From Vanity Fair · Eve Batey · · 2m
Halloween Horror Movies Guide
Best horror films for Halloween streaming this month.
In brief
Best horror films for Halloween streaming this month. Vanity Fair lists 13 horror movies available to stream this Halloween with specific scares and endings. Originally reported by Vanity Fair.
Halloween Movie Essentials
Halloween requires films that scare in the moment, offer laughs, satisfy without depressing, and return with creeps later.
Avoid These Halloween Films
Skip films that feel like homework or leave you feeling worse about the world than before pressing play.
Alien (1979)
Ridley Scott’s 1979 film features Sigourney Weaver’s Ellen Ripley and H.R. Giger’s innovative creature design.
Backrooms (2026)
Kane Parsons’s 2026 Backrooms is a YouTube auteur debut with strong historical significance.
Dawn of the Dead (2004)
Zack Snyder’s 2004 Dawn of the Dead features Olympic-sprinter zombies and a style that stands out.
The Descent (2005)
Neil Marshall’s 2005 The Descent follows all-female cave exploration with spooky monsters and human threats.
The Fly (1986)
Jeff Goldblum and Geena Davis’s 1986 The Fly explores body horror through sexual jealousy.
Halloween (1978)
John Carpenter’s 1978 Halloween is the only essential film for legitimate scares this holiday.
The Howling (1981)
Joe Dante’s 1981 The Howling tackles 1970s encounter-group culture and marital infidelity.
Joy Ride (2001)
Paul Walker’s 2001 Joy Ride follows a road trip terrorized by a rage-filled truck driver.
The Ring (2002)
Gore Verbinski’s 2002 The Ring features a cursed video tape and Samara’s final reveal.
Sinister (2012)
Ethan Hawke’s 2012 Sinister involves a murder house linked to supernatural activity.
Us (2019)
Jordan Peele’s 2019 Us explores the horror of seeing yourself in red coveralls and driving gloves.
Wes Craven’s New Nightmare (1994)
Wes Craven’s 1994 New Nightmare features the original Nightmare on Elm Street actors and director.
You’re Next (2013)
Adam Wingard’s 2013 You’re Next is an elegant evisceration of the final girl cliché.
At a glance
Vanity Fair lists 13 horror movies available to stream this Halloween with specific scares and endings.
