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The Best Supernatural Horror Films Available For Streaming Right Now
I’ve always been a sucker for supernatural horror films. If a film features haunted houses and people, possession, psychic phenomena, witches or anything along those lines, you can bet I’ll set aside time to watch it.
The advent of online streaming platforms has put thousands of titles at our fingertips, but it can become time-consuming trying to track them all down so I’ve done some of the work for you.
Below you’ll find some of the best classic as well as newer supernatural horror films (in my opinion) you can stream today!
Author’s Note: There’s no way I’m going to be able to list even all of my favorites. Please feel free to leave any of your favorites that I might have missed in the comments!
1. Carrie (1976)
Cast: Sissy Spacek, Piper Laurie, Amy Irving, etc.
Director: Brian de Palma
Why You Should Watch: To remind yourself why this film is a classic. Spacek was perfect casting for the quiet, timid Carrie with a power growing inside her that she barely understood. Add in a brilliant supporting cast and top notch direction and you have a film that is often imitated but never duplicated.
Where to Watch: Amazon, Hulu, Vudu, etc.
2. The Conjuring
Cast: Patrick Wilson, Vera Farmiga, Lili Taylor, Ron Livingston, etc.
Director: James Wan
Why You Should Watch: Culled from the real-life case files of paranormal investigators Ed and Lorraine Warren, The Conjuring is a terrifying glimpse into the lives of the Perron family as they confront the evil spirits who were waiting on them to move into their new home. With a spectacular soundtrack, gorgeous score, and thrilling special effects, this is one terrifying tale of haunting and possession that never gets old.
Where to Watch: Netflix, Vudu, Fandango Now, Amazon, etc.
3. Dead Awake
Cast: Jocelin Donahue, Jesse Bradford, Lori Petty
Director: Phillip Guzman
Why You Should Watch: Written by Jeffrey Reddick, the man who gave us Final Destination, Dead Awake dives deep into the phenomena of sleep paralysis and some of the dark lore associated with these attacks. When a young woman’s sister dies, she begins to investigate what had been going on in her only to begin suffering from the same sleep paralysis symptoms as her sibling. Things get very dark in the film, and it’s definitely one to watch at night with all the lights off.
Where to Watch: Netflix, Amazon, Vudu, etc.
4. Don’t Look Now
Cast: Julie Christie, Donald Sutherland
Director: Nicholas Roeg
Why You Should Watch: The better question is why haven’t you already? This is, simply put, one of the best films of its kind I’ve ever seen. Enigmatic with a sweeping score, the film follows John and Laura Baxter (Sutherland, Christie) who are attempting to deal with the drowning death of their daughter. John takes a job in Italy and the two travel there together thinking that a change of scenery might do them good. Unfortunately, things don’t go as planned. They meet a psychic who says she can communicate with their daughter but also warns of danger to come. It all leads to one of the most shocking endings ever put on film.
Where to Watch: Amazon, Vudu
5. The Fog (1980)
Cast: Jamie Lee Curtis, Janet Leigh, Adrenne Barbeau, Tom Atkins, Hal Holbrook, etc.
Director: John Carpenter
Why you should watch: If you read that cast list and you don’t know already, I’m not sure what to say. This Carpenter classic surrounds the prosperous little town of Antonio Bay, CA. The citizens of the seaside village have no idea, however, that its prosperity is built on theft, lies, and the murder of innocent people. As it prepares to celebrate its 100 year anniversary,however, the vengeful spirits of those long dead victims rise to reclaim what is theirs. This movie is a classic for a reason. The tension is real; the score is brilliant, and the cast is one of the best ensembles in horror history.
Where to watch: Amazon, Shudder, Vudu
6. The Fury
Cast: Amy Irving, Kirk Douglas, Andrew Stevens
Director: Brian de Palma
Why You Should Watch: Just two years after he had a hit with Carrie, Brian de Palma returned with another film about a psychic girl (Irving). This time, however, that girl was facing off with another equally powerful psychic male (Stevens). It’s one hell of a movie with action, murder, government conspiracies, etc. This is one film not to be missed.
Where to Watch: Amazon, Vudu, Fandango Now, etc.
7. Ghost House
Cast: Scout Taylor-Compton, James Landry Hebert, Mark Boone Junior
Director: Rich Ragsdale
Why You Should Watch: Set in Thailand, this is an unusual entry into the haunted/possessed woman story. It centers on Ghost Houses, a cultural tradition in which homes and business place small houses on their property to protect themselves from spirits. When a young woman (Taylor-Compton) disturbs one of these former houses, she becomes the target of a malicious spirit intent on destroying her and those she loves. The film is really scary and definitely something unusual.
Where to Watch: Netflix, Vudu, Amazon, etc.
8. Hell House LLC
Cast: Gore Abrams, Alice Bahlke, Theodore Bouloukos, etc.
Director: Stephen Cognetti
Why you should watch: This movie was in my queue forever before I finally hit play late one night. It centers on a group of friends intent on opening a Halloween haunt in a location where a similar group with that exact purpose died mysteriously years before. I was actually upset with myself that I hadn’t watched sooner. The scares are real here, readers. Without giving too much away there are creepy clowns, vengeful spirits, and genuine chills to be found in the 91 minute run-time.
Where to watch: Amazon, Shudder, Vudu
9. Incarnate
Cast: Aaron Eckhart, Carice Van Houton, David Mazouz, Catalina Sandino Moreno
Director: Brad Peyton
Why You Should Watch: In 2018, it feels like we’ve seen about every version of a priest standing over a person who is possessed reading the Roman Liturgy. What I love about Incarnate is it throws all of that out. Instead, it approaches the subject of possession from an entirely different angle. Dr. Ember (Eckhart) uses technology to enter the mind of the possessed and helps them force their demons out of their bodies. He’s met his match in his latest client, however. A boy named Cameron just might be possessed by the demon Ember has been searching for, but will he be strong enough to do what has to be done? This movie is intense, terrifying, and unique!
Where to Watch: HBO Now, Amazon, Vudu, Fandango Now, etc.
10. The Innkeepers
Cast: Pat Healy, Sara Paxton, Kelly McGillis
Director: Ti West
Why You Should Watch: Set on the closing weekend of the historic Yankee Pedlar Inn, the film concerns two employees who have been researching the haunted history of the hotel. As they settle in for the final 48 hours of access, they’re determined to get proof that there are indeed spirits present. Before long, they get their proof and then some. I love the style of this film and that they manage to convey so much without overblown special effects.
Where to Watch: Amazon, Vudu, etc.
11. The Insidious Franchise
Cast: Lin Shaye, Leigh Whannell, Angus Sampson, etc.
Director: James Wan, Leigh Whannell, Adam Robitel
Why You Should Watch: It’s simply one of the best supernatural/paranormal franchises of the last 20 years. It all began with a little boy in a coma and the psychic medium (Shaye) that was brought in to help bring him back. The franchise has slowly shifted focus to Shaye’s character, Elise, with tentative ties back to the first film in every installment. The scares are real; the score is brilliant, and with talented writers and directors at the helm, the quality of the films has been maintained throughout each.
Where to Watch: Vudu, Amazon
12. The Lodgers
Cast: Charlotte Vega, Bill Milner, Eugene Simon, David Bradley, etc.
Director: Brian O’Malley
Why You Should Watch: This Irish tale surrounds a brother and sister locked away in a crumbling manor. They are tied to the property by an ancient curse whose bindings have begun to chafe. With nods to classic tales like The Turn of the Screw and The Fall of the House of Usher, this film has the feel of a much older film despite its 2017 release. It is beautifully filmed and filled with a tension that grows throughout as the siblings confront their unwanted fates.
Where to Watch: Amazon, Fandango Now
13. Nightbreed: The Director’s Cut
Cast: Craig Sheffer, David Cronenberg, Doug Bradley, etc.
Director: Clive Barker
Why you should watch: Written and directed by Clive Barker, who also wrote the novel Cabal on which the film is based, Nightbreed is an examination on the difference between Man and Monsters and the intersection between the two. The strange citizens of mythical Midian find themselves fighting for their lives after being discovered by a man named Aaron Boone (Sheffer) and Dr. Philip K. Decker, an all too terrifying killer in psychiatrist’s clothing. There’s a mystical quality to the entire film with Barker’s signature sensual-yet-terrifying storytelling. This director’s cut manages to take what was already a great film and amplify its best qualities. It’s a must see.
Where to watch: Amazon, Shudder
14. The Orphanage
Cast: Belen Rueda, Fernando Cayo, Mabel Rivera
Director: Juan Bayona
Why You Should Watch: Creepy and atmospheric, The Orphanage is a classic ghost story out of Spain directed by Juan Bayona and produced by Guillermo del Toro. Laura and her husband Carlos raise their adopted son Simon in a beautiful old home that was once an orphanage. Of course, the spirits of some of the children who died there still hang about and when Simon goes missing, Laura slowly becomes obsessed with the building’s history and the possibility that it and the spirits who reside their may have stolen Simon. If you haven’t seen this, put it in your queue right away. You’ll thank me later.
Where to Watch: Amazon, Vudu
15. Out of the Shadows
Cast: Lisa Chappell, Goran D. Kleut, Jake Ryan, Kendal Rae, Jim Robison, etc.
Director: Dee McLachlan
Why You Should Watch: This Australian-made haunted house film will give you goosebumps. A man and his pregnant wife watch as their dream home turns into a nightmare as the wife becomes convinced that an evil entity is trying to take their unborn child. The film turns its sub-genre upside down and keeps the audience guessing until the final act.
Where to Watch: Amazon
16. Paranormal Activity
Cast: Katie Featherston, Micah Stoat
Director: Oren Peli
Why You Should Watch: A lot of people poke fun at the franchise that followed 2007’s Paranormal Activity, but it is undeniable that the film and its sequels have become a part of film history. I’ll never forget the sheer terror the first inspired in me and if you haven’t seen it in a while, it’s totally worth revisiting to watch Katie and Micah attempt to explain the increasingly violent activity invading their home.
Where to Watch: Amazon, Hulu, Vudu, GooglePlay, etc.
17. The Ritual
Cast: Rafe Spall, Arsher Ali, Robert James-Collier, etc.
Director: David Bruckner
Why you should watch: This Netflix original is a terrifying journey into the woods. When four friends reunite after a tragedy to spread the ashes of their fallen friend, they discover they’re being stalked through the woods. As they find themselves trapped in a world of pagan rituals, human sacrifice, powers they cannot explain, and creatures more terrifying than their nightmares, they have to patch up their broken friendships if they want to survive. Watch this one with the lights out on a stormy night for the full effect!
Where to watch: Netflix
18. The St. Francisville Experiment
Cast: Madison Charap, Ryan Larson, P.J. Miller, Tim Baldini
Director: Ted Nicoloau
Why You Should Watch: Following hot on the heels of the success of The Blair Witch Project, 2000’s The St. Francisville Experiment takes four young people, puts them in one of the most haunted house in one of the most haunted towns in Louisiana with cameras, food, a Ouija board, candles, etc., and allows them to explore the possibility of the paranormal. The film never got as much attention as its predecessor, but it’s a seriously fun movie that lures you into a false sense of security before ripping the rug right out from under you. If you haven’t seen it, you really must.
Where to Watch: Amazon
19. Stir of Echoes
Cast: Kevin Bacon, Kathryn Erbe, Illeana Douglas, Jennifer Morrison
Director: David Koepp
Why you should watch: Based on a novel by Richard Matheson (I am Legend), Stir of Echoes centers on Tom (Bacon), a not so open-minded blue collar guy, whose world is turned upside down after being hypnotized by his sister-in-law (Douglas) at a party. Suddenly, he can see spirits, and one particular spirit (Morrison) is determined for him to solve her murder. The film is intense, well-written, and genuinely scary, but it will also hit you right in the feels as Tom slowly uncovers her story and realizes that some of the people he knows are not nearly as innocent as they seem.
Where to Watch: Amazon, Vudu, Shudder
20. Winchester
Cast: Helen Mirren, Jason Clarke
Director: Michael and Peter Spierig
Why You Should Watch: Okay, so a lot of this film throws out the actual history of the all too real Winchester Mansion and its inspired and enigmatic designer, Sarah Winchester, but it’s still an excellent story of ghosts and regret. Fans of the house and the mystery that has surrounded it since its inception, should definitely check it out.
Where to Watch: Amazon, Vudu, Fandango Now, etc.
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Lists
Radio Silence Movies Ranked
Matt Bettinelli-Olpin, Tyler Gillett, and Chad Villella are all filmmakers under the collective label called Radio Silence. Bettinelli-Olpin and Gillett are the primary directors under that moniker while Villella produces.
They have gained popularity over the past 13 years and their films have become known as having a certain Radio Silence “signature.” They are bloody, usually contain monsters, and have breakneck action sequences. Their recent film Abigail exemplifies that signature and is perhaps their best film yet. They are currently working on a reboot of John Carpenter’s Escape From New York.
We thought we would go through the list of projects they have directed and rank them from high to low. None of the movies and shorts on this list are bad, they all have their merits. These rankings from top to bottom are just ones we felt showcased their talents the best.
We didn’t include movies they produced but didn’t direct.
Abigail
An update to the second film on this list, Abagail is the natural progression of Radio Silence’s love of lockdown horror. It follows in pretty much the same footsteps of Ready or Not, but manages to go one better — make it about vampires.
Ready or Not
This film put Radio Silence on the map. While not as successful at the box office as some of their other films, Ready or Not proved that the team could step outside their limited anthology space and create a fun, thrilling, and bloody adventure-length film.
Scream (2022)
While Scream will always be a polarizing franchise, this prequel, sequel, reboot — however you want to label it showed just how much Radio Silence knew the source material. It wasn’t lazy or cash-grabby, just a good time with legendary characters we love and new ones who grew on us.
Southbound (The Way Out)
Radio Silence tosses their found footage modus operandi for this anthology film. Responsible for the bookend stories, they create a terrifying world in their segment titled The Way Out, which involves strange floating beings and some sort of time loop. It’s kind of the first time we see their work without a shaky cam. If we were to rank this entire film, it would remain at this position on the list.
V/H/S (10/31/98)
The film that started it all for Radio Silence. Or should we say the segment that started it all. Even though this isn’t feature-length what they managed to do with the time they had was very good. Their chapter was titled 10/31/98, a found-footage short involving a group of friends who crash what they think is a staged exorcism only to learn not to assume things on Halloween night.
Scream VI
Cranking up the action, moving to the big city and letting Ghostface use a shotgun, Scream VI turned the franchise on its head. Like their first one, this film played with canon and managed to win over a lot of fans in its direction, but alienated others for coloring too far outside the lines of Wes Craven’s beloved series. If any sequel was showing how the trope was going stale it was Scream VI, but it managed to squeeze some fresh blood out of this nearly three-decade mainstay.
Devil’s Due
Fairly underrated, this, Radio Silence’s first feature-length film, is a sampler of things they took from V/H/S. It was filmed in an omnipresent found footage style, showcasing a form of possession, and features clueless men. Since this was their first bonafide major studio job it’s a wonderful touchstone to see how far they have come with their storytelling.
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News
Perhaps the Scariest, Most Disturbing Series of The Year
You may have never heard of Richard Gadd, but that will probably change after this month. His mini-series Baby Reindeer just hit Netflix and it’s a terrifying deep dive into abuse, addiction, and mental illness. What is even scarier is that it’s based on Gadd’s real-life hardships.
The crux of the story is about a man named Donny Dunn played by Gadd who wants to be a stand-up comedian, but it’s not working out so well thanks to stage fright stemming from his insecurity.
One day at his day job he meets a woman named Martha, played to unhinged perfection by Jessica Gunning, who is instantly charmed by Donny’s kindness and good looks. It doesn’t take long before she nicknames him “Baby Reindeer” and begins to relentlessly stalk him. But that is just the apex of Donny’s problems, he has his own incredibly disturbing issues.
This mini-series should come with a lot of triggers, so just be warned it is not for the faint of heart. The horrors here don’t come from blood and gore, but from physical and mental abuse that go beyond any physiological thriller you may have ever seen.
“It’s very emotionally true, obviously: I was severely stalked and severely abused,” Gadd said to People, explaining why he changed some aspects of the story. “But we wanted it to exist in the sphere of art, as well as protect the people it’s based on.”
The series has gained momentum thanks to positive word-of-mouth, and Gadd is getting used to the notoriety.
“It’s clearly struck a chord,” he told The Guardian. “I really did believe in it, but it’s taken off so quickly that I do feel a bit windswept.”
You can stream Baby Reindeer on Netflix right now.
If you or someone you know has been sexually assaulted, please contact the National Sexual Assault Hotline at 1-800-656-HOPE (4673) or go to rainn.org.
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Movies
The Original ‘Beetlejuice’ Sequel Had an Interesting Location
Back in the late ’80s and early ’90s sequels to hit movies weren’t as linear as they are today. It was more like “let’s re-do the situation but in a different location.” Remember Speed 2, or National Lampoon’s European Vacation? Even Aliens, as good as it is, follows a lot of the plot points of the original; people stuck on a ship, an android, a little girl in peril instead of a cat. So it makes sense that one of the most popular supernatural comedies of all time, Beetlejuice would follow the same pattern.
In 1991 Tim Burton was interested in doing a sequel to his 1988 original, it was called Beetlejuice Goes Hawaiian:
“The Deetz family moves to Hawaii to develop a resort. Construction begins, and it’s quickly discovered that the hotel will be sitting on top of an ancient burial ground. Beetlejuice comes in to save the day.”
Burton liked the script but wanted some re-writes so he asked then-hot screenwriter Daniel Waters who had just got done contributing to Heathers. He passed on the opportunity so producer David Geffen offered it to Troop Beverly Hills scribe Pamela Norris to no avail.
Eventually, Warner Bros. asked Kevin Smith to punch up Beetlejuice Goes Hawaiian, he scoffed at the idea, saying, “Didn’t we say all we needed to say in the first Beetlejuice? Must we go tropical?”
Nine years later the sequel was killed. The studio said Winona Ryder was now too old for the part and an entire re-cast needed to happen. But Burton never gave up, there were a lot of directions he wanted to take his characters, including a Disney crossover.
“We talked about lots of different things,” the director said in Entertainment Weekly. “That was early on when we were going, Beetlejuice and the Haunted Mansion, Beetlejuice Goes West, whatever. Lots of things came up.”
Fast-forward to 2011 when another script was pitched for a sequel. This time the writer of Burton’s Dark Shadows, Seth Grahame-Smith was hired and he wanted to make sure the story wasn’t a cash-grabbing remake or reboot. Four years later, in 2015, a script was approved with both Ryder and Keaton saying they would return to their respective roles. In 2017 that script was revamped and then eventually shelved in 2019.
During the time the sequel script was being tossed around in Hollywood, in 2016 an artist named Alex Murillo posted what looked like one-sheets for a Beetlejuice sequel. Although they were fabricated and had no affiliation with Warner Bros. people thought they were real.
Perhaps the virality of the artwork sparked interest in a Beetlejuice sequel once again, and finally, it was confirmed in 2022 Beetlejuice 2 had a green light from a script written by Wednesday writers Alfred Gough and Miles Millar. The star of that series Jenna Ortega signed on to the new movie with filming starting in 2023. It was also confirmed that Danny Elfman would return to do the score.
Burton and Keaton agreed that the new film titled Beetlejuice, Beetlejuice wouldn’t rely on CGI or other other forms of technology. They wanted the film to feel “handmade.” The film wrapped in November 2023.
It’s been over three decades to come up with a sequel to Beetlejuice. Hopefully, since they said aloha to Beetlejuice Goes Hawaiian there has been enough time and creativity to ensure Beetlejuice, Beetlejuice will not only honor the characters, but fans of the original.
Beetlejuice, Beetlejuice will open theatrically on September 6.
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