It’s that spooky season again. A cold front is moving in and most of the leaves have fallen. The streets are paved in orange and gold. Grocery store shelves are running out of candy. Ghosts are drifting out of their cemetery beds and getting ready for the haunt.
And on these cold autumn nights, with Halloween in the wings, what better way to pass the time than cuddled up on the couch with a scary movie?
Here are 10 picks that I enjoy, though this is by no means a “best horror movies of all time” list. There are too many to choose from, and too many I have to leave out because this list could go on and on. You’ll have to let me know your favorites as well.
Alright. Trick or treat!
1. The Thing (1982)
Initially poorly received by critics and a failure at the box office, John Carpenter’s The Thing went on to become one of the most beloved cult-classic sci-fi horror movies ever made. The story of a team of researchers in Antarctica, slowly descending into chaos and mistrust thanks to an alien Thing that can assimilate and then imitate other organisms. One of several classics on this list and always a good choice for some old-school scares.
Rent or Buy The Thing on Amazon Prime Video
2. 10 Cloverfield Lane (2016)
The above trailer actually captures the feel of 10 Cloverfield Lane pretty perfectly. I liked this one a lot more than the first Cloverfield movie thanks to its small scope, tight script and phenomenal performances from John Goodman and Mary Elizabeth Winstead. This movie just oozes tension from start to finish. A totally unexpected, edge-of-your-seat treat.
Watch 10 Cloverfield Lane on Amazon Prime Video with Paramount+
3. A Quiet Place
In my review of A Quiet Place, I said it was like the scene from Jurassic Park with the kids in the kitchen being hunted by velociraptors, but basically for the entire film. That’s how this movie feels. Terrifying aliens who hunt by sound force everyone in the world—everyone who survived the initial attack—operate almost entirely without sound. It’s a short, tight, tense, scary movie that’s surprisingly emotionally poignant. John Krasinski stars and directs and shares a writing credit on this one. His wife, Emily Blunt, puts in a terrific performance as well.
Watch on Amazon Prime Video with Paramount+
4. The Shining (1980)
Heeeeeere’s Johnny! There aren’t many movies as delightfully dark and twisted as Stanley Kubrick’s The Shining, based on the story by Stephen King. Jack Nicholson is at his very best—and most frightening—in this film about family, alcoholism, magical powers and creepy visions. Redrum. Redrum.
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5. Get Out (2017)
One of my favorite modern horror flicks, and my favorite of Jordan Peele’s scary offerings, Get Out tackles racism head-on while never flinching from good old-fashioned psychological horror. This was my introduction to the brilliant acting of Daniel Kaluuya, but the entire cast is terrific. Kaluuya’s Judas and the Black Messiah co-star LaKeith Stanfield is also in the film, as is the always-wonderful Bradley Whitford.
Watch Get Out on Netflix or Amazon Prime Video
6. Alien (1979)
Still one of the all-time great science-fiction films, Alien blends industrial space travel with the art-style of H.R. Giger, the artist who created the titular alien Xenomorph. Sigourney Weaver’s Ellen Ripley remains one of the all-time great badass female characters, and should serve as a great example to Hollywood on how to get strong female characters right. Tense, sometimes terrifying, but always smart and self-contained, Alien is one of those movies I can watch over and over again and never get bored.
Watch Alien on Hulu or Amazon Prime Video
7. The Army Of Darkness (1993)
I was going to include Evil Dead in this list but it wasn’t available on Amazon Prime Video and this one—the third in the Sam Raimi / Bruce Campbell horror series—was free with Prime. It’s a very silly movie, but it’s also really great and only an hour and 16 minute long! You could fit it in with a second movie off this list in the same night easily. I also enjoyed the TV series Ash Vs. Evil Dead that came out a few years ago, which you can watch on Hulu.
Watch Army Of Darkness on Amazon Prime Video
8. The Exorcist (1973)
Based on the incredible book by William Peter Blatty—who wrote the screenplay and produced—The Exorcist remains one of the most important horror movies ever made, and one of the best. What makes the film even creepier is the troubled story of its making, which saw injuries and deaths of cast and crew members among many other problems. The film’s release was both a huge success and extremely controversial, with many arguing it should have been given an X rating to prevent children from seeing it. It was also the first horror film to be nominated for academy awards, of which it won 2.
Rent or Buy The Exorcist on Amazon Prime Video
9. The Conjuring (2013)
A modern classic, The Conjuring is a classic haunted house horror flick based (however loosely) on the true story of paranormal investigators Ed and Lorraine Warren (whose stories also inspired The Amityville Horror franchise). This is a genuinely scary, immensely creepy, totally perfect Halloween movie.
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10. The Silence Of The Lambs (1991)
You’ll notice I don’t include any slasher flicks on this list, and while some of these movies—including this one—have scenes of violence and other disturbing elements, my picks are not gore-fests, either. I have seen my share of slashers and gore-porn and it just doesn’t do it for me. I’m much more into films like Silence Of The Lambs that offer up mystery, brilliant scripts and captivating performances. Anthony Hopkins is so damn good in this movie it’s not even funny. Jodie Foster is perfect as well. I remember being so nervous throughout this movie when I first watched it in high school. A near-perfect film.
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What are some of your favorite scary movies? Obviously this list is far, far too short to include every great movie and lots of my favorites, from The Blair Witch Project to Scream to Event Horizon and so many more didn’t make the cut. Let me know yours on Twitter or Facebook.
Check out my weekend streaming guide here. I include one more of my very favorite horror movies in that post, along with lots of new streaming content.
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