It’s getting near Halloween, so all the casuals are asking, “what’s a good horror movie?” As much as I’d like to answer, “Carnival of Souls,” they probably aren’t looking for a slow-paced, black-and-white mood piece from 1962. People want something fresh. With this in mind, I’ve compiled my 11 favorite crowd-pleasing horror movies from the last five years.
There’s something for everyone here: Fans of candy-colored pop horror movies might like M3GAN whereas “gimme the uncut stuff” fans might be into Barbarian. If you like a little braininess with your horror, check out Men or I Saw the TV Glow. The important thing is to get on your couch and watch some horror flicks. Priorities, people.
Late Night With the Devil (2023)
Late Night With the Devil is sitting at 97% fresh on Rotten Tomatoes, so basically everyone likes it. This found-footage flick purports to present the videotapes of a 1970s TV talk show where a spooky-themed Halloween episode goes terribly, demonically wrong. The pacing is taut, the performances solid, and the period details are absolutely perfect. It’s scary, too, but in a fun way.
Where to stream: Hulu
X (2022)
I can’t gush enough about Ti West’s original, ferocious, ambitious X trilogy. All three films could be on any best-of list, but I’m including the first entry, X, because it was released before Pearl and MaXXXine. X tells the story of what happens to a 1970s porno movie crew that decides to shoot a movie on an isolated Texas farm. Spoiler: Nothing that happens is good.
Where to stream: Hoopla
The Black Phone (2022)
The Black Phone draws its power from a scenario we hammer into kids’ skulls: Do not talk to strangers, or a bad man in a van will take you away. Its tween stars are young enough to be truly helpless, and Ethan Hawke’s villain, The Grabber, is like a twisted mash-up of Lon Chaney in London After Midnight and real-life serial killer Richard Ramirez. Luckily, there’s a hefty dose of the supernatural to keep the whole thing from being overly depressing.
Where to stream: Starz
I Saw the TV Glow (2024)
Director Jane Schoenbrun (We’re All Going to the World’s Fair) continues her examination of the dread and terror that hide behind the pixels in the digital world with I Saw the TV Glow, a psychological horror film about a late-night television show called The Pink Opaque. Produced by A24, I Saw the TV Glow is one of those “elevated” horror movies, so if you’re an artsy horror fan, give it a shot.
Where to stream: Max
M3GAN (2023)
M3GAN is a ridiculously entertaining confection that blends social satire with scares. It’s a rare example of a horror/comedy that is both legitimately funny and legitimately scary. Jenna Davis plays the title character: a lifelike, AI-powered doll designed to be little girls’ best friends. As you’d probably guess, things do not go as planned.
Where to stream: Starz
Talk to Me (2023)
Talk to Me earned its 94% fresh rating on Rotten Tomatoes and a legion of fans by being one of the most original and unrelenting horror movies in years. Australian directors Danny and Michael Philippou make the supernatural scary again by carefully building a dreadful mood and not sparing the violence. But Talk to Me isn’t just a scary movie; it’s a smart one too, that makes interesting observations about the consequences of the choices we make.
Where to stream: Apple TV+, Paramount+, Fubo
The Platform (2020)
I went into The Platform totally cold, clicking on it randomly during the endless-indoors portion of the Covid pandemic, and I haven’t stopped thinking about it since. This high-concept Spanish import is set in a nightmare prison tower, where the people on the top floor feast on elaborate meals, and the people on the next floor eat leftovers, and everyone on the hundreds of floors below that eat scraps. I think it’s a metaphor or something.
Where to stream: Netflix
Color out of Space (2020)
There are exceptions, but Lovecraft generally doesn’t translate very well to the screen—how do you visually represent H.P.’s idiosyncratic, purple prose? Director Richard Stanley figured it out. Color Out of Space is overflowing with terrifying nightmare imagery that’s heightened by Nicolas Cage’s performance as a New England farmer whose family and farm is corrupted by a mysterious color that came from a meteorite.
Where to stream: AMC+
Slaxx (2021)
I love horror movies that manage to make ridiculous premises semi-scary, like Slaxx, a horror/dark comedy about a murderous pair of jeans. Brought to life through the unscrupulous practices at a trendy clothing company, the evil jeans menace the employees at a clothing boutique. It’s hard to believe a movie like this would work, but somehow it does—it’s perfect if you want a little absurdity instead of grinding terror.
Where to stream: Shudder, AMC+
Barbarian (2022)
In Barbarian, Georgina Campbell stars as Tess, who rents a house in Detroit for a job interview, only to find that Bill Skarsgård is booked at the same time. Rather than immediately heading home like she should, Tess decides they can both stay there. Things go nuts from there, but not in the way you’re thinking—it’s way worse. Barbarian travels in unexpected directions with complete confidence. It’s a bloody, brutal, and unrelenting movie, but it’s not dumb.
Where to stream: Prime, Apple TV+
Men (2022)
I love films that take fierce positions even if they risk alienating huge portions of their potential audience. In Men, the monster is men—all of ’em. To drive the point home, actor Rory Kinnear plays almost every male character in the movie, all of whom embarrass, stalk, target, and attack the main character in different ways, even though she just wants to be left alone.
Where to stream: Max