It’s that time of year when pumpkin spice is in the air and Halloween looms around the corner, with many looking to get into the seasonal mood with great horror movies. With this spooky genre, however, it can be difficult to find truly great movies that you haven’t already seen.
With that in mind here are some hidden horror gems and where you can stream them:
10. The Void (Tubi)
Lovecraftian horror can be a difficult tone to nail, but The Void is a fascinating movie that does just that.
Set mostly within a small-town hospital, The Void features some excellent monsters entirely presented with practical effects. This is most definitely a 1980’s throwback that will keep you on the edge of your seat.
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9. Caveat (Shudder & AMC Plus)
Caveat opens with a man suffering from memory loss who takes on the role of caring for a mentally ill woman on an isolated island. This woman is his landlord’s daughter Olga who incites a cat-and-mouse game around the house as her condition slowly deteriorates.
This Irish horror ratchets up the tension despite its low budget through a twisted supernatural story and interesting set design.
8. The Blackcoat’s Daughter (Fubo TV)
Split over three separate timelines, this underappreciated horror centers around two girls, Kat and Rose who are battling an ominous force while left alone at their catholic school over the winter break.
When the storylines finally collide, an unforgettable ending is sure to leave you mulling it over for weeks to come.
7. Relic (AMC Plus)
A strong debut from director Natalie Erika James, Relic follows a mother and daughter searching for the family’s missing grandmother at their decaying countryside home.
What follows is a tense plot that keeps you guessing while building a strong feeling of atmospheric dread throughout.
6. The Lodge (Hulu)
Another fantastically atmospheric hidden horror gem is 2019’s The Lodge. This movie follows two children and their stepmother who become stranded in a snowstorm over Christmas.
What ensues is a series of strange events soaked in some very heavy themes culminating in a thrilling, symbolic conclusion. You can watch The Lodge on Hulu.
5. The Monster (Fubo TV)
From the director of the classic horror movie The Strangers, The Monster is a stylish, focused, and massively underrated effort.
The plot involves a mother and daughter facing off against the titular monster on an isolated rural road after they hit a wolf and their car breaks down. It is quite simple but hugely effective, utilizing brilliant practical effects and unique creature design.
4. Possessor (Rent on Amazon Video)
Possessor is the debut feature film from the son of acclaimed horror director David Cronenberg. Following in his father’s footsteps, Brandon Cronenberg delivers a thought-provoking, unsettling, and downright disturbing story.
It tells the story of an assassin who takes out her targets by possessing the bodies of unknowing individuals. This tale is very creative and sees the main character Tasya grappling with her own sense of identity. You can only buy or rent the Possessor from Amazon.
3. Bone Tomahawk (Roku, Hoopla, and Pluto TV)
Horror and Western are not two genres you usually hear in the same sentence, but director S. Craig Zehler masterfully mashes up the two styles in this deeply unsettling slow burner starring Kurt Russell.
After some townspeople are kidnapped by a cannibal tribe, the sheriff rounds up a posse of gunslingers to cross the desert, confront the cave dwellers and rescue the captives.
Wholly original, deeply disturbing, and wonderfully acted, Bone Tomahawk is a slow-burn genre mashup that every fan of horror and western movies should experience.
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2. Creep (Netflix)
There are many found-footage horror movies out there, but Creep is one that is remarkably memorable due to the charismatic performance by the lead star and writer Mark Duplass.
A freelance videographer named Aaron responds to a request from a mysterious post on a message board and sets out to a remote cabin in the woods to meet a strange man called Josef. He claims that he is dying and asks Aaron to film a day-in-life-style documentary for his young son to watch after he is gone. Of course, all is not what it seems and Creep goes on to cement itself as one of the strongest found footage horror films in the genre.
1. The Invitation (Netflix)
The Invitation immediately makes you feel uncomfortable as we witness Will (Logan Marshall-Green) attending a dinner party after receiving an invite from his ex-wife.
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The other guests begin acting strange, leading to some staggering revelations that are impossible to discuss here without spoiling them. With a killer script, strong performances, and a jaw-dropping ending, The Invitation is surely one of the best and most underrated horror movies of all time.