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Choose a scary feature to watch this week.
Meara covers streaming service news for CNET. She has a degree in journalism from the University of Texas at Austin. When she’s not writing, she enjoys doting on her cat, sipping black coffee, and trying out new horror movies.
If you want to stream a horror film, there are plenty of platforms to choose from. So why should you spend time sifting through HBO Max?
HBO Max is a great choice for scary movies. In addition to the 15 great options you’ll find below, you can watch Bring Her Back and The Substance. THE streaming service starts at $11 per month or $110 per year, and you can also bundle HBO Max, Disney Plus and Hulu.
Midsommar (2019)
Horrors unfold in broad daylight in this haunting film from Ari Aster. Set during a midsummer festival in a remote Swedish village, Midsommar has many disturbing surprises in store for its guests. Prepare yourself for shocking scenes and a captivating performance from Florence Pugh.
Companion (2025)
Companion is a horror movie that you should start and watch without doing too much Googling in advance. It’s smart, unsettling and thrilling, with excellent performances from Yellowjackets’ Sophie Thatcher and The Boys’ Jack Quaid. Produced by the filmmakers behind 2022’s Barbarian, Companion sets the bar for 2025 horror films.
Weapons (2025)
Amy Madigan won an Oscar for her performance in Weapons. In the horror-mystery film, 17 children disappear on the same night at the same time, and no one knows where they went or why. Video footage appears to show the children left their home on their own. Weapons follows shaken members of the community, including the students’ teacher (Julia Garner) and a parent (Josh Brolin).
The Conjuring (2013) and The Conjuring 2 (2016)
HBO Max has added The Conjuring: Last Rites, which marks the final appearance of Vera Farmiga and Patrick Wilson as paranormal investigators Lorraine and Ed Warren. But there’s nothing stopping you from revisiting the demonologists’ earlier exploits in The Conjuring and The Conjuring 2 – arguably the best films in the franchise.
He (2017)
When this adaptation of Stephen King’s classic novel hit theaters in 2017, movie buffs like me looked twice at the storm drains and dreaded the red balloons. With a cast of fearless kids and plenty of heart, it makes a compelling case for more supernatural coming-of-age stories. And a strong argument against clowns.
Get Out (2017)
Jordan Peele’s directorial debut was nominated for Academy Awards for Best Picture, Best Director, and Best Actor, as well as an Academy Award for Best Original Screenplay. The twisty psychological horror film stars Daniel Kaluuya as Chris, a black man who unknowingly puts himself in danger when he meets his white girlfriend’s family.
Heretic (2024)
The inclusion of Hugh Grant may draw you into this religious horror film, but once you start playing, you can’t escape the creepiness of his character, Mr. Reed. Watch this one if you want to see if two young missionaries can outwit their evil captor.
Sinners (2025)
Michael B. Jordan takes on two lead roles in this genre-bending film from Ryan Coogler (Creed, Black Panther). Sinners is a box office success, but if you haven’t spent any time with Smoke and Stack yet (or missed the post-credit scenes in theaters), now’s your chance to stream it. The film won four Academy Awards from a record 16 nominations.
The Witch (2015)
This historical horror film pretty much guarantees nightmares. The disturbing film centers on a family in 1630s New England and marks the film debut of Anya Taylor-Joy. Over the course of this 90-minute film, strange and shocking things happen to a farmer, his wife and their five children who have moved to an isolated area on the edge of a forest.
Evil Dead Rise (2023)
A family accidentally discovers unimaginable evils in this bloody supernatural horror story. It is the fifth installment in the film franchise after The Evil Dead (1981), Evil Dead II (1987), Army of Darkness (1992) and Evil Dead (2013).
Final destination lines (2025)
Final Destination Bloodlines is the franchise’s first film in 14 years, and it won’t be the last: another entry with the Bloodlines co-writer is officially in the works. Bloodlines manages to feel fresh while continuing the series’ well-known elaborate murders, premonitions, and elaborate efforts to foil death.
Night of the Living Dead (1968)
George Romero’s first horror film is an easy recommendation. A group of survivors take refuge in a house while the undead swarm outside. This influential film is often considered the first modern zombie film, and while it doesn’t offer Freddy Krueger-level scares, you’ll be drawn to the characters at the center of its story. You’re going to want to leave the door open for this one (but in the case of an actual apocalypse, keep it very, very closed).
Eraser Head (1977)
David Lynch’s first feature film will make you feel like you’ve been plunged into a bizarre nightmare. The 90-minute black-and-white horror film is full of strange sounds and images, and the result is incredibly eerie. Don’t even get me started on the main character’s weird, supernatural “baby” (it’s strangely still kind of cute). There are messages about men and parenting here, but even putting the bigger picture aside, the surreal world of Eraserhead is absolutely worth seeing.
Beetlejuice Beetlejuice (2024)
The 1988 horror comedy Beetlejuice may not be on HBO Max, but you’ll be able to catch Michael Keaton’s ghost with more in the 2024 sequel. Winona Ryder and Catherine O’Hara also reprise their roles in the scary follow-up film.
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Meara covers streaming service news for CNET. She has a degree in journalism from the University of Texas at Austin. When she’s not writing, she enjoys doting on her cat, sipping black coffee, and trying out new horror movies. See full bio
