If you’ve ever found yourself popping in a horror movie only to be sorely disappointed by tacky twists and demons that may as well be Casper the Friendly Ghost—we’re here to change that.
With Halloween right around the corner, scary movie nights are an absolute must. But with streaming services boasting expansive catalogs it’s hard to sift through what’s actually scary and what’s…well, pretty trash. Luckily for you, we’ve rounded up 15 horror movies that are actually scary to watch this spooky season—or for any time of the year really—that are excellent choices for a haunted movie night.
From indies to blockbusters, from gory thrillers to found-footage masterpieces, here are 15 films that’ll give you nightmares, might make you want to retch, and maybe even wish you’d never seen them.
1. Hereditary (2018)
Director: Ari Aster
Starring: Toni Collette, Alex Wolff, Milly Shapiro, Ann Dowd, Gabriel Byrne
How to Watch: Hereditary is streaming on Max.
There aren’t any words I can say about Hereditary that haven’t already been said, but you need to trust the hype. Ari Aster’s feature directorial debut disturbed enough of an audience to helm him as one of horror’s greatest directors. Following the death of their grandmother, the Graham family are in mourning and trying to overcome their grief the best they can. But sinister secrets soon arise with grandma Graham hiding a thing or two that’ll change the family forever. It takes only 30 minutes for Hereditary to offer one of the most disturbing scenes in horror, and just when you think it can’t get any worse, it does, by an absolute landslide. The film is so good that it merits multiple watches to truly appreciate all it has to offer—and catch all its clues—and is a certain crowd-pleaser for any spooky movie night you might be planning. —Yasmeen Hamadeh
2. Lamb (2021)
Director: Valdimar Jóhannsson
Starring: Noomi Rapace, Hilmir Snær Guðnason, Björn Hlynur Haraldsson
How to Watch: Lamb is streaming on Hulu.
The weirder the horror movie, the scarier it is in most cases, and Lamb is almost as weird as it gets. If there’s one thing A24 knows how to do, it’s create the most unnerving concepts and see it through. Lamb follows a couple that live on a remote farm in Iceland who are unable to have a child, until they find a baby in their sheep's pen with the head of a lamb and the body of a human. Shit goes left when the wife (Rapace) decides to raise the lamb-human hybrid in their home, to the disapproval of the rest of the sheep in the barn, culminating in a wild ride and final act that literally no one could have seen coming. It gets pretty zany toward the end of the film, but the sheer absurdity of raising a baby with a lamb head and thinking nothing would go wrong is a good enough sell for me. —Jordan Rose
3. The Blair Witch Project (1999)
Director: Daniel Myrick, Eduardo Sánchez
Starring: Rei Hance, Michael Williams, Joshua Leonard
How to Watch: The Blair Witch Project is streaming on Paramount+, Prime Video, and Apple TV+.
How could we not include The Blair Witch Project on this list? While the film may not be the origin of the found-footage genre, it certainly catapulted it into the mainstream and revived the technique as a necessary staple in the horror genre. Easily a classic and a must-watch for any horror aficionado, The Blair Witch Project follows three film students as they set out to make a documentary about a mythical witch haunting the forests of Burkittsville, Maryland. As the gang camps out in the forest, things quickly go awry with the myth unraveling itself as a reality and the group becoming the entity’s newest prey. What makes The Blair Witch Project particularly scary is that you never see what exactly is terrorizing the trio, leaving the reality of it all (and the film’s ending) up to your darkest, wildest imagination. The film also has such a masterful employment of the found-footage technique that it’s easy to think it’s all actually real. While many subsequent releases aimed to replicate The Blair Witch Project, nothing has ever come close to the original 1999 film—and trust us—the ending will leave you disturbed. —Yasmeen Hamadeh
4. Hell House LLC (2015)
Director: Stephen Cognetti
Starring: Ryan Jennifer Jones, Danny Bellini, Gore Abrams, Jared Hacker, Adam Schneider
How to Watch: Hell House LLC is streaming on YouTube (for free) and Prime Video.
While Hell House LLC might be a low-budget film, it packs enough fright that would put any major horror blockbuster to shame. Another gem from the found-footage genre, Hell House LLC follows a young group of adults building their latest haunted-house attraction for Halloween. But as the film’s introduction quickly notes, something went horribly awry on the attraction’s opening night, with several attendees and staff mysteriously dying. As a documentarian ponders into the case by scouring through the staff’s camera footage, terrifying answers quickly begin to unravel, and you will have trouble sleeping after watching it.
Although Hell House LLC doesn’t have the best VFX quality for a horror film, it doesn’t really need it thanks to its masterful employment of slow-burn jumpscares, top-notch performances from its cast, and its incredible use of found footage in building tension and limiting what you can see just enough to make you imagine the worst. If you’re looking for a horror movie to watch with friends this Halloween that’ll truly scare everyone in the room, look no further. —Yasmeen Hamadeh
5. The Conjuring 2 (2016)
Director: James Wan
Starring: Patrick Wilson, Vera Farmiga, Madison Wolfe, Frances O’Connor, Bonnie Aarons
How to Watch: The Conjuring 2 is streaming on Prime Video and Apple TV+.
While The Conjuring franchise spans across nine films with several spinoffs and prequels, none of them even remotely comes close to The Conjuring 2. Like its other installments, The Conjuring 2 follows paranormal investigators Ed (Wilson) and Lorraine (Farmiga) Warren as they try to save a family in England after one of the children gets possessed by a demonic entity. And while there’s plenty of spooks there to enjoy, the film finds its triumphing scare by introducing the franchise’s best character—the Nun (Aarons). Our queen, arguably the most terrifying demon to come out of horror in recent years, has her stunning debut in The Conjuring 2, where she will haunt you in your dreams after watching. To add to the flame, the film’s end credits painfully detail the real-life case The Conjuring 2 was inspired by—just in case you weren’t already scared enough. —Yasmeen Hamadeh
6. As Above, So Below (2014)
Director: John Erick Dowdle
Starring: Perdita Weeks, Ben Feldman, Edwin Hodge
How to Watch: As Above, So Below is streaming on Prime Video.
Despite found-footage-style horror movies dipping in popularity in the late 2010s, As Above, So Below has withstood the test of time and remains a gem in the subgenre. Found-footage horror holds a special place in the pantheon of scary movies because it aims to make everything look and feel like you are there. And with this film taking place in the catacombs under Paris that actually exist, it adds another level of terror. Although following a crew of wayward explorers into the literal pits of hell is a storyline that's been done before, the first-person perspective of found footage in As Above, So Below makes all of its scares more intense and personal. And in true found-footage fashion, there is no happy ending for As Above, So Below, and the unnerving moments in between make it a sleeper pick for the spooky season. —Jordan Rose
7. Gonjiam: Haunted Asylum (2018)
Director: Jung Bum-shik
Starring: Wi Ha-joon, Park Ji-hyun, Oh Ah-yeon, Moon Ye-won, Park Sung-hoon, Yoo Je-yoon, Lee Seung-wook
How to Watch: Gonjiam: Haunted Asylum is streaming on YouTube, Peacock, and Prime Video.
Whatever you do, do not watch this movie alone. 95 percent of the fun in Gonjiam: Haunted Asylum is watching it with friends, who are easily spooked, and yelling your heart out. The South Korean horror film is another found-footage flick (clearly there’s a trend in this list) that follows a crew from a horror web series that venture into an abandoned asylum to vet whether or not it’s actually haunted as believed. The crew quickly realize that they’re in for a night that’s more than they bargained for, with the asylum actually being haunted, specifically Room 402. While some parts of Gonjiam: Haunted Asylum are pretty trope-y—think floating chairs and some over-the-top acting—it’s the film’s use of sound that really makes it shine. And for those who’ve seen it, you’ll know what scene I’m talking about. Admittedly, Gonjiam: Haunted Asylum is formulaic and may not pose as much deft storytelling as other films on this list, but it gets the job done for a scream-filled, horror-movie night. —Yasmeen Hamadeh
8. The Boogeyman (2023)
Director: Rob Savage
Starring: Sophie Thatcher, Chris Messina, Vivien Lyra Blair
How to Watch: The Boogeyman is streaming on Hulu.
The Boogeyman is an excellent horror film. Even if you feel immune to the film’s spooks, the acting and storytelling alone are enough to be worth your time. Based on Stephen King’s short story of the same name, The Boogeyman follows a widowed father trying to raise his daughters in the midst of their mother’s passing. But as is with every horror film, their mourning is abruptly interrupted by the presence of the film’s namesake entity, whose voice is so chilling that it’s all you need to get scared. In fact, most of the film’s fear rests in the scarce glimpses we get of the Boogeyman. Forget jumpscares with a poorly CGI’d demon launching into attack. True terror resides in obscure shadows, glowing eyes in pitch-black rooms, and subtle, subtle footsteps of a predator slowly edging near its prey, and The Boogeyman knows that. You will make a point to close your closets all the way through after watching this. —Yasmeen Hamadeh
9. The Wailing (2016)
Director: Na Hong-jin
Starring: Kwak Do-won, Hwang Jung-min, Chun Woo-hee, Jun Kunimura, Kim Hwan-hee, Jang So-yeon
How to Watch: The Wailing is streaming on Peacock and Prime Video.
There’s a reason why The Wailing has been dubbed the greatest horror movie of the decade with an impressive 99 percent on Rotten Tomatoes. If you’re looking for a shot of adrenaline with jumpscares, then The Wailing isn’t for you. But if you’re in the mood for an absolute mind [redacted]—look no further. The South Korean film follows a quiet village that soon gets overturned by the presence of a stranger who may or may not be responsible for all its sudden, mysterious deaths. As two detectives try to figure out what’s going on, a harrowing mystery unfurls that will leave you with more questions than it does answers. If you’re a fan of both mystery and horror, The Wailing perfectly blends the two genres with a final act that’ll have you second-guessing everything you just watched. Power through the film’s first hour, and you’ll forever be obsessed. —Yasmeen Hamadeh
10. Saint Maud (2019)
Director: Rose Glass
Starring: Morfydd Clark, Jennifer Ehle, Lily Frazer
How to Watch: Saint Maud is streaming on Prime Video and MGM+.
Throughout its hour and a half runtime, a good 80 minutes of Saint Maud are slow. In complete honesty, if you don’t enjoy powering through slow burns then I wouldn’t recommend this film. But before you give up on it, trust that there are exactly five minutes in Saint Maud that’ll easily make it one of the best horror movies you’ve seen. Another A24 hit on this list, Saint Maud follows an introverted nurse, Maud (Clark), who’s working as a caregiver for a young woman recently diagnosed with cancer. As the film’s title aptly suggests, Maud is a devout Christian, but her faith quickly takes an extreme turn that gets pretty weird pretty quickly. With themes on trauma and religious guilt stringing it together, Saint Maud triumphs as a must-see horror film thanks to its stunning, and absolutely terrifying, final act. You won’t expect it. You won’t see it coming. And the film’s last second will be haunting you long after you finish watching it. —Yasmeen Hamadeh
11. REC (2007)
Director: Jaume Balagueró, Paco Plaza
Starring: Manuela Velasco, Pablo Rosso, Ferrán Terraza, David Vert
How to Watch: REC is streaming on Prime Video.
I have to apologize for all the found-footage films on this list, but the genre truly triumphs in horror. This Spanish flick follows a news anchor and her cameraman as they set out to cover a night in the life of a group of firemen for a broadcast. When the crew gets a call from a building in need of help, all seems well until they arrive at the scene and find that they’re in for a night that’s a lot—and I cannot stress this enough—a lot more than they bargained for. A strange virus is running rampant amongst the building’s residents, and as each exit slowly seals off by health inspectors outside, the crew finds that they’re going to have to fight to survive if they want to make it out alive. In part, what makes REC particularly scary is that it hits a little bit too close to home after the pandemic. But while you might think you’re in for a formulaic “a virus turns everyone into zombies” flick, there’s a couple of plot twists in store that you won’t see coming. —Yasmeen Hamadeh
12. Ringu (1998)
Director: Hideo Nakata
Starring: Nanako Matsushima, Hiroyuki Sanada, Rikiya Ôtaka, Miki Nakatani
How to Watch: Ringu is streaming on Apple TV+ and Prime Video.
We all know, fear, and loathe The Ring’s leading lady. And while the American adaptation has its own pros and cons, the original Japanese film is worth far more of your time. Ringu follows the essential plotline any fan of the franchise is familiar with: A strange tape curses whoever watches it, leaving them with only seven days to live unless they pass on the tape to someone else. But there’s a lot more to Ringu’s story that was entirely omitted in the American remakes. Not only does Ringu provide more harrowing lore on its titular demon, but it manages to ease in a longstanding feeling of dread throughout its entirety that the American version simply failed at capturing. On all ends, it’s objectively a better movie, and while Shizuko, aka the girl with the hair, may not have a character design as visually terrifying as her American counterpart, Ringu still packs enough fear to have you spooked for a horror-movie night. —Yasmeen Hamadeh
13. Barbarian (2022)
Director: Zach Cregger
Starring: Georgina Campbell, Bill Skarsgård, Justin Long
How to Watch: Barbarian is streaming on Hulu and Max.
Barbarian is so good you’ll want to watch it twice. Zach Cregger’s solo directorial debut made such immense waves last year that it quickly became one of the best horror movies released in 2022 and one of the best films released that year—period. The film follows two strangers who find that they’ve accidentally double-booked the same Airbnb for the evening, and are forced to spend the next few days together. While that premise is already pretty creepy in and of itself, there’s a couple more plot twists lurking around Barbarian’s four corners that’ll both haunt and mesmerize you. There’s nothing I can say to prepare you for how wild this film gets, but be ready for any and everything. Barbarian packs on the gore, jumpscares, and even humor, to make for an absolutely incredible (and terrifying) watch. —Yasmeen Hamadeh
14. The Witch (2015)
Director: Robert Eggers
Starring: Anya Taylor-Joy, Ralph Ineson, Kate Dickie
How to Watch: The Witch is streaming on Hulu, Prime Video, and Apple TV+.
The Witch remains by far the strangest, and most mesmerizing, horror film I’ve ever seen. Robert Eggers’ stunning feature directorial debut follows an exiled family in a Puritan, 1630s New England, as they try to grapple with the kidnapping of their newborn baby and their newfound life in isolation. As darker secrets begin to unravel, the deeply devout family are forced to confront their beliefs, each other, and a terrifying entity looming right under their noses. What makes The Witch excellent and a masterclass in horror is that it relies on prolonged bone-chilling suspense and dread rather than incessant jumpscares—keeping you on the edge of your seat for its entirety in both fascination and disgust. Despite not being as jumpy as other horror films, The Witch is by no means a slow burn and wastes no time in packing some of the most grotesque scenes in horror, including nauseating body horror and an ending so grim you will need to discuss it with your friends after. —Yasmeen Hamadeh
15. Nope (2022)
Director: Jordan Peele
Starring: Daniel Kaluuya, Keke Palmer, Steven Yeun, Michael Wincott, Brandon Perea, Keith David
How to Watch: Nope is streaming on Prime Video and Apple TV+.
While many rightfully point to Get Out as Jordan Peele’s best film, Nope might honestly be the director’s unsung masterpiece. Not only does Peele modernize the creature feature in his third flick, but he also employs some of the most bone-chilling sequences in horror and sci-fi ever. If you have yet to see Nope, the film follows two siblings living on a ranch who realize that they’re being targeted by an alien species and set out to capture footage of it. Throughout their conquest, Peele brings forth a creature that’s by far the most realistic interpretation (in sci-fi) of what extraterrestrial life would look and act like, positing his characters as prey for a predator that’s as hungry as ever. One scene alone, a claustrophobic closeup of at least 50 individuals being actively digested in the alien’s tract, is enough to haunt you more than any tacky jumpscare—and don’t even get me started on the Gordy subplot. After watching Nope, you’ll be equally terrified of whatever is out there, but more importantly, what’s right here on Earth with us. —Yasmeen Hamadeh
