Decorations, costumes, candy, brain spatter removal fees—Halloween really adds up. Money shouldn’t be an issue when it comes to celebrating America’s favorite holiday (sorry, Christmas), but there has to be some way to slash the bloody budget, right?
You bet your hockey mask: we’ve found 13 classic horror movies that you can stream right now for free, no subscriptions required. Yes, you’ll have to put up with some ads, but think of all the money you’ll save to put toward your family’s House of the Dragon and Lord of the Rings costumes (so hot this year).
Halloween (1978)
John Carpenter’s Halloween was a low-budget indie flick when it was released in 1978, but it’s now considered one of the greatest horror movies of all time, if not the greatest. The original, in which relentless killer Michael Meyers pursues an equally relentless Jamie Lee Curtis through suburbia, still scares 43 years later, as does the chilling piano theme.
The Ring (2002)
Investigative journalist Rachel (Naomi Watts) looks into the mysterious deaths of her niece and her friends, all of whom died exactly seven days after viewing a “cursed” videotape (see kids, before Blu-rays and streaming, there was VHS). Supernatural visions begin to haunt Rachel, including The Ring’s iconic creepy, black-haired wraith girl. Don’t bother with the sequels.
Let the Right One In (2008)
Swedish movie Let the Right One In was remade in the U.S. as Let Me In in 2010, but the 2008 original is still the one to see (and read, because subtitles). Bullied Stockholm 12-year-old Oskar befriends a strange young girl, Eli, and his bullies soon start going missing. Yes, Eli’s a vampire who’s discovered a new blood source. If you like some cute romance with your scares, let this one in.
Day of the Dead (1985)
Following Night of the Living Dead and Dawn of the Dead, writer/director George Romero took his zombie apocalypse franchise to Florida in 1985’s Day of the Dead. This time around, military scientists attempt to “domesticate” the growing horde of ambling flesh-eaters, which works out as well as you’d expect. Romero called Day of the Dead his favorite of the original Dead trilogy.
The Tall Man (2012)
Jessica Biel stars in this dark, twist-filled story about a small mining town’s rural myth of the Tall Man, a mysterious figure who abducts young children. Or so it seems until the plot spins off into unpredictable directions that transform a simple horror tale into a more complex thriller than expected. Biel’s performance in The Tall Man has been hailed as one of her career bests.
Can’t get enough spooky stuff?
Check out our trivia contest with Full Moon Features, running on our Twitter all of October. Answer horror movie trivia questions to win daily prizes… if you dare.
Scouts Guide to the Zombie Apocalypse (2015)
When a small town is overrun with zombies, it’s up to a trio of nerdy scout friends, and a strip club waitress with surprisingly bad-ass combat skills, to save the day. Writer/director Christopher Landon (Happy Death Day, Disturbia) wanted Scouts Guide to the Zombie Apocalypse to be like an R-rated Goonies, and this horror-comedy mostly succeeds.
The Descent (2006)
One of the best arguments against spelunking ever, The Descent is a terrifying, claustrophobic horror flick for the ages. Six female friends on a cave-exploring trip become trapped underground after a collapse, but that’s not the worst part: the caves are also full of creepy-crawler humanoids who like the taste of topsiders. Don’t watch The Descent in the dark.
Black Christmas (1974)
Before Halloween and Friday the 13th, there was 1974’s Black Christmas, a cult classic considered to be the o.g. slasher movie. A mystery man kills sorority coeds one by one between disturbing phone calls that are coming from inside the house (Black Christmas originated that infamous line). This was directed by the guy who went on to do A Christmas Story, btw.
Phantasm (1979)
Surreal ‘70s sci-fi horror movie Phantasm introduced one of the scariest cinematic weapons of all time: flying silver spheres equipped with whirring skull drills. The story—well, what there is of it—involves a grave-robbing mortician known as the Tall Man, who turns the dead into zombie dwarves for his home planet. Phantasm is like a waking nightmare, in a good way.
Prom Night (1980)
Jamie Lee Curtis went from Halloween to more slasher terror in Prom Night, a horror favorite that inspired three sequels and a 2008 remake. A killer stalks a group of high schoolers who were involved in the death of a young girl years before, and Curtis’s big night as prom queen is about to be ruined by rolling heads. Also check out Hello Mary Lou: Prom Night II.
Urban Legend (1998)
Scream and I Know What You Did Last Summer reignited the slasher genre in the ’90s, and 1998’s Urban Legend is one of the few virtual clones that holds up. Pretty students start turning up dead on a college campus, each murder mimicking urban folklore (like death by . . . Pop Rocks?). The twisty Urban Legend even has Robert Englund, a.k.a. Freddy Krueger.
Neon Maniacs (1986)
Released and forgotten in the ’80s, Neon Maniacs has since developed a cult following for its sheer weirdness. Mutant warriors—who are not especially neon-y, incidentally—living under San Francisco’s Golden Gate Bridge come out at night and kill locals for no apparent reason. If you’ve ever imagined Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles as a horror flick, this is for you.
Zombeavers (2014)
Scantily-clad party girls at lakeside cabin retreat are attacked by ravenous zombie beavers, which are the result of a toxic chemical spill—a horror movie with an environmental message, always a nice touch. Zombeavers, a minor viral hit in 2014, is purposefully stupid, with more double-entendre gags than you can shake a shotgun at, and has a John Mayer cameo.
