Best Scary Movies to Stream Right Now

Caitlyn Taylor and Joe Eckstein
·10 min read
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The post Best Scary Movies to Stream Right Now appeared first on Consequence.

Tis’ the season for horror. As the month of October creeps ever closer to the spookiest time of the year, there’s nothing better to celebrate than with a good horror movie. Halloween has become synonymous with the dark and macabre not only because of the decay of leaves but due to the multitude of traditions around the world focused on malevolent spirits and spirits of the dead.

Now, in the height of the streaming era, there’s an enormous catalog of movies to choose from, all divided amongst different streaming platforms. While no person’s taste is the same as another, we’ve decided to select our favorite horror movies with the most accessibility. Whether you’re into American horror classics or new age supernatural threats, this list has something for everyone.

– Caitlyn Taylor

Godzilla (1954)

Streaming on: HBO Max, Peacock, Crackle, Criterion Channel

While the King of the Monsters has seen a turn to a more action-style approach, the original film in the franchise remains the standard for monster movies. Godzilla’s horror stems not from the creature itself, but from the message around it. As entertaining and iconic as it is to see the creature rise from the sea and wreak havoc on Japan, the somberness of Godzilla serving as a response to the horrors of the nuclear bomb gives Ishiro Honda’s film a solemn tone. – Joe Eckstein

Halloween (1978)

Streaming on: AMC+, Shudder, IndieFlix

With the Halloween franchise (possibly) coming to an end with its final feature this year in Halloween Ends, the impact of John Carpenter’s first rendition of the series from 1978. As one of horror’s finest directors, Carpenter not only crafted the slow-moving, relentless Michael Myers but also composed and performed the iconic and suspenseful score. At about 90 minutes of runtime, Halloween is still a quick and amusing watch that set a benchmark for the slasher genre. – J.E.

Alien (1979)

Streaming on: Starz

The game of cat and mouse played between the Xenomorph and the crew of the Nostromo is the perfect coupling of sci-fi and horror in Ridley Scott’s Alien. Stellar set pieces, well-aged practical effects, and slow-burn pacing create a cosmic spectacle layered with tension and a sense of awe. Pioneering what would soon become a franchise riddled with lore and crossover appeal, the 1979 film is not only one of sci-fi’s greatest ventures, but also one of horror’s as well. – J.E.

The Shining (1980)

Streaming on: HBO Max

While The Simpsons’ “Treehouse of Horror” specials may have desensitized the horror surrounding The Shining, the ambiguity and theories surrounding Stanley Kubrick’s 1980 film make up for it. The Overlook Hotel serves as the perfect vessel of mental decay for one Jack Torrance as his psyche crumbles to the mystique of the hotel. The subliminal messaging riddled throughout doesn’t serve as an answer for his succumbing, but only raises further questions about what Kubrick’s intended message was. As Al Bowlly’s “Midnight, The Stars And You” serenades viewers while the camera pans into a hotel portrait, the familiar face shown may be grinning ear to ear, but another wave of uneasiness crashes down before the credits roll. – J.E.

The Thing (1982)

Streaming on: Peacock

Much like Alien, practical effects cannot be talked about without mentioning Carpenter’s The Thing. The “thing” itself bares many designs and figures, all of which are terrifying. Even more terrifying than the look of the creature is how enigmatic it is. Viewers know as much as the research crew stranded in Antarctica, leading to another slow-burn flick of wondering who has been assimilated. Much like The Shining, The Thing’s ending has been of contentious debate, making this staple of cosmic horror even more ominous. – J.E.

A Nightmare on Elm Street (1984)

Streaming on: HBO Max

As quintessential as any slasher flick, A Nightmare on Elm Street remains fun as ever. A source of parody like The Shining, Wes Craven’s nightmare-driven film may be repeated in other mediums, but nothing beats the original source. By crafting one of the film’s seminal figures in Freddy Krueger, brought to life perfectly by Robert Englund, the Halloween season will always feature the knife-fingered antagonist on the screen or as a classic costume. – J.E.

Hellraiser (1987)

Streaming on: Amazon Prime, AMC+, hoopla, Shudder, Pluto TV, Tubi

Clive Barker’s Hellraiser is grimey. The fear surrounding the film stems from the poster child Pinhead and the fellow group of sadomasochistic Cenobites. Their hooks and chains tearing away at flesh are felt through the screen, but the dread felt before their appearance toward the end of the movie is present from the start. Between the crawling maggots and cockroaches to the reanimating of flesh and bones of one of Pinhead’s victims, Barker’s venture is hellish fun and one of horror’s unparalleled features. – J.E.

Twin Peaks: Fire Walk With Me (1992)

Streaming on: HBO Max, Criterion Channel

With a few exceptions, the majority of David Lynch’s filmography can make the argument for falling into the horror genre. As bleak and downright disturbing at times as Eraserhead is, it’s the prequel effort to the beloved Twin Peaks that exemplifies horror in all of Lynch’s movies. Booed at Cannes when it first debuted, Twin Peaks: Fire Walk With Me is now appreciated as a demented, harrowing look at the final hours surrounding the death of Laura Palmer. Come for an underappreciated Chris Isaak role, stay for Sheryl Lee’s career-defining performance that teeters the line between gut-wrenching and eerie. – J.E.

Scream (1996)

Streaming on: Paramount+, Showtime

By the time of Scream’s release in 1996, the slasher subgenre of horror had become somewhat oversaturated and began to lose audience interest. That’s when Scream came in, providing a spark to a dying medium. Craven puts his own spin on the genre he laid the groundwork for, employing humor and a sense of meta, poking fun at the genre tropes and stereotypes found within slashers. With a group of rising stars plus the Fonz and a unique twist at the end, Scream was the renaissance that the genre was in dire need of. – J.E.

The Ring (2002)

Streaming on: Paramount+, Roku

Following the success of the original 1998 Japanese film, this 2002 American horror film paved the way for a decade of english Asian horror remakes. Following the mysterious and horrific death of her niece, a journalist investigates a cursed videotape that seemingly kills the viewer seven days after watching it. – C.T.

The Descent (2005)

Streaming on: Amazon Prime, Paramount +, Shudder

A group of women decide to spend time together exploring an uncharted cave system in North Carolina. However, after the discovery of cave paintings and the remains of an earlier expedition, they realize that they’re not alone. This claustrophobic horror nightmare is sure to get audiences blood pumping. – C.T.

30 Days of Night (2007)

Streaming on: Pluto TV

Based on a comic book series of the same name, this 2007 horror film gave audiences a violent take on the typical Vampire film. During the routine month of darkness in a remote Alaskan town, the town becomes the target of a wandering coven of vampires bent on taking the town for themselves. – C.T.

Sweeney Todd: The Demon Barber of Fleet Street (2007)

Streaming on: HBO Max

Directed by the wonderful mind of Tim Burton, this musical thriller retells the Victorian tale of a murderous barber Sweeney Todd. In a quest for revenge from being imprisoned for a crime he didn’t commit, the mad barber kills unlucky customers with his straight razor, and shuttles the bodies downstairs to his accomplice Mrs. Lovett, who turns them into her famous meat pies. – C.T.

Let The Right One In (2008)

Streaming on: Amazon Prime, Hulu, hoopla, Criterion Channel, Kanopy, Crackle, Magnolia Selects, Pluto TV, Plex, Showtime

Based on the 2004 novel of the same name, the film follows the meeting of a bullied 12-year-old boy striking up a friendship with his new neighbor, the mysterious and moody Eli in suburban Sweden. However as they grow closer, it becomes apparent that Eli has a dark secret. – C.T.

Jennifer’s Body (2009)

Streaming on: Amazon Prime, Paramount +, Epix

This late 2000s cult classic follows the demonic rampage of high-school beauty queen Jennifer (Megan Fox), as she satisfies her hunger for human flesh with her school’s male population. Needy (Amanda Seyfried), Jennifer’s best friend must learn the cause for vile acts and stop her before her rampage consumes the whole town. Despite being an utter box office bomb in its initial release, Jennifer’s Body has slowly gained a devoted fanbase for its depiction on female sexuality and the ways assault victims express their trauma. – C.T.

Tucker & Dale Vs Evil (2011)

Streaming on: Amazon Prime, hoopla, Kanopy, Redbox, Crackle, Magnolia Selects, Pluto TV, Plex

In this gorey but hilarious horror comedy, two friends’ backwoods vacation goes sideways when ignorant college students mistake them for a pair of murderous hillbillies. This 2011 classic is the perfect modern love letter to the slasher genre, akin to its more appreciated 2012 cousin The Cabin In The Woods. – C.T.

The Babadook (2014)

Streaming on: AMC+, Tubi, Kanopy, Direct TV, Shudder

Following the death of her husband, a single mother and her son must battle against a malevolent supernatural spirit threatening to tear apart their household and their tenacious relationship with each other. This spine chilling horror has haunted audiences since its initial 2014 release – C.T.

The Witch (2015)

Streaming on: HBO Max, Kanopy

After being banished from their puritan village, a poor farming family’s lives take a turn for the worst when the youngest son vanishes. As the suspicion and paranoia mount, it is suspected that the family’s oldest daughter is suspected to be a witch. For anyone interested in a horror film with slow ramping tension, this film will surely fill that urge. This 2015 folk horror film tests the bonds of family against an impossible evil. – C.T.

The Wailing (2016)

Streaming on: Peacock, AMC+. hoopla, Kanopy, Crackle, Shudder, Pluto TV, VIKI Rokuten, Dark Matter, Hi-Yah, Plex, Freevee

A mysterious disease begins to drive some of the residents of the remote Korean village of Gokseong to murder after the arrival of a Japanese man. A policeman must race against time to find the true culprit of the disease in order to save his daughter’s life. This 2016 South Korean horror film continues to shock audiences with its terrifying visuals. – C.T.

Train to Busan (2016)

Streaming on: Peacock, AMC+, Roku, hoopla, Kanopy, Crackle, Shudder, Pluto TV, VIKI Rokuten, Dark Matter, Hi-Yah!, Plex, KoreaOnDemand, Freevee

Prior to Yeon Sang-ho’s Train to Busan, the zombie subgenre of horror was suffering the same fate as slashers, with many mediums churning out content revolving around the living dead. But the 2016 picture is more than just zombies, as it fixates more on developing its characters and serving as a form of social commentary. As frenetic and captivating as the action is, Train to Busan’s strength lies in not using zombies as a crutch, creating an ardent piece of terror and sorrow. – J.E.

Hereditary (2018)

Streaming on: Showtime, Kanopy

While Midsommar might feature a more cohesive plot and an improved filmmaking approach, the horror of Hereditary makes it the ideal choice for an Ari Aster picture this Halloween. It’s an emotionally draining feature, thanks in part to the powerful performance of Toni Collette. Even in its most deranged moments, Aster makes everything seems reasonable in this universe, nothing is thrown in for shock value. The hair-raising score of Colin Stetson’s “Reborn” is the perfect sound to a twisted conclusion in this psychological horror masterpiece. – J.E.

Best Scary Movies to Stream Right Now
Caitlyn Taylor and Joe Eckstein

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