I recommend these 3 HBO max horror films for a big scare

HBO Max added some great new movies to its library in February, and if you’re looking for horror, then you’re in luck.

I found three horror movies that will make you sleep with the lights on if you want to scare yourself. Best of all, HBO Max also offers some of the broadest horror franchises, so you have plenty to discover.

open water

Age class: A.
Length: 79 minutes
Director: Chris Kentis
Main cast: Blanchard Ryan, Daniel Travis, Saul Stein

If the ocean and what lies beneath freaks you out, Open Water is sure to get your heart racing.

The film follows an American couple who go on a scuba diving vacation, but it turns into a nightmare. They find themselves stranded on shore in shark-filled waters when the boat accidentally abandons them.

It is loosely based on the real-life disappearance of Tom and Eileen Lonergan, who have still not been found to this day, which makes this story all the more terrifying.

Insidious: Chapter 3

Age class: PG-13
Length: 98 minutes
Director: Leigh Whannell
Main cast: Dermot Mulroney, Stefanie Scott, Angus Sampson, Leigh Whannell

Insidious: Chapter 3 is a prequel to the first two films in the franchise (also available on HBO Max, if you want to binge watch). It focuses on a new family, following Quinn, a young girl, as she contacts a medium to help her contact her recently deceased mother.

However, his plan backfires when an evil spirit makes Quinn its host. It’s extremely tense and a great entry into the franchise as a whole, even if it received mixed reviews.

With a new Insidious movie on the way in 2026, now is the perfect time to familiarize yourself with the franchise.

The Pope’s Exorcist

Age class: A.
Length: 103 minutes
Director: Jules Avery
Main cast: Russell Crowe, Daniel Zovatto, Alex Essoe, Franco Nero

Russell Crowe leads the cast of this supernatural horror, which is my top pick on HBO Max this month for anyone scared of demonology.

He plays Father Gabriele Amorth, the Vatican’s chief exorcist who is said to have performed more than 100,000 exorcisms during his career. Even if you’re skeptical, you have to admit that it’s a cool subject for a horror movie.

This is among my favorite religious horror films, and there are some effective scares along the way.

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Lucy is a long-time film and television fan and an approved reviewer on Rotten Tomatoes. She has written several reviews in her time, starting with a small self-run blog called Lucy Goes to Hollywood before moving on to larger websites such as What’s on TV and What to Watch, with TechRadar being her most recent venture. Her interests lie primarily in horror and thriller, loving nothing more than a scary story that makes her think moments after the credits roll. Many of these scary stories can be found on the streaming services she covers regularly.

When she’s not scaring herself with the different shows and movies she watches, she likes to relax by playing video games on easy mode and has no shame in admitting that she’s bad at it. She also quotes The Simpsons religiously and sports a Blinky the Fish tattoo, reinforcing her complete nerd stance.