Nowadays we have so many streaming services that it’s incredibly hard to find one that does it all but in particular for horror fans, so many services offer different offerings that it’s hard to know which service is worth putting your hard-earned money on.
This list will highlight some of the strengths and weaknesses of each service and provide you with some examples of their library of content.
10. Disney+
Highlighted Titles: Return to Oz, Hocus Pocus
OK, how do we say this? Disney+ is very much horror adverse. The streaming service will continuously list movies as ‘thrillers’ and not horror movies. In the US it’s far worse, but in many international markets like Canada they roll in Hulu content with Disney+ making the offerings a lot stronger but with it’s inconsistency it’s hard to rank this anywhere else but in the 10th place spot.
9. Peacock
Highlighted Titles: The Invisible Man (2020), The Changeling, The Exorcist III
Peacock is NBC Universal’s streaming service and as such, its content is geared towards that studio. Luckily, they make some pretty great horror movies.
The only issue here is that most of these movies the hardcore horror fan likely has seen already, and most of their originals fall flat. Still, if you’re new to horror you best give it a month or two to watch some of the classics.
8. Paramount+
Highlighted Titles: Smile, Scream VI, Bodies, Bodies, Bodies, A Quiet Place
Like Peacock, Paramount+ is geared towards a specific studio, in this case, Paramount.
While Paramount+ does pad out its library with less interesting titles; the service does offer a ton of classic horror movies and some great newer horror movies from Paramount. Whether you’re binging the Scream series or watching newer flicks like Smile there’s a good host of content to watch.
7. Hulu
Highlighted Titles: Alien, Aliens, Prey, Evil Dead (2013), Barbarian, The Menu
Hulu plays host to most of 20th Century Fox’s horror movie library of films and IP’s and it’s proven to be a great selection for horror fans. You have the classics like Alien, or its sequel, Aliens. You also have some great newer content like Prey, Barbarian, or The Menu. It’s a balanced collection of new and old and should entertain both new fans to the genre as well as existing horror fans.
6. Netflix
Highlighted Titles: The Babysitter, Fear Street Trilogy, Creep, Midnight Mass, The Haunting of Hill House, I’m Thinking of Ending Things
While the predominant streaming service early on, many of Netflix’s partners have left to start their own streaming service and while the catalogue isn’t as robust as it used to be, it’s still pretty extensive.
Most of Netflix’s horror content these days is original content like the Fear Street Trilogy, Apostle, The Babysitter, or anything Mike Flanagan has done for the streaming giant. There are also a few titles from other studios such as Annihilation, Crimson Peak, and The Ring.
5. Prime Video
Highlighted Titles: The Return of the Living Dead, Night of the Living Dead, Train to Busan, Hellraiser
Amazon’s video streaming service, Prime Video, offers a whole host of horror content. It’s also included in your Amazon Prime membership, so there’s a good chance you already have access to this content.
For better or worse Prime Video is flooded with content, and this can make finding a good movie hard to do but between some 80’s slashers, zombie movies, or even some modern gems there’s a diverse selection of content available.
4. Tubi
Highlighted Titles: Suspiria (1977), The Texas Chain Saw Massacre, Day Of The Dead, Ginger Snaps
Tubi is a free, ad-supported streaming service and as such it attracts a pure wealth of content that no other streaming service can draw. I mean you can watch 1,000+ horror movies on Tubi which is well above the selection available on any other service.
It however loses points for it’s awful UI that fails to organize films in a cohesive or organized manner.
3. HBO Max
Highlighted Titles: The Silence of the Lambs, A Nightmare on Elm Street, The Fly (1986), The Conjuring, The Shining, Poltergeist
Simply put, HBO Max has some of the largest library of iconic horror classics and essential films to view. It’s an impressive library that’s great for any and all horror fans.
2. Arrow
Highlighted Titles: Audition, The Mutilator, Killer Klowns from Outer Space, The Crazies (1973)
Aside from our Number 1 pick, Arrow video has some of the most diverse and eclectic content out there. From obscure slashers like Phantom of the Mall: Eric’s Revenge, The Mutilator, and The Slumber Party Massacre. To Giallo classics like Deep Red, The Bird with the Crystal Plumage, and Torso.
While this content is likely a deeper cut than most casual or newer fans of horror may appreciate; for those who are willing and brave to check out some crazier deep cuts, Arrow has you covered
1. Shudder
Highlighted Titles: Pieces, Halloween, Halloween 4: The Return of Michael Myers, The Amusement Park, Dead & Buried, Skinamarink, Tourist Trap, Henry: Portrait of a Serial Killer, Demons, One Cut Of The Dead, Mandy, Perfect Blue, Mad God, Re-Animator, The Last Drive-In With Joe Bob Briggs
Honestly, was there ever any doubt about who’d be Number 1?
Shudder has it all. Classic horror movies from decades past, newer movies that push the genre, great horror-centric documentaries, and live shows like The Last Drive-In With Joe Bob Briggs. There’s enough here for a horror fan of any level to find stuff to enjoy.
That’s our list. What do you think of the list?
For more on Halloween, make sure to check out Fright-A-Thon, the Halloween content marathon!