31 essential, history-making horror movies to stream this spooky season

Put out the pumpkins, dead-bolt the doors, and face your fears. It’s October and the time for terror is upon us.

Whether you’re a year-round horror-lover or more of a fair-weather fiend, spooky season is all about letting us mere mortals examine the extreme, fathom the fantastic, and sneak a peek at ridiculous realms unknown.

Yet this hallowed season can also be forebodingly fleeting, forcing us to cram in as much creepy as we can before November comes to ruin the party. That crunch time can be vexing when it comes to sorting through decades of horror movies. Which witch should I watch? What’s a ghoul to do?

So, to help you out and honor the GGOAT (that’s the Greatest Genre Of All-Time), we’ve assembled a collection of 31 essential, history-making horror titles you can watch right now.

As you might imagine, that was an astoundingly tricky task. Ergo, some parameters: (1) Movies are listed chronologically, and spread out — as much as they reasonably can be — across decades; (2) Directors are allotted one entry and one entry only, though their other works may be referenced elsewhere; (3) In an effort to spotlight an array of horror trends, you won’t get a bunch of the same kind of recommendation (e.g. We won’t recommend multiple found-footage flicks); (4) But in light of the previous rule, we reserve the right to recommend double-, triple-, and even quadruple-features as we see fit.

Now, pick your poison. Happy haunting!

1. The Cabinet of Dr. Caligari (1920)

Horror movies arrived in the late 19th century as a flurry of short films. The rudimentary jump-cuts, hand-painted reels, and vaudevillian puppetry established the genre’s love of practical effects, which is still apparent today.

Though Le Manoir du Diable (1896) is widely considered the first narrative horror film, it’s tough to say which short from this era was the most impactful. Unquestionable, however, is the legacy of director Robert Wiene’s The Cabinet of Dr. Caligari. Considered a masterpiece of German expressionism, this silent story of a murderous hypnotist laid the groundwork for decades of shudder-inducing visuals, through unconventional framing and stark lighting contrast.

Want more? Check out director F. W. Murnau’s Nosferatu (1922), a great example of German expressionism based on Bram Stoker’s Dracula.

How to watch: The Cabinet of Dr. Caligari is streaming on Shudder.

How to watch: Nosferatu is streaming on Shudder.

2. The Phantom of the Opera (1925)

Lon Chaney as the titular ‘Phantom of the Opera’.
Credit: FILMPUBLICITYARCHIVE/UNITED ARCHIVES VIA GETTY IMAGES

As the success of cinema swelled and Hollywood grew, artists began expanding their craft through unique skillsets. In horror, monster-maker Lon Chaney, who is sometimes referred to as “The Man of a Thousand Faces,” pioneered grisly creature performances through physically intense acting and gruesome special effects makeup.

Some of Chaney’s more notable roles have been lost. Tragically, this includes his well-remembered performance in London After Midnight (1927), the last full print of which was destroyed in the 1965 MGM fire. (It has since been partially reconstructed, though some scenes are unlikely to ever be recovered.) Thankfully, Chaney’s starring role in director Rupert Julian’s Phantom of the Opera has been well preserved and remains very, very cool to watch. Seriously, Chaney has his nose yanked back with a wire for most of the movie. It’s hardcore.

You might also consider queueing up an earlier Chaney performance in The Hunchback of Notre Dame (1923), in which he sports some truly wild facial prosthetics.

How to watch: The Phantom of the Opera is streaming on Epix and Paramount+.

How to watch: The Hunchback of Notre Dame is streaming on Epix and Paramount+.

3. The Bride of Frankenstein (1935)

Elsa Lanchester as the Bride, opposite Boris Karloff as The Monster.
Credit: FilmPublicityArchive / United Archives via Getty Images

Monster movies really got rolling in the late ‘20s and early ’30s, establishing some of the most recognizable characters in pop culture. By the time The Bride of Frankenstein hit theaters in 1935, Universal Studios had cornered the market with titles like Dracula (1931), Frankenstein (1931), The Mummy (1932), and The Invisible Man (1933).

Along with the titular beasts of The Wolf Man (1941) and Creature from the Black Lagoon (1954), these frightful figures would become known as the Universal Classic Monster Movies. They are all worth watching — Dracula being the most overtly impactful solely because it came first. But if you’re going to pick just one, director James Whale’s sequel story of an undead monstress out for blood is the best of the bunch when it comes to pure entertainment value. Venerable horror star Boris Karloff headlines as The Monster opposite the equally iconic Elsa Lanchester as his Bride.

How to watch: The Bride of Frankenstein is streaming on Peacock.

How to watch: Dracula is streaming on Peacock.

How to watch: Creature from the Black Lagoon is streaming on Peacock.

4. The Day The Earth Stood Still (1951)

Promotional material for ‘The Day The Earth Stood Still’.
Credit: Silver Screen Collection/Hulton Archive/Getty Images

Sputnik wouldn’t properly kick off the Space Age until its inaugural launch in 1957. But long before then, horror aficionados were wondering about hostile visitors from far away.

In 1898, author H.G. Wells’ seminal novel War of the Worlds offered vivid descriptions of chrome-coated flying saucers and malevolent Martians. Director Robert Wise’s The Day The Earth Stood Still (1951) brought many of those classic sci-fi horror elements in for a landing on the big screen. Not only did this carve space for a film adaptation of The War of the Worlds (1953), but it also spurred countless new monster movies infused with sci-fi elements. See The Blob (1958) or Attack of the 50 Foot Woman (1958).

How to watch: The Day The Earth Stood Still is available to rent/buy on Prime Video, Google Play, iTunes, and YouTube.

How to watch: The War of the Worlds is streaming on Paramount+.

5. House on Haunted Hill (1959)

Vincent Price and Carol Ohmart in ‘House on Haunted Hill’.
Credit: Allied Artists/Getty Images

What would a guide to horror essentials be without a little Vincent Price?

Though the actor reportedly disliked his work being defined as outright “horror,” this unforgettable face of fear appeared in more than 200 TV shows and films including many of the scariest releases of the mid-20th century. Price’s pointed features, slicked-back hair, and pencil mustache have been mimicked and referenced in countless horror homages.

Though Price properly assumed the throne of horror king with the surprise success of House of Wax (1953), his later starring role in House on Haunted Hill (1959) offers a more complete vision of his legacy. Plus, famed B-movie director William Castle’s flick makes early use of the haunted dinner party premise, a particularly goofy trope that would pop up for decades, from Clue (1985) and The Last Supper (1995) to You’re Next (2011) and Ready or Not (2019).

How to watch: House on Haunted Hill is streaming on Shudder.

6. Black Sunday (1960)

Barbara Steele in ‘Black Sunday’.
Credit: LMPC via getty images

A too often forgotten heroine of horror history, Barbara Steele was doing the Elvira act before the Mistress of the Dark was even out of grade school. (Though, it should go without saying, both are great talents of which we have never been worthy.) Steele first gained popularity with horror audiences in director Mario Bava’s Black Sunday, in which she got gothic as a resurrected witch seeking revenge against her traitorous brother.

Black Sunday is especially good for this list in a two-birds-one-stone sort of way. It both showcases Steele’s tremendous talent and offers a taste of the ‘60s Italian horror scene that paved the way for later directors like Dario Argento, who is known for Suspiria (1977), Deep Red (1975), and more. That said, it’s also a stunning work in its own right, with unforgettable imagery and a very compelling story.

How to watch: Black Sunday is streaming on Shudder.

7. Psycho (1960)

Anthony Perkins as Norman Bates in ‘Psycho’.
Credit: Silver Screen Collection/Getty Images

Regarded by many as the irreplaceable “Master of Suspense”, writer-director-producer Alfred Hitchcock strung a tense narrative better than anyone in the business. From Vertigo (1958) and Rear Window (1954) to North by Northwest (1959) and Marnie (1964), Hitchcock delivered drama across genres through intensely high-stakes scenarios grounded in relatable yet intriguing characters.

However, Hitchcock’s foremost horror work Psycho, starring Anthony Perkins as the notorious Norman Bates, raised the bar for realistic terror. Hitchcock mashed up real stories of real killers to create a villain who would deeply disturb audiences. This marked one of the genre’s more high-profile pivots away from supernatural themes, as well as renewed enthusiasm for the evolving role of sound design in delivering scares. Everyone knows those violin stings.

How to watch: Psycho is streaming on Showtime.

8. Night of the Living Dead (1968)

(Left to right) Karl Hardman, Marilyn Eastman, and Kyra Schon in ‘Night of the Living Dead’
Credit: FilmPublicityArchive/United Archives via Getty Images

Thanks to the transcendently timeless Night of the Living Dead, George A. Romero is widely regarded as the illustrious mastermind behind the zombie apocalypse subgenre. In just 96 minutes, Romero establishes both an exceptional cast of characters and a hellish obstacle attempting to block their escape. It’s the blueprint that made every subsequent zombie story not only possible but better informed. Not to mention, it’s a hoot.

Duane Jones, appearing here as the first Black lead of a major horror film, remains an all-time admirable hero with a tragic story sure to keep you up at night. Ben has an authentically terrifying arc that stays scary even when things with the other survivors get goofy. Jones would go on to appear in other horror titles, including Ganja and Hess (1973).

How to watch: Night of the Living Dead is streaming on Peacock, Epix, HBO Max, Starz, Paramount+, and Shudder.

9. Rosemary’s Baby (1968) / The Exorcist (1973)

Mia Farrow in promotion for ‘Rosemary’s Baby’ (right); Ellen Burstyn and Linda Blair in ‘The Exorcist’ (right).
Credit: Paramount/warner bros./Getty Images

A soul-rattling double feature, Rosemary’s Baby and The Exorcist marked the beginning of an especially rocky period for religious representation in horror. Though the “Satanic Panic” of the ‘80s had not yet set suburban heads spinning, the anguish and anxiety of the Vietnam War resulted in reportedly widespread questioning of faith and concern over the changing state of the so-called nuclear family.

Directors Roman Polanski and William Friedkin approach evil and demonic forces from similar vantage points, relying heavily on iconography and body horror to bring on the nightmares. But the films’ respective endings have also come to represent an optimistic-pessimistic dichotomy that’s become a mainstay in horror analysis and creation. Since then, titles from The Omen (1976) to Saint Maud (2020) have approached the god-and-good-and-evil theme time and again, but always in the shadows of these late ’60s and early ’70s touchstones.

How to watch: Rosemary’s Baby is streaming on Starz.

How to watch: The Exorcist is streaming on Shudder.

10. Blacula (1972)

William Marshall in promotional materials for ‘Blacula’.
Credit: LMPC via getty images

Named for its satirization of what was thought to be stereotypically Black culture at the time, Blaxploitation flicks played a unique role in ‘70s cinema. Though they reinforced racist assumptions about Black communities — namely, forwarding the backward belief that Black people share personality traits because of their race — Blaxploitation has come to be accepted as a critical means of bringing the work of Black artists to the movie-going masses.

In horror, director William Crain led the charge with the spectacularly named Blacula, which combines action, comedy, and vampire tropes for a truly one-of-a-kind watch. William Marshall stars a Nigerian prince who enlists the help of the legendary Count Dracula to end the African slave trade. But he finds himself on the other side of the coffin when the Count turns against him.

Blacula was the first in a long line of Blaxploitation horror flicks, including Exorcist parody Abby (1974) and Strange Case of Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde parody Dr. Black and Mr. Hyde (1976).

How to watch: Blacula is streaming on Shudder.

11. The Texas Chain Saw Massacre (1974)

Gunnar Hansen as Leatherface in ‘The Texas Chain…