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The best horror movies you can stream on Amazon Prime
Halloween may not be right around the corner, but you can still enjoy a good scary movie! Amazon Prime Video provides a huge selection of horror flicks, from classic monster movies of the silent era to modern art-horror films. So, if you are in for a good scare, we have included the best movies that are available with your Amazon Prime subscription. Without further ado, here are the best horror movies you can stream on Amazon Prime Video today.
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The best horror movies on Amazon Prime Video:
Editor’s note: We will update this list of the best horror movies on Amazon Prime regularly as new movies arrive on the subscription or we simply find something better.
Train to Busan (2016)
You may have thought that the zombie film and TV trend was getting oversaturated by 2016. Of course, it took a film from South Korea to show that there is still some life (pun intended) in this genre. The film shows the beginnings of a zombie outbreak onboard, and outside, a high speed commuter train from Seoul that’s heading for a “safe zone” in the city of Busan
While this film is an enjoyable “fast zombie” action film, it also has some heart in it as well, as one of the train’s passengers, a man who thinks of his career first before his family, has to help keep his daughter alive. It’s one of the best movies on Amazon Prime Video.
Oculus (2013)
Before he became one of Netflix’s biggest original creators with movies like Gerard’s Game and TV series like The Haunting of Hill House and Midnight Mass, Mike Flanagan co-wrote and directed this small budgeted 2013 horror film. It certainly shares some of the same themes he has used in his later work, mainly how tragedy in a family can continue to affect the children for years. Karen Gillan plays a woman who is convinced that a mirror that once belonged to her family actually caused the death of her parents. She wants to prove that point to exonerate her brother, who was the one that was actually blamed for their deaths. There are some very creepy and scary scenes in this film and its one of the best horror movies on Amazon Prime.
The Lighthouse (2019)
Robert Eggers hit it out of the park with his directorial debut, The Witch. In 2019, he makes another period horror film with The Lighthouse, with two well-known actors, Willem Dafoe and Robert Pattinson.
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Set in the late 19th century, the two actors play characters who are manning a remote lighthouse on the New England coast. That’s all we wish to say about this movie. The rest of this black-and-white movie you should experience for yourself. While it’s not as supernatural as The White, it is without a doubt one of the best horror movies on Amazon Prime.
When A Stranger Calls (1979)
The original 1979 version of this classic horror film truly has one of the scariest opening sequences in movie history and has been referenced and parodied in multiple films ever since (most notably in the Scream franchise) Carol Kane plays a babysitter to two kids on one fateful night, when she gets a call from an unknown person, asking her if she has checked the children. The suspense in this sequence goes up and up until the very end. The rest of the movie isn’t quite as good, but it’s still worth checking out. It’s one of the best horror movies on Amazon Prime Video.
Vivarium (2020)
Imogen Poots and Jesse Eisenberg play a young couple in this 2020 movie. Like many young couples, they are searching for a nice, afforable house to live in. They get directed to a new housing development called Yonder. All of the houses in this development look exactly the same. The two people try to leave Yonder, but for some reason, they are unable to do so. However, being trapped in a housing development is the least of their problems.
Suspiria (2018)
Inspired by the 1977 Italian film of the same name, Suspiria is more of a reimagining than a remake of the horror classic. It sees Susie Bannion, a young American, audition to be part of a prestigious dance group in West Berlin. As she studies there, sinister things begin happening to those around her. One of the dance students disappears after confiding to her therapist that her teachers are involved in the occult.
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Suspiria’s unique blend of violence, dance, and hypnotic visuals make it seem like you’re watching a forbidden ancient ritual. It’s both enthralling and unnerving, thanks to Luca Guadagnino’s excellent direction. Some critics might pan it as pretentious, but it is one of the best horror movies of recent years, nonetheless.
V/H/S (2012)
Before the streaming movie era, independent horror movies filled the local video stores with VHS and DVD titles. This 2012 anthology attempts to bring back the spirit of those old indie low budget horror movies, but with some new spins. The films were made by acclaimed modern indie horror directors, including Ti West and Adam Wingard, and the film itself has spawned even more sequels and spin-off movies.
We Need To Talk About Kevin (2012)
Tilda Swinton is perfectly cast in this 2012 horror movie. She plays a mother to a son that is flat-out evil. She watches her son get older and darker inside but doesn’t seem to be able to do anything about his state of mind. Things get even creepier until the final sequences.
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This is a truly frightening movie about the fears all parents have about raising a child, but bumped up to the Nth degree.
Night of the Living Dead (1968)
If there is a movie we can call a true zombie classic, it is without a question George Romero’s Night of the Living Dead. Written, directed, and edited by Romero, the film was shot on a measly $114,000 budget but raked in millions. The movie begins with Barbra and her brother Johnny visiting their father’s grave, as they are suddenly attacked by a strange ghoulish man. Johnny dies, while Barbra barely escapes with her life. She is saved by a stranger and they are forced to barricade in a house as the hoards of undead approach.
If the plot sounds familiar, it is because it has been emulated repeatedly in the decades after Night of the Living Dead’s release. At the time, the film delivered a first-of-its-kind true apocalyptic horror, ushering in a new age for the genre and setting the standards for horror films for decades to come. If you haven’t seen it, do yourself a favor and watch it on Prime Video today via the free IMDb TV channel.
Hellraiser (1987)
Hellraiser was a wickedly evil film for its time. It is based on The Hellbound Heart — a 1986 novella written by Clive Barker. Surprisingly, the author also wrote the screenplay and directed the film, breathing life into the Cenobites on the big screen. The plot revolves around a mysterious puzzle box that summons the otherworldly creatures. They have forgotten the difference between pain and pleasure and are capable of horrifying things.
Hellraiser is a horror cult classic. In a decade when most horror villains were slashers, it offered something different, bizarre, and taboo. It might not have the same impact today as it did when it was released, but it is still one of the best horror movies you need to check out on Amazon Prime.
Best Horror movies on Amazon Prime – honorable mentions
Want to watch more scary movies? Here are a few on Amazon Prime Video that didn’t quite make our top list:
- Piranha – This is a fun 1978 Jaws ripoff that’s also an early film from director Joe Dante.
- Turistas – A trip to the Brazilian wilderness goes wrong for a group of friends in this movie.
- The Crazies – A new virus turns most of the residents of a small town into psychopaths, and the remaining few that are uninfected try to leave town.
- The Night Eats The World – A man in Paris wakes up one day after a long party, only to find out that the city is crawling with zombies.
- Intruders – Three thieves break into a house that has a woman dealing with agoraphobia, but the thieves soon learn she has other issues as well.
That wraps up our list of the best horror movies on Amazon Prime members can stream right now. We’ll update this post with new options once they make it to the streaming service.