The Best Halloween Movies to Watch in 2026

There's a chill in the air, your pumpkin decorations are out of storage, and all the candy companies have released their specialty snacks at your nearest grocery store. Spooky season is in full swing, but you need a good scary movie to watch to properly get ready for Halloween. 

We've put together a list of the best horror movies to watch in honor of the year's scariest holiday. Whether they're on Prime Video, HBO Max, Peacock, Netflix, or somewhere else, here's where to stream classics like Scream and Beetlejuice, future classics like Sinners and Weapons, and indie gems like The Witch and His House.

ALSO READ: New Halloween movies streaming in 2026

It's all right there in the title: Halloween movies don't get any more iconic than the original Halloween. Jamie Lee Curtis, following in her mother Janet Leigh's scream queen footsteps, makes her film debut as Laurie Strode, a high school student whose babysitting gig goes to hell when she's stalked by an escaped killer who murdered his sister 15 years earlier. From director John Carpenter's chillingly minimalist score to Michael Myers' haunting, expressionless mask, Halloween takes a straightforward slasher premise and makes it art. -Kelly Connolly [Trailer]

Stream with AMC+

Art the Clown, the villain at the center of Damien Leone's Terrifier franchise, went mainstream with Terrifier 3, which surprisingly topped the box office in its first week of release, leading many to ask, "WTF is a Terrifier?" The answer to that question is a gruesome throwback to plotless slasher movies filtered through the Troma library built on the foundation of coulrophobia. The violence is EXTREME and loaded with practical effects, like someone who is a whiz with prosthetics and fake blood made a 90-minute portfolio reel, yet for fans of '80s horror movies who like gratuitous gore over honest scares, it's a hoot. There are no heroes, only decapitations, dismemberment, and disembowlings for all, all delightfully delivered by a devilish mime. -Tim Surette [Trailer]

Stream with Peacock

Much like many Halloween movies, Beetlejuice is most notable for its villain. This one is played by Michael Keaton, having an absolute blast as the titular Beetlejuice, a mischievous and malevolent spirit who agrees to help a deceased couple haunt the family trying to buy their home, quickly escalating the situation to scary and ridiculous heights in the process. The 2024 sequel, Beetlejuice Beetlejuice, is also streaming on HBO Max. -Allison Picurro [Trailer] 

Stream with HBO Max

Yes, there's a plot here — a group of kids have to stop a trio of evil, kooky witches from becoming immortal — but it's barely worth mentioning, since the witches themselves (played by Bette Midler, Sarah Jessica Parker, and Kathy Najimy) are the best part of the whole movie. We aren't still talking about Hocus Pocus decades after its release because of its riveting story; we're still talking about it because of the "I Put a Spell on You" scene! A sequel 29 years in the making also hit Disney+ in 2022. -Allison Picurro [Trailer] 

Stream with Disney+

If you're looking to honor the late Tim Curry this October, you should start with arguably his most well-known film. The best way to watch this cult classic musical about a young couple who get stranded at a mysterious mansion full of deranged characters during a storm is in a theater packed with other superfans, but you'll get plenty of enjoyment out of watching it at home, too. You just can't go wrong with these campy performances and that killer soundtrack. -Allison Picurro [Trailer]    

Stream with Prime Video (for rent or purchase)

After the death of their secretive grandmother, a family begins to notice a series of disturbing incidents that leave them trying to escape the fate they've inherited. This Ari Aster-directed film is an excellent, truly horrifying journey, but the main reason to put it on is Toni Collette, who delivers a powerhouse performance as the mother of the family. -Allison Picurro [Trailer]

Stream with HBO Max

Even if you haven't seen Midsommar, you've probably heard someone quote its most iconic line: "Do you feel held by him?" This is the breakup movie to end all breakup movies, starring Florence Pugh as a girl who, while emotionally recovering from a devastating family tragedy, tags along on a trip to Sweden with her terrible boyfriend (Jack Reynor) and his terrible friends to attend a festival that only occurs once every 90 years. And because this was directed by Ari Aster, who also brought us Hereditary, it naturally devolves into a story about a neopagan cult, flower crowns, and unspeakable horrors occurring in broad daylight. -Allison Picurro [Trailer]  

Stream with HBO Max

In this spooky '90s classic, the new girl at a Catholic high school befriends three outcasts who regularly practice witchcraft. When their spells appear to be working, the four begin to go mad with power. -Allison Picurro [Trailer] 

Stream with HBO Max

Two paranormal investigators (Patrick Wilson and Vera Farmiga) are called in to investigate a haunted house, quickly discovering the malevolent presence lurking around them. The weirdest part of this whole movie is that it claims to be based on a true story. This movie spawned a massive cinematic universe, which includes three Conjuring sequels, the Annabelle movies, and The Nun films. -Allison Picurro [Trailer]    

Stream with HBO Max

This classic adaptation of Stephen King's novel is a psychological trip, starring Jack Nicholson as a writer who accepts a job as a winter caretaker at a remote hotel, bringing along his wife and young son. As time passes, he slowly begins to unravel as the supernatural forces that exist on the property begin to make themselves known. -Allison Picurro [Trailer] 

Stream with HBO Max

R.L. Stine, the guy who wrote the Goosebumps books, set his sights on a slightly older crowd with his Fear Street novel series, which are now the foundation for one of Netflix's biggest film experiments yet. The three teen-slasher horror films, which all tell the origin story of a cursed town, were each released over three consecutive Fridays in July 2021. Each film is set in a different year — the first in 1994, the second in 1978, and the the third in 1666, as the franchise culminates in a flashback to the era of witch trials — and they feature carryover cast members and plenty of gory deaths. Let's just say that after watching these movies, you'll be extra careful around a bread slicer. -Tim Surette [Trailer]

Stream with Netflix

A trio of disgraced scientists decide to try their hand at taking out the paranormal entities terrorizing New York City — get it? They're busting the ghosts! — which makes them the city's only line of defense when they happen upon a doorway to an evil dimension that could destroy everything. I can't imagine there are very many people out there who haven't at least heard the Ghostbusters theme, a song absolutely impossible to escape during the month of October, but I'm sure they exist! -Allison Picurro [Trailer]    

Stream with Hulu

This adaptation of Joe Hill's short story has all the hallmarks of his dad Stephen King's books: a clear setting and place (Denver suburbs in the late 1970s), young kids coming of age who also have weird powers, and genuinely creepy vibes. In The Black Phone, a teen boy (Mason Thames) is abducted by a creep (Ethan Hawke) but is able to communicate with previous victims through a mysterious phone. Unlike the recent horror shlock that's been massively popular, The Black Phone doesn't rely on jump scares and gore to rile up its audience. Some good direction from Scott Derrickson and likable performances have made it one of the better-reviewed horror films in recent years. -Tim Surette [Trailer] 

Stream with Netflix

The character of Jason Voorhees has gone through several iterations throughout the decades, but this 1980 film, about a summer camp being targeted by a killer disguised behind a hockey mask, is what started it all. Watch Friday the 13th (and maybe the many sequels it spawned), and then check out Crystal Lake, Peacock's new prequel series starring Linda Cardellini as Jason's mother. -Allison Picurro [Trailer]

Stream with Peacock

Much like Halloween's Michael Myers and Friday the 13th's Jason Voorhees, A Nightmare on Elm Street's Freddy Krueger (Robert Englund) is at this point such a legendary horror character that it's almost difficult to imagine a time when he wasn't around. This film, though, takes us back to the beginning, revolving around four teenagers who are attacked and killed by Krueger in their dreams and in real life. -Allison Picurro [Trailer]     

Stream with HBO Max

The 2007 film Trick 'r Treat, which has become a modern Halloween cult classic, is actually four short movies in one, all tied together by a creepy (and somewhat adorable) trick-or-treater who shambles through each of the tales of terror in a small town on Halloween night. It has the feel of a horror classic of the 1980s, mixing campy comedy, genuine scares, gore, and a tiny bit of gratuitous skin, making it a perfect Halloween pre-party date night flick before you generate your own mayhem on the streets. -Tim Surette [Trailer]

Stream with HBO Max

In this adaptation of Stephen King's novel, a group of young kids from a small town in Maine are terrorized by a demonic entity who takes on the form of a clown called Pennywise (Bill Skarsgård). The film spawned a cinematic universe that includes the 2019 sequel, IT: Chapter Two — set 27 years after the original and starring Jessica Chastain, James McAvoy, and Bill Hader — and the prequel series Welcome to Derry. -Allison Picurro [Trailer]

Stream with HBO Max

Jordan Peele's horror film has become a modern classic, telling the story of a young Black photographer whose white girlfriend brings him home for a weekend to meet her family, only for him to quickly discover that there's something much more sinister going on underneath the wealthy, Obama-voting surface. -Allison Picurro [Trailer]

Stream with Peacock

The slasher movie to end all slasher movies, Wes Craven's self-aware '90s classic centers on a California high school being targeted by a masked killer. There are so many reasons this horror comedy remains iconic — that terrifying opening phone call scene, to name just one — and if you enjoy it, there are three more movies in Craven's original series, as well as three reboots of the franchise, released in 2022, 2023, and 2026. -Allison Picurro [Trailer]   

Stream with Paramount+

A refugee couple from South Sudan find their new housing in England is not what it seems in this chilling and stylish horror movie from writer-director Remi Weekes. If you love ghosts and grief but are ready for a little more intensity, His House is a must-watch; it's a haunted house story that blends serious scares with thoughtful commentary on immigration and trauma. Plus, it's anchored by unmissable performances from stars Wunmi Mosaku and Ṣọpẹ́ Dìrísù. -Kelly Connolly [Trailer]      

Stream with Netflix

Despite being utterly panned when it was first released, time has been kind to Jennifer's Body. Karyn Kusama's 2009 teen horror film earned cult classic status a few years ago, largely thanks to its voracious internet fandom, who rightfully pointed out all the ways this movie was not only very good but also very ahead of its time. Megan Fox stars as Jennifer, a high school girl who gets (spoiler) possessed and has to feed on boys in order to stay alive, with her best friend Needy (Amanda Seyfried) the only one able to stop her. It's infinitely quotable, incredibly funny, and so, so smart. -Allison Picurro [Trailer]   

Stream with Hulu and Peacock

Demi Moore earned an Oscar nomination for Best Actress for her performance in this body horror film as a fading Hollywood star who takes an experimental drug that promises to transform her into a better version of herself. You're better off knowing as little as possible going into this gross, audacious, and slyly funny movie. -Allison Picurro

Stream with Hulu

Luca Guadagnino directs this remake of the 1977 Dario Argento horror classic. Dakota Johnson stars as Susie, a seemingly fresh-faced dancer who travels from Ohio to Berlin to study at an elite dance academy and is quickly named head dancer. As Suspiria unfolds, and as more students and teachers are found dead or go missing, it becomes increasingly clear that something very sinister and supernatural is going on underneath the surface. Also, Tilda Swinton plays three roles, and for one of them she gets to dress up as an old man. It's kooky, it's campy, and it's also very, very scary. -Allison Picurro [Trailer]  

Stream with Prime Video

While an unidentified illness ravages the world's population, a man (Joel Edgerton) holes up inside his secluded home in the woods with his wife and son. Their tenuous peace is disturbed by the arrival of another family, also looking for a place to stay safe from the disease. -Allison Picurro [Trailer]   

Stream with HBO Max

If your idea of getting into the Halloween mood is watching a movie so scary that you need to wear four pairs of underwear, you can't do much better than The Witch (or The VVitch, if you're cool). Robert Eggers' 2015 film is arguably the best horror film of that decade, and it tops the list of A24's incredibly strong scary lineup, which also includes Midsommar, The Lighthouse, and Hereditary. Set in 1630s New England, it stars Anya Taylor-Joy (The Queen's Gambit) as a teenager whose family relocates to a remote countryside where a strange presence lives in the nearby forest (can you guess what it is?) and threatens to turn the family against itself. The unnerving film is a masterclass in mood, rattling viewers to their core through Eggers' impeccable direction. I LOVE this movie. -Tim Surette [Trailer]

Stream with Prime Video

Barbarian did something clever by releasing something of a bait-and-switch trailer, which makes it out to be a standard story about a woman (Georgina Campbell) spending the night in the same house as a crazy man (Bill Skarsgård, unparalleled at playing crazy men) who lures her down into a creepy basement after they get double-booked at the same Airbnb. And that is what it's about at first, sort of, before quickly revealing that it's about something else entirely, which I won't spoil here. -Allison Picurro [Trailer]

Stream with Hulu

Zach Cregger announced himself as a new force in horror with the 2022 gonzo horror film Barbarian, and his 2025 follow-up, Weapons, only solidifies his position as the new prince of movie madness. It would be a spoiler to reveal any details about the film other than the basic premise — several kids from a community all voluntarily march into the woods and disappear at the same time — but know that Cregger's knack for unpredictability and breaking cinematic rules still holds, even if Weapons is a few degrees more serious than Barbarian is. Julia Garner and Josh Brolin star. -Tim Surette [Trailer]

Stream with HBO Max

The Australian A24 film Talk to Me was all the buzz when it came out in 2022, the perfect party film for young horror fans to dare each other to see because it's basically about young partygoers who dare each other to tempt spirits. When a group of friends attend a house party in which an embalmed hand is passed around that can channel the dead and possess the living, Mia (Sophie Wilde) uses it as an opportunity to talk to her dead mother. With truly terrifying possession sequences, Talk to Me has become a cult favorite. -Tim Surette [Trailer] 

Stream with HBO Max

From Danny and Michael Philippou, directors of the very scary Talk to Me, comes another very scary movie. Bring Her Back follows two orphaned step-siblings who are sent to live with Laura (Sally Hawkins, in a ferociously demented performance), a strange woman who is trying to resurrect her dead daughter using an occult ritual she needs her new charges to complete. It's a dark, grief-choked tale with excellent performances and some of the most disturbing imagery there's ever been in an A24 horror movie, which is really saying something. -Liam Mathews [Trailer]

Stream with HBO Max

There's no better time of year to watch Ryan Coogler's 1930s-set blockbuster about a pair of twin gangsters (both played by Michael B. Jordan, who earned an Oscar for his dual performance) who return home to Mississippi to open a blues music venue. They believe the local racists will be their new business's biggest obstacle but quickly discover that there are much bigger, more supernatural forces at work. It's a bloody, sprawling action-horror-thriller with a killer soundtrack and bold performances. If there's a defining film from 2025, it might just be Sinners. -Allison Picurro [Trailer]

Stream with HBO Max

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