. The Mimic, a 2017 horror movie produced in South Korea and nominated for multiple South Korean film industry awards , brings the frightening tale to life in a setting grounded (ever so uncomfortably and menacingly) in reality. 

Min-ho, Hee-yeon, and their daughter Joon-hee move in with the family matriarch to care for the woman and to help Min-ho cope with the loss of her son five years hence. Mirroring a number of missing persons cases in the area, Grandmother keeps hearing the voice of her deceased sister coming from the forest. Meanwhile, little Hee-yeon finds a girl in the woods who looks and acts exactly like her daughter ... almost. Things get even more confusing and off-putting when the bodies start to pile up and it's necessary to cover all the mirrors in the house to prevent the evil from breaking through to this realm.

Jeepers Creepers 2

The phrase "Jeepers Creepers" is a cute, casual old-timey expression that means the equivalent of "my goodness," to indicate minor, pleasant shock. That sentiment is completely subverted and stretched to its absolute and ironic limits with the "Jeepers Creepers" film series, particularly the second entry in the franchise, "Jeepers Creepers 2" from 2003. Further playing with the idea of disarming the audience to induce sheer and utter terror, "Jeepers Creepers 2" is merely unsettling at first, finding and exploring the creepiness in common things. 

Set just after the first movie, a monster known as the Creeper kidnaps young Billy Taggart (Shaun Fleming), because it needs to feed. His father Jack (Ray Wise) and brother Jack Jr. (Luke Edwards) think the attack has something to do with a supernaturally monstrous scarecrow. It most certainly does, and things only get worse in terms of murder and mayhem when a school bus full of teenagers breaks down outside of town after a projectile made of bones blows up a tire. But it's nothing personal — the Creeper is only doing what comes naturally, killing to eat, thus horrifying a small farm community and some unlucky visitors.

Halloween H20: 20 Years Later

An early example of a franchise reboot that's also a legacy sequel, "Halloween H20: 20 Years Later" is the seventh entry in the horror series about the brutal (and seemingly immortal) masked murderer Michael Myers , bringing him back to his most iconic target, Laurie Strode. Released in 1998, "Halloween H20" cashed in on the late '90s teen horror boom ("Scream," "I Know What You Did Last Summer") by celebrating the 20th anniversary of the John Carpenter film from 1978 that inspired those movies while bringing in a whole new cast of young actors to continue to tell the story of Myers vs. Strode, ignoring some of the more poorly received latter sequels.

Picking up two decades after she was nearly murdered while working as a babysitter, Laurie Strode (scream queen Jamie Lee Curtis) has faked her death, changed her name, and moved to California, where she administers a private school. But Michael Myers, having broken into the home of his old psychiatrist and stolen Laurie's file, tracks her down and tries to kill her again. Halloween (the holiday) is coming, and so are the murders. Laurie will once again have to defend herself and some of her young charges (including Michelle Williams and Josh Hartnett) from very bloody murder.

Poltergeist

The '80s was a golden era for horror movies, and "Poltergeist" is one of the best. While it's got some moments of stomach-churning gore, Steven Spielberg and Tobe Hooper's film plays with the mind and soul, getting to the core of what can truly unnerve and horrify the average human being. It exploits those fears, delivering a penetratingly frightening movie about dread, loss, and feeling unsafe even in one's own home, normally a respite from the terrors of life. 

In the film's most famous line, little suburban kid Carol Anne Freeling (Heather O'Rourke) says in a sing-song voice, "They're here," announcing the arrival of ghosts trying to make contact through TV static. At first they're friendly, but they eventually kidnap her into their otherworldly realm. Terrified, panicked, and at a loss as to what to do, the family brings in quirky paranormal experts and an exorcist in their attempts to deal with a demonic presence. Nobody — and nothing — is safe in "Poltergeist."

Stephen King's career spans nearly 50 years, and his literary output has defined and shaped modern horror. He's written many classic tales of gore, fright, and darkness, among them his first major commercial success, "Carrie." It's been adapted for the screen multiple times, including the 2002 version, written for the screen by "Hannibal" creator Bryan Fuller . 

The cautionary tale of evil and dread is much the same one told by King and other filmmakers. Teenager Carrie White (Angela Bettis) is sweet and innocent to a fault, kept in the dark about the ways of the world by her overly religious and paranoid single mother (Patricia Clarkson) while enduring humiliation and abuse on a daily basis from her exceptionally cruel high school classmates. As Carrie matures, weird events recur, and she soon comes to realize she has powerful and deadly supernatural abilities. As Carrie comes into her power, both as a young woman with agency and as a force one shouldn't mess with, she'll have her revenge in a spectacular and tragic way during an unforgettable prom night.

Movie Reviews

Tv/streaming, collections, chaz's journal, great movies, contributors, scary movie.

Now streaming on:

I recently published a book about movies I hated, and people have been asking me which reviews are harder to write--those about great movies, or those about terrible ones. The answer is neither. The most unreviewable movies are those belonging to the spoof genre--movies like " Airplane! " and " The Naked Gun " and all the countless spin-offs and retreads of the same basic idea.

"Scary Movie" is a film in that tradition: A raucous, satirical attack on slasher movies, teenage horror movies and " The Matrix ." I saw the movie, I laughed, I took notes, and now I am at a loss to write the review. All of the usual critical categories and strategies collapse in the face of a film like this.

Shall I discuss the plot? There is none, really--only a flimsy clothesline to link some of the gags. The characters? They are all types or targets, not people. The dialogue? You can't review the dialogue in the original movies (like " I Know What You Did Last Summer ") because it is mindlessly functional, serving only to advance the plot. How can you discuss the satire, except to observe it is more mindless? (Some of the dialogue, indeed, seems lifted bodily from the earlier films and rotated slightly in the direction of satire.) Faced with a dilemma like this, the experienced critic falls back on a reliable ploy. He gives away some of the best jokes and punch lines. He's like a buddy who has just walked out of a movie and tells you the funny stuff before you walk in.

I am tempted. I fight the impulse to tell you that when a character is asked for the name of a favorite scary movie, the answer is " Kazaam ." That some of the scenes take place at B. A. Corpse High School. That the teenagers in the movie are played mostly by actors in their late 20s and 30s--and that the movie comments on this. That the movie's virgin has a certificate to prove it. That the invaluable Carmen Electra plays a character not coincidentally named Drew.

The movie takes a shotgun approach to horror and slasher movies, but if it has a single target, that would be Kevin Williamson , screenwriter of " Scream " and co-inventor of the self-aware slasher subgenre. There is a sense in which "Scary Movie" is doing the same sort of self-referential humor as "Scream," since it is not only directed by Keenen Ivory Wayans , co-written by Shawn and Marlon Wayans (among others), and starring several Wayanses, but makes fun of various Wayans trademarks, especially the obligatory homophobic jokes. (There's a scene involving a closeted jock who can make love to his girlfriend only when she's wearing football shoulderpads.) The movie also features the wild exaggeration of stereotypical African-American behavior, which is another Wayans specialty. Consider the scene where Regina Hall plays a black woman at " Shakespeare in Love ," who shouts "That ain't no man!" when Gwyneth Paltrow is on the screen, videotapes the movie from her seat and carries on a cell phone conversation. Funny, though; now that I've written about it, I realize this is not intended to be a satire of African-American behavior, but an attack on the behavior of countless moviegoers, and Wayans has simply used Regina Hall as an example of non-traditional casting. Or maybe not.

The bottom line in reviewing a movie like this is, does it work? Is it funny? Yes, it is. Not funny with the shocking impact of "Airplane!," which had the advantage of breaking new ground. But also not a tired wheeze like some of the lesser and later Leslie Nielsen films. To get your money's worth, you need to be familiar with the various teenage horror franchises, and if you are, "Scary Movie" delivers the goods.

Note: The original title of "Scary Movie" was "Scream If You Know What I Did Last Halloween." The original title of "Scream" was "Scary Movie." Still available: "I Still Know What You Did the Summer Before Last."

Roger Ebert

Roger Ebert was the film critic of the Chicago Sun-Times from 1967 until his death in 2013. In 1975, he won the Pulitzer Prize for distinguished criticism.

Now playing

Twilight of the Warriors: Walled In

Simon abrams.

The Good Half

Clint worthington.

Matt Zoller Seitz

Brian Tallerico

Film credits.

Scary Movie (2000)

Rated R For Strong Crude Sexual Humor, Language, Drug Use and Violence

Carmen Electra as Drew

Dave Sheridan as Doofy

Frank B. Moore as Not Drew's Boyfriend

Keenen Ivory Wayans as Masked Killer

Cheri Oteri as Gail Hailstorm

• Aaron Seltzer
• Phil Beauman
• Marlon Wayans
• Shawn Wayans
• Buddy Johnson
• Jason Friedberg

Directed by

• Keenen Ivory Wayans

Latest blog posts

A Woman Without Peers: Gena Rowlands (1930-2024)

The Needle Drop Sessions: Pump Up the Volume & Untamed Heart

Locarno Film Festival 2024: Youth (Hard Times), Transamazonia, Moon

Thumbnails 8/15/24: Six Must-Reads You Don’t Want To Miss This Week

10 Scariest Movies You Can Watch FOR FREE On YouTube Right Now

These are the horror movies you can watch for free with the press of a button.

With the world being what it is in 2020, going to the cinema isn't an option for large swaths of the global population, and so streaming has enjoyed an enormous uptick in worldwide traffic.

There are countless streaming platforms to choose from, such as Netflix, Amazon Prime, and the horror-specific Shudder, all of which of course require their own subscription fee.

But there are a number of free alternative streaming options, which while perhaps not touting the very newest releases, will nevertheless allow you to hunker down with some great horror flicks.

And there's perhaps no more democratic a video repository than YouTube, which in addition to offering its own paid movie rental service , allows distributors, rights holders, and even fans (distributor tolerance depending) to share movies on their own channels for free.

And so, scouring YouTube's platter of available horror flicks, these are unquestionably the 10 scariest you can dare subject yourself to, from pulse-racing found footage films to the undisputed, classic kings of the genre.

If you're stuck for something to watch and are in the mood to have the living bajesus scared out of you, you shouldn't give these movies a miss...

10. Grave Encounters

As much as the found footage genre might seem thoroughly played-out, it does nevertheless periodically serve as a fertile medium for low-budget filmmakers to express their scrappy creativity.

One such example is 2011's Grave Encounters, in which a reality TV crew lock themselves inside a haunted psychiatric hospital, which goes about as swimmingly as you'd expect.

If you can forgive a few dodgy CGI moments, this is one of the leaner and more effective found footage joints out there, taking a familiar formula and elevating it with slow-building suspense and an utterly nerve-jangling, dread-soaked payoff.

Making the most of its eerie central location and offering up a few unexpected twists, Grave Encounters is so much scarier than its daft title might have you believe.

The less said about the critically mauled sequel , though, the better.

Stay at home dad who spends as much time teaching his kids the merits of Martin Scorsese as possible (against the missus' wishes). General video game, TV and film nut. Occasional sports fan. Full time loon.

The 13 Best Free Horror Movies on YouTube

Your changes have been saved

Email is sent

Email has already been sent

Please verify your email address.

You’ve reached your account maximum for followed topics.

Even with the large selection of streaming services like Netflix and available across the world, it can start to feel like they're all just recycling the same movies from one platform to another. There are free streaming platforms like Pluto TV and Tubi, but many people overlook one of the best sources of free movies: YouTube .

Originally boasting the slogan "Broadcast Yourself," the video-sharing platform started off by featuring amateur uploads from users, but quickly grew into a giant company, with premium ad-free subscriptions and the streaming service YouTube TV, with the company now owned by Google.

When it comes to horror movies, YouTube has a selection of free (with ads) and paid options available to stream. However, there are also numerous channels dedicated to uploading free horror movies for viewers to stream also, at no charge. Two of the most well-known channels are Kings of Horror and V Horror , both offering a library of over 100 movies.

If you're looking for something outside-the-streaming-box to watch, here are 10 of the best horror movies you can stream on YouTube for free.

13 The Mimic (2018)

In a classic Korean-style ghost story, The Mimic follows the parents of a missing child, Hee-yeon (Yum Jung-ah) and Min-ho (Park Hyuk-kwon), who decide to take in a lost girl they find in the woods. Unfortunately, they begin to suspect that the child is not human.

A Spooky and Acclaimed Korean Horror

Huh Jung writes and directs this little nightmare following his well-received film Hide and Seek . The movie is a melancholic meditation on domestic life and the loss of a child, but is structurally a classic folkloric kind of horror story. The use of mirrors and reflections, empty space, and peripheral imagery is masterful in The Mimic, keeping audiences on their toes the entire time even when nothing directly horrifying is happening.

Watch The Mimic Free on YouTube

12 Patient Seven (2016)

The horror anthology film Patient Seven stars the respected Michael Ironside as a dark psychologist interviewing patients at a psychiatric hospital. Each patient's unique condition and mental state give clues to how they are all interconnected with someone referred to as "Patient Seven." Every segment showcases Dr. Marcus' twisted methods, making this movie feel like a combination horror-thriller at times.

The patients all have unique stories that keep the pacing on point, while the surprise ending that comes out of left field leaves an impression that viewers seem to love or hate. In addition to Ironside, the cast features Jack Plotnick as Dr. Victor and Amanda Graeff as Sarah (Patient Four).

An Atmospheric Watch With Solid Acting

Patient Seven is a testament to Ironside's incredible talent as an actor and his ability to give a truly convincing performance. That's not to say the movie is without faults, as there are several areas that have issues, especially the use of too many horror tropes and the controversial conclusion. But it's a great watch for anyone who's looking for a somewhat chaotic story they don't have to take seriously in order to enjoy.

​​​​​Watch Patient Seven for Free on YouTube

11 The Legend of Jack and Jill (2021)

Was the original "Jack and Jill" nursery rhyme not dark and gory enough for you? The Legend of Jack and Jill might just be the perfect watch to shake up your favorite childhood tale. This British horror movie was first released in 2021 and has since gained over 4.2 million views since its addition to the V Horror YouTube channel.

The plot follows Jack and Jill after escaping from a psychiatric facility with their mother, only to travel "up the hill" to where they will reside for the next decades. However, when people start going missing, and a group of hikers travels to the hill, it's clear they are going to come face-to-face with the feral siblings.

Lower Your Expectations and It Is an Entertaining Watch

It's no secret both critics and fans felt let down by this low-budget horror production. Yet, when you've already watched all the mainstream titles and need something new, it can be an entertaining choice. There's a lot of cliché to the characters, and the overall quality is lacking in some areas, but it is an interesting alternate universe for Jack and Jill, which includes some gore and a unique backstory.

Watch The Legend of Jack and Jill for Free on YouTube

10 Zombie Apocalypse: Redemption (2011)

Fans of post-apocalyptic B-list movies may already be familiar with Ryan Thompson's Zombie Apocalypse: Redemption , a 2011 film where the world is filled with zombies. The plot follows John Knox, played by Johnny Gel, who is struggling to survive among the living dead. He ends up meeting a group of survivors who take him in and make him an official member of their group.

Unfortunately, Knox's new love interest is kidnapped from their camp, leaving the group no choice but to head out and save their friend from the raiders while also avoiding the zombies.

A Fun and Cheesy Zombie Movie

Like many low-budget zombie productions, the special effects in this movie are questionable, and many of the scenes are far from realistic. It's not on the same level as a George Romero zombie film, but Zombie Apocalypse: Redemption has some fun and exciting scenes hidden throughout the scattered plot. There are some science fiction elements and a great performance from Fred Williamson that make this movie a fun watch.

Watch Zombie Apocalypse: Redemption for Free on YouTube

9 Krampus: The Devil Returns (2016)

Krampus: The Devil Returns , also called Krampus 2: The Devil Returns , is a sequel to the holiday horror movie Krampus: The Christmas Devil , not to be confused with 2015's successful film Krampus . This installment takes place several years after the first movie's events and follows former Officer Jeremy Duffin as he tries to deal with life in the aftermath of his wife's murder and his daughter's abduction.

Duffin ends up returning to his roots to try and stop Krampus from terrorizing more children in their town, while also hoping to save his own daughter again in the process.

Related: 15 Best Horror Movies on Peacock to Watch Right Now

'Tis the Season to Watch a Krampus Movie

The folklore of Krampus is a staple with horror fans looking for a genre movie to watch during the holiday season. Krampus is an anthropomorphic monster believed to originate from Germany that appears during the Advent season to punish children who have misbehaved throughout the year.

The consensus from audiences is that this sequel is an improvement from the first film, with scares and a good plot, though the acting is less than believable. Overall, Krampus: The Devil Returns is a solid free watch available on YouTube.

Watch Krampus: The Devil Returns for Free on YouTube

8 The Evil Down the Street (2019)

The Evil Down the Street is a demonic horror movie that's said to be inspired by real events . The plot follows the typical trope where a family moves into a new home, only for strange things to start happening. There's pretty much every horror cliché stuffed into this just-over-90-minute story, but the mysterious Ouija board that appears in the basement does help tie some of the events together. Compared to other horror movies, this is a tame watch that doesn't have a lot of gore or jump scares.

A Light Watch for Fans of Thrillers

There's a horror film for every type of fan, and this one is best for those just getting into the genre or those who don't want something too traumatizing. Most of the movie's scenes feel more like a thriller than anything, with unpredictable characters and interesting cinematography. It's a fairly quick watch that's free on the Kings of Horror YouTube channel.

Watch The Evil Down the Street for Free on YouTube

7 Halloween H20: 20 Years Later

Halloween H20: 20 Years Later

In the Halloween multiverse , Halloween H20: 20 Years Later takes place 20 years after the original massacre that ensued on Halloween night. The film saw the return of Laurie Strode, reprised by Jamie Lee Curtis, and shows that Laurie now lives under a new identity. The events of Halloween H20 sit closely with what the plot of Blumhouse's Halloween from 2018 intended, only in director Steve Miner's 1998 version, Laurie seems to be living a much more productive life.

One of the Best Halloween Movies

Halloween H20 tapped into the '90s horror boom and is arguably the first legacy sequel. In retrospect, the film was probably the third most acclaimed Halloween film after the first and the third installments. When David Gordon Green's 2018 Halloween came out, though, it may have knocked this film off its pedestal. Though considering how Green's Halloween trilogy worked out, H20 is looking pretty good these days.

Watch Halloween H20 Free on YouTube

6 Hell House LLC (2015)

Fans of found footage movies that are presented as documentaries should check out Hell House LLC . The movie has inspired several sequels and was generally well-received among the horror community. The documentary in the film is investigating an abandoned hotel that was once the site of a haunted attraction that left fifteen dead on its opening night. The documentary crew is able to interview the only survivor from the Hell House staff, which leads them on a terrifying journey to learn what really happened at Hell House that night.

Well-Done Found Footage Mockumentary

Hell House LLC does an incredible job of creating a consistently creepy atmosphere throughout the film's entirety. On the surface, it's a found footage mockumentary, but once you get into the meat of the plot, it becomes clear it's more of a haunted house movie than anything. There's quite a bit of shaky camera movement, but as a whole, Hell House LLC is an underrated addition to the genre and is well worth a watch.

Watch Hell House LLC for Free on YouTube

5 The Corrupted (2010)

The 2010 horror movie The Corrupted is a lesser-known production from writer-directors John Klappstein and Knighten Richman. The plot follows a group of friends who head out for a weekend of partying at a lake house in rural Alberta, Canada. While playing the guitar by the lake one night, one character is approached by an unknown woman who summons him to follow her.

When he meets back up with his friends, it's clear something is different about him. The second half of the film finds the characters fighting to survive and not become one of the corrupted themselves.

A High-Energy Horror/Sci-Fi Combo

If you're a fan of science fiction movies with a touch of horror/thriller, The Corrupted checks all the boxes. It has an independent film feel with a truly creative take on the genre. The movie's special effects are impressive for what it is as a whole, and there's a palpable tension in most of the scenes. The Corrupted only has a runtime of 76 minutes, so it's well-paced, and a quick watch.

Watch The Corrupted for Free on YouTube

4 The Changeling (1980)

The Changeling (1980)

The Changeling is a 1980 supernatural horror mystery starring George C. Scott as the film's main character, John Russell. The plot begins with Russell losing his wife and daughter in a tragic car accident, which prompts him to uproot his life and relocate to Seattle. He ends up renting a mansion that's sat vacant for many years, which only adds to his lonely existence as a musician.

Russell starts experiencing strange occurrences in the mansion that take him on a terrifying yet entrancing journey to learn the source behind the strange haunting events.

The Changeling is a Canadian Classic

One of the best things about The Changeling is that it doesn't need blood, gore, or over-the-top effects for the story to be effective. The cinematography is hauntingly beautiful, and creates an atmosphere that makes this one of the most unsettling yet underappreciated films of the early '80s. It has elements of a psychological mystery thriller that make the story impactful, so much so that it stays with many viewers long after their first watch.

Watch The Changeling for Free on YouTube

3 Blood Cult (1985)

Known as one of the first direct-to-video horror movies , Blood Cult was first released in 1985 by Christopher Lewis. The movie follows police detective Ron Wilbois as he tries to solve a group of recent murders at a Midwestern college campus. However, it doesn't take long for Ron to become a target himself, leaving the detective unsure of who he can trust in his own personal life. It's soon revealed that the murders are due to a satanic cult and their need for human sacrifices.

Related: 10 Most Terrifying Movies About Cults on Netflix

An '80s Horror B-Movie to Watch at Least Once

When it comes to Blood Cult , the low quality is part of the movie's charm. The gore is so over the top that it looks incredibly unrealistic in the best way, and has a lot of entertaining scenes that make for solid pacing in this slasher flick. It has a moody cinematography that enhances the film visually and helps to make it a cult classic among genre fans.

Watch Blood Cult for Free on YouTube

2 Nosferatu, the Vampyre (1979)

The legendary Werner Herzog gave the groundbreaking German silent film a stylistic remake with the 1979 film Nosferatu the Vampyre , which stars Klaus Kinski as Count Dracula and follows the blood-craving creature as he travels to Wismar, Germany where he brings chaos and the Black Plague. When Dracula sets his sights on Lucy Harker, he must face off against her husband Jonathan and his longtime nemesis, Abraham Van Helsing, if he wishes to have the love he desperately craves.

A Sympathetic Monster

Nosferatu the Vampyre paints the iconic bloodsucking movie monster in a more sympathetic manner, with Kinski explaining , "He is a man without free will. He cannot choose, and he cannot cease to be. He is a kind of incarnation of evil, but he is also a man who is suffering, suffering for love. This makes it so much more dramatic, more double‐edged." The reimagining was a smash hit with critics and audiences, with many praising it for its depiction of Dracula as a weary, doomed ghoul and for its eerie atmosphere.

Watch Nosferatue, the Vampyre Free on YouTube

1 The Taking of Deborah Logan (2014)

The Taking of Deborah Logan stars Jill Larson in the titular role as Deborah, an elderly woman suffering from Alzheimer's disease. The plot follows a student documentary crew as they film Deborah and her daughter, Sarah, to document the condition and its progression.

Yet, the longer the team works with Deborah, the clearer it becomes for them that something supernatural has a hold on her, and she's not just suffering from Alzheimer's disease. The movie's slow pacing and convincing performances make The Taking of Deborah Logan a diamond in the rough when it comes to found footage-style horror documentaries.

A Great Example of a Mockumentary Done Right

The Taking of Deborah Logan is a unique movie in that it perfectly blends different types of horror cinema. It's a consistently scary and tense story about possession , supernatural elements, and has a plot with a good amount of depth. There's no shortage of jump scares, which some may view as overdone at times, and the first and second half of the film are both incredibly disturbing in different ways.

Watch The Taking of Deborah Logan for Free on YouTube

• Movie Lists

7 YouTube Channels to Watch Scary Movies (Legally)

Your changes have been saved

Email is sent

Email has already been sent

Please verify your email address.

You’ve reached your account maximum for followed topics.

Whenever you get a craving for a horror movie, finding the right one can be a challenge. Of course, all the usual suspects come in handy, but their scary selections are often underwhelming.

So, where do you go if you've found yourself bored of Netflix's horror section, having already seen most flicks and having zero interest in seeing the rest?

Amazon Prime Video has a vast library, but most features can cost you and add up in price. So an excellent alternative is YouTube. The platform has many channels offering free and legal horror. Let's look at some of them.

1. Kings of Horror

Kings of Horror offers a glimpse into the world of independent horror. The channel fosters a community for filmmakers and hardened horror fans who enjoy visiting some of the scariest corners of the internet .

You can find a full roster of trailers and full-length movies on this YouTube channel. There are also often scheduled upcoming events for horror flicks, giving you something to wait around for and allowing you to turn it into a big thing. So you can have a movie premiere night, start a virtual watch party with friends and enjoy some indie horror together.

Kings of Horror presents fully legally licensed features, so you're free to enjoy the content guilt-free.

2. Popcornflix

Popcornflix is a pretty well-known movie channel on YouTube and beyond—it also offers a streaming platform and an app.

Though Popcornflix doesn't explicitly focus on horror flicks, you can certainly find some scary features browsing its roster. The YouTube channel has a wide selection of TV shows and full-length films under every genre you can imagine, and content gets uploaded frequently enough to keep the selection fresh.

Popcornflix's channel offers licensed content, making it one of the best YouTube channels for watching free movies and shows legally.

3. Horror Central

The Horror Central channel is one of the best places to watch horror movies online . It offers a ton of full-length features and uploads regularly, so you're unlikely to run out of horror flicks.

The playlist section is excellent and comes in pretty handy if you're feeling up to a binge and crave a specific trope or subgenre of horror. For example, there's a separate playlist called Shark Attacks.

Once you press play, you can relax and enjoy the list of movies where sharks are the big bad. It begins with Sharknado, of course—the campiest of camp horror, but a classic nonetheless. After all, what's wrong with visiting sites to get your dose of cheesy horror from time to time? Everything Horror Central lists is under legal license, so you're clear to consume its content scot-free.

4. Watch Movies Now!

Watch Movies Now! curates horror, thriller, and sci-fi movies for its roster. You can find features that range from half an hour to an hour and a half in length. And the videos are pretty prolific in their genre.

Watch Movies Now! showcases anything from your typical slasher flick to alien horror, found footage, ghostly terror, and more. The channel uploads different scary movies and videos pretty regularly, so you'll never run out of content to watch. Plus, everything you see on the YouTube channel is legal.

5. V Horror

V Horror offers a variety of horror flicks ranging in length. Most films are about an hour and a half but scattered throughout, but you will also find shorter content, too.

The channel's playlist section isn't the best, but it still offers a curated playlist of movies in 4k, as well as one that hosts all of the flicks you can watch in English, which will help you pitch what to watch next.

Everything featured on the V Horror YouTube channel is legal to view, so dive in and explore. Maybe you'll find your next favorite indie horror.

6. FilmIsNow Horror Movies

FilmIsNow Horror Movies provides a vast selection of horror in every style you can imagine, preferring to avoid the blockbuster movies in favor of the back-to-basics kind. The channel offers everything from long movies to short films, so you'll find something you will enjoy in a few clicks.

Going through the FilmIsNow Horror Movies, you can see a ton of ready-made playlists to browse. There are separate playlists to cater to all your moods. You can find Evil Toy, Anthologies, Clowns, Vampires, and Found Footage playlists—whatever your specific mood, you're likely to find a playlist to match it.

The YouTube channel uploads new content regularly, so it's doubtful you'll run out of new features to see.

7. Movie Central

Movie Central doesn't only stick to horror with its features but offers a wide array of movie genres. However, its playlist section is expertly curated, so if you feel like only watching horror flicks, you'll find them easily. Granted, you may not find as many scary movies here as you would on other channels, but it's still a solid option if you don't want to pay for horror streaming services like Shudder or Screambox .

The YouTube channel holds a Halloween playlist with over 200 films on it. And, if you prefer something more specific, you can check out virus outbreak or monster movies. There are also explicit Horror and Thriller playlists you can browse.

The channel's uploads are frequent, and movies tend to last about an hour and a half. Of course, everything on Movie Central is under legal license, so watch away.

Switch Up Your Horror From a Visual to an Auditory Experience

Horror flicks are sometimes just what the doctor ordered. However, if you're looking to switch up your horror routine and spice it up, why not try out a new spooky podcast? Instead of watching horror, why not listen to it?

Put on your headphones, set the atmosphere, and give into your imagination by hearing about of haunted places, paranormal events, and scary fiction inspired by real-life stories. Find the right podcast to feed your fears and give in to the eeriness.

Streaming services aren't going anywhere, so why not try something new and listen to a horror podcast next?

• Entertainment
• YouTube Channels

Log in or sign up for Rotten Tomatoes

Trouble logging in?

By continuing, you agree to the Privacy Policy and the Terms and Policies , and to receive email from the Fandango Media Brands .

By creating an account, you agree to the Privacy Policy and the Terms and Policies , and to receive email from Rotten Tomatoes and to receive email from the Fandango Media Brands .

By creating an account, you agree to the Privacy Policy and the Terms and Policies , and to receive email from Rotten Tomatoes.

Email not verified

Let's keep in touch.

Sign up for the Rotten Tomatoes newsletter to get weekly updates on:

• Upcoming Movies and TV shows
• Rotten Tomatoes Podcast
• Media News + More

By clicking "Sign Me Up," you are agreeing to receive occasional emails and communications from Fandango Media (Fandango, Vudu, and Rotten Tomatoes) and consenting to Fandango's Privacy Policy and Terms and Policies . Please allow 10 business days for your account to reflect your preferences.

OK, got it!

• What's the Tomatometer®?
• Login/signup

Movies in theaters

• Opening this week
• Top box office
• Coming soon to theaters
• Certified fresh movies

Movies at home

• Fandango at Home
• Prime Video
• Most Popular Streaming movies
• Certified Fresh movies
• What to Watch New

Certified fresh picks

• 82% Alien: Romulus Link to Alien: Romulus
• 100% Daughters Link to Daughters
• 78% Cuckoo Link to Cuckoo

New TV Tonight

• 90% Chimp Crazy: Season 1
• 100% Pachinko: Season 2
• -- That '90s Show: Season 3
• -- OceanXplorers: Season 1
• -- Classified: Season 1
• -- Reasonable Doubt: Season 2
• -- The Anonymous: Season 1
• -- Face to Face With Scott Peterson: Season 1
• -- Wyatt Earp and the Cowboy War: Season 1

Most Popular TV on RT

• 91% Bad Monkey: Season 1
• 96% Industry: Season 3
• 53% The Umbrella Academy: Season 4
• 86% Average Joe: Season 1
• 77% Lady in the Lake: Season 1
• 82% A Good Girl's Guide to Murder: Season 1
• 100% Supacell: Season 1
• 78% Star Wars: The Acolyte: Season 1
• 100% Women in Blue: Season 1
• Best TV Shows
• Most Popular TV
• TV & Streaming News

Certified fresh pick

• 91% Bad Monkey: Season 1 Link to Bad Monkey: Season 1
• All-Time Lists
• Binge Guide
• Comics on TV
• Five Favorite Films
• Video Interviews
• Weekend Box Office
• Weekly Ketchup
• What to Watch

30 Most Popular Movies Right Now: What to Watch In Theaters and Streaming

25 Most Popular TV Shows Right Now: What to Watch on Streaming

What to Watch: In Theaters and On Streaming

Awards Tour

Edgar Wright Surprises Shaun of the Dead Superfans

Weekend Box Office: Alien: Romulus Dethrones Deadpool & Wolverine

• Trending on RT
• Re-Release Calendar
• Popular TV Shows
• Renewed and Cancelled TV
• Best New Horror Movies

Scary Movie

Where to watch.

Rent Scary Movie on Fandango at Home, Prime Video, Apple TV, or buy it on Fandango at Home, Prime Video, Apple TV.

What to Know

Critics say Scary Movie overloads on crudity and grossness to get its laughs.

Critics Reviews

Audience reviews, cast & crew.

Keenen Ivory Wayans

Shawn Wayans

Marlon Wayans

Cheri Oteri

Gail Hailstorm

Shannon Elizabeth

Cindy Campbell

More Like This

Related movie news.

The best free horror movies on YouTube

Get spooked.

Eddie Strait

Posted on Nov 15, 2018     Updated on May 21, 2021, 1:37 am CDT

The free horror movies on YouTube probably won’t scare you. What you will get, however, is an education in horror.

YouTube has a slew of scary movies ready for you to watch right now. Of course, we are talking about films that are available to watch legally. The selections we found are public domain films, so they’re mostly black-and-white. But the fun part about watching films this old is the sense of discovery that comes with them. If you’re looking for something you probably won’t find on the major streaming services, you’ll find it here. These are the best free horror movies on YouTube .

Free horror movies on YouTube: 10 scary movies to watch

1) night of the living dead.

While Victor Halperin’s White Zombie is widely credited as the first zombie movie, Walking Dead fans have George Romero to thank for starting the modern zombie craze with this landmark 1968 horror film. The low-budget indie was filmed for just $114,000 and grossed $12 million in the U.S., making it one of the most profitable movies ever made , never mind an enduringly influential cult classic. Night of the Living Dead was a critique of discourses of race and social taboos, as well one of few movies in the era to cast a black actor in a lead role. While Romero’s film would launch a successful film franchise for the director (last seen in 2009’s Survival of the Dead ), this will forever be remembered as the maestro’s finest hour. — Nico Lang

2) The Lodger

In this 1944 chiller, a family unwittingly allows a serial killer to stay in their home. The eponymous lodger is not just any serial killer, but Jack the Ripper himself. As the family’s concerns about their guest grow, so does their fear for their niece’s safety. Star Laird Cregar earned much praise for his performance as Mr. Slade, the possible Ripper. Cregar’s work put him on the fast track to stardom, but that would be short-lived as he died of a heart attack a year after The Lodger ’s release. — Eddie Strait

https://youtu.be/-Vk0LtNJ7o8

3) Nosferatu

Nosferatu is, for my money, still the most chilling horror film to grace the big screen. For F.W. Murnau’s considerable gifts as a director—he also filmed Sunrise: A Song of Two Humans , the first movie to ever win Best Picture—the movie lives and dies on Max Schreck’s utterly incredible performance as the titular bloodsucker. Here’s the ultimate indication of just how good Schreck is here: Shadow of the Vampire , a 2000 film starring Willem Dafoe and John Malkovich, suggested that Max Schreck was an actual vampire. That film is, of course, a work of fiction, but let’s just say this: I would never have wanted to be alone in a dark alley with Schreck to find out. — N.L.

4) White Zombie

For horror movie buffs, White Zombie is unmissable. Before George Romero and The Walking Dead , this 1932 film kickstarted the zombie movie genre. Although White Zombie was very negatively reviewed upon its release (one critic called it “an unintentional and often hilarious comedy”), the early independent feature—set in Haiti—has an eerie hypnotic pull. Bela Lugosi plays a local voodoo master who transforms a visiting American woman (Madge Bellamy) into a zombie by putting her into a mysterious trance. White Zombie has none of the undead brain-eaters fans would come to associate with the generic form, but if you can get past the hammy overacting, the film succeeds on its own charms. It would become such a cult hit in the U.S. that White Zombie even became a favorite of the Nazi Party, one of the few American films that was given the Third Reich’s seal of approval. — N.L.

• The most-viewed YouTube videos of all time
• The 25 most-subscribed-to YouTube channels
• The best documentaries on YouTube
• Full movies on YouTube: How to find old movies to watch

5)  Silent Night, Bloody Night

This pre-slasher slasher revolves around a series of Christmas Eve murders and is set in the 1950s. The movie doesn’t have the best critical reputation, but it’s an interesting movie to consider within the context of the genre. Silent Night, Bloody Night came out five years before John Carpenter’s Halloween hit the scene, but uses many of the techniques that would become staples. — N.L.

6) Carnival of Souls

James Wan’s 2011 horror sleeper hit Insidious was famously inspired by this low-budget effort from prolific short-film director Herk Harvey. Filmed for just $20,000, Carnival of Souls has proven a major influence on directors George Romero and David Lynch, who seemed to draw on the film for his hypnotic 1997 effort, Lost Highway . The film—about a woman who finds herself haunted by an inescapable evil following a tragic car accident—is odd and hard to pin down, but that’s precisely part of its ineffable appeal. Its surreal atmospheric pleasures should be catnip for fans of better-known movies from the period—like Samuel Fuller’s Shock Corridor or Kiss Me Deadly (another Lynch favorite).— N.L.

7) The Living Ghost

More of a mystery with sprinkles of horror than an outright spookfest, The Living Ghost is creepy enough to warrant a spot on this list. After a banker, Walter Craig (Gus Glassmire), goes missing, ex-PI Nick Trayne (James Dunn) jumps back into the game. Nick walks into a house full of clues and suspects, and the road to figure out whodunit is windy. At a brisk 60 minutes, The Living Ghost offers enough scares and twists to keep you guessing to the end. — E.S.

https://youtu.be/i63Gr7jKCEc

8) House on Haunted Hil l

Between movies like House of Wax (not the Paris Hilton one), The Fly (not the Geena Davis one), and House on Haunted Hill (not the Chris Kattan one), Vincent Price carved out a niche for himself as the maestro of macabre horror. Price’s eerie yet alluring screen presence is unmatched in cinema, and this film—about a millionaire who pays a group of people to stay overnight in his spooky old house—is the perfect blend of retro horror and vintage camp. Those looking for more gems in Price’s massive filmography would be advised to check out his playing-it-straight roles in The Song of Bernadette and Laura , which gave Price a chance to show the fine actor underneath the steely kitsch. — N.L.

• 20 horror movies on Shudder that will give you nightmares
• Netflix original horror: The best scary movies to watch
• The best horror movies on Amazon Prime

9) Diary of a Madman

Movies about demonic possession have an evergreen creepy factor that permeates even the worst the genre has to offer. Diary of a Madman is a solid entry that time has rendered less scary on a superficial level, but the idea of an evil spirit, a horla , jumping bodies and wreaking havoc is still effective. Vincent Price stars as Simon, a man who has succumbed to the horla . His diary is read posthumously, and the movie flashes back to tell the story of Simon’s downfall. It’s creepy and it’s Vincent Price, and that makes it worth a watch. — E.S.

10) Cry of the Wolf

This film’s claim to fame is that it features one of the first onscreen appearances of a female werewolf. Nina Foch plays Celeste, a princess capable of turning into a wolf, a trait that runs in the family. When her family’s secret is threatened, Celeste must use her powers to protect it. Werewolf-centric horror has evolved a great deal in the 70-plus years, so the scares in Cry of the Wolf probably won’t elicit many jumps, but the desire to protect family at all costs still plays well. — E.S.

Still not sure what to watch or what service to choose? Here are the 60 best movies on Amazon Prime , 35 best movies on HBO , 50 best movies on Hulu , 105 best movies on Netflix , 15 best movies on Showtime , 25 best movies on Starz , and 45 free movies on YouTube.

Share this article

Eddie Strait is a member of the Austin Film Critic Association. His reviews focus primarily on streaming entertainment, with an emphasis on Netflix, Hulu, Amazon Prime, and other on-demand services.

20 Terrifying Short Horror Films You Can Watch On YouTube

There will never be a winner over which format suits horror best: short or long form. And it doesn’t matter, really, because we are blessed to have both . When we need our horror fix (and yes, for some of us it is needed) but have less than 20 minutes available, short horror really does the trick. 

This is not a complete list of the best short horror films on Youtube. That would be next to impossible given how many videos are uploaded daily. But this is a helpful list of short films I’ve seen that would be handy for someone beginning the foray into horror on YouTube. Many of these short films have won awards and a few are recent.

Prepare to have your hair raised and to dash desperately through any darkened rooms you encounter.

At under 10 minutes, this short film gets straight to the point in building suspense and terror. A man looks at a picture of his ex-girlfriend and feels guilty when weird occurrences leave him desperately trying to unplug. With sound effects that increase tension and makes you jump, this short film is an adorable intro to the goldmine of horror on YouTube. 

It Had Pale Skin

A young girl is walking down a darkened street in suburbia. What could possibly go wrong? Horror fans know the answer to this one. Many will also wonder why the hell anyone would walk down a street that is pitch black. 

Simplistic, this short will leave you horror-struck, particularly if you’re coulrophobic . Don’t know what that is? Watch the short and you will. 

A woman returns home to find her front door unlocked and fears there’s an intruder.

From there, the short quickly ratchets up the tension and scares. It plays on a common experience, when familiar shapes in the day appear sinister and demonic in the night. This short film won several awards and it’s easy to see why. For extra fright, watch in a pitch-black room. You’ll swear that pile of clothes on the chair moved. 

A man, asleep in his apartment, answers a knock at the door. 

There’s nothing like old-timey music, creepy marionettes, and a dimly lit hallway. It calls to mind a scene from 1408 in which John Cusack tries to seek help from someone in a building across the street. If you live in a building with similar hallways, you have my sympathies. 

A teenage girl is dared by her brother to play a game…in a closet.

Nothing good can come from these games. But sometimes, insatiable curiosity combined with a “don’t back down” mindset can lead to nightmares…if you’re lucky. It’s uncomfortably horrifying how many innocuous locations and objects in a home can be transformed from mundane to bone-chilling. A top recommendation from this list. Try the game yourself if you want. Let me know how it goes. 

A police officer is on his way to a Halloween party when he realizes that everyone in town has gone crazy.

People going crazy is one thing, but people going crazy on Halloween is worse. We question whether it’s genuine or a group performance put on in the spirit of the season. That leads to danger and possible death. Filmed in one continuous shot, the fear ratchets up as you experience it alongside the officer in real-time. 

The Passing

Two detectives investigate an empty house and encounter a scared woman searching for her missing daughter. 

Scary with a twist, The Passing could easily be transformed into a full-length film. There’s an added layer of fear and dread when children are in the mix, either as innocents or just perceived as innocent. An atmospheric house that you’d only see people enter on a dare just adds the icing on this frosted fear cake.

Behind The Door

A young boy hides at home while something predatory lurks outside, trying to get in. 

We are immediately tossed into the midst of this short horror film, and the stellar use of shadows and camera angles ratchets up our fear. And again, creepy music from a handheld radio that changes stations all on its own just increases our dread. If you hear a knock on your door while watching this, it’s a guaranteed jump scare. 

An older woman hears strange sounds coming from her basement. 

Honestly, there’s little as terrifying as creaky sounds, particularly when you’re home alone and the sounds are coming from another room. The sound effects for this one feel like their pulsing in time with your galloping heartbeat. At under three minutes long, this one is short and scarily sweet.

A poetic, nightmare story of a little girl with an evil stepmother. 

While a traditional gothic bedtime story, rhymes and all, this short is both panic-inducing and satisfying. The dramatic opening and the terrifying voice narration aptly demonstrate that this genre of horror still has life. I can hear the Beach Boys singing, “Wouldn’t it be nice if Suckablood existed?” Another top recommendation! 

Penelope explores her childhood home and finds something more.

Not to be confused with Creak , this one bears more of a similarity to Suckablood . There’s something great about just getting to the meat of the horror, and still being able to build the fear. The music here deftly does it with a “wait for it” pressure that haunts as it climbs. Mr. Creak is a thoroughly chilling ride and one well worth taking.

A young man heads to a new gym to work out and get buff.

A bit of a cheat as it’s more comedic than scary, Ripped is still well worth your time. There is some fear and scares but overall this is just an enjoyable trip with a great twist. Kudos to showcasing how annoying and problematic overly helpful people can be. Never fun to be lurky.

Is That You?

Whitney is at home on Halloween night when she sees someone outside her house. 

Terror on Halloween may be a common story; however, they never grow old. Watching people run around in costumes for Halloween when you suddenly notice someone standing still is creepy enough. What adds to it is that, thanks to the mask, you can’t tell if they are simply facing your direction or staring at you. You can’t see what intent lies in the eyes. And how do we know that it is indeed a costume? Add this to your watchlist and enjoy the spine-tingling intro music. 

After Hours

Working late to finish a project, a woman realizes someone or something is stalking her.

It may hit too close to home for some who have not only worked late at a job, but have been the last one out the door. The silence in an empty building increases your unease alongside the protagonist. When there is sound, it’s even worse, vibrating, and pulse-shredding. Enjoy and never work late at work again.

“What’s up bro?”

A man at home is looking at investment options when he gets a text message from an unknown number.

The style of this one, from the cinematography to the ruse of yellow shades, is inspired. The camera angles raise the hairs on your neck as the unknown texter quickly goes from harmless to code red. The surprise may not alleviate all your fears because we all know what they say about karma. 

I Love You, Jamie

Wes is working late when a presence stalks him through the job while his partner watches online. 

There’s something voyeuristic about our addiction to watching the real lives of people online. This story amps it up by making the lady an unwitting purveyor of Wes’s imminent danger . It’s also reminiscent of the Scream franchise as it becomes horror within horror. If you’re a fan of films like Host on Shudder, this may be in your wheelhouse. 

A man is having nightmares.

The description does little to convey how great this short film is, and it is scary. The film takes place in a bedroom with a man in the midst of gripping nightmares. It has horror, loss, and trauma, and in the end, you still won’t be sure what was real. At under four minutes, it’s an essential watch. 

A woman gets into an argument with her boyfriend in a public bathroom. When he leaves, she hears strange sounds coming from the stall beside hers. 

Another short film that deals with sadness and what that can cause or create when allowed to fester, it’s a wonderful use of lighting, atmosphere, and makeup. Pain and sorrow is a nightmare in itself, but perhaps sometimes it can foster something more. 

A woman is asleep in bed when her television turns on in the living room.

A lot of short films build up the terror, easing from zero to 100. Granted, many of these short films reach 100 faster, but Play Time starts at around 50, then leaps to 100, and all you can do is tremble and clutch at whatever is nearby: a pillow, a toy, a person. Superbly done sound effects combined with makeup makes this is a well-oiled horror machine. 

Don’t Look Away

A lady is staying at her boyfriend’s place while he’s out of town but unfortunately, she’s not alone.

Again, we have a petrifying combo of a phone, home alone and for extra chills, the use of the camera. It’s never easy to build and maintain tension when the film takes place in one room, but it’s done with ease here. Here, it’s what you’re not seeing that freezes your blood. 

Featured Image: White Cape Productions

YOU MIGHT ALSO LIKE...

• Privacy Policy
• Do Not Sell or Share My Information Opens in new tab

v2.08 – © Nerdist All Rights Reserved

Five Road Trip Horror Movies to Stream This Week

Summer is winding to a close, though the blistering sun has not yet received the memo. That means the final...

Featured Content

6 New Horror Movies Releasing This Week Including ‘Alien: Romulus’

‘Alien: Romulus’ Review – An Immersive, Visceral Salute to the Franchise’s Greatest Hits

‘Final Destination: Bloodlines’ Will Be a Theatrical (and IMAX) Release

The Long Legacy of ‘Alien’ Franchise Video Games

Two New ‘Halloween’ Video Games in the Works from ‘Evil Dead: The Game’ Developers!

5 New Horror Movies Releasing This Week Including ‘Cuckoo’

Latest headlines.

“The Boys” Actor Claudia Doumit Joins ‘M3GAN’ Spinoff ‘SOULM8TE’

Read the Script for Glen Mazzara’s Unaired “The Dark Tower” Pilot Now

‘Killer Cakes’ – Prime Video Orders Blumhouse Two-Part Competition Baking Special

Original 1998 Version of ‘Resident Evil 2’ Coming to GOG on August 27th

‘Frankie Freako’ Set to Unleash Steven Kostanski’s ’90s-Style Puppet Horror This Halloween

‘Killer Klowns from Outer Space’ Adding New ‘Waterfront Pier’ Map This Week

A24’s “Crystal Lake” Lands New Showrunner for ‘Friday the 13th’ Prequel TV Series

‘Alien: Romulus’ Works Best When It’s Not Being Nostalgic [Halloweenies Podcast]

‘Azrael’ Trailer Pits Samara Weaving Against Horde of Enemies in Real-Time Survival Horror

‘Crossed’ – ‘The Boys’ Creator Garth Ennis to Develop Film Adaptation of Gnarly Horror Comic

‘Poltergeist’ TV Series from Amazon MGM Studios Scares Up Showrunners

‘The Crow’ Exclusive Image Promises “Outlandish, Brutal, and Bloody” Vengeance Ahead

‘Beetlejuice Beetlejuice’ – Watch Three Clips Featuring Michael Keaton, Jenna Ortega and Winona Ryder

‘Alien: Romulus’ Debuts With $108 Million Worldwide Opening Weekend

What’s Old is New Again in Story Trailer for ‘Silent Hill 2’ Remake [Watch]

New “The Parthenogenesis of Hungry Hollow” Module for TTRPG ‘Liminal Horror’ Now Available Digitally

Lovecraftian Survival Game ‘Edge of Sanity’ Launches September 13 [Trailer]

‘Kong: Skull Island’ Writer Handling ‘Eternal Champions’ Film Adaptation for Skydance

Dario Argento’s ‘The Bird with the Crystal Plumage’ Explores the Art of Murder [The Lady Killers Podcast]

Uncover the Truth in the New Story Trailer for ‘KARMA: The Dark World’ [Watch]

Bath & Body Works and Netflix’s “Stranger Things” Unveil Second Half of Limited Collection

‘Terrifier 3’ to World Premiere at Fantastic Fest on Opening Night!

Legendary Announces Trio of Upcoming Monsterverse Games

‘The Front Room’ – New Trailer for A24 Horror Movie from the Eggers Brothers

You must be logged in to post a comment.

5 Horror YouTube Channels Worth Watching

As you may have heard, YouTube recently dropped the bomb that only channels having 1,000 subscribers and 4,000 hours of watch time in the past twelve months (as of February 20) are eligible for monetization. For creators, especially those featuring horror related content, who, thanks to YouTube’s wonky algorithm, already faced increased obstacles in monetization, this decision has profound financial implications.

Because we appreciate the value content creators bring to the table, we wanted to highlight a few of our favorite channels in the hopes that you will go forth and subscribe/watch their work. While each of these channels offers up a unique contribution to the horror community, they all provide valuable content to fans. And though our list is far from exhaustive, there does exist a fantastic playlist of additional horror based channels available for your viewing pleasure.

Here is our list of the top 5 horror themed YouTube channels you’ll want to check out ASAP:

The Homicidal Homemaker :

With production values to make Svengoolie drool, The Homicidal Homemaker is a clever re-envisioning of the fusion of food and the macabre. Typically, horror films leverage food as a way of creating a sense of revulsion and disgust. Consider Blanche’s lunchtime surprise in Whatever Happened to Baby Jane? (1962) or the spaghetti scene in Se7en (1995). But what makes this channel such a standout is how it reframes food within the context of the genre to actually make it appealing. Want a fudge encrusted take on the maggot ridden steak from Poltergeist (1982)? Done! While the culinary creations are arguably the stars of the channel, its winning blend of camp and old school home economics works largely thanks to its host, Kaci Hansen. Serving up a persona that evokes the silliness of early Elvira, Hansen’s deliciously subversive blend of domesticity and horror is downright addictive.

Recommended Sample:

The Splits Archive:

As the brainchild of horror writer MV Clark, this channel’s fusion of detailed analysis coupled with a genuine love for the genre is right up our alley. Offering a wholly unique way of incorporating fan engagement, its segment Title Fights is essential viewing for any fan looking to exist in that chill spot where a genre devotee can think seriously about film while still retaining her fannish love for all things horror. Title Fright pits two horror films with similar themes against each other and then lets the audience decide the ultimate victor. The announcement of each bout is followed by a carefully researched video exploring seminal topics within each of the films selected. Fans are then encouraged to vote and the results are shared in a follow-up video that incorporates the thoughts and analysis of fans from social media. While still a relatively new series, Clark has figured out a way to take typical film analysis and repackage it in a way to engage other fans. For that reason alone, it’s a series to keep an eye on.

Update : Unfortunately, this YouTube channel is no more, but check out The Splits Archive website and MV Clark’s novel, The Splits .

Adam Cesare:  

Listen, we’re three female academics so of course no viewing list would be complete without a nod toward a channel that takes horror books seriously, and Adam Cesare more than fits the bill. Primarily known for his addictive horror novels (seriously, check out Video Night ), Cesare’s YouTube channel is an artful blend of appreciating the genre in all its forms. Offering up reviews and insights about both mainstream and out-of-the-box fare, both films and books, this channel is a useful resource for both horror newbies and veterans looking for recommendations from a knowledgeable source. Arguably the best known of the channels discussed here, Cesare brings to his channel an authenticity that translates to the audience. If he’s recommending it, you know it’s worth your time.

Horror in Me: 

If horror-themed collecting is more your bag, it’s hard to find a channel with a more diverse offering than Horror in Me. With content ranging from unboxings and figure hunts to well-crafted examinations of real life serial killers, this channel is eclectic in the best sense of the word. But what really sets it apart from other channels of its ilk is host Darren Mitchell’s genuine enthusiasm for collecting. Whether you want to live vicariously through Mitchell’s killer personal collection of masks, figures, autographs and everything in between or if you just want to keep an eye on subscription box releases, Horror in Me is worth a watch.

Spooky Astronauts: 

A personal favorite of mine, Spooky Astronauts is the perfect channel for the grizzled horror vet looking for something new. Its Horror Around the World series stands out as one of the few horror YouTube series that actively seeks to promote non-American horror films. While it covers the expected titans of horror filmmaking, for example Japan and South Korea, it also delves into what’s happening with the genre in some unexpected places, such as Ireland and Turkey. Emma, the host, is exceedingly knowledgeable about the genre and her quick take reviews provide an excellent gateway to viewers interested in learning more about the genre.

So now that we’ve told you our favorite horror focused YouTube channels, what are yours? Let us know and we’ll make a list to shout out on Twitter!

You Might Also Like

The Lurking (2015) Review

The Walking Dead MSP: How the #GreatChop Points to an Audience Divide

Wedding Woes: Talking Ready or Not (2019)

Definitely a great list. Unfortunately it seems like Youtube is still shunning horror content. Aside from the larger creators, smaller / up and coming creators often can’t have their break-out moment. I hope that changes sometime soon. But until then, we need to support one another. 👍

10 Horror Films about Sleep Disorders

3 films that can help you understand phantom thread.

taking horror seriously so you don't have to

Radical Slasher: In a Violent Nature

Exploring a Filming Location: Alan Garner’s Red Shift – St Mary the Virgin

Representations of Women in The Wretched (2019)

Top 10 Horror Films to Watch on Easter

Born Bad?: Talking A Nightmare on Elm Street 1 & 3

Christmas Horror: Talking Better Watch Out (2016) and It’s a Wonderful Knife (2023)

• Tickets & Showtimes
• Trending on RT

The 200 Best Horror Movies of All Time

New year, new boo! We’ve re-vamped, fangs and all, our guide to the 200 best horror movies of all time, with critics and audiences now coming together in hellacious harmony to pick the freakiest, frightiest, and Freshest from horror movie history!

To assist in scheduling your film fright night, we guide you through German expressionism ( Nosferatu , The Cabinet of Dr. Caligari ) and Universal monsters ( Dracula , The Wolf Man ). Creature features ( King Kong , The Fly ) nestle with Best Picture nominees ( The Exorcist , Get Out ). Slashers ( Scream ), zombies ( Dawn of the Dead ), vampires ( Let the Right One In ) abound with terror of the more psychological persuasion ( Don’t Look Now , The Innocents ). Plus, we honor the recent stabs and strides made by female horror directors ( A Girl Walks Home Alone at Night , The Babadook , The Invitation ) and directors abroad ( Under the Shadow , The Wailing ).

To sort the list, we’re using our recommendation formula, which calculates a movie’s Tomatometer rating AND its Audience Score , along with the film’s number of reviews and year of release. And how did we pick what to initially throw into our bubbling recommendation cauldrong? We hand-picked only Certified Fresh movies with a positive Audience Score, with recent movies needing at least 100 critics reviews. What’s recent? Anything after 2016, which is when we expanded our critics pool and criteria.

Ready to settle in for dark nights of Fresh fear? Then flip the switch on the 200 best horror movies of all time. It’s alive! It’s alive!!

Alien (1979) 93%

Let the Right One In (2008) 98%

Aliens (1986) 94%

Jaws (1975) 97%

The Silence of the Lambs (1991) 95%

Get Out (2017) 98%

Psycho (1960) 97%

One Cut of the Dead (2017) 100%

King Kong (1933) 97%

A Quiet Place (2018) 96%

Halloween (1978) 96%

Shaun of the Dead (2004) 92%

What We Do in the Shadows (2014) 96%

Diabolique (1955) 95%

The Invisible Man (2020) 92%

Nosferatu (1922) 97%

Invasion of the Body Snatchers (1956) 97%

Rosemary's Baby (1968) 96%

The Wailing (2016) 99%

Bride of Frankenstein (1935) 98%

The Cabinet of Dr. Caligari (1919) 96%

The Devil's Backbone (2001) 93%

Eyes Without a Face (1960) 97%

A Quiet Place Part II (2021) 91%

The Babadook (2014) 98%

Train to Busan (2016) 95%

The Ring (1998) 98%

His House (2020) 100%

Night of the Living Dead (1968) 95%

Talk to Me (2023) 94%

Tigers Are Not Afraid (2017) 97%

Repulsion (1965) 96%

Frankenstein (1931) 94%

Vampyr (1932) 98%

Freaks (1932) 95%

The Night of the Hunter (1955) 93%

A Nightmare on Elm Street (1984) 95%

The Innocents (1961) 95%

Prey (2022) 94%

Under the Shadow (2016) 99%

Nosferatu the Vampyre (1979) 95%

Border (2018) 97%

M3GAN (2022) 93%

Dawn of the Dead (1978) 91%

Godzilla (1954) 94%

Peeping Tom (1960) 95%

A Girl Walks Home Alone at Night (2014) 96%

Re-Animator (1985) 94%

The Fly (1986) 93%

Suspiria (1977) 94%

Pearl (2022) 92%

Zombieland (2009) 89%

The Birds (1963) 94%

The Innocents (2021) 97%

What Ever Happened to Baby Jane? (1962) 91%

X (2022) 94%

Misery (1990) 91%

The Cabin in the Woods (2011) 92%

The Amusement Park (1973) 96%

It Follows (2014) 95%

Raw (2016) 93%

Dead of Night (1945) 93%

Dracula (1931) 94%

Carrie (1976) 93%

The Host (2006) 93%

10 Cloverfield Lane (2016) 90%

Kwaidan (1964) 91%

28 Days Later (2002) 87%

Don't Look Now (1973) 93%

Thelma (2017) 92%

Attack the Block (2011) 91%

The Orphanage (2007) 87%

Barbarian (2022) 92%

Werewolf by Night (2022) 89%

Us (2019) 93%

Upgrade (2018) 88%

Evil Dead 2 (1987) 88%

An American Werewolf in London (1981) 89%

Ready or Not (2019) 89%

The Lighthouse (2019) 90%

It (2017) 85%

Eraserhead (1977) 89%

Green Room (2015) 90%

Beast (2017) 92%

Hereditary (2018) 90%

Drag Me to Hell (2009) 92%

The Return of the Living Dead (1985) 91%

The Wicker Man (1973) 91%

Dead Alive (1992) 89%

You Won't Be Alone (2022) 93%

The Fly (1958) 95%

Let Me In (2010) 88%

Village of the Damned (1960) 93%

Don't Breathe (2016) 88%

The Texas Chain Saw Massacre (1974) 89%

The Phantom of the Opera (1925) 90%

The Conjuring (2013) 86%

Cat People (1942) 92%

Horror of Dracula (1958) 91%

The Blackening (2022) 87%

Grindhouse (2007) 84%

The Thing (1982) 84%

House of Wax (1953) 93%

The Shining (1980) 83%

The Love Witch (2016) 95%

Bone Tomahawk (2015) 91%

The Descent (2005) 87%

Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde (1931) 91%

Mandy (2018) 90%

Duel (1971) 89%

The Cat and the Canary (1927) 93%

The Wolf Man (1941) 91%

Saint Maud (2019) 92%

Poltergeist (1982) 88%

House (1977) 91%

The Endless (2017) 92%

The Evil Dead (1981) 86%

Violation (2020) 88%

Martin (1978) 90%

Tucker & Dale vs Evil (2010) 85%

Nanny (2022) 91%

A Tale of Two Sisters (2003) 86%

The Witch (2015) 91%

Annihilation (2018) 88%

The Dead Zone (1983) 89%

Fear Street Part Two: 1978 (2021) 87%

Island of Lost Souls (1933) 88%

The Others (2001) 84%

Rare Exports: A Christmas Tale (2010) 89%

Only Lovers Left Alive (2013) 86%

Hatching (2022) 93%

Santa Sangre (1989) 87%

Theater of Blood (1973) 88%

Gremlins (1984) 86%

The Haunting (1963) 87%

Fear Street Part Three: 1666 (2021) 88%

The Night House (2020) 88%

Sputnik (2020) 88%

The Black Phone (2021) 82%

Cronos (1993) 90%

The Dark and the Wicked (2020) 91%

The Invitation (2015) 90%

Freaky (2020) 83%

Tremors (1990) 88%

The Exorcist (1973) 78%

Evil Dead Rise (2023) 84%

The Mummy (1932) 89%

Carnival of Souls (1962) 87%

The Abominable Dr. Phibes (1971) 88%

Candyman (2021) 84%

Hounds of Love (2016) 88%

Audition (1999) 83%

Piggy (2022) 91%

Dead Ringers (1988) 85%

Nope (2022) 83%

Slither (2006) 87%

Crawl (2019) 84%

Doctor Sleep (2019) 78%

Day of the Dead (1985) 87%

The Bird With the Crystal Plumage (1970) 85%

The Omen (1976) 85%

The Autopsy of Jane Doe (2016) 86%

Scream VI (2023) 76%

Fresh (2022) 81%

Color Out of Space (2019) 86%

The Conjuring 2 (2016) 80%

Better Watch Out (2016) 89%

Scream (1996) 81%

Saw X (2023) 80%

The Girl With All the Gifts (2016) 85%

Predator (1987) 80%

Goodnight Mommy (2014) 85%

Fright Night (1985) 83%

Midsommar (2019) 83%

Warm Bodies (2013) 81%

Sisters (1973) 85%

Shadow of the Vampire (2000) 82%

I Walked With a Zombie (1943) 85%

Near Dark (1987) 83%

House of Usher (1960) 84%

Thirst (2009) 81%

Split (2016) 78%

The House of the Devil (2009) 85%

Smile (2022) 80%

Werewolves Within (2021) 86%

Bubba Ho-Tep (2002) 79%

Halloween (2018) 79%

Videodrome (1983) 83%

Overlord (2018) 82%

Scream (2022) 76%

Come to Daddy (2019) 88%

Bones and All (2022) 82%

The Lost Boys (1987) 77%

Dawn of the Dead (2004) 76%

Fear Street Part One: 1994 (2021) 84%

Bram Stoker's Dracula (1992) 74%

Frailty (2002) 75%

1408 (2007) 80%

Little Monsters (2019) 79%

Scary Stories to Tell in the Dark (2019) 78%

More all-time lists.

56 Worst Sequels of All Time

The 100 Best Asian-American Movies of All Time

All 96 Best Picture Winners, Ranked by Tomatometer

Movie & TV News

Featured on rt.

30 Most Popular Movies Right Now: What to Watch In Theaters and Streaming

August 19, 2024

25 Most Popular TV Shows Right Now: What to Watch on Streaming

Edgar Wright Surprises Shaun of the Dead Superfans

Weekend Box Office: Alien: Romulus Dethrones Deadpool & Wolverine

August 18, 2024

Top Headlines

• 30 Most Popular Movies Right Now: What to Watch In Theaters and Streaming –
• 25 Most Popular TV Shows Right Now: What to Watch on Streaming –
• 56 Worst Sequels of All Time –
• 300 Best Movies of All Time –
• Box Office 2024: Top 10 Movies of the Year –
• All James Cameron Movies Ranked –

Screen Rant

15 of the scariest short horror films (you can watch on youtube right now).

Your changes have been saved

Email is sent

Email has already been sent

Please verify your email address.

You’ve reached your account maximum for followed topics.

Star Wars' New Movie Is Returning To The Entire Point Of A New Hope After 47 Years

“the actual moviemaking is top notch, who cares”: furiosa’s cgi comparisons to mad max: fury road defended by vfx artists, daniel radcliffe returns to again fight voldemort in harry potter & the cursed child movie concept trailer.

For the past many years, YouTube has provided the world with countless amusing cat videos, babies biting people, and so on. However, you may or may not know that a darker and more sinister corner YouTube plays host to some of the scariest short films based in the world of horror .

RELATED: 11 Most Exciting Horror Movies Coming In 2020

From the works of established directors to passion projects by college students, there are hundreds upon hundreds of short films uploaded every day. So in the spirit of Halloween, we're counting down some of the scariest short horror films you can go watch on YouTube right now.

Updated October 30th, 2020 by Zach Gass: Nowhere in the blood-soaked realms of the horror genre does it say that a horror film has to be feature film length. There are dozens of films out there who can guarantee a scary sequence in 10 minutes or less thanks to the invention of scary short films. Not only that, but many of these bite-sized suppliers of scares can all be found on the free and familiar platform of YouTube. For those that think horror is created with long runtimes and a big-budget, take a look at some of these fearsome,  free to watch features for your Halloween thrills.

The Umbrella Factory

Crypt TV is a YouTube channel absolutely loaded with brilliant short horror films of all varieties. Any die-hard horror junkie would be seriously mistaken to not subscribe and expose themselves to some of these seriously scary shorts.

One of the most underappreciated members of the channel's library is  The Umbrella Factory ,  an animated, black-comic adaptation of  The Monkey's Paw. Short, spooky, and stylistic, The Umbrella Factory  is the perfect way to whet one's appetite before binging a series of horror shorts. But this isn't the only feature from Crypt TV to warrant attention.

If it's one thing  Crypt TV does exceptionally well, it's creating memorable monsters with only minutes of screen time. One of the most horrifying and hauntingly beautiful creatures ever to step foot in a horror movie has to be The Birch . The Birch is a forest spirit brought to life by a bullied British schoolboy who reaps a gnarly vengeance on his tormentor, much to the audience's satisfaction.

RELATED:  10 Best Horror Movies Directed By Oscar-Winning Directors

Not since the ghosts from Del Toro's  Crimson Peak  has a spirit been so lethal yet loving at the same time. Fans of traditional creature features will definitely love her.

For those wanting a more gruesome and gory affair from Crypt TV , look no further than the  Look-See  series of shorts. This collection of films will undoubtedly make the viewer's skin crawl. The Look-See creature himself is essentially Slenderman with razor-sharp teeth and a knack for making his victims disappear, usually in bloody ways.

The creature is supposedly a representation of unprocessed grief, eating away at those it affects before finally consuming them, leaving a selected body part as a symbol of their tragedy. It gives new meaning to insult to injury.

The Backwater Gospel

The Backwater Gospel   is an animated horror short from Wicker.Works that's more of an acquired taste, but more than enjoyable for those willing to pay attention. The Joker once said "when the chips are down these... civilized people, they'll eat each other." and this stylish short film is the perfect visual example.

RELATED:  10 Southern Gothic Films If You Liked The Devil All The Time

When the mysterious Undertaker, a manifestation of death, visits the religious town of Backwater to take some poor soul with him, the townsfolk turn on one another in a brutal, violent fashion. Not even the town's beloved, bible-belt minister is safe from the carnage.

Never Hike Alone

Can a horror film be a fountainhead of fan-service? The answer is   Never Hike Alone .  This Friday the 13th -inspired fan film pulls Jason Voorhees back to his roots while at the same time bringing him into the modern age without the use of a Michael Bay remake.

While the film's body count is surprisingly low, to say Camp Crystal Lake's resident slasher doesn't deliver would be insultingly untrue. The film is free to watch in its entirety and recently got a sequel that continues the carnage with  Never Hike in the Snow. 

2am : The Smiling Man

CreepyPastas have often been controversial topics thanks to likes of the SlenderMan. However, it is some of the lesser-known stories on the popular fiction site that can provide substantial amounts of source material for the budding horror short director and  2am: The Smiling Man is one such success story.

Directed by Michael Evans in 2013, this short film based upon the Reddit phenom chooses to embrace a creepier style of storytelling. Paul Foltz, who plays the smiling man embodies the character and really brings a sense of mischief to the role with his gaunt and misshapen movements that are sure to leave viewers unsettled and perhaps rethinking that late-night stroll.

The Cop Cam

The Blair Witch  Project  is undoubtedly one of the most popular horror films ever made. With its found-footage approach, it opened up the world to a style and format of filmmaking that had never been as commercially successful.  It gave up-and-coming filmmakers a tool that could be utilized without breaking the bank and so the onslaught of found footage films began.

The Cop Cam takes this very premise and infuses it with a video-game-style to create a suspense-filled journey through an abandoned house in response to an emergency call. It's not the most story-driven piece but for an electrifying scare, its a perfect go-to for any fan of found footage film.

Bloody Mary

Folklore and tales of Bloody Mary have always played havoc with anyone looking for an easy scare and, more often than not, this old tale has served generations of teenagers from all over the world in scaring each other silly but with no real outcome. However, director Alexander Ronnberg tells a different story in 2016's Bloody Mary short.

The lack of any kind of soundscape plays a key role in building tension in this piece.

RELATED: 10 Old Horror Movies That Are Still Scary Today

With the looming camera movements, typical horror tropes, and cliches, it serves its purpose in delivering a memorable experience that is perfect for putting anyone off of ever looking in the mirror again.

The Captured Bird

By far the most visually stunning selection on this list is  The Captured Bird ,  directed by Jovanka Vucovic in 2012. It quite rightly grabbed the attention of Guillermo Del Toro, who was named as an executive producer, because of its simple premise, and beautifully-structured exploration of innocence and seemingly dark undertone.

The film also enlisted an outstanding team for its production and you can really tell that this was a labor of love for all involved, with impeccable creature designs and a nod to the works of H.P Lovecraft. It was a critical success, and very rightly so for its haunting atmosphere, stunning visuals, and unnerving performances. It is a must-see for fans of anything that Guillermo Del Toro has produced .

Tuck Me In is a perfect example of the effectiveness of using common and everyday tasks that a viewer can relate to then giving them a perfect scare. Directed by Ignacio F. Rodo in 2014 and one of the shorter selections in this list with just a one minute run time, Tuck Me In has an ability to create intrigue that can rival a full-blown feature-length film.

Its climax proves to be scary because of the performances from both the father and son, giving us something more unsettling than what is expected without the need for a typical  jump scare . It leaves the viewer with questions and the door open to interpretation which only adds to its appeal.

From Michael Chaves, director of The Curse Of La Llorona and the upcoming  Conjuring 3  comes The Maiden , a masterfully produced short that delivers on everything you could ask for from a horror film. The Maiden balances itself on the thin line between comedy and horror with its humorous story involving a real estate agent selling a haunted house.

Chaves hammers down on the comedic premise by ramping up the tension and delivering horrifying visuals with a poignant ending. It is a well-executed piece with performances to match and it is exciting to think of what Chaves can accomplish within the Conjuring Universe .

Written and directed by Andy Muschietti of the  It  films comes Mama , a short film that later went on to be adapted for the big screen thanks to its haunting premise and well-executed, claustrophobic atmosphere. Muschietti cleverly brings his story to life in one continuous sequence held together by two sisters at the mercy of Mama.

RELATED: 10 Horror Movies You Didn't Know Were Based On Books

Some fans argue that this short is infinitely scarier than its feature-length follow-up and it is hard to dispute when we see the jarring and uncomfortable Mama in full glory, terrifyingly running amok in this creepy and memorable piece.

Autumn Harvest

Directed by Fredrik S. Hana, A utumn Harvest explores one lonely man's desperate pursuit for connection with grotesque and horrific outcomes. Shot entirely in black and white and lacking any dialogue, Autumn Harvest is a beautifully produced short.

As it progresses we see incredible acts of violence paired with an intriguing story of tragedy only made better with an incredible performance from its leading man. Lovecraftian to the core, it's impossible not to applaud everyone involved and it is certainly a memorable piece that keeps its cards close till the bitter end.

In 2013 David F. Sandberg, an unknown writer and director at the time , entered a short film based around a simple premise into the 'Who's there film challenge'. That film was Lights Out and not only did it win the competition, but it shot Sandberg into the spotlight. In 2016, the short went on to become a fully-fledged, feature-length film.

That being said, fans of the original short film will argue that the film never quite matched the horrifying original.

Filmed on a shoestring budget, it is a simple premise and really demonstrates that fears and phobias can often create the most thrilling of horror experiences.

Best known for the film  District 9, Neil Blomkamp decided to branch out from Hollywood and into the world of short films by creating his own studio, with its sole purpose being to produce films to test the water for larger projects and ideas for feature-length productions. As a result, we have Zygote , a sci-fiction horror short with clear comparisons to  The Thing  and  Alien.

The indie style short film format allows Blomkamp to stretch his legs and play in his own sandbox with the viewer reaping the rewards. It's a tension-filled experience and one that is a testament to what can be achieved when a talented director can express creative freedom without constraints.

NEXT: 10 Horror Movies With The Scariest Endings Ever, Ranked

Common Sense Media

Movie & TV reviews for parents

• For Parents
• For Educators
• Our Work and Impact

Or browse by category:

• Movie Reviews
• Best Movie Lists
• Best Movies on Netflix, Disney+, and More

Common Sense Selections for Movies

50 Modern Movies All Kids Should Watch Before They're 12

• Best TV Lists
• Best TV Shows on Netflix, Disney+, and More
• Common Sense Selections for TV
• Video Reviews of TV Shows

Best Kids' Shows on Disney+

Best Kids' TV Shows on Netflix

• Book Reviews
• Best Book Lists
• Common Sense Selections for Books

8 Tips for Getting Kids Hooked on Books

50 Books All Kids Should Read Before They're 12

• Game Reviews
• Best Game Lists

Common Sense Selections for Games

• Video Reviews of Games

Nintendo Switch Games for Family Fun

• Podcast Reviews
• Best Podcast Lists

Common Sense Selections for Podcasts

Parents' Guide to Podcasts

• App Reviews
• Best App Lists

Social Networking for Teens

Gun-Free Action Game Apps

Reviews for AI Apps and Tools

• YouTube Channel Reviews
• YouTube Kids Channels by Topic

Parents' Ultimate Guide to YouTube Kids

YouTube Kids Channels for Gamers

• Preschoolers (2-4)
• Little Kids (5-7)
• Big Kids (8-9)
• Pre-Teens (10-12)
• Teens (13+)
• Screen Time
• Social Media
• Online Safety
• Identity and Community

How to Prepare Your Kids for School After a Summer of Screen Time

• Family Tech Planners
• Digital Skills
• All Articles
• Latino Culture
• Black Voices
• Asian Stories
• Native Narratives
• LGBTQ+ Pride
• Best of Diverse Representation List

Multicultural Books

YouTube Channels with Diverse Representations

Podcasts with Diverse Characters and Stories

Scary movie 2.

• Common Sense Says
• Parents Say 21 Reviews
• Kids Say 39 Reviews

Common Sense Media Review

By Nell Minow , based on child development research. How do we rate?

Dumb humor, insults, and gallons of bodily fluids.

Parents Need to Know

Parents need to know that SCARY MOVIE 2, the first sequel to Scary Movie , is a send-up of slasher movies, ghost stories, and haunted houses. Exaggerated cartoon violence -- falls, fierce fights, in-your-face scares, blood, monsters and skeletons, burning, gunfire, gross-out wounds -- is continuous, with no…

Why Age 16+?

Countless obscenities: "f--k," "s--t," "c--k," "t-ts," "ass," "bitch," "butt," "

Lots of violence that is never meant to be taken seriously. The hapless teens tr

Drug use, smoking, and drinking are used as comic devices. A young man wears a t

Continuous farcical sexual images, innuendo, and dialogue. Extended simulated se

Caterpillar construction equipment, Cheese Puffs.

Any Positive Content?

The messages presented here aren't meant to be positive.

Promotes "diversity" in that race, gender, sexual preference, and handicaps are

Countless obscenities: "f--k," "s--t," "c--k," "t-ts," "ass," "bitch," "butt," "penis," the "N" word, and more. Characters vomit, fart, pee, and even poop on camera, and the bodily function jokes (including ejaculation) are non-stop. In addition, there is a foul-mouthed cockatoo who constantly comments on the story, an image of large artificial testicles, and a priest who likes to smell young women's underwear.

Did you know you can flag iffy content? Adjust limits for Language in your kid's entertainment guide.

Violence & Scariness

Lots of violence that is never meant to be taken seriously. The hapless teens trapped in the haunted house are attacked by: a ferocious cat, a skeleton, an out-of-control marijuana plant, a cackling ghost, dueling wheelchairs, an invisible rapist, blow-up breasts, furniture and chandeliers, and a disfigured caretaker. Spooky music, slamming doors, fog, screaming, and ghoulishly-leering characters are meant to heighten the phony suspense. Creepy images: a man with the top of his head cut off, a vomit contest, weird protruding nipples, a demon girl in dire need of an exorcism.

Did you know you can flag iffy content? Adjust limits for Violence & Scariness in your kid's entertainment guide.

Drinking, Drugs & Smoking

Drug use, smoking, and drinking are used as comic devices. A young man wears a tee-shirt with "Weed" emblazoned on it, along with small drawings of various plants. A marijuana plant grows so rapidly that it overtakes a part of the house. Characters occasionally smoke cigarettes, drink wine, and some marijuana smoking is implied.

Did you know you can flag iffy content? Adjust limits for Drinking, Drugs & Smoking in your kid's entertainment guide.

Sex, Romance & Nudity

Continuous farcical sexual images, innuendo, and dialogue. Extended simulated sex, including oral sex, masturbation, homosexual and heterosexual foreplay, occurs throughout. Three girls wear sexy bikinis in one scene, and one young woman wears revealing clothing all the time. Young men grope and grab at the women's breasts in several scenes.

Did you know you can flag iffy content? Adjust limits for Sex, Romance & Nudity in your kid's entertainment guide.

Products & Purchases

Positive messages, positive role models.

Promotes "diversity" in that race, gender, sexual preference, and handicaps are all made fun of equally, and all become the butt of the jokes and physical comedy. Stereotypes rule here. Girls often are braver than their male counterparts.

Parents need to know that SCARY MOVIE 2, the first sequel to Scary Movie , is a send-up of slasher movies, ghost stories, and haunted houses. Exaggerated cartoon violence -- falls, fierce fights, in-your-face scares, blood, monsters and skeletons, burning, gunfire, gross-out wounds -- is continuous, with no serious injuries or deaths. Obscene language and swearing is also non-stop (i.e., "f--k," the "N" word, "s--t"), with jokes and sight gags about racial discrimination, religion, disabilities, ejaculation, rape, penis enhancement, homosexuality, masturbation, and more. There are multiple scenes depicting simulated sex (including oral and anal) -- all with comic intent. Alcohol consumption and drug use are also treated as farce. Not to be left out, vomiting, peeing, farting, and pooping are awarded lots of screen time. To stay in the loop on more movies like this, you can sign up for weekly Family Movie Night emails .

Where to Watch

Videos and photos.

Parent and Kid Reviews

• Parents say (21)
• Kids say (39)

Based on 21 parent reviews

Language and sexual content

What's the story.

SCARY MOVIE 2 begins with a brief parody of The Exorcist , with James Woods in the Max von Sydow role as the title character. This is the highlight of the movie, especially when Veronica Cartwright, in the Ellen Burstyn role, segues from singing "Hello Dolly" with her friends to a rousing chorus of "Shake Ya Azz." But it ends with tragedy, and we skip ahead to a year later, when a professor ( Tim Curry ) and his wheelchair-bound assistant take some students to the mansion where it took place for some paranormal experiments. The rest of the movie is just an avalanche of parodies of everything and anything, from Monica Lewinsky's dress to "The Weakest Link," and violations of every possible standard of good taste. Not one but two handicapped characters are played for laughs (with extended comic use of a withered hand), and there is something to offend everyone.

Is It Any Good?

Though a slight improvement over the original, Scary Movie 2 is the same hour and a half of easy, dumb humor. The inane insults, pop culture references, and political incorrectness are all there -- along with gallons and gallons and gallons of bodily fluids. It's not enough to simply insult someone or make a politically incorrect comment or drown someone in excretions. That's the easy part. The tricky part, and the worthwhile part, is to make those things funny, and this movie misses so often that its hits seem almost inadvertent. So what we have is a lot of fake and lazy attempts at humor. They may have the rhythm and cadence of jokes, but there is nothing really funny inside.

On the other hand, the movie is so cheerfully unassuming about being in the worst possible taste that it is hard to be bothered by it. Woods and Tori Spelling (!) should get good sport Oscars, but the other cast members are mostly forgettable.

Talk to Your Kids About ...

Families can talk about the process and role of parody and satire in helping us to see what we take for granted in a new way. How does this movie poke fun at thrillers?

What is the appeal of gross-out humor? Who does it appeal to most?

Did you understand all the pop culture references, or are they out of date now?

Movie Details

• In theaters : July 3, 2001
• On DVD or streaming : December 18, 2001
• Cast : Anna Faris , Marlon Wayans , Shawn Wayans
• Director : Keenen Ivory Wayans
• Inclusion Information : Black directors, Female actors, Black actors
• Studio : Dimension
• Genre : Comedy
• Run time : 83 minutes
• MPAA rating : R
• MPAA explanation : extremely graphic and gross material and some violence
• Last updated : July 15, 2024

Did we miss something on diversity?

Research shows a connection between kids' healthy self-esteem and positive portrayals in media. That's why we've added a new "Diverse Representations" section to our reviews that will be rolling out on an ongoing basis. You can help us help kids by suggesting a diversity update.

Suggest an Update

What to watch next.

Scary Movie 3

Scary Movie 4

Scary Movie 5

Scary movies for kids, best horror movies.

Common Sense Media's unbiased ratings are created by expert reviewers and aren't influenced by the product's creators or by any of our funders, affiliates, or partners.

To revisit this article, visit My Profile, then View saved stories .

• What Is Cinema?

The 32 Best Horror Movies to Keep You Up at Night

The best horror movies tend to be trendsetters, whether by launching a subgenre, introducing new visual techniques, reinventing familiar tropes, or employing clever marketing schemes. Everyone has a different favorite, but it's the rare genre where people—even those who prefer their Halloween films on the cozy side—tend to agree on a handful of paragons. You'll find grisly slasher flicks, eerie ghost stories, creature features, and psychological freakouts in equal measure here, making this a guide to the best horror movies of all time for beginners and repeat viewers alike.

32. The Wicker Man (1973)

Long before Midsommar came about, The Wicker Man supplied pitch-black horror set in broad daylight. A religious police sergeant (Edward Woodward) travels to a rural Scottish island to investigate a young girl's disappearance, but the locals' culty Pagan practices prove equally concerning. His eerie interactions play like fish-out-of-water social comedy, but any sense of security disappears in the lead-up to an electrifying finale that involves a folk hymn, a human sacrifice, and a lot of eccentric Scandinavian dancing.

31. The Others (2001)

The Sixth Sense is often hailed as horror's greatest twist ending, but what if The Others ' is even better? A Gothic ghost story starring an immaculate Nicole Kidman as a pious mother who moves her two strange children to a remote mansion they quickly suspect is haunted, this is a chilling exercise in atmospheric tension. Like so many horror film narratives, it's about grief—but the titanic payoff is what sticks with you. Two decades later, it's worthy of canonization.

30. Cat People (1942)

It may be mellow by today's standards, but Cat People has ascended from popular B-movie to respected classic. A Serbian fashion illustrator (Simone Simon) engaged to a thoughtful engineer (Kent Smith) believes an ancient curse will turn her into a panther upon arousal, which is a pretty solid metaphor for the shame that accompanied sex in the censhorship-heavy '40s. Using noirish shades and a couple of well-placed jump scares that influenced future horror editors, Cat People is a relic rich enough to earn a bloated Paul Schrader remake in 1982.

29. A Nightmare on Elm Street (1984)

Wes Craven began his career as a gonzo provocateur (see: The Last House on the Left, The Hills Have Eyes ) and eventually became a master of commercial crowd-pleasers. A Nightmare on Elm Street brought much-needed humor to the slasher craze, establishing Freddy Kruger as a fedora-wearing jokester who doubles as literal nightmare fuel.

28. The Omen (1976)

Hollywood spent the '70s trying to replicate the success of The Exorcist . Nothing came as close as The Omen , which summoned a demon by way of a 5-year-old Antichrist named Damien ( Harvey Spencer Stephens ). This was 1976's biggest summer hit, withstanding the critics who unjustly dismissed it.

27. Misery (1990)

Before there were stans, there was Annie Wilkes (a disconcertingly sweet Kathy Bates ). She's one of those villains you know by name, shorthand for an overzealous admirer who'll stop at nothing to get what she wants from her favorite entertainer, romance novelist Paul Sheldon (James Caan). When Annie learns Paul has killed off her favorite literary protagonist, she wages warfare in an icy remote cabin where no captive's ankles are safe.

26. Eraserhead (1977)

Many of David Lynch 's films borrow horror elements, namely Blue Velvet , Twin Peaks: Fire Walk with Me , Lost Highway , and Mulholland Drive. But his debut, Eraserhead , is the director's most straightforward genre piece, which is a weird thing to say about a surreal freakout that rose to prominence as a go-to midnight movie. The highlight is the unnerving sound design, a fizzy collection of static, mewling, and urban oddities that heighten the story of a misfit (Jack Nance) caring for an unseemly baby in a dank apartment.

25. Don't Look Now (1973)

Grief and the passage of time are two of horror's consistent preoccupations, and Don't Look Now turns them into a spectral saga about a couple ( Julie Christie and Donald Sutherland ) who travel to Venice while mourning the death of their daughter. There, they see apparitions of a young girl in a striking red coat who evokes the child they've lost, leading them down an occult rabbit hole.

24. Wait Until Dark (1967)

Audrey Hepburn weaponized her sweet persona in this terrifying home-invasion thriller, playing a blind housewife who has to ward off criminals inside her Manhattan apartment. You're not sure she'll pull it off, which turns Wait Until Dark into a pins-and-needles wallop that uses dim, angular corners to sustain suspense.

23. What Ever Happened to Baby Jane? (1962)

Call it hagsploitation if you want, but What Ever Happened to Baby Jane? remains one of the most delicious psychodramas ever made. Bette Davis and Joan Crawford milked their on-and-off rivalry to play sisters living out their troubled history as bitter adults. One is an unbalanced alcoholic (Davis) obsessed with her past as vaudeville's "Baby Jane" Hudson, the other a paraplegic (Crawford) whose own success came to a halt after a mysterious car accident. Together, they trudge through middle age in a mansion where Jane enacts various forms of phsychological terrorism. The pacing is a bit inconsistent, but the movie's demented kicks haven't dissipated.

22. The Fly (1986)

Several David Cronenberg movies could grace this list: Videodrome is his smartest, The Brood his most visceral, and Dead Ringers his most chilling. But The Fly is the ideal sweet spot between Cronenberg's potentially alienating outlandishness and his ability to craft a mainstream horror movie. The director's biggest hit brought what the schlocky 1958 original was missing: sophisticated effects and a giddy Jeff Goldblum . Chronicling an unconventional scientist whose teleportation experiment accidentally infuses him with the DNA of a housefly, the movie poignantly explores disease while never losing its verve.

21. The Blair Witch Project (1999)

No one would fault you for censuring the found-footage fever The Blair Witch Project induced. Most of the movie's imitators are mere gimmicks, whereas the OG was an ingenious feat of both filmmaking and marketing. Daniel Myrick and Eduardo Sánchez took a Hi8 camcorder into the woods of Maryland, gave their actors limited instructions, and made off with an all-timer. It's also one of the most profitable movies in history: Shot and edited for less than $1 million, Myrick and Sánchez recouped their budget on a Sundance acquisition deal alone. Then came the gargantuan worldwide grosses ($248.6 million), buoyed by a PR campaign that left the public unsure whether what they were seeing was real or fictional. No found footage will top this once-in-a-lifetime achievement or its chilling final scene.

20. Carrie (1976)

The pig's blood. The hand popping up from the gravesite. "Breasts, Mama. They're called breasts." Carrie is famous for its enduring imagery, so it's easy to forget how both profound and humorous the Stephen King movie adaptation can be. Sissy Spacek earned her first Oscar nomination for the title role, playing a lonesome high schooler whose physical awakening sparks further extremism from her hyper-religious mother ( Piper Laurie , also Oscar-nommed). Beneath the mayhem is a story about a girl coming into her own and the terror that inspires in others. Brian de Palma has flirted with horror on other occasions ( Sisters , Blow Out , Body Double ), but this is the director's purest genre exercise.

19. Candyman (1992)

A precursor to Get Out , this supernatural slasher showpiece dared to tackle race in America mere months after Los Angeles erupted into riots over the brutality police inflicted on an unarmed Rodney King. Candyman links inner-city racism to 1800s slavery, following a graduate student ( Virginia Madsen ) as she investigates an urban legend about a Black ghoul ( Tony Todd ) who stalks the Chicago housing project where he was killed by a savage lynch mob. It's a tour de force that peppers its entertaining menace with a dose of intellectualism.

18. Night of the Living Dead (1968)

George Romero established the zombie-movie template with this scrappy black-and-white independent sleeper that's often considered an allegory about the atrocities of the Vietnam War. Influenced by the novel I Am Legend , Romero and co-writer John Russo made Night of the Living Dead for approximately $880,000 in today's money. The grainy aesthetics make it feel unsettlingly real. Even without sophisticated special effects, some spectators likened Living Dead 's violence to pornography, proving the film had hit a nerve.

17. Frankenstein (1931)

In the 1930s and '40s, Universal Pictures was Hollywood's signature horror house. Starting with 1931's Dracula and spanning The Mummy, The Invisible Man, The Black Cat , and The Wolf Man , the studio invented creature features as we know them. The best of the bunch is Frankenstein , a Gothic adaptation of Mary Shelley's novel that cemented how we would forever imagine the titular scientist's laboratory monster (Boris Karloff). Many sequels, spin-offs, remakes, and parodies have followed, but none would shock like the sight of Dr. Frankenstein's ogre chucking a trusting young girl into a lake .

16. Peeping Tom (1960)

By the late '70s, everyone knew what a slasher movie was. But when Peeping Tom arrived in 1960, audiences weren't yet conditioned to expect the bloodthirst that would define the subgenre. People were shocked to see a movie told from the perspective of a voyeuristic serial killer (Carl Boehm) who records his murders with a hidden camera so he can watch them in the comfort of his London apartment. He's as much protagonist as he is antagonist, if only because he's such a detailed character, elevated by the gorgeous Eastmancolor—a single-strip alternative to laborious Technicolor—that director Michael Powell used.

15. Audition (1999)

Japanese horror traveled westward in the '90s and early 2000s, prompting American diehards to look beyond their own country for the genre's gutsiest work. Cure, Ringu, and Kairu are great, but Audition is the J-horror pinnacle, a deceptive slow burn with one of the most disturbing final acts committed to film. What starts as a simple premise about entitlement—with the help of his producer friend ( Jun Kunimura ), a widower ( Ryo Ishibashi ) stages mock movie-casting trials to find a new wife—turns into a revenge saga as meaningful as it is gnarly. When his chosen sweetheart ( Eihi Shiina ) flips the script using a syringe and a wire saw, Takashi Miike 's film becomes a disquisition on wounds of all kinds.

14. Suspiria (1977)

Four decades before Luca Guadagnino turned it into a slice of art-house philosophizing , Suspiria was a phantasmagoric caffeine drip. It's part slasher movie, part supernatural thriller, part body-horror whatsit about witches at a German dance academy. Directed by the outré Dario Argento , the unclassifiable gem is suffused in blood-red palettes and a pulsating score that prog-rock band Goblin recorded before cameras even rolled. Argento's original 35mm print was lost for many years before being mysteriously discovered at an abandoned Italian cinema in 2017, at which point the cult favorite enjoyed a renaissance, right in time for Gudagnino's update.

13. Jaws (1975)

Jaws has a lot of firsts to its name: the first proper summer blockbuster, Steven Spielberg 's first big hit, the first major movie shot on the ocean, and the first movie to cross $100 million at the box office. The ostinato that begins John Williams ' score—a long, ominous *daaaaah-dah—*still strikes fear into hearts everywhere, and sharks have been in desperate need of a rebranding ever since.

12. Get Out (2017)

Jordan Peele has grown more ambitious with his later features, Us and Nope , but Get Out remains his crowning achievement. The sketch writer capitalized on his intuitive understanding of comedy to make a horror movie that's as funny as it is scary and as exciting as it is socially resonant. Few directors balance those poles seamlessly, and few in recent memory have added so much to our cultural vernacular (the Sunken Place, "I would have voted for Obama for a third term if I could"). In Daniel Kaluuya , Peele found a pitch-perfect proxy for his twisty tale about a Brooklyn photographer who tries to ignore many, many red flags while accompanying his white girlfriend ( Allison Williams ) on a trip to visit her wealthy family. Everybody wants to make their own Get Out , but no one has come close.

11. Poltergeist (1982)

Two years after Jack Torrance's " heeeere's Johnny ," little Carol Anne Freeling (Heather O'Rourke) turned away from her staticky television set and gave her own spring-chilling warning: "They're here." But who? Uncertainty made it frightening. The "who" turned out to be phantoms that move objects and bring trees to life, sucking Carol Anne into a portal requiring paranormal intervention. Directed by Tobe Hooper (with a crucial assist from Steven Spielberg ), Poltergeist —with its Oscar-nominated visual effects and affecting performances from JoBeth Williams , Craig T. Nelson , and Zelda Rubinstein—is an exemplar about the demons of suburbia.

10. Diabolique (1955)

This master class in suspense isn't based on a true story, but you can feel its DNA all over today's crime obsession, true and otherwise: the domestic discord, the vengeance scheme gone wrong, the what-did-they-get-themselves-into fallout. Hitchcock desperately wanted to make Diabolique , which is based on a novel by the French duo Boileau-Narcejac. Henri-Georges Clouzot got there first, casting his wife, Véra Clouzot, as a boarding-school proprietor who plots to kill her domineering husband (Paul Meurisse) with the help of his mistress (Simone Signoret). The movie's ghostly interiors foster a dread that builds toward a thrilling, unpredictable climax.

9. Scream (1996)

After a glorious run in the '70s and '80s, horror hit something of a downward slope in the '90s. Tropes had grown too shopworn, and narrative preoccupations too familiar for an era that let all sorts of mid-budget adult genres thrive. Leave it to Wes Craven to resuscitate what we'd lost. In Scream , he and writer Kevin Williamson dissected slasher clichés while serving them up wholesale. They created another indelible protagonist in Sidney Prescott ( Neve Campbell ), who took the reins after Drew Barrymore ’s bravura "do you like scary movies?" opening and—until a recent pay discrepancy —long ruled the still-effective Scream franchise.

8. The Texas Chain Saw Massacre (1974)

The Texas Chain Saw Massacre transcended the exploitation at its core by being about something: a family whose working-class slaughterhouse jobs were rendered obsolete by industrialization. They just so happen to be murderous cannibals who gleefully hack away at a group of teenagers who stumble upon their remote farmhouse. Tobe Hooper ’s visceral movie, partly inspired by real-life serial killer Ed Gein, captured the chaotic ethos of the mid-'70s, all the way to the unforgettable image of bloody Sally Hardesty (Marilyn Burns) hysterically laughing as she flees Leatherface’s rampage.

7. Psycho (1960)

Both the slasher genre and the crime-thriller genre are indebted to Psycho , the defining work of Alfred Hitchcock’s career. In committing Robert Bloch’s 1959 novel to film, Hitch made the villain his film’s most complex figure. Norman Bates (the ever-underrated Anthony Perkins) is a dissociative loner with mommy issues that are every bit as shocking as the early muder of marquee star Janet Leigh. Psycho changed moviegoing forever: Breaking with the era’s norms, audiences had to arrive on time, lest they miss crucial details. Beyond that, the movie mainlined violence and sexuality in ways that would influence Hollywood for decades.

6. Alien (1979)

Whether Ridley Scott ’s Alien should be classified as science fiction or horror feels irrelevant when the movie is so damn scary. Long hallways and clinical white interiors turn the Nostromo spacecraft into a haunted house, substituting ghosts for H.R. Giger-designed xenomorphs. The genre wasn’t known for fearless heroines before Sigourney Weaver showed up as Ellen Ripley, a generation-defining lion who outlived all the fussy men around her.

5. The Shining (1980)

The lore surrounding The Shining is as memorable as the movie itself. Stephen King didn’t think Stanley Kubrick successfully adapted his novel, nor did many critics when it first opened. Kubrick asked so much of Shelley Duvall on the set that she became overwhelmed and physically ill. And the plot itself prompted enough interpretations to merit an entire documentary that interpreted the interpretations. Altogether, that mythology only amplifies the film’s impact, making it even more layered. A hair-raising masterpiece about a hotel caretaker ( Jack Nicholson ) losing his mind over the course of one frigid winter, The Shining is a Rorschach test in horror form.

4. Halloween (1978)

Halloween ’s opening scene alone makes it immortal. In five resourceful minutes, John Carpenter crafts what could be a standalone short, using a seemingly unbroken first-person perspective shot filtered through the eyes of a 6-year-old boy who puts on a mask and kills his teenage sister. That boy, of course, was Michael Myers. Carpenter never intended for him to become a decades-spanning franchise baddie laden with overblown mythology. Halloween was a shoestring independent project: Everything feels and looks organic, creeping through fictional Haddonfield, Illinois, in ways that startled viewers anew. Horror continues to strive for the same unbridled pleasure—and for scores as influential—but few boogeymen live up. 

3. The Silence of the Lambs (1991)

The Silence of the Lambs is the only horror movie that has won the Oscar for Best Picture, in part because it can't be confined to one label. In a sense, cannibalistic serial killers Hannibal Lecter ( Anthony Hopkins) and Buffalo Bill ( Ted Levine ) are window dressing for a psychological drama about an FBI trainee ( Jodie Foster ) wrestling with the demons of her childhood. But the artful complexities don't make those slithery scoundrels any less scary. In Jonathan Demme’s gifted hands, every character is a fully-formed human being—something that can’t be said of many horror villains. Everything builds toward the harrowing night-vision climax in which a breathy Clarice Starling confronts her fears in pitch black.

2. The Exorcist (1973)

Often hailed as the scariest movie ever made, The Exorcist is the rare auteur-driven hit whose datedness hasn’t dulled its shock. Part of that is owed to William Friedkin ’s chilly atmospherics, and part is because, at its core, this is a sympathetic story about a mother ( Ellen Burstyn ) fighting desperately to protect her daughter ( Linda Blair ). In addition to inspiring umpteen copycats that couldn’t measure up, The Exorcist prefigured the so-called Satanic panic that gripped America in the 1980s and '90s.

1. Rosemary’s Baby (1968)

A landmark of feminist horror was made by a man who later confessed to raping a 13-year-old girl. Somehow, that contradiction doesn't dampen Rosemary’s Baby , a movie that continues to influence droves of horror filmmakers. Its story comes from an Ira Levin novel, and its effectiveness is owed as much to Mia Farrow ’s stirring performance as it is to Roman Polanski ’s slick direction. This is arty horror at its most mainstream, a studio movie full of odd idiosyncrasies unlikely to see a wide release today. But it’s every bit as perfect as it was in 1968, turning the story of a chic Manhattinite who rightfully suspects her neighbors (Sidney Blackmer and the great Ruth Gordon) are running a Satanic cult with the help of her husband (John Cassavetes) into a deep statement on womanhood.

Next up, browse our guide to the best Halloween movies on Netflix .

More Great Stories From Vanity Fair

DNC 2024: Live Updates From the Democratic National Convention

September Cover Star Jenna Ortega Is Settling Into Fame

Listen Now: VF ’s DYNASTY Podcast Explores the Royals’ Most Challenging Year

Exclusive: How Saturday Night Captures SNL ’s Wild Opening Night

Inside Prince Harry’s Final Showdown With the Murdoch Empire

The Twisted True Love Story of a Diamond Heiress and a Reality Star

Matthew Jacobs

• Login / Sign Up
• Polygon Picks
• Polygon Lists
• What to Watch

The best horror movies you can watch right now

From Netflix to Hulu to Max, the eeriest, scariest, and best horror to watch at home... or else

If you buy something from a Polygon link, Vox Media may earn a commission. See our ethics statement.

by Toussaint Egan , Austen Goslin , Pete Volk , and Polygon Staff

Whether it’s something gory and macabre, silly and irreverent, or eerie and unsettling, the genre of horror is as rich and varied as the multitude of ghosts, ghoulies, and homicidal maniacs that go bump in the night.

Looking for the best horror films available to stream on Netflix, Hulu , Max , and Paramount Plus ? No worries, we’ve got the goods. We’ve combed through the libraries of each of the major streaming platforms to bring you a list of our most recommended horror movies. Here are the best horror movies you can stream right now, from old classics to new hits. Our latest update added Invasion of the Body Snatchers , Sinister , and Totally Killer.

Editor’s pick: Invasion of the Body Snatchers

Director: Philip Kaufman Cast: Donald Sutherland, Brooke Adams, Leonard Nimoy Where to watch: Prime Video

Invasion of the Body Snatchers has a timeless, perfect premise: What if the people you know weren’t themselves anymore? What if they had been replaced by something that looked like them, talked like them, and remembered like them, but didn’t feel the same? It’s viscerally upsetting, even as an idea, which is probably why this story has been remade nearly a dozen times since the original was released in 1956.

But for all the remakes, the 1978 version of the movie stands out as a particular highlight. Starring Donald Sutherland and Leonard Nimoy, Philip Kaufman’s version of the story imagines a San Francisco slowly overrun by aliens who steal the faces of humans. The lurking paranoia of the original movie is similarly on display in this one, but its real step up is in the effects department.

Where the original movie left the body snatching mostly to the audience’s imagination, this version shows the process in all its gross, gooey, alien detail. Fresh, formless bodies slide out of pods while sentient threads of plant fur creep across victims, giving details and features to the newly printed doubles, all before the person’s old body disintegrates. It’s a wildly effective, extremely off-putting effect that the movie makes tremendous use of to both heighten its paranoid atmosphere and justify it. All that, and the movie has one of the greatest endings in horror movie history. — Austen Goslin

Annihilation

Director : Alex Garland Cast : Natalie Portman, Jennifer Jason Leigh, Gina Rodriguez Where to watch: Paramount Plus, free w/ ads on Pluto TV

Annihilation might be the creepiest movie about plants ever made (with all due respect to The Ruins .)

Annihilation follows a group of scientists (played by a phenomenal group of actors) investigating an area struck by a meteor. The area that was hit has slowly spread and grown into what’s now known as The Shimmer, an area where nature seems to be taking over everything around it, but it’s a different kind of nature; strange, unnaturally green plants grow over everything, and creatures (animals and humans) slowly merge with the vegetation around them. At the center of all of this is a lighthouse the group must reach. Annihilation helps realize this strange Earth-but-not incredibly well, with beautiful and haunting production design and a finale as memorable as any horror movie on this list. — AG

Blair Witch

Director: Adam Wingard Cast: James Allan McCune, Callie Hernandez, Brandon Scott Where to watch: Prime Video, Hulu

Sequels to The Blair Witch Project are very dicey propositions. After Book of Shadows: Blair Witch 2 was greeted as a disaster immediately after release, the franchise stalled out and the idea of returning to the black forest faded from the minds of aspiring horror filmmakers. But in 2016, writer Simon Barrett and director Adam Wingard, the duo behind the excellent You’re Next , went back into the woods for a new Blair Witch sequel. And it’s actually pretty great.

The movie follows James Donahue, the brother of Heather from the first movie, as he sets out to investigate what happened to his sister. James and some friends, including film student Lisa, set out on an adventure through the Maryland woods and, of course, run into some very creepy activity when they get there.

Blair Witch isn’t interested in trying to recapture the formal magic of the first movie, exactly. There’s no mistaking this one for a documentary, and there’s clearly a lot more going on production-wise than a few kids in the woods with a video camera. It’s decidedly a studio version of found footage, but that isn’t a bad thing; it means the movie is full of delicately framed shots that really capture and amplify the terror of this new group of kids stuck in the woods. And when things really start to pop off in the second half, it means that we get careful, tantalizing, terrifying glimpses of whatever lurks in the darkness, but never too much to ruin the scare. —AG

Director : Gaspar Noé Cast : Sofia Boutella, Romain Guillermic, Souheila Yacoub Where to watch: Digital rental/purchase on Amazon, Apple

Climax isn’t for the faint-of-heart — and we’re saying that in the context of a horror movies list. The movie is set at an all-night dance party inside a gymnasium, which turns sour after someone spikes the sangria with a little too much LSD. Climax is told in beautifully disorienting long takes that go from dozens of minutes of uninterrupted and propulsive dance sequences to hazy walks through hallways as the camera mimics the dizzy stumbling of the movie’s characters. As the psychedelics kick in, so too do some of the attendees’ long-held feuds, leading to disastrous and horrifying consequences. It’s rare that a movie truly defies description, but if you’ve got a strong stomach and a will to see something you haven’t before, Climax is the perfect movie for you. — AG

Crimes of the Future

Director: David Cronenberg Cast: Viggo Mortensen, Léa Seydoux, Kristen Stewart Where to watch: Hulu

Microplastics: They’re everywhere !

They’re in our lungs , our blood , our food and drinking water ; even the air we breathe . What the fuck is it doing to our bodies? We don’t really know, but David Cronenberg’s 2022 body horror drama sure has an idea of what it might mean for our children. Crimes of the Future imagines a world where humans have lost the ability to feel pain. In addition to that, several people have developed a disturbing disorder which causes their bodies to spontaneously spawn new organs.

This new reality has spawned a trend: Live surgery, wherein performance artists plagued with this condition tear into their own bodies in an effort to shape meaning out of this strange new biological fact. Viggo Mortensen stars as Saul Tenser, a world-renowned performance artist who, alongside his partner Caprice (Léa Seydoux), stands on the cutting edge — both literally and figuratively — of this cultural phenomenon. When Saul’s activities catch the attention of a mysterious group of evolutionary activists, as well as the lascivious eye of a government employee named Timlin (Kristen Stewart), he’s forced to confront what he — and everyone else around him — is changing into, and whether what that is can even be considered “human” anymore.

As macabre as it is moving, grotesque as it is sensuous; Crimes of the Future is an exquisite work of science fiction horror where surgery is the new sex and our very bodies have rebelled against us for the incalculable destruction we have inflicted on the planet. It’s a film that exists in intimate conversation with the anxieties of our present, as well as one that represents a stunning return to form for one of cinema’s most forward-thinking directors. Howard Shore’s growling, guttural score is engrossing, while the leading trio of performances by Mortensen, Seydoux, and Stewart are a virtual match made in heaven in bringing to life this speculative slice of post-human hell on Earth. In short: It’s a great film and highly recommended, but whatever you do, don’t see it on a full stomach. Trust me. —Toussaint Egan

Director: Kiyoshi Kurosawa Cast: Kōji Yakusho, Tsuyoshi Ujiki, Anna Nakagawa Where to watch: Criterion Channel

Kiyoshi Kurosawa’s 1997 horror masterpiece Cure follows Kenichi Takabe (Kōji Yakusho), a Japanese detective frustrated by an inexplicable rash of seemingly unconnected murders that nevertheless all appear to be connected, despite none of the perpetrators having known each other or having any recollection as to what possessed them to do it. When Takabe’s investigation leads him to a suspect, a student of psychology and mesmerism known as Mamiya (Masato Hagiwara), he finds himself plunged into a conspiracy that threatens to engulf anyone who gets too close.

In Cure , violence is less an act of premeditation or passion as it is a virus, coursing its way through the bloodstream of society, corrupting innocent bystanders not unlike aberrant cancer cells attacking from within without ever understanding why they did so in the first place. How do you confront a horror like that, much less stop it? The answer is as simple as it is terrifying: You can’t. —TE

Encounters of the Spooky Kind

Director: Sammo Hung Cast: Sammo Hung, Chung Fat, Dick Wei Where to watch: Criterion Channel

This Halloween , I had one goal: Finally watch Sammo Hung’s jiangshi ( Chinese hopping vampire ) martial arts comedy Encounters of the Spooky Kind. It was finally added to streaming via the Criterion Channel earlier this fall after years of being unavailable digitally. And reader, my priorities were correct, because this movie is an absolute blast.

Best known for his collaborations with childhood friends Jackie Chan and Yuen Biao, Sammo’s excellence as a director, choreographer, and performer are on full display in what is frequently a one-man show.

Sammo directed the movie, co-wrote it, choreographed the action, and stars as Bold Cheung, a pedicab driver and skilled martial artist who’s also kind of a dolt. He is dared to spend the night in a haunted house with a hopping vampire — a dare he accepts, because he is “Bold” Cheung, after all. What follows is a Looney Tunes-style slapstick action horror movie with legitimate scares (the vampire makeup is terrific: gray with a gross texture, like a wet papier-mâché mask), dazzling rhythmic martial arts choreography, and perfectly placed dashes of comedy (there’s even an extended Duck Soup homage).

Sammo is truly one of the greatest directors to ever do it, but he doesn’t get the proper credit globally because of the genres (and nation) he’s primarily worked in. The jaw-dropping choreography and onslaught of funny bits are outstanding, but it’s his skill with the camera that has always separated Sammo from his counterparts.

Bringing it back to his old friend Yuen Biao for a second — Biao co-stars as the silent vampire, and does a terrific job selling the undead creature’s fight sequences with stiff limbs and startling hops. This movie is colorful, funny, scary, tense, and an incredibly fun time. If you like the Evil Dead movies, this is one you must check out; Sam Raimi basically directly ripped one of Spooky Kind ’s fight sequences for Evil Dead II . — Pete Volk

Eyes Without a Face

Director: Georges Franju Cast: Pierre Brasseur, Édith Scob, Alida Valli Where to watch: Max, Criterion Channel

Georges Franju’s influential 1960 film is a master class in supernatural fantasy horror. An unsettling tale about a plastic surgeon (played by Pierre Brasseur) who kidnaps young women and performs surgery on them to try and find a face replacement for his daughter (Édith Scob), Eyes Without a Face is equal parts haunting and beautiful. Scob’s iconic face mask in the movie was later referenced in her role in the also-excellent Holy Motors many decades later. — PV

Director: Clive Barker Cast: Andrew Robinson, Clare Higgins, Ashley Laurence Where to watch: Prime Video, AMC+, Tubi, Pluto, Hoopla

Clive Barker’s 1987 directorial debut adapts his 1986 novella The Hellbound Heart to tell the story of Larry (Andrew Robinson) and Julia Cotton (Clare Higgins). The Cottons are a married couple who move into the home of Larry’s recently deceased brother, Frank (Sean Chapman), with whom Julia had a previous affair. After inadvertently being resurrected by a drop of blood spilled by Larry on the floor of the house’s attic, Frank seduces Julia into luring new men to the house so that he can drain their life force and fully regain his mortal form. Surrounding this core narrative is the the story of the Lament Configuration, a puzzle box Frank acquired before his untimely death. When solved, it conjures hellish beings known as Cenobites to the mortal plane of existence, which indulge in hellish exercises of sadomasochistic mutilation. Easily the best and most enduring of the Hellraiser movie series, Barker’s 1987 original is a must-watch for horror fans. —TE

Director: Ari Aster Cast: Toni Collette, Alex Wolff, Milly Shapiro Where to watch: Max, Kanopy

Hereditary is a victim of its own success. The poster child for the misguided term “elevated horror,” and the subject of more than a few memes (particularly around telephone poles), the thing that often gets lost about Hereditary is that it’s actually really fucking good. And it’s damn scary too.

The movie follows Annie Graham, a difficult mother of two, who just lost her mom. During the funeral service, Annie notices quite a few people are here to mourn the mother she thought had no friends. She eventually learns this group of old people all belonged to the same bizarre semi-cult her mother did. And that’s where the witchy stuff starts.

From there everything descends into a complicated mishmash of tightly coiled family drama, supernatural plotting, and years-old resentments, and it’s absolutely excellent. Who’s to say which is scarier in this movie, the verbal immolation or the literal one?

Even if you’ve seen it already, you probably owe this movie a rewatch. You definitely remember that it’s good, but you probably don’t remember just how great it really is. Hereditary is elegantly creepy, right up until the point that it becomes terrifying. You can’t really ask any more from a horror movie than that. — AG

Director: Bong Joon-ho Cast: Song Kang-ho, Byun Hee-bong, Park Hae-il Where to watch: Prime Video, Hulu, Peacock, Mubi, Hoopla, Kanopy, Crackle

The Host was Bong Joon-ho’s follow-up to the smash success serial killer drama Memories of Murder . A critical and commercial success, it was the highest-grossing South Korean film ever after its release and won Best Film at the Asian Film Awards and the Blue Dragon Film Awards.

Years after chemicals are dumped into the Han River, a huge mutated fish monster emerges and kidnaps a young girl. Her father (Song Kang-ho) sets out to find and rescue her, before being kidnapped by the American scientists responsible for its existence. A fun monster thriller that doubles as insightful commentary on U.S. intervention, ecological disasters, and much more, The Host is a high mark in Bong’s impressive filmography. — PV

Director : Nobuhiko Obayashi Cast : Kimiko Ikegami, Miki Jinbo, Kumiko Ohba Where to watch: Max, Criterion Channel

Few movies are as weird and excellent as Nobuhiko Obayashi’s House .

The bizarre ghost story follows a group of school girls who take a vacation to a haunted mansion in the countryside of Japan. Everything starts off well enough, but before long the kids are being attacked by demonic gates, getting eaten by pianos, or opening portals to hell — all with visually an inventive silliness few movies have ever matched. House isn’t all that scary, but it is weird in all the best ways, and nothing else looks or feels like it. — AG

In the Mouth of Madness

Director : John Carpenter Cast : Sam Neill, Julie Carmen, Jurgen Prochnow Where to watch: Digital rental/purchase on Amazon, Apple TV, YouTube

Among the wildest movies John Carpenter has ever made (and that’s saying something), In the Mouth of Madness follows insurance investigator John Trent (Sam Neill), who is hired to find a missing fame horror novelist. Things become increasingly unhinged as the plots of the author’s books and the various monsters seem to invade the real world. Neill, a staple of this list, is absolutely fantastic responding to the horrors of hell, slowly becoming exactly as off-kilter as they are. By the time the movie makes it to the third act, the door to hell is halfway open and Trent is ready to dive headfirst into the void, which is honestly how every movie’s third act should go.

This is also the third in Carpenter’s apocalypse trilogy, which also includes two other stone-cold classics, The Thing and Prince of Darkness . They aren’t on this list, but you should watch them anyway. — AG

Let the Right One In

Director: Tomas Alfredson Cast: Kåre Hedebrant, Lina Leandersson, Per Ragnar Where to watch: Hoopla, Kanopy, Plex

A 12-year-old Swedish boy finds a friend in a vampire who looks roughly his age, but is actually an old vampire permanently trapped in the body of a young child. The film is kaleidoscopic, each viewing revealing something different than the last. The first time I saw the film, I was a pessimistic college student, and I read the central relationship as a warning about the parasitic nature of love. After college, the children’s bond reminded me of the impermanence of youth, and why growing up is a mixed blessing. This past year, I was far more focused on the girl’s relationship with her caretaker, an older man who sacrifices everything for her existence.

The film was adapted from John Ajvide Lindqvist’s 2004 novel of the same name, which inspired not just this Swedish film, but a 2010 American adaptation, a comic-book prequel, and two stage plays. The latter has its own legacy — it was adapted by the magnificent National Theater of Scotland, and it eventually had a run at St. Ann’s Warehouse in 2015. Few books inspire so much additional great art. So I suppose I’m recommending the book just as much as the film. — Chris Plante

Director: James Wan Cast: Annabelle Wallis, Maddie Hasson, George Young Where to watch: Max, Tubi

There was just no way to see it coming. After the Conjuring and Insidious franchises, plus blockbuster turns with Furious 7 and Aquaman , James Wan could have cashed in chips to make another moody franchise-starter to stretch his jump-scare muscles. Instead, he made Malignant , a high-emotion giallo stuffed into dingy ’90s direct-to-video pastiche like some kind of horror-movie turducken. Wan pulls back the layers in an almost tedious fashion: The pregnant Madison (Annabelle Wallis) is first the victim of domestic abuse, then she encounters another killer, and then she starts dealing with psychotic episodes tied to her childhood imaginary friend Gabriel, and theeeeen it’s revealed… Well, please go behold it.

Strung together with a melodramatic cover of The Pixies’ “Where Is My Mind,” reveling in horror tropes to the point of parody, the final twists of Malignant are some of the most gratifying lunacy of the year, and the acrobatic actor Marina Mazepa brings it all home in a display of gruesome ballet. I won’t explain anything more out of fear of spoilers — just get on the Malignant train. Wan put his dream (nightmare?) on screen for us all to enjoy. — Matt Patches

Director: Frank Darabont Cast: Thomas Jane, Marcia Gay Harden, Laurie Holden Where to watch: Freevee

Any fan of Stephen King worth their salt knows that the so-called king of horror has a lot of movie adaptations of his work . Few films have managed to eclipse, let alone successfully adapt, King’s capacity for horror storytelling, with the exception of (a) Stanley Kubrick’s The Shining and (b) Frank Darabont’s The Mist .

Darabont’s third adaptation of a Stephen King story, the film stars Thomas Jane ( The Expanse ) as a Hollywood poster artist living in Maine who, along with his wife and son and the rest of his neighbors, takes shelter in a supermarket in the wake of a mysterious storm that covers the town in a deadly mist.

Supernatural, otherworldly horrors abound throughout The Mist , but the greatest horror of all is — you guessed it — humanity itself, as seen in the way the townspeople succumb to the temptation to scapegoat those among themselves under the influence of a local religious fanatic. The ending is a gut-punch and sincerely one of the most chilling in any mainstream horror film of its time. If you’ve managed to go unspoiled until now, I won’t ruin the surprise, but needless to say, it’s worth it. —TE

Night of the Living Dead

Director: George A. Romero Cast: Duane Jones, Judith O’Dea, Marilyn Eastman Where to watch: Max, Peacock, Criterion Channel, Shudder, Kanopy, Tubi, Pluto TV

The movie that launched the modern zombie film in the United States, George A. Romero’s debut feature was written, directed, photographed, and edited by the nascent zombie film master on a shoestring budget, which only adds to the eerie atmosphere and grounded terror. In this film, a group of survivors hide out in an abandoned house in western Pennsylvania at the start of a zombie apocalypse. Led by the level-headed Ben (Duane Jones), the group not only has to deal with the conflict of zombies trying to break in, but internal conflicts stemming from disagreements on how to handle their precarious predicament.

Night of the Living Dead is the first example of Romero’s typical blend of jaw-dropping (and stomach-churning) practical effects and astute social commentary. Fun fact: This movie came out a month before the MPAA film rating system, which meant a heaping amount of controversy when children were able to see the quite graphic movie in theaters. And another fun fact: Night of the Living Dead was never copyrighted and is in the public domain because of an error by the original theatrical distributor. — PV

Director: Andrzej Żuławski Cast: Isabelle Adjani, Sam Neill, Heinz Bennent Where to watch: Shudder

Outside of the most ardent of cinephile circles, Andrzej Żuławski isn’t a name that inspires enthusiastic recognition in the United States. Known for his transgressive brand of arthouse cinema, Żuławski’s career was stymied by Communist authorities in his homeland of Poland, with many of his early films being either heavily censored, banned, or, in one instance, nearly destroyed upon release. It also doesn’t help that the few films of his that have been released in the States have since gone out of print — though that appears to be changing soon .

If you do know Żuławski’s name, it’s likely for his 1981 psychological horror film Possession , a film whose cult status among horror connoisseurs has only been amplified in the decades since its release by its difficulty to obtain on physical media or to view online. Fortunately for everyone, that’s no longer the case.

Set in Cold War-era West Berlin, Żuławski’s film stars Jurassic Park ’s Sam Neill as Mark, a Russian spy who returns home to find that his wife, Anna (Isabelle Adjani), has left him and wants a divorce. When Anna refuses to divulge why, only saying that she has not left him for someone else, Mark grows suspicious and has her tailed. What he eventually discovers is a horrifying secret beyond his comprehension, one which awakens a long-dormant wellspring of anxiety, resentment, and despair between the two that threatens to tear apart not only their small family, but their very sanity as well.

Inspired by Żuławski’s own tumultuous divorce in 1976 and his subsequent struggles with suicidal ideation, Possession blurs the line between the autobiographical and the phantasmagorical, with hysterical performances by Neill and Adjani that vacillate between disturbing, comical, and disquietingly sympathetic. An inspiration for everything from Ari Aster’s Midsommar to the 2016 music video for Massive Attack’s “ Voodoo in My Blood ,” Possession is an essential watch for any serious horror fan. —TE

Directors : Jaume Balaguero, Paco Plaza Cast : Manuela Velasco, Ferran Terraza, Martha Carbonell Where to watch: For digital rental/purchase on Amazon, YouTube

One of the best and most disturbing found-footage movies ever, [REC] follows a TV reporter and camera person who follow emergency workers into an apartment building, only to discover the dark truth inside: Some of the residents are turning into monsters. Set squarely in the zombie-craze of the mid-2000s, [REC] ’s undead creatures owe quite a bit to the raving cannibal infected of 28 Days Later , but the Spanish movie’s flesh-eaters are quite a bit creepier and more disturbed than their predecessors. While many found-footage movies obscure their scariest moments, [REC] uses the format to enhance its creeping dread and drag out the character’s slow careful exploration of the apartment building, ramping the tension up to 11 just in time for the downright terrifying finale. — AG

Director: Scott Derrickson Cast: Ethan Hawke, Clare Foley, Fred Thompson Where to watch: Max

A desperate true crime writer, played by Ethan Hawke, moves his family into a house that once played host to an extremely gruesome crime in Scott Derrickson’s terrifically dark horror gem, Sinister . Despite the fact that this movie preceded the latest renaissance of true crime by several years, Hawke seems to have a perfect bead on the genre’s worst creators. He’s one of the all-time-bad horror movie parents, throwing his kids into untold danger all in the hope of writing a new book that could save his career.

Of course, by the time he realizes he’s actually put his family in the path of genuine danger and certain death, it’s already too late for him to write a single word. It’s a straight-over-the-plate premise that feels like you’ll see the scares coming a mile away, but Derrickson takes the story to darker and creepier places than you’d ever expect at first glance, turning it into one of the most terrifying horror movies of the 2010s. — AG

Director: Egor Abramenko Cast: Oksana Akinshina, Fedor Bondarchuk, Pyotr Fyodorov Where to watch: Digital rental/purchase on Amazon, Apple TV, YouTube

If you’re hungry for a great piece of contemporary Russian sci-fi horror (i.e., something not directed by either Andrei Tarkovsky or Yakov Protazanov), then Egor Abramenko’s 2020 directorial debut is just the film you’re looking for.

Set during 1983 at the height of Cold War tensions, Sputnik (which for your information is Russian for “fellow traveler”) centers on Tatyana (Oskana Akinshina), an uncompromising young psychiatrist with a staunch attitude with regard to the ends justifying the means. Tatyana is recruited by the Soviet military to treat Konstantin (Pyotr Fyodorov), a wounded cosmonaut and the lone survivor of a mysterious satellite crash. Only upon arriving at the remote hospital facility housing the patient and interacting with him does Tatyana come to realize the horrifying truth: Konstantin did not in fact return from space alone; rather, his body has now become the unwitting host to an organism unlike anything seen on Earth. Caught between her duty to study the creature and her desire to save Konstantin from further harm, Tatyana must make a hard decision upon which the very survival of all humanity may rest.

What makes Abramenko’s debut so compelling is how it takes the basic premise of the “trolley problem” thought experiment and twists it repeatedly (and successfully) to dramatic emotional effect. Akinshina ( The Bourne Supremacy ) delivers a convincing and compelling performance as Tatyana, a woman forced to confront and overcome the uncompromising attitude that had once assured her success but now threatens to endanger not only another man’s life, but potentially the lives of everyone on the planet along with her own soul. Fyodorov, for his own part, delivers a sympathetically complex (and on occasion, implicitly sinister) performance as Konstantin, a Russian “hero” torn between his perceived duty to his country and his emotional obligation to a loved one he all but abandoned before embarking on his most recent mission. The creature design in this movie is terrific, as is the cinematography and the film’s score.

Having previously been slated for a world premiere at the 2020 Tribeca Film Festival and subsequently dumped on video-on-demand in the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic, Sputnik is exactly the kind of horror movie this list was intended to spotlight: a kind of rare gem of intellectually and viscerally stimulating horror that otherwise goes unappreciated if not given the opportunity to shine. —TE

Director : Dario Argento Cast : Jessica Harper, Stefania Casini, Flavio Bucci Where to watch: Kanopy

One of the best-looking movies of all time with one of the best soundtracks of all time. What’s better than that?

Dario Argento’s Suspiria tells the story of Suzy Bannion, an American dancer who moves to Germany to study at the prestigious Tanz Akademie. It just so happens that the academy is run by witches. As the facade of the school unravels, Suzy’s fellow students slowly start going missing or dropping dead in increasingly bizarre and horrible ways.

While the plot for Suspiria is interesting, what really makes the movie great is how it looks and how it sounds. Everything about the production design, the costumes, and the colors is eccentric in ways no other horror movie has ever matched. Couple all that with the incredible and haunting soundtrack from European rock band Goblin, and Suspiria becomes an unforgettable horror classic that everyone should see at least once. — AG

The Texas Chain Saw Massacre

Director: Tobe Hooper Cast: Marilyn Burns, Gunnar Hansen, Allen Danziger Where to watch: Peacock, Tubi, Freevee, Pluto TV

Another shoestring production gone huge, Tobe Hooper’s 1974 masterpiece made over $30 million at the box office on a budget of around $140,000. The movie follows a group of friends who find themselves hunted by a family of cannibals in the middle of Texas, and is a chilling, violent fever dream that permanently lodges itself in the minds of those who watch it.

Eight films have followed, including a Netflix version in 2022, but the original stands out as an unhinged encapsulation of pure chaos and terror. At a tight 83 minutes, the original Texas Chain Saw Massacre is well worth the small time investment to catch up on one of the most influential horror movies ever made. — PV

Director: John Carpenter Cast: Kurt Russell, Wilford Brimley, Keith David Where to watch: Digital rental/purchase on Amazon, Apple TV, and YouTube

John Carpenter’s postmodern creature feature takes the idea of alien monsters and makes them simultaneously more recognizable and more gross and unworldly than in any other movie in history. The Thing , the second adaptation of the excellent novella Who Goes There? , remains thrilling, terrifying, and absolutely disgusting more than 40 years after its release.

The Thing follows a group of researchers working at an Antarctic base. Suddenly, a dog from a local Norwegian camp rushes into their base, with Norwegian men hot on its heels, trying to kill it by any means necessary. However, once the American crew takes the dog in and shelters it, they discover it’s an alien that can transform into any living creature, mimicking it perfectly — and that makes every one of them a suspect.

It’s one of the great paranoid thriller premises of all time, but it just so happens to also be filled with gross and fantastic alien gore. There’s nothing quite like The Thing . — AG

Totally Killer

Director: Nahnatchka Khan Cast: Kiernan Shipka, Olivia Holt, Charlie Gillespie Where to watch: Prime Video

Totally Killer is a slasher with a sci-fi twist, not unlike the fabulous Happy Death Day movies. The movie follows Jamie (Kiernan Shipka), who has to go back in time to the 1980s to stop a masked serial killer before he kills her mom in the future. When she arrives in the past, however, the high school versions of her mom (Olivia Holt), her dad (Charlie Gillespie), and every other adult in her life aren’t exactly who she thought they’d be.

While Totally Killer isn’t the scariest horror movie on this list, it is undeniably one of the most fun. The cast elevates an already funny script thanks to some fantastic and ridiculous line readings, and the movie has a few novel approaches to time-travel shenanigans that keep the concept from ever overwhelming the movie or dragging it down with too much science. Totally Killer is endearingly silly with just the right amount of sweetness, making it one of the most fun and unique slashers of the last several years. — AG

The Unfriended movies

Director: Levan “Leo” Gabriadze ( Unfriended ); Stephen Susco ( Unfriended: Dark Web ) Cast: Shelley Hennig, Moses Storm, Renee Olstead ( Unfriended ); Colin Woodell, Rebecca Rittenhouse, Betty Gabriel ( Unfriended: Dark Web ) Where to watch: Digital rental/purchase on Amazon, Apple TV, and YouTube

As many people have learned over the past few years, there aren’t that many things scarier than a video call you can’t leave.

A masterfully contained horror movie that makes full use of its (at the time) groundbreaking gimmick, Unfriended is a tense teen horror movie that takes place entirely on a character’s laptop screen. Definitely watch it on a laptop if you can, and check out the very good sequel Unfriended: Dark Web if you dug this one. — PV

From our list of the best horror movies on Netflix :

Levan Gabriadze’s Unfriended pulls the audiences through the screen — almost literally. Viewed entirely from the perspective of a computer desktop, 2014 supernatural horror film centers around a Skype call between a group of high school students who are joined by an unknown presence known only as “billie227.” What at first appears to be a prank swiftly morphs into something much more horrific, as the mysterious stranger begins to reveal terrifying secrets about each of the friends before killing them off one by one. Unfriended is thoroughly gripping extrapolation of our always-online world, a world where vengeful poltergeists and doxxing exist side by side and no secret or offense goes undiscovered or unpunished. —TE

Director: Jordan Peele Cast: Lupita Nyong’o, Winston Duke, Elisabeth Moss Where to watch : Digital rental/purchase on Amazon, Apple TV, YouTube

Jordan Peele’s already a horror master just three movies into his career, but Us probably still doesn’t have the reputation it deserves. His 2019 psychological slasher had the unfortunate fate of following up the cultural phenomenon of Get Out , so it had a hard time breaking through, in the way that sophomore projects often do. But taken on its own terms, Us is a fantastic little horror movie with tons of atmosphere and an underground society’s worth of great scares.

The movie follows the Wilson family, whose vacation is interrupted by the arrival of a group of doppelgängers who match up with each member of the family perfectly. The clones, it turns out, are called Tethered, and where they come from is very complicated. But before any kind of explanation of the Tethered, what we see is a parade of violent attacks, home invasions, and some very tense encounters between Lupita Nyong’o and herself.

Us may not be Peele’s best movie, but it is a fascinating mix of slasher thrills and world- building, supported by a fantastic cast all operating at their A games. While the entire cast is great, Elizabeth Moss is a particular standout for her extremely brief but extraordinarily loathsome role as one of the family’s friends. Her performance gives this movie so much of its weird off-kilter vibe, and leads to some of its most unstintingly and gleefully over-the-top violence. Alongside the terrifying tone, Peele manages to build an entire second world underneath our own, and will give you a very unhealthy fear of what you’re really seeing when you look in the mirror. — AG

Patch Notes

The best of Polygon in your inbox, every Friday.

• Entertainment

Most Popular

• Silent Hill 2 (2024) is most successful when it's doing its best Silent Hill 2 (2001) imitation
• The best sci-fi movies to watch on Netflix this August
• The animated Watchmen replicates the comics to a T — but why?
• Justice League Unlimited does the ‘mature Batman cartoon’ job better than Caped Crusader
• SteamWorld Heist 2 is a multi-classing masterwork

This is the title for the native ad

More in What to Watch

The Latest ⚡️