Yeyeong Chang and Lina Hsu
The end of October is finally here, which means it’s time for Halloween. If you’re not into trick-or-treating in the neighborhood anymore, an alternate plan is to grab some candy on the couch and turn on a truly scary movie. Halloween is all about being spooked, so why not watch a movie that will keep you up at night? Here are some of the spookiest, creepiest, scariest movies to watch during spooky season.
Warning: Many of these movies are R-rated and contain violence, blood, and disturbing images. Viewer discretion is advised.
1. Annabelle: Creation (2017)
Former toy maker, Sam Mullins, and his wife, Esther, are happy to welcome a nun and six orphaned girls into their California farmhouse. Years earlier, the couple’s 7-year-old daughter Annabelle died in a tragic car accident. Terror soon strikes when one child sneaks into a forbidden room and finds a seemingly innocent doll that appears to have a life of its own.
Where to Watch: Amazon Prime Video (premium subscription), YouTube ($3.99), Vudu ($3.99), Apple TV ($3.99), etc.
Rating: R (Intense Violence and Terror)
Audience Score: 68%
2. The Conjuring (2013)
In 1970, paranormal investigators and demonologists Lorraine and Ed Warren are summoned to the home of Carolyn and Roger Perron. The Perrons and their five daughters have recently moved into a secluded farmhouse, where a supernatural presence has made itself known. Though the manifestations are relatively benign at first, events soon escalate in horrifying fashion, especially after the Warrens discover the house’s macabre history.
Where to Watch: Hulu (subscription), YouTube ($3.99), Vudu ($3.99), Apple TV ($3.99), etc.
Rating: R (Disturbing Violence and Terror)
Audience Score: 83%
3. It (2017)
When children begin to disappear in the town of Derry, Maine, a group of young kids are faced with their biggest fears when they square off against an evil clown named Pennywise, whose history of murder and violence dates back for centuries.
Where to Watch: Amazon Prime Video (premium subscription), YouTube ($3.99), Vudu ($3.99), Apple TV ($3.99), etc.
Rating: R (Language|Bloody Images|Violence/Horror)
Audience Score: 84%
4. Us (2019)
Accompanied by her husband, son, and daughter, Adelaide Wilson returns to the beachfront home where she grew up as a child. Haunted by a traumatic experience from the past, Adelaide grows increasingly concerned that something bad is going to happen. Her worst fears soon become a reality when four masked strangers descend upon the house, forcing the Wilsons into a fight for survival. When the masks come off, the family is horrified to learn that each attacker takes the appearance of one of them.
Where to Watch: Netflix (subscription), Peacock (subscription), Hulu (premium subscription), Amazon Prime Video ($3.79), Redbox ($1.99), YouTube($3.99), etc.
Rating: R (Violence/Terror|Language)
Audience Score: 60%
5. Smile (2022)
After witnessing a bizarre, traumatic incident involving a patient, Dr. Rose Cotter (Sosie Bacon) starts experiencing frightening occurrences that she can’t explain. As an overwhelming terror begins taking over her life, Rose must confront her troubling past in order to survive and escape her horrifying new reality.
Where to Watch: Amazon Prime Video (premium subscription), YouTube (primetime subscription), Paramount+ (subscription), etc.
Rating: R
Audience Score: 77%
6. A Quiet Place (2018)
If they hear you, they hunt you. A family must live in silence to avoid mysterious creatures that hunt by sound. Knowing that even the slightest whisper or footstep can bring death, Evelyn and Lee are determined to find a way to protect their children while desperately searching for a way to fight back. Those who have survived live by one rule: never make a sound.
Where to Watch: Amazon Prime Video (premium subscription), YouTube (primetime subscription), Hulu (premium subscription), Apple TV ($3.99), etc.
Rating: PG-13 (Terror and Some Bloody Images)
Audience Score: 83%
7. Orphan (2009)
Devastated by the loss of their unborn baby, Kate and John decide to adopt a child. At the orphanage, both feel drawn to a little girl named Esther, and soon the couple take their new daughter home. But when a dangerous series of events unfolds, Kate begins to suspect that there is something evil lurking behind the child’s angelic exterior.
Where to Watch: Hulu (premium subscription), Amazon Prime Video (premium subscription), YouTube ($3.99), Apple TV ($3.99), etc.
Rating: R (Language|Disturbing Violent Content|Some Sexuality)
Audience Score: 63%
8. The Ring (1998)
When her niece is found dead along with three friends after viewing a supposedly cursed videotape, reporter Reiko Asakawa sets out to investigate. Along with her ex-husband, Ryuji, Reiko finds the tape, watches it, and promptly receives a phone call informing her that she’ll die in a week. Determined to get to the bottom of the curse, Reiko and Ryuji discover the video’s origin and attempt to solve an old murder that could break the spell.
Where to Watch: Tubi (free), AMC+ (subscription), YouTube (primetime subscription), Amazon Prime Video (premium subscription), etc.
Rating: No Rating
Audience Score: 81%
9. Insidious (2010)
Parents take drastic measures when it seems their new home is haunted and their comatose son is possessed by a malevolent entity.
Where to Watch: Amazon Prime Video (premium subscription), YouTube ($3.99), Vudu ($3.99), Apple TV ($3.99), etc.
Rating: PG-13 (Frightening Images|Brief Strong Language|Terror|Thematic Material|Violence)
Audience Score: 62%
10. The Shining (1980)
Jack Torrance becomes winter caretaker at the isolated Overlook Hotel in Colorado, hoping to cure his writer’s block. He settles in along with his wife, Wendy, and his son, Danny, who is plagued by psychic premonitions. As Jack’s writing goes nowhere and Danny’s visions become more disturbing, Jack discovers the hotel’s dark secrets and begins to unravel into a homicidal maniac hell-bent on terrorizing his family.
Where to Watch: Amazon Prime Video (premium subscription), YouTube ($3.99), Apple TV ($3.99), etc.
Rating: R
Audience Score: 93%