Halloween is almost here and the need to watch as many horror movies as possible is only getting stronger. If you’re looking on the likes of Netflix or Max you’ll certainly find some good titles, but on many of the major streamers they’re buried under a mountains of duds. Knowing that we’ve curated the list of some of the best horror movies that you can watch this Halloween and which you can tune in for without spending a dime (usually with ads, sometimes with an account required). So if you’re ready to get scared this October and you’re not ready to drop a dollar, here are the best horror movies to watch online for totally free.
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An American Werewolf in London (1981)
If you’re in the mood for: A horror comedy with an emphasis on both
John Landis’s 1981 movie remains the gold-standard for werewolf transformations in movies, but that this moment is just one of several memorable scenes is what makes this one an enduring classic. Though the carnage and the make-up by Rick Baker have long been the star of the conversation about this one, David Naughton, Jenny Agutter, and Griffin Dunne all deliver great performances as the three leads. To keep it simple, the funny parts are hilarious, the scary parts are terrifying, and the movie is at its best when the two meet.
An American Werewolf in London STREAMING FREE ON: FREEVEE; TUBI
Annabelle Comes Home (2019)
If you’re in the mood for: A modern horror movie with a funhouse style
It wasn’t until the third movie starring The Conjuring‘s demonic doll that a film REALLY worth watching came along. Gary Dauberman’s film, the third in the Annabelle spinoff series, realized that the titular baddie herself isn’t enough and that a few other monsters waiting in the wings will make the movie even better. To take it a step further they incorporate all of the haunted objects in the Warrens’ trophy room, giving fans a fresh look at the items they’ve been teased with for years.
Annabelle Comes Home STREAMING FREE ON: TUBI
Basket Case (1982)
If you’re in the mood for: A sleazy ’80s monster movie
Frank Henenlotter’s filmography is full of gross little horror movies that were hard to describe when released, and even know they’re ultimate exercises in bad taste. What makes Basket Case stand out is not only the gritty production values that define it (this movie is New York to the core), but the bizarre ideas that take root at its core. You’ve just got to know going in that even if elements of Basket Cast haven’t aged well, the movie itself is an experience that you will not forget when you’re done watching it.
Basket Case STREAMING FREE ON: KANOPY; TUBI
Carrie (1976)
If you’re in the mood for: A horror classic
Brian De Palma’s adaptation of Stephen King’s first novel remains one of the best horror movies of all time thanks not only to the two Oscar-nominated performances at its center (Sissy Spacek and Piper Laurie) but how the filmmaker exhibits patience. The novel itself builds to its fiery conclusion but in bringing it to the screen De Palma fuses this timeless tale with his signature style, which results in a narrative that builds and builds so that even the escalation is worth watching as you creep into the final moments.
Carrie STREAMING FREE ON: HOOPLA ; TUBI; PLUTO ; ROKU
Chopping Mall (1986)
If you’re in the mood for: A tongue-in-cheek 80s horror
Don’t let the title fool you, this isn’t a slasher movie in a mall, it’s killer robots in a mall. Jim Wynorski’s film follows a troupe of teens that lock themselves in the mall on the same night that lightning sends the new security robots on the frits, what’s the worst that could happen? Even if the title may have you thinking there will be body parts being sliced off, the mayhem and silliness at hand will keep your charmed. This one also clocks in at 77 minutes and there’s not an ounce of fat on the thing, so get ready for the rocket to go to the moon as soon as you strap in.
Chopping Mall STREAMING FREE ON: CRACKLE; FREEVEE;HOOPLA; ROKU;TUBI
DOLLS (1986)
If you’re in the mood for: A creepy doll movie
Stuart Gordon’s masterfully campy horror-comedy certainly fits the bill if you’re after a down and dirty horror movie with killer dolls. Gordon’s imagination is on full display as he takes the tools at his disposal (every kind of weird and creepy doll you can picture) to sell hilarious and horrifying gags which approach Simpsons-levels of absurd while also never veering too far away from horror. The simple story of Dolls is made up for the fact that it has all of these practical effects happening in every scene. Plus, like Chopping Mall, Dolls is 77 minutes in and out, this one wastes no time getting to the goods.
Dolls STREAMING FREE ON: FREEVEE; PLUTO; ROKU; TUBI
The Gate (1987)
If you’re in the mood for: A creature feature for the whole family
The Gate is not only a fun gem of the era but a genre title that could be a perfect gateway horror movie for potential young fans. Set on a quiet suburban street, the film tells the story of, you guessed it, a gate to hell that opens up and allows beasts to run amok. Audiences will no doubt be charmed by the lead of The Gate, a young Stephen Dorff, which confirmed that his talent for acting was there from the very beginning. Randall William Cook developed the visual effects for the film, whose work can also be seen in Ghostbusters, Q: The Winged Serpent, and The Lord of the Rings trilogy, this is a must see for film fans that love a good practical effect.
The Gate STREAMING FREE ON: FREEVEE; HOOPLA; ROKU; TUBI
Hellraiser (1987)
If you’re in the mood for: A horror classic
Like a lot of horror movies that fit the bill for a genre “classic,” Hellraiser is the kind of film that has a place in the cultural consciousness which doesn’t always align with its actual content. Clive Barker’s adaptation of his own novel is equal parts thrilling, sexy, horrifying, titillating, bizarre, and wholly unique. Audiences may think they know what Hellraiser is from Pinhead becoming a cultural icon, but if you haven’t revisited the original movie in a while you might be surprised by what flies out of the screen at you. In a word, watching the original Hellraiser is like witnessing a nightmare. Its imagery and scares that should only be found in the darkness are in every corner.
Hellraiser STREAMING FREE ON: HOOPLA; PLUTO; TUBI
Henry: Portrait of a Serial Killer (1986)
If you’re in the mood for: A horror movie that will make you feel bad
If you’re only used to seeing Michael Rooker as Yondu in the MCU, this may very well change how you think about him. John McNaughton’s movie is part character study and part disturbing horror film, truly examining the dirty, depraved world that a serial killer would not only operate in, but thrive. This is hardly the kind of movie to gather all your friends together to watch, but for true sickos that think they’ve seen it all and have a desire to experience a cinematic gut punch, look no further.
Henry: Portrait of a Serial Killer STREAMING FREE ON: FREEVEE; PLUTO; TUBI; VUDU
The House of the Devil (2009)
If you’re in the mood for: A modern horror movie with an 80s sensibility
Ti West’s 2009 movie feels like a movie lost in time, perfectly capturing the aesthetic and vibe of a 1980s feature film right down to the title card. Jocelin Donahue stars as a young woman given a surprising job in a creepy house that, you guessed it, holds some weird secrets, but The House of the Devil takes its time to show its hand and that gives it all of its power. Harkening back to the Satanic Panic, The House of the Devil is built on a cultural understanding of the time but which is handled so delicately in the actual storytelling that it’s easy to get into for audiences. It’s tense, it’s funny, and it will always have you wondering what’s coming next.
The House of the Devil STREAMING FREE ON: FREEVEE; HOOPLA; PLUTO; TUBI; VUDU
Lake Mungo (2008)
If you’re in the mood for: A creepy film that will force you to re-look at every corner of the frame
This documentary-style horror movie from 2008 is a terrifying ghost story unlike anything else you’ve seen. In the film, an Australian family has lost their daughter Alice to a drowning, only to have mysterious event unfold at home following her death. Grounded in the framework of an actual documentary it becomes difficult at times to discern fact from fiction, lending to the movie’s authenticity and leaving viewers in a place where they might be caught completely off guard by its best scares. Lake Mungo offers a truly bone-chilling experience for newcomers, best viewed in the dark and with headphones.
Lake Mungo STREAMING FREE ON: FREEVEE; ROKU; TUBI; VUDU
Let Me In (2010)
If you’re in the mood for: A modern vampire classic
Before he wow’d audiences with Dawn of the Planet of the Apes, and then reinvented DC’s Dark Knight Detective with The Batman, filmmaker Matt Reeves pulled off another major magic trick, a good horror movie remake. Reeves not only successfully remade the hit vampire movie Let the Right One In, but gave the Hammer Films label their only truly great film of the modern era. Let Me In not only has two stellar performances from young stars Kodi Smit-McPhee and Chloë Grace Moretz but is housed in the hauntingly beautiful cinematography by Oscar-winner Greig Fraser. Rest assured, as dramatic as this one is, it still brings the gore too.
Let Me In STREAMING FREE ON: ROKU; TUBI
Maniac Cop (1988) / Maniac Cop 2 (1990)
If you’re in the mood for: Horror action movies
The combined powers of director William Lustig (Maniac) and screenwriter/producer Larry Cohen (It’s Alive, Q: The Winged Serpent) deliver a one-two punch that combines the slasher mold of Friday the 13th with the grimy New York aesthetic of Death Wish. The two films follow an undead police officer who returns to life to exact the law in his own gruesome way (character actor Robert Z’Dar as Officer Matt Cordell) and his former co-workers that are trying to stop him, with an ensemble cast that includes Tom Atkins, Bruce Campbell, Richard Roundtree, Robert Davi, and Michael Lerner. Maniac Cop 2 might secretly be one of the best horror sequels ever made, and even though watching the first film isn’t necessary to enjoy the second, they’re both streaming free, so enjoy a double feature!
Maniac Cop (1988) STREAMING FREE ON: FREEVEE; PLUTO; TUBI; VUDU
Maniac Cop 2 (1990) STREAMING FREE ON: FREEVEE; PLUTO; ROKU; TUBI; VUDU
Phantasm (1979)
If you’re in the mood for: A lo-fi horror movie with galaxy brain’d ideas
To experience Phantasm is to love Phantasm. Indie wunderkind Don Coscarelli’s movie, which he wrote and directed while in his early 20s, is a tour-de-force of great ideas and nightmarish imagery. Phantasm follows three Mike, his older brother Jody, and their ice-cream selling friend Reggie as they try to figure out the conspiracy unfolding in their small town as the mysterious figure The Tall Man is clearly up to something at the local cemetery. Tack on the unexplainable flying silver ball of death and you’ve got a movie made in a lab to appeal to a midnight movie sensibility. Does it all track logically? No, but if you’re looking for that here, you’re watching the wrong movie.
Phantasm STREAMING FREE ON: FREEVEE; KANOPY; PLUTO; ROKU; TUBI
Possessor (2020)
If you’re in the mood for: A twisted body horror movie
This depraved sci-fi horror movie about an assassin that inhabits the bodies of other people to carry out her assignments. Brandon Cronenberg steps into his father’s shoes in a major way with the film which not only features imagery that is disturbing but which has sinister ideas at its core. The themes of Possessor are equally as sinister as what we see on screen, so the haunted feeling you’ll get from watching the movie is only half of the nightmare that Possessor will inflict on you.
Possessor STREAMING FREE ON: TUBI
Primal Rage (1988)
If you’re in the mood for: Over the top gross out horror (with a monkey)
Have you ever wanted to see what 28 Days Later would be like if it was made by first time Italian director and filmed entirely in Florida? No? What if we added that it has wild gore effects with off putting characters and baffling decisions at every turn? If your tractor is starting to get cranked, then we’ll say no more, but if you need even more convincing, know that there is, in fact, a baboon that attacks people, and, yes, rage zombies. This is a quintessentially 1980s horror movie.
Primal Rage STREAMING FREE ON: TUBI; VUDU
The Return of the Living Dead (1985)
If you’re in the mood for: Over-the-top zombie horror
Dan O’Bannon of Alien fame puts his stamp on the zombie genre with yet another ’80s horror comedy where the scary parts are scary, the funny parts are funny, and the practical effects make modern movies feel tame. The Return of the Living Dead not only takes on a meta approach to its zombies, which not only makes it fun for an audience but necessary in the larger pantheon of the subgenre. It must also be noted that The Return of the Living Dead‘s theme song asks the ultimate question that should set the stage for what you will experience, “Do you want to party? It’s partytime.”
The Return of the Living Dead STREAMING FREE ON: PLUTO; ROKU
The Texas Chain Saw Massacre (1974)
If you’re in the mood for: The ultimate horror movie
Tobe Hooper’s 1974 classic, like Hellraiser that we noted above, is a film that is defined by its place in the cultural consciousness. If you’ve never seen The Texas Chain Saw Massacre, or it has been a long time since you last made the trip, your ideas of what it might be and what is shown within it could be drastically different from reality. Chain Saw at its core is a movie that was crafted specifically for the time and place it was made in, with a lot to say about the Vietnam war, the collapse of American infrastructure in the 1970s, and even meat. What time has revealed is that Chain Saw‘s specific sensibilities are actually universal truths. It’s a nightmare to behold but one that you cannot look away from. The saw is family, invite it to the party.
The Texas Chain Saw Massacre STREAMING FREE ON: FREEVEE; PLUTO; ROKU; TUBI
Train to Busan (2016)
If you’re in the mood for: The best modern zombie movie
Released in 2016 when the zombie subgenre was pretty thoroughly finished with mainstream audiences, Train to Busan not only finds a way to fully inject life into it but to completely reinvent the film and totally destroy the fast vs slow debate. A virus breaks out in Korea and a young father manages to get on the last train leaving town with his daughter, but not everyone on board is healthy. Filled with style and surprisingly emotional, Train to Busan is not only one of the great zombie movies it’s one of the movie horror movies of the 21st century.
Train to Busan STREAMING FREE ON: HOOPLA; KANOPY; PLUTO; ROKU; TUBI
The Wicker Man (1973)
If you’re in the mood for: A classic folk-horror film
Folk-horror might be the rarest of horror subgenres, due in large part to the fact that The Wicker Man came swinging out of the gate and has made so many of what followed it derivative. In the film Sergeant Neil Howie makes his way to an isolated Scottish island looking for a missing girl, and the journey only gets stranger from there. Though best known at the time for his role in Hammer movies, Christopher Lee’s presence in The Wicker Man is what takes this one up a notch. Entertaining, mysterious, and horrifying from the first minute up through the last, your patience will be rewarded, so best not to keep The Wicker Man waiting.
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Image Courtesy of Netflix
