Midsommar (2019)

Horrors take place in broad daylight in this haunting film from Ari Aster. Set at a midsummer festival in a remote Swedish village, Midsommar has plenty of disturbing surprises in store for its guests. Prepare for some shocking scenes and a gripping performance from Florence Pugh.

Companion (2025)

Companion is a scary movie you should boot up and watch without much Googling ahead of time. It's clever, unsettling and thrilling, with great performances from Sophie Thatcher of Yellowjackets and Jack Quaid of The Boys. Produced by the filmmakers behind 2022's Barbarian, Companion sets the bar high for 2025 horror films. 

Weapons (2025)

Amy Madigan won an Oscar for her performance in Weapons. In the mystery-horror movie, 17 kids go missing on the same night at the same time, and no one knows where they went or why. Video footage seems to show that children left their houses on their own. Weapons follows shaken members of the community, including the students' teacher (Julia Garner) and a parent (Josh Brolin).

The Conjuring (2013) and The Conjuring 2 (2016)

HBO Max has added The Conjuring: Last Rites, which marks the last appearance of Vera Farmiga and Patrick Wilson as paranormal investigators Lorraine and Ed Warren. But there's nothing to stop you from revisiting the demonologists' earlier exploits in The Conjuring and The Conjuring 2 -- arguably the best films in the franchise.

It (2017)

When this adaptation of the classic Stephen King novel hit theaters in 2017, it had moviegoers like me looking twice at storm drains and dreading red balloons. With a cast of intrepid kids and a lot of heart, it makes a compelling case for more supernatural coming-of-age stories. And a strong case against clowns. 

Get Out (2017)

Jordan Peele's directorial debut scored Oscar nominations for best picture, director and actor, and an Oscar win for best original screenplay. The twisty psychological horror flick stars Daniel Kaluuya as Chris, a Black man who unknowingly steps into danger when he meets his white girlfriend's family.

Heretic (2024)

The inclusion of Hugh Grant may draw you into this religious horror movie, but once you hit play, there's no escaping the creepiness of his character, Mr. Reed. Watch this one if you want to see if a pair of young missionaries are able to outwit their evil captor.

Sinners (2025)

Michael B. Jordan takes on two leading roles in this genre-bending film from Ryan Coogler (Creed, Black Panther). Sinners is a box office hit, but if you have yet to spend time with Smoke and Stack (or missed the post-credit scenes in theaters), now's your chance to stream it. The film won four Oscars out of a record-breaking 16 nominations.

The Witch (2015)

This historical horror movie pretty much guarantees nightmares. The disturbing film centers on a family in 1630s New England and marks Anya Taylor-Joy's film debut. Over the 90-minute flick, strange and shocking things happen to a farmer, his wife and their five children who've relocated to a remote area on the edge of a forest. 

Evil Dead Rise (2023)

A family accidentally unearths some unimaginable evils in this gory supernatural horror story. It's the fifth entry in the film franchise after The Evil Dead (1981), Evil Dead II (1987), Army of Darkness (1992) and Evil Dead (2013).

Final Destination Bloodlines (2025)

Final Destination Bloodlines is the first film in the franchise in 14 years, and it won't be the last -- another entry with the co-writer of Bloodlines is officially in the works. Bloodlines manages to feel fresh while carrying on the series' well-known elaborate killings, premonitions and efforts to outwit death.

Night of the Living Dead (1968)

George Romero's first horror film is an easy recommendation. A group of survivors take refuge in a house while members of the undead swarm outside. The influential flick is often regarded as the first modern zombie movie, and while it may not offer Freddy Krueger-level frights, you'll be drawn in by the characters at the center of its story. You're going to want to leave the door open for this one (but in the case of an actual apocalypse, keep it very, very shut).

Eraserhead (1977)

David Lynch's first feature-length film will make you feel like you're in a bizarre nightmare. The 90-minute black-and-white horror flick is packed with odd sounds and imagery, and the result is incredibly eerie. Don't even get me started on the main character's freakish, otherworldly looking "baby" (that's oddly still kind of cute). There are messages about men and parenthood here, but even setting aside the bigger picture, Eraserhead's surreal world is absolutely worth a visit. 

Beetlejuice Beetlejuice (2024)

The 1988 horror comedy Beetlejuice may not be on HBO Max, but you can catch Michael Keaton's ghost with the most in the 2024 sequel. Winona Ryder and Catherine O'Hara also reprise their roles in the spooky follow-up film.