Whether you're a self-proclaimed horror fan, or you only watch scary movies on Halloween with your hands over your eyes, there's something for everyone in this genre. From popular franchises that just won't quit to the classic films that started huge trends, there's no better time to explore the spookiest movies that are streaming right now. And with some of horror's biggest series spawning even more sequels, it's crucial to revisit where it all began. Here, we round up 30 of the best horror movies available on Prime Video right now, that will have you repeating "Candyman" three times while looking in the mirror (and then hiding under your bed covers).
A Quiet Place Part II (2020)
The sequel to A Quiet Place picks right up where the first film left off, with the now-widowed Evelyn Abbott (Emily Blunt) venturing into the world with her children. The fight against the hearing-sensitive aliens continues, but without the safety of home to protect them, the remaining Abbotts face new dangers, including the world's most scrupulous people. The universe is set to expand even further in a third installment, and a prequel.
Candyman (2021)
Whether or not you've seen the 1992 original or any of its sequels, Nia DaCosta's Candyman is a stylish thriller that's equal parts jump scares and smart social commentary. After hearing the legend of Candyman, visual artist Anthony (Yahya Abdul-Mateen II) visits the Cabrini-Green housing projects in Chicago to research a new project. However, the more Anthony finds out about the so-called Candyman, the more he's drawn into a terrifying mystery that won't let him go.
Carrie (1976)
No one has played Stephen King's Carrie quite like Sissy Spacek. This coming-of-age horror story focuses on an unpopular teenage girl who's lived an extremely sheltered childhood with an overprotective, religious mother. When Carrie is invited to the prom, she accepts, hoping for a magical evening. However, the events that transpire change the entire town forever, and trigger an awakening in Carrie that she didn't think possible. Oodles of blood, a healthy dose of telekinesis, and a young John Travolta make this a must-see.
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Children of the Corn (1984)
Based on Stephen King's short story of the same name, 1984's Children of the Corn is a classic slasher you probably watched at a sleepover growing up. A couple moves to a quiet rural town with burgeoning corn fields. However, they're soon confronted with a series of gruesome murders carried out by a religious sect. The mysterious group is entirely composed of children, controlled by a supernatural entity referred to only as "He Who Walks Behind the Rows."
Come to Daddy (2019)
If you're after a horror movie that'll make you audibly ask, "What the f*ck?" every few minutes, 2019's Come to Daddy is for you. Elijah Wood stars as Norval, a wealthy young man who travels to a secluded cabin in Oregon at the behest of his estranged father, Brian. However, the overdue reunion is completely bizarre, quickly turns violent, and involves multiple bodies, unbelievable revelations, meat cleavers, dirty motel rooms, and a cool '80s-inspired aesthetic. What more could you possibly want?
Daniel Isn't Real (2019)
Based on a book by Daniel DeLeeuw, imaginary friends turn violent in this quirky horror flick. After witnessing a mass shooting as a child, Luke turns to Daniel, a young boy he meets right after the attack. However, Daniel's hold over Luke proves to be strong, and almost leads him to commit matricide. After banishing Daniel for a number of years, Luke's imaginary friend returns during a particularly anxiety-inducing period of his life. And just like before, Daniel is quick to encourage violence, except this time he looks like Patrick Schwarzenegger.
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Dark Water (2005)
A remake of Hideo Nakata's 2002 Japanese horror movie of the same name, Jennifer Connelly stars as single mother Dahlia in Dark Water. To get away from her ex-husband, Dahlia moves her daughter into a new apartment block. However, dark water starts leaking through the ceiling, and attempts to fix the problem only make it worse. The dripping starts seeping into Dahlia's dreams, too, and she begins to unravel a much bigger mystery than she ever imagined.
Gonjiam: Haunted Asylum (2018)
This South Korean found-footage movie focuses on a film crew who decide to conduct a live broadcast from an abandoned asylum. But what starts out as a series of fake scares designed to generate a bigger audience, quickly turns into a real-life nightmare. The fact that Gonjiam is based on a real-life psychiatric hospital of the same name only adds to the realistic feel of Jung Bum-shik's 2018 film.
Hellraiser (1987)
With Hulu's new Hellraiser incarnation on the way, it's the perfect time to revisit the original movie that kickstarted a franchise. Horror icon Clive Barker turned his own novella, The Hellbound Heart, into 1987's Hellraiser, which tells the story of a puzzle box known as The Lament Configuration. However, anyone who solves the puzzle ends up summoning Cenobites, horrifying creatures from another dimension, perpetually trapped between pleasure and pain. Pinhead will haunt your dreams forevermore.
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Jennifer's Body (2009)
Megan Fox stars as Jennifer, a popular high-school girl possessed by a demon with a penchant for killing teenage boys. Amanda Seyfried plays Jennifer's best friend Needy, who's not exactly on board with her bestie's extracurricular activities. With a script from Oscar winner Diablo Cody, Jennifer's Body bubbles with wit and acerbic pop culture references. Unappreciated upon its initial release, the film has since deservedly found a cult following.
Night of the Living Dead (1968)
The first in what's become a seriously successful horror series, George A. Romero literally changed the horror landscape with 1968's Night of the Living Dead.The movie focuses on a group of people in rural Pennsylvania who get stuck in a farmhouse when the walking dead start roaming the earth. The flesh-eating corpses relentlessly hunt the living, and this 1968 classic is responsible for so much of the blood-lust zombie creations we see on our screens today.
Oculus (2013)
Before Netflix's The Haunting of Hill House and Midnight Mass, Mike Flanagan directed 2013's Oculus starring Karen Gillan. Oculus tells the story of a brother and sister who are trying to rebuild their relationship following the devastating deaths of their parents ten years earlier. Kaylie (Gillan) believes that a family heirloom known as the Lasser Glass is somehow responsible for the tragedies that befell their family. Supernatural and often gory, Oculus is an old-fashioned horror story in which literal evil comes to life.
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Paranormal Activity (2007)
Oren Peli's low-budget horror movie was shot for just $15,000, but soon became a worldwide sensation thanks to its inventive and very real-looking scares. The film follows Katie and Micah, a young couple who move into a new house, but it's not long before strange things start happening through the night. Katie claims she's been haunted by an evil presence since she was a child, so Micah decides to set up a video camera to capture anything creepy that might happen while they're asleep. Many sequels have followed, but nothing can match the unexpected terror and simplicity of the first.
Saint Maud (2019)
Hospice nurse and Christian devotee Maud starts caring for new patient Amanda, a retired dancer dying from cancer. The reclusive Maud quickly decides she's been tasked with saving Amanda's soul from eternal damnation before she passes, regardless of what it takes. However, Maud's past sins come back to haunt her, and evil forces appear to be preventing her from completing her (seriously misguided) mission.
Saw (2004)
Whether you love or hate the Saw movies, it's impossible to deny their influence in pop culture. The first film in the franchise delighted audiences upon its release, thanks to its unexpected twists, surprising new horror characters (Billy the Puppet!), and an unpredictable ending. While not everyone's a fan of the so-called "torture p*rn" genre, 2021 saw Chris Rock join the franchise in Spiral: From the Book of Saw, a new story set within the same universe.
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Spell (2020)
While traveling to his father's funeral, Marquis (Omari Hardwick) crash lands his plane and wakes up in a strange attic. Badly injured from the accident, Marquis finds himself being cared for by Ms. Eloise (Loretta Devine), a woman who claims she can nurse him back to health with the help of a hoodoo figure made from his own blood and skin. As the blood moon approaches, Marquis finds himself in a race against time to save his family from a dark magic ritual. Hardwick and Devine help make Spell a creepy and twisted horror flick that's bound to surprise you.
Teeth (2007)
Dawn, who has grown up near to a nuclear power plant, is a staunch member of her high school's chastity club. However, when she enters a new relationship, she soon discovers that she may be a little different from other girls, and that's because her vagin* has literal teeth. Combining dark humor with gruesome body horror, Teeth explores the vagin* dentata myth, and its female characters most definitely have the power here.
The Blair Witch Project (1999)
Breathing new life into the found-footage genre, The Blair Witch Project is a fictional docu-film which follows three students as they research a local legend called the Blair Witch. Viewers are told that the filmmakers disappeared while making their film, but their footage was discovered, and showcases all the spooky things they witnessed out in the woods. The low-budget flick scared audiences thanks to its very "real" look, and launched a horror franchise in the process.
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The Silence of the Lambs (1991)
Jodie Foster stars as FBI agent Clarice Starling, who starts investigating a serial killer who skins his female victims. She enlists the help of Dr. Hannibal Lecter (Anthony Hopkins), an imprisoned serial killer and cannibal, who is also a respected psychiatrist. The movie won five Academy Awards, spawned several sequels, and started a trend for adapting the work of Thomas Harris. See next: the Hannibal TV series.
Train to Busan (2016)
Have you ever wondered what you'd do if a zombie outbreak happened while you were trapped on a speeding cross-country train? If so, then Train to Busan will be an actual nightmare brought to life. Seok-woo, a divorced businessman who loves his job a little too much, is traveling on a train with his daughter, Su-an, when an unexplained virus starts spreading across South Korea. Bloody, tense, non-stop horror.
Amy Mackelden
Contributing Writer
Amy Mackelden is a freelance writer, editor, and disability activist. Her bylines include Harper's BAZAAR, Nicki Swift, Cosmopolitan, Marie Claire, ELLE, The Independent, Bustle, Healthline, and HelloGiggles. She co-edited The Emma Press Anthology of Illness, and previously spent all of her money on Kylie Cosmetics.
