It’s movie night on the weekend. No more work for a couple of days, everyone’s tired after a busy week, and the children will probably go to bed early or hang out in a pajama party that hopefully, you won’t have to host. Your partner in crime is only expecting you to open the wine if you’re not a bloodsucking vampire or make popcorn if Ghostface doesn’t call first. The latest addition to the family comes in the form of HBO’s streaming service, Max.
We know time is like a currency nowadays, so we don’t want you to waste any of it. That’s why we’ve handpicked a list of titles that are available on Max for your enjoyment. Not everyone likes the same, so we’ve made sure to pick something of each horror subgenre. Who knows, maybe you’ll end up going on a horror marathon that’ll continue until Saturday morning. Just be careful, as none of these are family-friendly.
Updated on October 28th , 2024, by Soniya Hinduja: This article has been updated with additional content to keep the discussion fresh and relevant with even more information and new entries.
24 MaXXXine (2024)
Release Date July 5, 2024
Runtime 1h 43m
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MaXXXine is the movie that concludes Ti West’s X trilogy, and it’s a direct sequel to his 2022 movie, X. Set in 1980s Hollywood, it follows Maxine Minx, an adult film star and budding actress desperately wanting to achieve mainstream success. But before she can become famous, she finds herself embroiled in a series of murders involving the infamous Night Stalker. Soon, Maxine is forced to come face-to-face with her dark past.
Neatly Wraps Up the Trilogy
West’s direction, as usual, brings a unique blend of ‘80s nostalgia and unsettling horror, which not only makes MaXXXine a standout in the genre but also an enormously successful horror film of 2024. Mia Goth is a revelation once again in her captivating performance as the titular character. The film thrives on its visuals, visceral chills, and a gripping storyline.
23 I Saw the TV Glow (2024)
Release Date May 3, 2024
Director Jane Schoenbrun
Runtime 1h 40m
Writers Jane Schoenbrun
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A Sundance Film Festival premiere, this A24 horror follows Owen and Maddie, two high school students, otherwise isolated from the other kids their age but connecting with each other over their shared love of a mysterious young adult television show called The Pink Opaque. Their obsession with the show grows to the point where they see beyond the TV screen, and it leads them down a surreal path.
Mind-Bending Thriller
I Saw the TV Glow is a psychological horror with a deeper meaning about reality and identity. It is directed by Jane Schoenbrun, who intends to offer the viewers a disturbing experience, but at the same time, wants to draw attention to the emotional turmoil of her characters, who feel safe in a certain place but can’t be as liberated elsewhere. Justice Smith and Brigette Lundy-Paine are incredible at turning the movie into a must-watch.
22 Trap (2024)
Release Date August 2, 2024
Cast Josh Hartnett , Hayley Mills , Marnie McPhail , Vanessa Smythe , Saleka Shyamalan , Malik Jubal , Jonathan Langdon , Peter D’Souza , Ty Pravong , Kaitlyn Dallan
Written, directed, and produced by M. Night Shyamalan, Trap is another psychological thriller of the year that delivers what it promises. It centers around a father-daughter duo attending a concert but noticing a sinister presence and getting caught up in it. Apparently, the concert is actually a trap set by the FBI to capture a serial killer, which causes major chaos among the attendees.
Thrives on Hartnett’s Performances
As always, Shyamalan keeps the audiences on edge with the plot twists and the build-up of suspense, until the final reveal leaves them in awe of everything they just witnessed. Trap conveniently combines intrigue with horror, which the director is known for, and creates an eerie atmosphere throughout. Josh Hartnett plays the conflicted father, who’s also revealed to be the serial killer’s target, and Ariel Donoghue shines as the daughter. Overall, a darkly humorous and satisfying horror-thriller.
21 Beetlejuice (1988)
Release Date March 30, 1988
Runtime 92 minutes
Writers Michael McDowell , Larry Wilson , Warren Skaaren
With Beetlejuice Beetlejuice having established itself as a blockbuster sequel, it’s only fair to go back in time and rewatch the original 1988 movie. More of a dark fantasy/family comedy, Beetlejuice follows the misadventures of the recently deceased Adam and Barbara Maitland who are stuck as ghosts haunting their own house. When a new family, the Deetzes, moves in, they simply cannot scare them away. So they get help from the mysterious bio-exorcist, Betelgeuse, whose schemes quickly spiral out of control.
Only Gets Better With Age
Tim Burton crafted a deliciously dark comedy and infused it with his signature blend of macabre and quirky. A standout of the ‘80s, it featured memorable performances from Geena Davis, Alec Baldwin, and Michael Keaton (in what can only be described as his best role to date). The entertaining practical effects, the offbeat tone, and creative humor are what make the movie unique, timeless, and rewatchable every Halloween.
20 Caddo Lake (2024)
Director Logan George , Celine Held
Cast Dylan O’Brien , Eliza Scanlen , Caroline Falk , Lauren Ambrose , Sam Hennings , Diana Hopper , Eric Lange , Lance E. Nichols , Nina Leon , David Maldonado , Kim Baptiste , Jules Hilillo Fernandez
Runtime 104 Minutes
Writers Logan George , Celine Held
A supernatural thriller written and directed by Celine Held and Logan George, Caddo Lake takes place in the titular tight-knit community. It begins with the sudden disappearance of an eight-year-old girl named Ellie. After her family and the Caddo Lake community begin searching for her, they uncover a series of past deaths and mysterious disappearances, all of which lead to the presence of a supernatural force.
A Moody and Gripping Mystery
Drawing from the atmospheres of small-town horror classics, Caddo Lake impresses viewers with its setting. The intriguing mystery that binds all the minutes together escalates slowly and gradually and sets up a haunting finale. The movie stars Dylan O’Brien and Eliza Scanlen as Paris, a twenty-something guy who gets caught up in the mystery, and Ellie, respectively. The film is described by critics as a “delirious sci-fi thrill ride that washes over the senses.”
19 Funny Games (1997)
Release Date September 11, 1997
Cast Susanne Lothar , Ulrich Mühe , Arno Frisch , Frank Giering , Stefan Clapczynski
Runtime 108 Minutes
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Funny Games is a psychological horror movie written and directed by Michael Haneke. It centers around a family of three arriving at their holiday home in Austria to have a good time. Shortly after settling in, they are visited by two seemingly polite young men (whom they spotted at their neighbors’ on their drive here). They overstay their welcome, torment the family, and play a bizarre series of games with them for their own twisted amusement.
Haunting Imagery of Unknown Terror
Haneke focuses less on the graphics and more on the banality of evil. Even though his direction is controlled, the pacing is deliberate, and the politeness is only forced, the movie is so intense and shocking that the terror of not knowing when or how the pain will strike is what unsettles and stares the audience. Back when it was first shown at the 1997 Cannes Film Festival, one-third of the audience left the theater. Regardless, Funny Games is considered a masterpiece, specifically for subverting the slasher genre. It also led to an American remake starring Tim Roth and Naomi Watts.
18 Scream (1996)
Release Date December 20, 1996
Runtime 111
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The movie that rekindled people’s interest in the horror genre and brought back the gleeful gore of the ’80s slasher movies, Scream was the first in what would become a full-fledged, generation-defining horror franchise. It is set in the fictional town of Woodsboro, California, and it begins with a young woman named Sidney receiving a phone call from a mysterious person. Soon after, a killer in a Ghostface mask begins murdering her friends.
Revitalizes the Slasher Genre
By combining horror, comedy, and ingenious meta references, director Wes Craven and Kevin Williamson’s brilliant script breathed new life into overused tropes. Not only did the movie succeed on the commercial front, but it also garnered high praise from critics and fans for being self-aware, twisted, and downright terrifying. Scream pays homage to the classics, but it also redefines horror by offering fresh perspectives, unforgettable scream queens, and a meticulously executed plot. Overall, Scream is a charming horror classic.
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17 Paranormal Activity (2007)
Release Date October 16, 2009
Main Genre Horror
Runtime 86 minutes
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A found-footage horror that uses a simple setting to elevate the tension, Paranormal Activity tells the story of Katie and Micah, a young couple, who move into a new suburban neighborhood in San Diego. After they notice strange noises in the house, Katie insists they have something evil following them. The couple begins filming themselves sleeping every night and the camera captures all the incidents – from unexplained whispers to invisible attacks.
Builds Tension Out of a Minimal Budget
Shot on a shoestring budget, Paranormal Activity is Oren Peli’s independent passion project which he wrote, directed, edited, and produced. Peli fashions it as a guerrilla shocker that gripped audiences from the get-go. The minimalist setup and use of close-ups heightened the unease around every scene. Rather than relying on explicit scenes of violence, the movie centered itself on storytelling and pacing. Eventually, the cult classic spawned sequels and became a fan favorite.
16 Eyes Without a Face (1960)
Release Date October 24, 1962
Director Georges Franju
Cast Pierre Brasseur , Alida Valli , Juliette Mayniel , Alexandre Rignault , Edith Scob
Main Genre Horror
Eyes Without a Face is about a renowned Parisian plastic surgeon who is devastated after a car accident leaves his daughter’s face disfigured. Consumed by guilt, he resorts to unbelievable means to make her “beautiful” again – abducting unwitting women on the road late at night, removing their face skin to graft onto his daughter, then dumping their corpses into the river. A police investigation begins and Dr. Génessier eventually meets his fate.
An Elegant and Chilling Psychological Masterpiece
The French-language horror was met with polarizing reviews from critics and fans. While some lauded its strange yet compelling narrative, others were deeply unsettled by its imagery. Regardless, this Georges Franju-directed movie is considered a masterpiece in the history of cinema. Pierre Brasseur haunts as Doctor Génessier while Alida Valli excels as the deranged doctor’s guilt-ridden nurse. Shot with exquisite compositions and poetic undertones, its themes of obsession and fragility endure even today.
15 Sinister (2012)
Release Date March 29, 2012
Runtime 110
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In Sinister, Ethan Hawke plays the role of a struggling true-crime writer. Always on the lookout for inspiration, he finds a home in the fictional town of Chatford, Pennsylvania, where a family was murdered. He moves into the home with his own family with the intention of writing a biography about the case. While researching, he finds disturbing home videos in the house and the more he watches them, the more horrified he gets. When his family is threatened by the same supernatural forces, he must find the cause of the evil and extract it.
Relentlessly Scares and Unsettles
A genuinely terrifying supernatural tale that taps into some solid horror tropes, Sinister is a movie that fills you with immense dread about an impending scare, so when it eventually comes, even when it’s cheap, the impact is felt strongly. Under the direction of Scott Derrickson, Hawke immerses himself into the role of a man just beginning to unravel a sinister mystery. Meanwhile, the suspenseful scenes and the dreamlike imagery walk hand-in-hand in setting up an unforgettable climax.
14 Scanners (1981)
Release Date January 14, 1981
Director David Cronenberg
Cast Jennifer O’Neill , Stephen Lack , Patrick McGoohan , Lawrence Dane , Michael Ironside , Robert A. Silverman
One of David Cronenberg’s best and most inventive films, horror or otherwise, Scanners is especially notable for one particularly gross practical effects scene. As a whole, it’s gone on to be critically appreciated, standing as one of the most highly-regarded body horror films of all time. The film follows a world where there are men and women who have incredible telekinetic and telepathic powers. While most use their powers in discreet and safe ways, a rogue group wants to use them to take over the world.
An All-Time Great Body Horror Movie
Just as John Carpenter’s The Thing would experience the following year, Scanners was initially met with a mixed critical reaction. But, even at the time, everyone agreed Michael Ironside was terrifically scary as the scanner Darryl Revok. Far better appreciated now, the film has a cult status among horror fans and makes for a very entertaining watch amid all its gore and disturbing elements.
13 Midsommar (2019)
Release Date July 3, 2019
Cast Julia Ragnarsson , Rebecka Johnston , Henrik Norlén , William Jackson Harper , Gunnel Fred , Anna Åström , Will Poulter , Archie Madekwe , Louise Peterhoff , Björn Andrésen , Isabelle Grill , Jack Reynor , Florence Pugh , Liv Mjönes
Main Genre Horror
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Classified as a folk horror, Midsommar was directed by acclaimed director, Ari Aster and starred Florence Pugh as its lead. Together with Jack Reynor, the pair played a couple who are experiencing a period of dysfunction when they visit a friend’s hometown in Sweden to experience the fabled midsummer festival. However, their stay soon disintegrates into a nightmarish scenario when a pagan cult gets involved.
A Broad Daylight Terrifier
Aster’s direction is superbly dark, blending violence and psychological horror into a film that burrows under the skin. Most significantly, though, Pugh’s performance is fantastic, as she and the film both earned acclaim, with the movie garnering an impressive 83% critical rating on Rotten Tomatoes. A vivid picture, it’s an unsettling watch that makes for a refreshing change of pace from traditional supernatural horror.
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12 Godzilla (1954)
Release Date November 3, 1954
Director Ishirô Honda
Cast Takashi Shimura , Akihiko Hirata , Akira Takarada , Momoko Kôchi
Main Genre Sci-Fi
As the most expensive science fiction horror film ever made in Japan at the time of its release, Godzilla kickstarted a frenzy of monster epics and influenced many movies that came after, both there and in Western media. As a Kaiju film, the focus was on making its monster as massive and formidable as possible, and even giving him a backstory. The movie was released less than a decade after the atomic bombings, and Ishirō Honda described this indestructible, fire-breathing, prehistoric behemoth as a consequence of America testing its nuclear weapons.
The Beginning of a Monster Empire
Godzilla emerges out of the water and begins decimating Tokyo with his muscle power. The fact that Honda uses the country’s suffering and grief and channels it so powerfully makes Godzilla more than just a lizard rampage. Its cultural and cinematic impact was so loud that, for over 60 years, the monster has been re-created several times, a trend that continues to this day.
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11 Evil Dead Rise (2023)
Release Date April 21, 2023
Cast Alyssa Sutherland , Lily Sullivan , Gabrielle Echols , Morgan Davies , Nell Fisher , Mia Challis
The latest entry in a beloved franchise, Evil Dead Rise made its audience fall in love with the horror genre once again. Introducing a brand new nightmarish chapter, the film follows two estranged sisters trying to reunite. But their attempt is cut short when an earthquake-like situation leaves them stranded in the apartment with three children. Turns out that a band of flesh-possessing demons known as Deadites have risen, and a game of survival has begun.
A Triumphant (and Terrifying) Finale
A fantastic entrant to the franchise that reinvigorates it, Lee Cronin holds no bars in creating some of the most visceral scares seen on the big screen. Fans of the series have always trusted the saga to deliver toast-munching fun and grisly surprises and the movie does just that. However disturbing the scenes get, there is a subtle brand of humor that makes its campy carnage of 90 minutes more fun.
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10 Night of the Living Dead (1968)
Release Date October 4, 1968
Cast Duane Jones , Judith O’Dea , Karl Hardman , Marilyn Eastman , Keith Wayne , Judith Ridley
A movie that deserves a spot on this list is George Romero’s masterful low-budget 1968 black-and-white zombie classic. It didn’t just pioneer the zombie genre but also redefined what a horror movie could be. Undoubtedly, Night of the Living Dead remains a raw, chilling experience even five decades later. The story begins with a couple who visit a cemetery. The woman is attacked by a strange man, whom we soon realize is one of the living dead. She flees to an abandoned farmhouse and barricades herself along with several other survivors and that’s when the true horror begins.
An Economical, Creative, and Groundbreaking Zombie Feature
Perhaps the best thing about the film is its simple and confined setting. It allows the horror to unfold by portraying the characters’ worsening state of mind as they realize help is not coming but the zombies are. A brilliant psychological play to add to its other exceptional qualities, even on a small budget, there’s no doubting what a fantastic movie it is and why it’s become such a revered classic.
9 Eraserhead (1977)
Release Date March 19, 1977
Cast Jack Nance
Directed by David Lynch, Eraserhead is a twisted, surreal, and one-of-a-kind masterpiece. It’s the kind of movie with a plot that’s so unbelievable you’re going to have to watch it for it to be true. It follows a timid and frightened young man named Henry and his girlfriend who has given birth to a mutant baby that makes strange squealing and groaning noises.
Lynch at his Scariest
The dread develops throughout the entire setting. The dimly lit, run-down industrial wasteland of a home, no explanation as to what caused the baby’s condition, and the visual representation of Henry’s claustrophobia lend it a brilliantly disturbing edge. It might not be everyone’s cup of tea, but it remains a cult classic that is utterly unique and strangely fascinating.
8 The Conjuring (2013)
Release Date March 20, 2013
Writers Chad Hayes , Carey Hayes
Horrors are one thing and period horrors based on a true story are another. This chilling film by James Wan tells the supposedly real tale of Catholic spirituals Ed and Lorraine Warren investigating a haunted farmhouse in the 1970s. The Conjuring begins like most do: a family of five moves into a secluded farm to start anew only to experience increasingly disturbing and even violent incidents that leave them scared to the bone. The Warrens are brought in to figure out the cause and nature of these events and the rest of the movie is bathed in tension and horror as new events start happening as they document them.
Consistently Terrifying and Unnervingly Suspenseful
The film has some of the most realistic ’70s visual detail, unsettling sound design, and a straightforward narrative that only works to build up suspense. If you’re easily rattled, this movie will likely set off the alarm bells within the first half an hour, since its scares are relentless once they begin in earnest.
7 Cronos (1993)
Cronos (1993)
Release Date May 17, 1993
Cast Federico Luppi , Ron Perlman , Claudio Brook , Margarita Isabel , Tamara Shanath
Main Genre Horror
Directed by a very young Guillermo del Toro, Cronos is a great variation on the vampire genre and a pretty great example of international horror that’s always worth revisiting. Cronos follows an old antique dealer who finds a unique device that can transform others into dark vampiric creatures.
An All-Time Great Vampire Story
Horror films aren’t usually based on a premise with so much substance. With Cronos, fans will want to dig deeper. While many viewers don’t know this, Cronos also actually takes place in the same universe as the excellent Mexican film about cannibalism, We Are What We Are. For a debut feature, there is a striking sense of style. Moreover, it impressively balances the necessary chills with true emotion.
6 The Brood (1979)
Release Date May 25, 1979
Cast Art Hindle , Oliver Reed , Samantha Eggar , Susan Hogan
Runtime 92 min
David Cronenberg’s The Brood is a very intense film about divorce, motherhood, and trauma. It tells the story of a psychologist’s set of techniques through which evil materializes in the form of… something better worth seeing for yourself to avoid spoilers.
Stomach Churningly Gruesome
It stars the great Oliver Reed and its pivotal scene is full of controversies as it was cut by censors at the time: What do you think a woman can do in a Cronenberg film when she has a fetus in her hands? Pick this one today and find out if you dare. A cult classic, this one remains a disturbing watch nearly five decades later.
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5 Sisters (1972)
Sisters is a Brian de Palma film you probably never watched, at least until The Criterion Collection released it on home media. Luckily, fans can also watch it on Max. Without delving into too much to void spoilers, it tells the story of a fashion model who swears she saw a murder being committed by a reporter in the apartment across the street.
Rediscover This de Palma Classic
It stars the great Margot Kidder (Lois Lane from the Christoper Reeve Superman films), and the score is by Hitchcock’s frequent collaborator Bernard Herrmann. De Palma pays homage to his favorite director of all time, and it tells since the film features some masterful suspense. It’s harsh and brutal, not pulling any punches, creating a thrilling atmosphere.
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