Even when it’s not Halloween, everyone deserves one good scare, so they’ve taken the list of the best horror movies you can currently stream on Amazon Prime Video one step further.
Whether it’s blood-soaked gore, thrilling jump scares or terrifying scenes that are so ridiculous you can’t help but laugh, watching a horror film is usually a good time.
Thanks to our favorite streaming services there is a variety of frightening flicks available at the click of a button, from pure classics to modern movies that have flown under the radar.
Amazon Prime Video has a mix of both raring to go. We’ve compiled the best scary movies you can watch with your standard subscription today, so no add-ons needed here.
10. Piranha
A woman is attacked by fish in the sea while sitting in a rubber tyre.
New World Pictures
Release date: August 3, 1978
Director: Joe Dante
Cast: Bradford Dillman, Heather Menzies, Kevin McCarthy
What it’s about: When genetically engineered piranhas escape from a secret military facility into nearby rivers, locals race to stop the flesh-eating fish before they reach crowded holiday resorts.
Why we like it: Piranha began life as a cheap Jaws knockoff but thanks to a witty John Sayles script and inventive Joe Dante direction it’s a fine comedy horror in its own right, with likeable characters, killer fish that are genuinely threatening and lots of laughs to go with the scares.
9. Girl on the Third Floor
A man in a blue shirt stands in front of a mirror with a terrifying reflection.
Dark Sky Films
Release date: October 25, 2019
Director: Travis Stevens
Cast: Phil Brooks, Trieste Kelly Dunn, Sarak Brooks
What it’s about: A man renovating an old house ahead of his family’s arrival discovers the building harbors a sinister supernatural force that feeds on buried secrets.
Why we like it: Girl on the Third Floor turns a haunted house story into an unsettling exploration of toxic masculinity, guilt and personal failure. Phil ‘CM Punk’ Brooks displays serious acting chops as the troubled protagonist with a dark past whilst director Travis Stevens expertly balances psychological horror with visceral shocks.
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8. From Beyond
Two human beings find their skin melting together.
Empire Pictures
Release date: October 24, 1986
Director: Stuart Gordon
Cast: Jeffrey Combs, Barbara Crampton, Ken Foree
What it’s about: A pair of scientists activate a machine that opens a gateway to a terrifying parallel dimension unleashing grotesque creatures and mutating anyone exposed to its horrifying effects.
Why we like it: From Beyond is a gloriously twisted showcase for practical effects combining crazed cosmic scares with bizarre body horror. Director Stuart Gordon brings H.P. Lovecraft’s ideas to life with wild abandon whilst Jeffrey Combs and Barbara Crampton deliver committed performances amid the escalating insanity.
7. The House of the Devil
Babysitter sitting on a couch.
MPI
Release date: October 30, 2009
Director: Ti West
Cast: Jocelin Donahue, Tom Noonan, Mary Woronov
What it’s about: A cash-strapped college student takes a babysitting job at a remote house during a lunar eclipse as the spooky night unfolds she realises her employers have sinister intentions, leading to a terrifying confrontation with forces beyond her understanding.
Why we like it: House of the Devil is one of the best modern throwbacks to the horror films of the late 1970s and early 1980s. Writer-director Ti West builds tension with remarkable patience creating an atmosphere of dread long before the scares arrive.
His star Jocelin Donahue delivers a compelling lead performance but the film’s retro visuals, synth-heavy score and slow-burn storytelling make every moment feel unsettling. Rather than relying on jump scares it lets anxiety build naturally, resulting in a payoff that feels genuinely earned.
6. Terrifier 2
Art the Clown in Terrifier 2
Cinedigm
Release date: October 6, 2022
Director: Damien Leone
Cast: David Howard Thornton, Lauren LaVera, Jenna Kanell
What it’s about: Terrifier 2 delves deeper into the mythology around killer clown Art and pits him against an avenging angel in the form of heroine Sienna Shaw.
Why we like it: This blood-splattered sequel confirms Art the Clown as one of modern horror’s most sadistic and hilarious genre icons, he’s played to perfection by David Thornton Howard. Lauren La Vera manages to match him as the film’s likably plucky protagonist, the kills have to be seen to be believed, most notably that bedroom scene.
5. Suspiria
Mia Goth in Suspiria remake
Amazon Studios
Release date: September 1, 2018
Director: Luca Guadagnino
Cast: Dakota Johnson, Tilda Swinton, Mia Goth
What it’s about: Susie (Dakota Johnson) travels to Berlin to join the Markos Tanz Company, where a dark force targets the inhabitants of the ballet company with violent and ultimately devastating results.
Why we like it: Rather than simply recreating Dario Argento’s Giallo classic director Luca Guadagnino instead delivers a bold and ambitious reimagining. Suspiria combines psychological horror, political paranoia and stunning visual storytelling into something entirely its own, anchored by remarkable performances from Tilda Swinton and Dakota Johnson making it smart, unsettling and full of unforgettable imagery that lingers long after the credits roll.
4. Lake Mungo
A photo of the family in Lake Mungo.
Arclight Films
Release date: July 30, 2010
Director: Joel Anderson
Cast: Rosie Traynor, David Pledger, Martin Sharpe
What it’s about: Following the drowning of a teenage girl, her grieving family begins experiencing strange occurrences around their home new evidence emerges and a documentary investigation uncovers secrets that suggest her death may not be the end of the story.
Why we like it: Lake Mungo is one of the most haunting found-footage-style horror films ever made, presented as a documentary it feels disturbingly realistic, drawing viewers into a deeply emotional story about grief, loss and unresolved trauma.
Rather than relying on constant scares it slowly builds a sense of unease, the film’s infamous reveal is one of the most chilling moments in modern horror.
3. Phantasm
The Tall Man chasing the young hero in Phantasm.
AVCO Embassy Pictures
Release date: March 28, 1979
Director: Don Coscarelli
Cast: A. Michael Baldwin, Bill Thornbury, Angus Scrimm, Reggie Bannister
What it’s about: A teenage boy becomes convinced that a mysterious mortician known as the Tall Man is connected to a series of strange deaths in his town, his investigation uncovers a bizarre nightmare involving alternate dimensions and deadly supernatural forces.
Why we like it: Phantasm feels unlike any other horror movie ever made. Writer-director Don Coscarelli combines science-fiction, fantasy and supernatural horror to weave a dreamlike experience that constantly keeps viewers off balance.
Angus Scrimm’s Tall Man is one of the genre’s greatest villains, the film’s iconic flying silver spheres are nightmare fuel to this day. Strange mythology and surreal atmosphere also create a sense of mystery that few horror franchises have ever matched, making Phantasm a bona fide cult classic.
2. The Texas Chain Saw Massacre
Leatherface in The Texas Chainsaw Massacre
Bryanston Distributing Company
Release date: October 11, 1974
Director: Tobe Hooper
Cast: Marilyn Burns, Paul A. Partain, Edwin Neal, Jim Siedow, Gunnar Hansen
Region: US
What it’s about: A group of friends fall prey to the deranged, chainsaw-wielding Leatherface and his family of cannibals.
Why we like it: Tobe Hooper’s 1974 classic The Texas Chain Saw Massacre remains one of the most influential horror films ever made thanks to its realism, raw intensity and minimalist style.
The movie is a masterclass in tension-building, revolutionising the horror genre with its shocking brutality and unnerving atmosphere that still haunts viewers five decades later.
1. Weapons
Aunt Gladys standing in kitchen.
Warner Bros.
Release date: August 8, 2025
Director: Zach Cregger
Cast: Josh Brolin, Julia Garner, Alden Ehrenreich
What it’s about: When a group of children mysteriously vanish one night their small community is left searching for answers, as the investigation unfolds dark secrets emerge revealing a far more disturbing mystery than anyone imagined.
Why we like it: Following the success of Barbarian – which is available to rent on Prime Video – writer-director Zach Cregger delivered another ambitious horror mystery that thrives on uncertainty and escalating dread.
Weapons constantly keeps audiences guessing, unfolding its story through multiple perspectives building towards a series of shocking revelations.
The cast is uniformly excellent, particularly Julia Garner and Josh Brolin – the film balances emotional drama with genuinely unsettling horror, cleverly structured and packed with memorable moments demonstrating why Cregger has become one of the most exciting voices in modern horror.
