Top scary movies for Halloween (2023): on Netflix, Amazon Prime, HBO Max
With Halloween just around the corner, who isn't in the mood for a good scare? There are far too many terrifying films to stream on Netflix, Amazon Prime, and HBO Max to include them all, so we've chosen some highlights to get you in the mood.
The Shining
Although we think everyone knows the story, here's what it's all about: Jack Torrance moves with his wife and seven-year-old son to the stunning Overlook Hotel in Colorado to take over the maintenance of the facilities during the winter season, a time when it remains closed and isolated by snow. His goal is to find peace and quiet to write a novel. However, shortly after his arrival at the hotel, little Danny begins to perceive something strange, dark forces that inhabit the hotel and begin to exert their power and influence over its inhabitants. Jack begins to lose his mind progressively, and will end up becoming a violent psychopath ready to murder his family.
Midsommar
Not long ago Dani tragically lost her family and her relationship with her boyfriend is not at its best. That's why they decide to go to a summer celebration, which takes place every 90 years in an ancestral Swedish commune called Hårga. There, after a mushroom trip, the couple will enter the daily life of the Hårga, a closed culture that believes in the cyclical life of man in perfect harmony with nature. After various pagan rites of ancient origin, the Hårga invite the protagonists to witness an Ättestupa, a rite consisting of the voluntary suicide of two old humans who throw themselves off a high cliff.
Morbius
This is a superhero horror movie starring Jared Leto as Dr. Michael Morbius. He and his brother Milo become living vampires after a rare disease. They must confront reality and deal with their specific powers and weaknesses.
My Heart Can't Beat Unless You Tell It To
Dwight walks the streets after dark to find lonely people who won't be missed. Dwight doesn't enjoy it, but he has no choice: the fresh human blood helps his fragile brother to survive. The plot unfolds ambiguously and dramatically. 100% worth watching.
Army of the Dead
Zack Snyder returns with a new movie about the zombie world where the casino owner Bly Tanaka approaches Scott Ward to retrieve $200 million from his casino vault and get out of the infected and quarantined city of Las Vegas, the nuclear explosion. This movie could be a fun way to spend this year's Halloween.
Bird Box
A renowned Netflix original, this psychological thriller was a hit from its debut. Sandra Bullock stars in one of her most impressive roles as she fights against a mysterious and deadly force she cannot see. As one of the only survivors five years after an evil presence drives most of humanity to suicide, she will desperately try to save her two children and reach safety. A definite must-watch during the Halloween season, this film will have you on the edge of your seat.
Zodiac
Based on a true story, 'Zodiac' is an intriguing, twisted thriller about San Francisco’s infamous Zodiac Killer. Starring Mark Ruffalo, Jake Gyllenhaal, and Robert Downey Jr, this murderous affair will keep you guessing from beginning to end. Follow the manhunt for the man who terrorized San Francisco with gruesome murders, mysterious letters, and puzzles mailed to newspapers, taunting the police and people of the Bay Area.
Hush
The film that will have you constantly looking over your shoulder, 'Hush' stars Kate Siegel as a deaf writer who has fled to live a life of solitude in the woods. However, a masked killer appears at her window and leaves her facing the ultimate fight for her life, alone and in silence.
The Conjuring 2
Evil spirits terrorize a single mother and her four children in their London home. Paranormal investigators Ed and Lorraine Warren travel to the UK to help get to the bottom of the family’s malicious problem. Starring Vera Farmiga and Patrick Wilson and packed with terrifying images, this supernatural thriller will stay with you long after you’ve finished watching. It is also available to watch on HBO Max.
We Summon The Darkness
A satanic murder spree and a heavy metal concert mixed together. What more could you want in a grisly, spine-tingling horror movie? Three best friends cross paths with sadistic murderers at a heavy metal concert and decide to attend an after-party in a secluded, rural country home.
Before I Wake
Following the tragic death of their own son, Jessie and Mark (Kate Bosworth and Thomas Jane) decide to welcome a foster child-Cody-into their family. However, they soon discover that everything is not as it seems with Cody. The child is terrified to fall asleep, and they soon realize why, as Cody’s dreams and nightmares become a reality when he is asleep. A great blend of horror, fantasy, and drama comes together in this film as the parents try to uncover the truth behind these mysterious events before it’s too late.
The Babadook
We all know a child who believes at one point or another that there’s a monster in their house. Well, in ‘The Babadook,’ this might actually be the case. In this nail-biting psychological thriller, we follow a single mother and her son as they fall into a pit of paranoia after receiving a children’s book with a creepy main character, who seems to be manifesting into real life in their home.
The Blair Witch Project
The scary classic we’ve all heard of, 'The Blair Witch Project', sees three film students enter a forest in Maryland to document the Blair Witch, but they are never heard from again. This film will disturb you for a long time based on the true story of Heather Donahue, Michael C. Williams, and Joshua Leonard and the footage they left behind after their disappearance.
The Strangers
Starring Liv Tyler and Scott Speedman, 'The Strangers' will give even the most hardened among us the creeps. A romantic, relaxing weekend away turns into a murderous, terrifying fight for survival for Kristen and James. Three masked intruders turn up on their doorstep, and the stuff of nightmares ensues. Perfect for a good scare on October 31st!
Paranormal Activity
Another blockbuster in the world of thrillers, 'Paranormal Activity', will play tricks with your mind as we watch documented video footage of terrifying happenings in a seemingly ordinary house. Couple Katie and Micah move into their new home, but terrors from her past have always haunted Katie. They enlist the help of a paranormal researcher after Katie hears footsteps and other strange sounds, but it’s too late as something terrifying has released… Do not watch this alone.
Ready or Not
In this original comedy-horror-mystery mash-up, we follow newlywed Grace, who experiences a terrifying night of her life as her new in-laws force her to participate in a sinister game. She must hide from midnight til dawn as they try to hunt her down and kill her with guns, crossbows, and other weapons. As the night goes on, Grace finds a clever way to turn the tables on her ‘delightful’ new relatives. A refreshing new release starring Samara Weaving and Adam Brody.
Night of The Living Dead
We have 'Night of the Living Dead', a true classic from 1968, to round up our selection. A fallen satellite emits radiation that awakens the recently deceased from their graves and causes them to seek out the living as food. Set in Pennsylvania, the film follows a group of humans desperately trying to survive by locking themselves in an old farmhouse to avoid the flesh-eating zombies ravaging the US.