Best Streaming Services to Watch Horror Movies in 2023

Shudder and Max are among the best streaming options if you're looking for horror movies this Halloween season.

By Charlie Ridgely - October 11, 2023 08:38 pm EDT

Halloween is almost upon us, and while there's never a bad time to watch a horror movie, this is the season where people get most excited to watch the spooky genre. October is perfect for sitting down on the couch with a good horror flick. That said, there are so many different streaming options out there, it's tough to decide exactly which service to turn to for your spooky season favorites.

In the age of the streaming service, the movies you love are spread out amongst a ton of different subscriptions, and signing up for them all ends up becoming just as expensive as cable or dish services. Sometimes you have to be selective, and that can be tough in these fall months when you're trying to spend a few weeks binging through horror movies.

Which streaming service is the best for horror films? That can be a bit of a loaded question because a lot depends on what specifically you're looking for, but there are a few services that stand out from the rest. When it comes to September and October, there are a handful of streamers that should definitely be on your rader.

Let's take a look!

Shudder

When it comes to streaming horror movies, there's really no debate as to what service reigns supreme. Shudder is far and away the best service for streaming horror titles. It's got plenty of original films, the beloved Last Drive-In series from Joe Bob Briggs, as well as some bonafide horror classics. Halloween, The Texas Chain Saw Massacre, The Babadook, Night of the Living Dead, and Hellraiser are all currently available to stream on Shudder.

Shudder can be subscribed to as a standalone service but its library is also part of what you get when you sign up for AMC+. Either way will get you the strongest horror library in all of streaming.

The only downside to Shudder, and what makes it less appealing than the other streamers on this list, is that it's very horror-specific. If you're a mega horror fan, it's worth the monthly cost. However, if you're wanting a service where horror is just one element of what it has to offer, Shudder may not be for you.

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Max

Pound for pound, Max has the most impressive horror lineup of all the popular streaming services. It may not have the variety that others do, but Max's horror selection is almost worth the subscription cost on its own.

Maybe the best thing about Max's horror lineup is that it currently offers nearly complete franchises, allowing you to binge through film series that you're enjoying. Most of the Conjuring films live on Max, along with the majority of the films in the Nightmare on Elm Street and Friday the 13th franchises.

Iconic horror films like The Exorcist, Invasion of the Body Snatchers, The Shining, and The Fly are all available on Max. You can also find some more modern classics like The VVitch, The Cabin in the Woods, Hereditary, and Insidious.

Max is a must for horror fans in 2023.

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Peacock

Of the "major" streaming services out there, Peacock probably has the most varied horror lineup in 2023. Thanks to a bunch of additions earlier this month, Peacock has a lot to offer horror fans.

Peacock is currently home to films like John Carpenter's The Thing, Get Out, Halloween III: Season of the Witch, Child's Play 2, Terrifier, American Psycho, Candyman, The Frighteners, Dead Silence, and loads more. The first two seasons of the popular Chucky show are on Peacock, and it will soon be home to the highly anticipated Five Nights at Freddy's movie.

The service is also home to several classic Universal Monster films, including Frankenstein and The Bride of Frankenstein. If you're not sure what kind of horror movie you're in the mood for, Peacock gives you plenty of options.

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Paramount+

The Paramount+ horror lineup has been stout in its own right, largely due to Paranormal Activity, A Quite Place, and the Scream films. That lineup got a major boost earlier when Showtime was folded into the Paramount+ service.

Showtime is the streaming home for the majority of acclaimed indie studio A24's library. That means a lot of A24's popular horror films are now a part of the Paramount+ roster. This includes Midsommar, X, Pearl, It Follows, and Bodies Bodies Bodies.

The horror lineup on Paramount+ may not be huge, but it's certainly stout.

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Netflix & Prime Video

Both Netflix and Amazon's Prime Video come up lacking when it comes to their horror offerings. They've each got some great titles worth looking into, but neither one is strong enough to satisfy horror fans as much as the other services.

Prime Video currently hosts the majority of the Saw franchise, which is exciting considering the release of Saw X this year. It also has hit films like Smile, The Fog, Sinister, and Evil Dead.

Netflix's overall horror selection is frustratingly weak, but the service is home to a handful of great originals. Netflix is where you'll find Mike Flanagan's acclaimed horror shows, including The Haunting of Hill House, The Haunting of Bly Manor, Midnight Mass, and the upcoming The Fall of the House of Usher. All three of Netflix's Fear Street films are solid and worth watching, but they're the rare wins among Netflix's original horror films.

In the first week of October, Netflix strengthened its horror lineup by adding Jordan Peele's first two films, Get Out and Us.

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