Heebie-Jeebie-Freebies: 21 Free Streaming Horror Movies to Watch Now

Where can I watch free scary movies?

Between movie tickets, streaming subscriptions, boutique Blu-rays, film festivals, horror conventions, toys, and blood spatter removal fees, a horror fan’s tab adds up fast.

There must be some way to slash the bloody budget, right?

You bet your hockey mask, there is: We’ve found 45 free streaming horror movies that you can watch right now, no subscriptions required.

• An American Werewolf in London (1981)
• Black Christmas (1974)
• Day of the Dead (1985)
• Dude Bro Party Massacre III (2015)
• Hatchet quadruple free-ature (2006–2014)

• Last Shift (2014)
• Let the Right One In (2008)
• Masters of Horror (2005–2007, 26 films)
• Neon Maniacs (1986)
• Nightbreed: Director’s Cut (1990)

• Phantasm (1979)
• Prom Night (1980)
• V/H/S triple free-ature (2012–2014)
• Wolfcop (2014)
• Zombeavers (2014)

Since its release 43 years ago, John Landis’s film about two college students who get attacked by a lycanthrope on the English moors remains the best werewolf movie ever made. It’s hard to imagine another werewolf movie topping it—especially Rick Baker’s Oscar-winning transformation scene. This flick is extra freaky and delightfully gory, but also genuinely funny, a bit romantic, and even a little raunchy. Calling such a well-rounded film the best werewolf movie sells it short. An American Werewolf in London is an incredibly satisfying cinematic experience, regardless of genre. (RH)

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 and Porky’s, btw. (BF)

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. (BF)

Forget the first two films in the Dude Bro Party Massacre series ‘cause they don’t exist. The III in the title is the first joke in 5-Second Films’ ’80s slasher-movie parody. The film finds “Motherface,” the daughter of a sorority house mother killed by fraternity pranks, donning Mom’s hideously burned face and making the bros pay—in blood. For period authenticity, 5SF shot the film in the 4:3 aspect ratio at VHS resolution and gave it an all-original ’80s-flavored soundtrack (we love this). DBPM3 also has intermittent ad breaks (read: 5SF’s knee-slapping short-shorts) and loads of cameos from Patton Oswalt, Nina Hartley, Greg Sestero, John Francis Daley, Andrew W.K., and Larry King). If Dude Bro Party Massacre III isn’t already a cult classic, it is one to us. (RH)

If you’re a gorehound and you haven’t seen Adam Green’s (Holliston, Tales of Halloween) slasher quadrilogy, you’re in for a treat. The films follow Victor Crowley, a hulking deformed redneck who died accidentally by his father’s hand—and now haunts the New Orleans swamplands pulling people apart like rotisserie chickens. Crowley cuts an imposing figure, landing somewhere between Jason Voorhees (prolly because it’s Jason actor Kane Hodder in VC’s overalls) and Leatherface (for the redneck aesthetic, not the chainsaw)—and tops them both in kill creativity. All four Hatchet films—Hatchet (2006), Hatchet II (2010), Hatchet III (2013), and Victor Crowley (2017) stream on Tubi, and Plex has everything but Hatchet II. (RH)

Jessica Loren is a rookie cop whose first shift is guarding the station where her father worked—and died—on its last night of use. As the night goes on, she has a series of strange encounters where she learns the station’s true history and that the story’s far from over. Director and co-writer Anthony DiBlasi remade the film as Malum (2023), but it’s worth watching Last Shift first because it’s spooky in its own right. Then you can check out DiBlasi’s story in its even freakier new form. (RH)

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. (BF)

SHOWTIME shouldn’t have dropped Mick Garris’ Masters of Horror anthology series after two seasons. The brilliant concept produced 26 one-hour films by 19 top horror directors (including John Carpenter, Dario Argento, Stuart Gordon, Tobe Hooper, and Takashi Miike), many based on tales by noteworthy horror authors (Lovecraft, Poe, Joe R. Lansdale, Clive Barker, David Schow, Bentley Little, Richard Matheson, F. Paul Wilson).

We recommend Carpenter’s “Cigarette Burns,” Don Coscarelli’s adaptation of Lansdale’s “Incident On and Off a Mountain Road,” and Peter Medak’s adaptation of Bentley Little’s “The Washingtonians,” which will forever change how you see George Washington. Also, Miike’s “Imprint,” which never aired because SHOWTIME deemed it too gnarly for cable TV—but now you can watch it free. (RH)

Where to watch Masters of Horror

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. (BF)

After the success of his self-directed Hellraiser (1987) and Hellbound: Hellraiser II (1989), author Clive Barker adapted his novella, Cabal, into Nightbreed. The horror fantasy stars Craig Sheffer as Aaron Boone, a man plagued by nightmares of Midian, an alternate universe populated by strange murderous creatures called Nightbreeds.

Boone’s subconscious mind seems to have inside knowledge of a serial killer’s activity. Boone, losing his mind, is committed to a mental hospital where a doctor doses him with LSD. Somehow this lands Boone in Midian, where he’s not exactly welcome—and must clear his name by finding the real killer. (RH)

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. (BF)

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. (BF)

Anthology films make fun Halloween watches since you get a variety of horror flavors in one (ahem) bag. Several free streaming services have the first three entries—V/H/S (2012), V/H/S/2 (2013), and V/H/S: Viral (2014)—in the popular V/H/S found-footage series conceived by Bloody Disgusting founder Brad Miska.

Not only for Halloween, these films make an excellent marathon any time of year. So jump on this chance to watch the first three installments for free. And see below for a tip on how to watch the rest of the V/H/S movies for nothin’. (RH)

Canadian director Lowell Dean’s werewolf comedy isn’t on An American Werewolf in London’s level, but it’s a great time. It has to be, with its ‘80s aesthetic, resistance to digital effects, and taglines like, “Half man . . . half wolf . . . all cop” and “Here comes the fuzz.” And then it pays off handsomely with scenes like the twisty jailhouse dalliance between our hero Lou Garou (Leo Fafard) and Jessica (Sara Lind), perfectly soundtracked by Gowan’s spot-on 1987 ballad, “Moonlight Desires.” And I’d be remiss not to mention Wolfcop’s own memorable (read; WTF) transformation scene. (RH)

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. (BF)