You have a plethora of streaming platforms to choose from if you want to watch horror this spooky season. So why should you spend time sifting through HBO Max?
HBO Max is an excellent choice for streaming scary movies. It's adding new flicks like Bring Her Back and The Substance in October, and that's in addition to the 19 outstanding options you'll find below. The streaming service starts at $10 per month or $100 per year, and you can also get it free with a DoorDash DashPass annual plan.
A24 Hereditary (2018) This is one you shouldn't watch alone. Ari Aster's feature directorial debut about what a family uncovers after the death of its matriarch may be the scariest entry on this list. If you're up for a disturbing flick with great performances, venture cautiously into Hereditary.
Warner Bros. A Nightmare on Elm Street (1984) You can't go wrong with A Nightmare on Elm Street. The iconic '80s slasher from Wes Craven is streaming on HBO Max along with most of its sequels, so a marathon may be in order. The first film follows teenager Nancy Thompson and her friends who begin to dream about the same man -- a disfigured, sweater-wearing villain who wields blades on one hand. Get your binge on, and good luck trying to sleep tonight.
Cara Howe/Warner Bros. Companion (2025) Companion is a scary movie you should boot up and watch without much pre-Googling. It's clever, unsettling and thrilling, with great performances from Sophie Thatcher of Yellowjackets and Jack Quaid of The Boys. Produced by the filmmakers behind 2022's Barbarian, Companion sets the bar high for 2025 horror films.
Screenshot by CNET The Witch (2015) This historical horror movie pretty much guarantees nightmares. The disturbing film centers on a family in 1630s New England and marks Anya Taylor-Joy's film debut. Over the 90-minute flick, strange and shocking things happen to a farmer, his wife and their five children who've relocated to a remote area on the edge of a forest.
Warner Bros. Pictures The Shining (1980) If you're still on the hunt for a horror movie, you can't go wrong with The Shining, the excellent Stanley Kubrick-directed movie starring Jack Nicholson and Shelley Duvall. In this adaptation of a Stephen King novel, a writer (Nicholson) staying in a remote hotel with his family exhibits some troubling changes in behavior. This one will absolutely satisfy your horror cravings.
A24 Heretic (2024) The inclusion of Hugh Grant may draw you into this religious horror movie, but once you hit play, there's no escaping the creepiness of his character, Mr. Reed. Watch this one if you want to see if a pair of young missionaries are able to outwit their evil captor.
Csaba Aknay/A24 Midsommar (2019) Horrors take place in broad daylight in this haunting film from Ari Aster. Set at a midsummer festival in a remote Swedish village, Midsommar has plenty of disturbing surprises in store for its guests. Prepare for some shocking scenes and a gripping performance from Florence Pugh.
Lionsgate The Cabin in the Woods (2011) For surprises and plenty of nightmare fuel, The Cabin in the Woods is the way to go. The twisty and terrifying horror comedy introduces a group of unsuspecting college kids, including Chris Hemsworth, who head to a remote cabin for a fun weekend. The first half hour or so is relatively calm, but when the horror show starts, it doesn't let up.
A24 Pearl (2022) The Mia Goth-starring slasher Pearl is a prequel to Ti West's film X, centering on a younger version of the elderly villain in that flick. HBO Max carries X, Pearl and a third film in the series, MaXXXine, but I recommend Pearl if you only have time for one movie.
Eric Milner/Warner Bros. Final Destination Bloodlines (2025) Final Destination Bloodlines is the first film in the franchise in 14 years, and it won't be the last -- another entry with the co-writer of Bloodlines is officially in the works. Bloodlines manages to feel fresh while carrying on the series' well-known elaborate killings, premonitions and efforts to outwit death.
Universal Pictures Get Out (2017) Jordan Peele's directorial debut scored Oscar nominations for best picture, director and actor, and an Oscar win for best original screenplay. The twisty psychological horror flick stars Daniel Kaluuya as Chris, a Black man who unknowingly steps into danger when he meets his white girlfriend's family.
Warner Bros. Sinners (2025) Michael B. Jordan takes on two leading roles in this genre-bending film from Ryan Coogler (Creed, Black Panther). Sinners is a box office hit, but if you have yet to spend time with Smoke and Stack (or missed the post-credit scenes in theaters), now's your chance to stream it.
Orion Pictures The Silence of the Lambs (1991) Jodie Foster interviews Anthony Hopkins' evil Hannibal Lecter in this classic psychological thriller. Foster plays FBI agent Clarice Starling, who's determined to bring down a killer. It's the only horror movie ever to win a best picture Oscar, and it also won for best director, screenplay, actor (Hopkins) and actress (Foster) in 1992.
Warner Bros. It (2017) When this adaptation of the classic Stephen King novel hit theaters in 2017, it had moviegoers like me looking twice at storm drains and dreading red balloons. With a cast of intrepid kids and a lot of heart, it makes a compelling case for more supernatural coming-of-age stories. And a strong case against clowns.
Max/Screenshot by CNET Night of the Living Dead (1968) George Romero's first horror film is an easy recommendation. A group of survivors take refuge in a house while members of the undead swarm outside. The influential flick is often regarded as the first modern zombie movie, and while it may not offer Freddy Krueger-level frights, you'll be drawn in by the characters at the center of its story. You're going to want to leave the door open for this one (but in the case of an actual apocalypse, keep it very, very shut).
Warner Bros. Beetlejuice (1988) and Beetlejuice Beetlejuice (2024) Michael Keaton's ghost with the most is causing mayhem in two movies on HBO Max. You can watch the horror comedy Beetlejuice and its 2024 sequel, which both also include Winona Ryder and Catherine O'Hara in their casts, on the streaming service now.
Libra Films Eraserhead (1977) David Lynch's first feature-length film will make you feel like you're in a bizarre nightmare. The 90-minute black-and-white horror flick is packed with odd sounds and imagery, and the result is incredibly eerie. Don't even get me started on the main character's freakish, otherworldly looking "baby" (that's oddly still kind of cute?). There are messages about men and parenthood here, but even setting aside the bigger picture, Eraserhead's surreal world is absolutely worth a visit.