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What To Watch: Best Scary Movies

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Anthology fun

Scare Me (2020)

Laughter and fear combine when two writers ride out a power outage in the woods by sharing scary stories.

Better than the OG

Fright Night (2011)

This remake brings rascally fun, hot blood, and sex appeal as a vampire (Colin Farrell) invades Vegas. David Tennant co-stars.

Bonkers fun

Army of Darkness (1993)

Aka Evil Dead 3, Sam Raimi's unhinged classic follows its hero into a medieval battle against the undead. Bruce Campbell stars.

Brace yourself!

Misery (1990)

A best-selling writer is rescued from a car accident by an obsessive fan. Kathy Bates gives a truly terrifying performance.

Camp Classic

Addams Family Values (1993)

This superbly kooky sequel has the spooky Addams clan face off against the horrors of summer camp and a deadly black widow.

Camp Queen

M3GAN (2023)

A killer doll with a dash of camp, M3GAN can slay her haters or a wicked dance move with ease. And we can't get enough.

Chilling

The Vigil (2019)

A Jewish man struggling with his faith is asked to watch over the body of a Holocaust survivor and encounters a sinister entity.

Classic

Candyman (1992)

Bernard Rose's horror classic follows a vengeful spirit who kills anyone who says his name into a mirror five times.

Classic

Halloween (1978)

John Carpenter's 1978 slasher defined the genre with murderous Michael Myers terrorizing Haddonfield and teen Laurie Strode.

Classic

House on Haunted Hill (1959)

Vincent Price stars as a millionaire who invites guests to play a deadly game at a ghost-ridden mansion. William Castle directs.

Classic

Night of the Living Dead (1968)

George A. Romero defined the zombie movie with this black-and-white knockout, featuring slow but deeply scary ghouls.

Classic

Poltergeist (1982)

Suburban bliss is shattered when evil spirits kidnap a family's young daughter. Tobe Hooper directs.

Classic

Psycho (1960)

This proto-slasher from Alfred Hitchcock follows a humble hotel owner with a deeply dark side. Anthony Perkins stars.

Classic

Rosemary's Baby (1968)

Everything is not what it seems in a posh NYC apartment building where a pregnant wife encounters wickedly nosy neighbors.

Classic

Suspiria (1977)

An American ballet dancer uncovers murdery secrets at a mysterious German academy. Dario Argento directs.

Classic

The Exorcist (1973)

A menacing demon takes over a 12-year-old girl in William Friedkin's shocking classic that defined possession horror.

Classic

The Thing (1982)

An alien parasite infests an Antarctic outpost, threatening to change humans into gnarly abominations. John Carpenter directs.

Classic Franchise

Scream (1996)

Wes Craven rewrote slasher rules with Ghostface, a masked killer who targets movie-loving teens in a dewy small town.

Classic Queen

The Bride of Frankenstein (1935)

Can't go wrong with a Universal Monsters movie. Best of the bunch? James Whale's haunting tale of science gone awry — again!

Classic fun

Ghostbusters (1984)

Bill Murray stars in a kooky comedy about scientists who are basically animal control for poltergeists.

Classic slasher

A Nightmare on Elm Street (1984)

Meet Freddy Krueger: a serial killer with blades for fingers, endless quips, and the ability to slaughter you in your dreams.

Creepy for kids

The Witches (1990)

From Roald Dahl, a coven of shapeshifting witches conspire, while a little boy (turned mouse) scurries to defeat them.

Critically Heralded

One Cut of the Dead (2017)

Showbiz comedy meets zombie rampage. This critically heralded Japanese gem has jokes and bite!

Critically Heralded

Saint Maud (2019)

When a religious nurse swoons over a hedonistic patient, violent penance, eerie visions, and madness rise. Rose Glass directs.

Critically Heralded

What We Do in the Shadows (2014)

Kooky vampire roommates are shadowed by a human camera crew. Hilarity ensues. Taika Waititi stars.

Cult Classic

Jennifer's Body (2009)

Mean Girls, but with a man-eating demon as Regina George. Megan Fox stars.

Deep Cut

Ginger Snaps (2000)

When a teen girl turns werewolf, it's up to her sister to save the day. Menstrual horror goes feral.

Deranged

Barbarian (2022)

A woman finds her rental double-booked by a stranger, and the basement's looking iffy. Zach Cregger's directorial debut.

Editor's Pick

Birth/Rebirth (2023)

What if Frankenstein's monster was a little girl with two mommies? And a pet pig?

Editor's Pick

Bodies Bodies Bodies (2022)

A hurricane party among friends becomes a whodunnit when one of the revelers turns up dead. Sexy, sinister, and silly.

Editor's Pick

Get Out (2017)

Jordan Peele's seminal social thriller sees a young Black man facing dark secrets in his white girlfriend's family.

Editor's Pick

Late Night with the Devil (2024)

Found-footage freaky: In 1977, a talk show host welcomed an allegedly possessed girl on his broadcast. All hell broke loose.

Editor's Pick

Scary Stories to Tell in the Dark (2019)

Based on creepy folklore, this PG-13 film delivers scares gross, haunting, and nightmare-inducing. Sensational and sick stuff.

Editor's Pick

Sea Fever (2019)

Folk horror hits the high seas when a snooty PhD student and a superstitious fishing crew encounter a strange new species.

Editor's Pick

Shaun of the Dead (2004)

Edgar Wright's horror-comedy classic: Slacker salesman and his oddball friends defend their local pub against a zombie apocalypse.

Editor's Pick

Talk to Me (2023)

Aussie indie horror hit: A twisted party game leaves a teen girl terrorized by creepy spirits. RackaRacka directs.

Editor's Pick

The Babadook (2014)

Maternal horror hits hard when a creepy spirit intrudes on a grieving single mum and her eccentric son. Jennifer Kent directs.

Editor's Pick

The Sixth Sense (1999)

A psychologist tries to help a troubled boy who can speak to the dead in this twisty M. Night Shyamalan classic.

Editor's Pick

Trick 'r Treat (2007)

Michael Dougherty's Halloween-set anthology offers deeply creepy and comedic vignettes that thrill year-round.

Eerie as hell

Let the Right One In (2008)

A bullied 12-year-old boy becomes friends with a vampire in this surprisingly moving Swedish horror.

Franchise starter

A Quiet Place (2018)

No loud snacks allowed in John Krasinski's post-apocalyptic horror about monsters who hunt by sound.

Franchise starter

Alien (1979)

Ridley Scott's "Jaws in space" follows the ill-fated Nostromo spaceship and an uninvited extraterrestrial guest.

Franchise starter

Friday the 13th (1980)

The slasher that launched Jason Voorhees begins at a summer camp, where sexy fun leads to vengeful murder.

Franchise starter

Saw (2004)

Two men kidnapped by the infamous Jigsaw Killer must fight for their lives in one of his twisted "games." A gory classic.

Franchise starter

The Conjuring (2013)

When a farmhouse is terrorized by an evil presence, Ed and Lorraine Warren come to clean house. James Wan directs.

Franchise starter

Train to Busan (2016)

This South Korean hit features fast zombies on a high-speed train. Nerve-shredding scares are guaranteed.

Franchise starter

X (2022)

Mia Goth and Ti West join forces for this ultra-violent '70s slasher. Watch Pearl and MaXXXine for the full X trilogy effect.

Freaky Fun

The Frighteners (1996)

A quirky medium befriends the dead to make quick cash — until an evil ghost goes on a killing spree. Peter Jackson directs.

Freaky franchise starter

The Texas Chain Saw Massacre (1974)

Meet Leatherface, the iconic chainsaw-wielding cannibal. 50 years later, Tobe Hooper's seminal slasher still cuts to the bone.

Gore Warning

Gerald's Game (2017)

Kinky sex leaves a very recent widow to make a skin-crawling decision. Mike Flanagan directs and Carla Gugino stars.

Haunting

The Autopsy of Jane Doe (2016)

Father and son coroners are haunted when a very strange corpse hits their morgue. André Øvredal directs.

Hidden Gem

Nina Forever (2015)

A creepy and comedic threesome arises when a new couple's lovemaking resurrects a dead ex-girlfriend, sharp tongue and all.

Hidden Gem

Trollhunter (2010)

Found footage has never been as fun as this Norwegian monster movie about documentarians following a fearless troll hunter.

Holiday Horror

Gremlins (1984)

A cuddly Christmas gift spawns town-wide catastrophe in this Joe Dante classic. Gizmo innocent!

Holiday horror

The Nightmare Before Christmas (1993)

Tim Burton presents this iconic holiday musical, combining Christmas and Halloween with festive flare.

Hot-blooded

The Lost Boys (1987)

Two teen brothers face off against sexy vampire boys in a hot-blooded coastal town. Kiefer Sutherland stars.

Iconic Mayhem

Death Becomes Her (1992)

This campy classic features two undead divas slaying literally and figuratively as they seek eternal beauty and a bit of romance.

It's Showtime!

Beetlejuice (1988)

Michael Keaton's iconic ghoul riles the living and the dead in this Tim Burton classic.

Kid's Pick

Hocus Pocus (1993)

Melodramatic Salem witches the Sanderson sisters are resurrected on Halloween and prey on kids' souls.

Kid's Pick

Monster House (2006)

What do you do when the house across the street is eating people? Three tweens find out in this fun and thrilling romp.

Kid's Pick

Wendell and Wild (2022)

An orphaned girl makes a deal with two bumbling demons, bringing the realms of living and dead together. Henry Selick directs.

Late Night Scares

The Descent (2005)

When a band of women go spelunking in an uncharted cave system, they discover hellish creatures with a ruthless hunger.

Modern classic

Drag Me to Hell (2009)

One bad choice leads an average girl down a ruthless road to damnation. Things get gruesome. Sam Raimi directs.

Modern classic

Hereditary (2018)

Stomach-churning terror hits home as a grieving mother faces the secrets of her family's past. Toni Collette stars.

Modern classic

ParaNorman (2012)

Great for horror fans of all ages, ParaNorman follows a young boy and his friends as they face off against a spooky local legend.

Modern classic

The Cabin in the Woods (2011)

College pals fight for their lives against evil forces. But there's much more to this tale of terror than its surface level.

Monster Squad

Attack the Block (2011)

Furry and ferocious aliens invade South London, and a gang of young locals battle back. John Boyega's film debut.

Monster mayhem

The Host (2006)

A quirky Korean family is thrown into crisis when a massive monster abducts their daughter. Bong Joon-ho directs.

Novel scares

Fear Street Part One: 1994 (2021)

First part of a trilogy inspired by R.L. Stine's books offers teen drama amid resurrected serial killers on a rampage.

Pennywise calling

It (2017)

A group of young outcasts must band together to fight off an ancient evil that takes the form of a child-murdering clown.

Polarizing Pick

The Mist (2007)

A mysterious mist filled with monsters traps a group of people in a supermarket in this tense thriller. Frank Darabont directs.

Popcorn pick

Cloverfield (2008)

Found-footage thrills. In NYC, partying pals must flee a mysterious monster wreaking havoc from the skyline to the subways.

Popcorn pick

Hansel and Gretel: Witch Hunters (2013)

Proudly bonkers, this grisly horror-comedy reimagines the fairy tale duo as action heroes. Rated R.

Popcorn pick

Zombieland (2009)

The U.S. is overrun by zombies, but four misfits are thriving thanks to snacks, celeb sightings, looting, and creative kills.

R-rated

Bram Stoker's Dracula (1992)

Francis Ford Coppola's steamy drama oozes with blood, sweat, and religious trauma. Horny as hell and mad fun.

Rad remake

The Ring (2002)

Chasing the mystery of a cursed VHS tape, a single mother puts herself and her son in grave danger.

Remake Gold

The Fly (1986)

Jeff Goldblum stars in this science-gone-wrong tale of man meets fly, genetically speaking.

Sing-along!

Little Shop of Horrors (1986)

Music, mayhem, and Muppets collide when an alien plant suckers a humble florist into a murder spree. Frank Oz directs.

Slay date

Speak No Evil (2022)

Never follow vacation friends to a second location. This Danish thriller is basically a PSA about the dangers of politeness.

Sleep no more

Doctor Sleep (2019)

Mike Flanagan's gnarly prequel to The Shining unearths sick thrills and one of the most chilling murder scenes in cinema history.

Slumber Party Pick

Happy Death Day (2017)

Groundhog Day, but make it horror! A woman trapped in a time loop must work out her killer's identity.

Spicy scares

Crimson Peak (2015)

Guillermo del Toro's polarizing thriller offers gothic romance, twisted reveals, swooning style, and a Tom Hiddleston sex scene.

Spooky fun

Vampires vs. the Bronx (2020)

Gentrifying vampires descend on an Afro-Latino neighborhood, and it's up to a band of plucky teens to save their home.

Stephen King Classic

Pet Sematary (1989)

A grieving father's desperate act resurrects his dead son and ancient evil. Mary Lambert directs.

Stephen King Classic

The Shining (1980)

Stanley Kubrick directs Jack Nicholson as a family man driven to murderous madness in a remote, damned hotel.

Stephen King creepy

The Boogeyman (2023)

Two sisters are targeted by a shadowy spirit that seems to feed on their agony. Sophie Thatcher stars.

Stephen King's Queen

Carrie (1976)

A bullied teen outcast's psychic powers deliver deadly vengeance on prom night. Brian De Palma directs.

Teen horror

The Craft (1996)

Mean Girls with magic run amok in their high school. Wickedly fun and a bit freaky.

Throwback Fun

Werewolf by Night (2022)

An ode to old Hollywood horror, with a Marvel twist: A secret cabal of monster hunters vie for a relic in a labyrinth.

Truly Iconic

Nosferatu (1922)

Inspired by Dracula, F.W. Murnau revealed the first iconic vampire in this masterpiece of horror and German Expressionism.

Truly iconic

The Blair Witch Project (1999)

The found-footage movie that proved a sensation follows three documentarians into the woods on a doomed, terrifying quest.

Uniquely spooky

Oddity (2024)

Irish folklore enhances Oddity, where a Wooden Man, a murdered ghost, and a clever clairvoyant conspire for grisly vengeance.

Viral hit

Incantation (2022)

Taiwainese terror. YouTubers explore a rumored curse tied to a religous taboo. Dare you watch?

hidden gem

A Girl Walks Home Alone at Night (2014)

Ana Lily Amirpour's stunning Iranian vampire Western centers on the coolest bloodsucker ever.

hidden gem

Deadly Games (1989)

Think Home Alone, but with a homicidal mall Santa determined to slay an ingenuitive little boy on Christmas Eve.

hidden gem

Rift (2017)

Chilling terror creeps into this Icelandic thriller when a couple reunites in a remote island cabin.

hidden gem

The Awakening (2011)

In 1921, a professional skeptic is called to investigate a haunting at a boys' boarding school. Rebecca Hall stars.

hidden gem

The Queen of Black Magic (2019)

Three men return to the orphanage where they grew up, only to unleash a vengeful spirit from their pasts.

indie gem

Host (2020)

Set and shot during the early days of COVID precautions, Host focuses on a Zoom-set séance that goes heinously awry.

skin-crawling terror

Goodnight Mommy (2015)

Notoriously creepy: Trapped with a mother they don't recognize, twin boys begin a twisted plot to expose an imposter.

Editor's Pick

Get Out (2017)

Jordan Peele's seminal social thriller sees a young Black man facing dark secrets in his white girlfriend's family.

Editor's Pick

Late Night with the Devil (2024)

Found-footage freaky: In 1977, a talk show host welcomed an allegedly possessed girl on his broadcast. All hell broke loose.

Editor's Pick

Scary Stories to Tell in the Dark (2019)

Based on creepy folklore, this PG-13 film delivers scares gross, haunting, and nightmare-inducing. Sensational and sick stuff.

Editor's Pick

Sea Fever (2019)

Folk horror hits the high seas when a snooty PhD student and a superstitious fishing crew encounter a strange new species.

Editor's Pick

Talk to Me (2023)

Aussie indie horror hit: A twisted party game leaves a teen girl terrorized by creepy spirits. RackaRacka directs.

Editor's Pick

Trick 'r Treat (2007)

Michael Dougherty's Halloween-set anthology offers deeply creepy and comedic vignettes that thrill year-round.

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