October may be over, but for those of us who aren’t done with the frights, there are still plenty of screams to be had. While the Halloween season is primed to satisfy all thrill-seeking urges, some people just can’t get enough of the high adrenaline movies that are so conducive to the spooky season.
Compiled below is a breakdown of some of the best horror movies and series on streaming services right now. Whether you’re a seasoned fan or new to the genre, this list provides some of the more popular modern horror hits of the past decade alongside some deeper cuts for the few who dare to watch …
Netflix:
“The Fall of the House of Usher”
A gothic horror miniseries based off of a collection of modernized Edgar Allen Poe stories — what’s there not to love? It’s a horror mystery centered around the illustrious Usher family, a house that sits atop the fictional big pharma empire of Fortunato. The Usher fortune runs out as one by one, the heirs to the Usher throne begin to die in gruesome ways. It’s a race against death itself to get to the bottom of this mystery — one that is creative and ingenuitive in a way that would make even Poe proud.
“Creep”
In this found-footage cult classic, a videographer is hired by an off-putting, terminally ill man who requested he film a video diary of his final weeks for his unborn child. As the man’s actions become more unhinged, the videographer protagonist begins to question the truth behind the man’s story. In a flurry of some of the most deeply unsettling moments ever filmed, “Creep” will leave you absolutely speechless by the end of its bite-sized runtime.
Max:
“Evil Dead Rise”
There is no preface to put here that will prepare you for the absolute gore-fest that is this title. It’s the perfect homage to the old franchise in the sense that it is so gut-wrenchingly brutal yet charmingly campy. It’s the classic Necronomicon possession story, but the narrative is more of just a vehicle for some of the most jaw-dropping violence this franchise has ever produced. This one is not for the faint of heart.
“Hereditary”
There isn’t much to say about “Hereditary” that hasn’t been said already. Hailed for multiple years as one of the “top-10 scariest movies according to science,” “Hereditary” provides a type of dreadful psychological horror that has not been replicated since its release. Centered around a family who inherited an ancestral curse after the passing of a relative, director Ari Aster delivers in this modern horror masterpiece.
Paramount+:
“X”
The first film in director Ti West’s “Pearl” Universe, “X” does a fantastic job as a standalone movie and in setting up the prequel “Pearl.” Mia Goth is the spitting image of a perfect “final girl” in this slasher, in which a group of aspiring adult film stars attempt to shoot a movie in the guest house of a deranged elderly couple. It’s the pinnacle of what slasher films can do in the genre, and there is honestly a pretty interesting message behind the multifaceted protagonist for the more critical viewers.
“World War Z”
Upon the release of “World War Z,” it was a blockbuster success that reinvigorated the zombie genre’s position in the cultural sphere with Brad Pitt as the face of it. Since then, it seems as if the popularity of the film has tapered off along with the zombie craze. Let this serve as a reminder that “World War Z” is an awesome depiction of the wildly entertaining chaos that comes with any zombie picture — and it’s bigger and better than ever in this action-horror meld.
Amazon Prime Video:
“Smile”
Arguably the most popular horror movie from last year, there is a good reason why “Smile” is touted as much as it is. Despite a controversially cringey advertising campaign, the movie is surprisingly psychological and not reliant on traditional jump-scares as the trailers made it seem. At the heart of this picture is a super creative story with a well-acted protagonist who slowly devolves into mania. A must-watch for horror lovers everywhere.
“Hell House LLC”
The final entry on the list is another found-footage film, this time in a documentary format relating the events of a mass murder in a commercial haunted house. As a group of friends decide to make some extra cash by advertising a haunt in an abandoned hotel, the grim history of the building reveals itself through a series of bone-chilling moments that culminate in the mental infiltration of its inhabitants. It’s classic indie horror, making a huge profit on almost no budget at all. A good recommendation for those who enjoy the mockumentary format.