null - Welcome to Halloweentown! This spooky season, we'll be bringing you a fresh crop of scary movies to watch every week – one for every day of the scariest month of the year.
Not all of these movies are available for free – though several of them are! – but all are available to either rent or stream. We've got classics, cult faves, new flicks and familiar screams alike.
And come back next week for a fresh crop of scares! Next time, we're highlighting seven spooky classics aimed at ghouls of all ages, from classics like "The Wizard of Oz" to more modern masterpieces, like "Coraline." But this batch is aimed exclusively at grown-ups and teens who are good with a few jump-scares.
Read on – if you dare.
Slither (2006) – streaming for free on Tubi
James Gunn’s 2006 dark horror comedy has become a cult classic in the years since its premiere — not bad for a guy making his directorial debut. As you might expect from a movie about sentient alien larvae, it gets pretty gross, but that’s all part of the fun. "The Suicide Squad" cast members Michael Rooker, Nathan Fillion and Sean Gunn (the director’s brother and frequent collaborator) star alongside Elizabeth Banks and Gregg Henry. Read more about what makes "Slither" so good. Rated R. 95 minutes. Dir: James Gunn. Also featuring Tania Saulnier, Jenna Fischer.
Stream "Slither" for free on Tubi
Jennifer's Body (2009) – streaming on Disney+
Wrongly maligned in its time, Karyn Kusama’s inspired horror-comedy has undergone a bit of a cultural re-evaluation in recent years — or, put more plainly, everyone seems to finally be catching onto the fact that "Jennifer’s Body" rules. Megan Fox plays Jennifer, a cheerleader who finds herself in a classic high-school pickle: She’s possessed by a demon and fueled by a drive to feast upon her classmates’ flesh. Amanda Seyfried is her best friend Needy (yes, Needy) who senses that something’s not quite right. It’s a riot. Rated R. 102 minutes. Dir: Karyn Kusama. Also featuring Adam Brody, Johnny Simmons, Chris Pratt, J.K. Simmons, Amy Sedaris.
In addition to Disney+, you can also stream "Jennifer's Body" on Hulu, Paramount+ and Peacock.
Jaws (1975) – streaming on Netflix
The first blockbuster is still one of the best of its kind, a triumph of storytelling and ingenuity that truly has it all. "Jaws" might be the Swiss Army knife of movies — it works for everything. Looking for a creature feature? A comedy? An action movie? A dramatic character study? A "just three guys on an impossible mission" kind of story? Or are you, perhaps, in the mood for one of the most iconic movie scores of all time, a giant shark named Bruce and a boatload (pun intended) of great performances? Try this Steven Spielberg classic. Don't be fooled by the beaches: It’s a film for all seasons, especially the spooky one. Rated PG. 123 minutes. Dir: Steven Spielberg. Featuring: Roy Scheider, Richard Dreyfuss, Robert Shaw, Lorraine Gary, Murray Hamilton.
The Descent (2006) – available to rent via Prime Video
Directed by Neil Marshall ("Game of Thrones," "Hellboy"), "The Descent" is often lauded as one of the best horror films of the last 20 years. It deserves that reputation. Certainly, it is a masterclass in escalating tension that dishes out dread long before the magnitude of the desperate scenario is fully realized. So, what is the premise? Six women who love nothing more than adrenaline-pumping outdoor activities head into the Appalachian Mountains for a thrill-seeking spelunking adventure. Soon, old wounds are reopened along the very dark way of the cave system and it isn’t long before matters take a deadly turn. Read the rest of Emma Fraser’s thoughts on this contemporary classic. Rated R. 98 minutes. Dir: Neil Marshall. Featuring: Shauna Macdonald, Natalie Mendoza, Alex Reid, Saskia Mulder, MyAnna Buring, Nora-Jane Noone, Oliver Milburn.
Us (2019) – streaming on Hulu
Sketch comedy whiz turned horror auteur Jordan Peele followed up his Oscar-winning debut "Get Out" with this deeply unsettling high-concept horror flick. Pulling from many horror sub-genres (including post-apocalyptic, home invasion horror and doppelganger stories), "Us" is a wild ride. Adelaide (Lupita Nyong'o), her husband Gabe (Winston Duke) and their two kids are all relaxing after a day at the beach when four mysterious strangers in matching jumpsuits show up in their driveway – four strangers who look exactly like the family they're hunting. Nyong'o's bravura double performance earned her numerous accolades, including a Screen Actor's Guild nomination for best actress, but while she may be the standout, the whole cast is excellent. Rated R. 116 minutes. Dir: Jordan Peele. Also featuring: Elisabeth Moss, Shahadi Wright Joseph, Evan Alex, Tim Heidecker.
In addition to Hulu, "Us" can be streamed on Peacock and Disney+.
Happy Death Day (2017) – streaming on Peacock
"Happy Death Day" star Jessica Rothe immediately became an immortal scream queen for her performance in this clever horror comedy, which jams the college slasher genre together with "Groundhog Day" to come up with something fresh and fiendishly fun. Tree (Rothe), a popular sorority girl, doesn't seem all that excited that it's her birthday – her mean streak is on full display all day long. But just as we're starting to suspect that our heroine has hidden depths, she gets murdered by a creep in a baby mask. Luckily, she wakes up, and it's the morning of her birthday all over again. Thus begins one of the most entertaining slashers of the decade, as we watch Tree try to solve her own murder – or murders, plural, to be precise – through one time-loop after another. Rated PG-13. Dir: Christopher Landon. Also featuring: Israel Broussard, Rachel Matthews, Phi Vu, Ruby Modine, Charles Aitken.