Best Scary Movies to Stream This Fall From Not So Scary to Very Scary

Who doesn't love a good scare, especially during the Halloween season? The age of streaming is the perfect treat for horror movie lovers as you can get any movie you want to watch whenever you want.

October is the best month for scary movies, and there are plenty of frights available right now. But with so many terrifying treats to choose from, how do you decide?

From campy to frightening, check out our list of the best scary movies to watch this Halloween, whether you're a horror lover or scaredy cat.

Not So Scary

Maybe you love Halloween for the costumes and candy, but not so much the frights. If that sounds like you, you'll love these not so scary movies to watch.

Scary Stories to Tell in the Dark

Based off the children's short stories written by Alvin Schwartz, Scary Stories to Tell in the Dark is a movie about a group of young teenagers who break into a creepy house and steal a notebook from the girl who used to live there. They soon find out that the stories in the book are all too real and start disappearing one by one.

While the visuals in this movie may not be for the faint of heart, just like the illustrations in the books, it has an overall campy, classic ghost story vibe. Set during Halloween, this is the perfect way for scaredy cats to get in the spooky season spirit without having too many nightmares.

Scary Stories to Tell in the Dark is available to stream for free on subscription based streaming services: Hulu, Peacock, fuboTV, Amazon Prime Video, Tubi, and Sling TV.

Hocus Pocus and Hocus Pocus 2

A 90's classic, Hocus Pocus takes place in Salem, Massachusetts and follows a group of young teenagers who accidentally bring three witches back to life on Halloween. Spooky hijinks ensue as the kids must find a way to put the witches back where they belong.

Moments of suspense help keep the audience on the edge of their seat, and the classic Halloween atmosphere makes it a perfect movie for the season. Hocus Pocus, and it's sequel, Hocus Pocus 2, is a great choice for scaredy cats and children.

Both of these movies are available to stream for free with a subscription to Disney+.

The Cabin in the Woods

Plenty of good classic horror movies take place in a cabin in the woods, and this one is no different - well, sort of. Cabin in the Woods is a parody-like horror movie that follows five college friends who take a trip to a - you guessed it - cabin in the woods. After finding different relics in the creepy basement of the cabin, the friends unknowingly choose their unfortunate fates.

Alright, so Cabin in the Woods may be one of the scarier movies in the 'not so scary' category, but the comedic relief and satirical spin on horror movie lore keeps it more light-hearted.

Cabin in the Woods is available to stream for free with premium subscriptions on Max, Hulu, and Amazon Prime Video.

Just Scary

If you're not a scaredy cat, but you like a good old fashioned scare, the 'just scary' category is for you.

Scream

Do you like scary movies? While this movie franchise has been adapted into remakes and TV shows, there's only one classic Scream. This slasher from the 90's follows high school students as they're antagonized, stalked, and killed by a masked murderer named Ghost Face. The group of friends must try to survive as they attempt to figure out who the killer is, suspicious that it could be someone closer to them than they think.

Director, Wes Craven, knows how to do slashers. Alongside the Nightmare on Elm Street franchise, Scream is arguably the best slasher series of all time. While this movie has a good amount of gore, it's overall a fun and just scary enough watch. If you find you really love the movie, check out the its sequels which may be just as good as the first.

You can watch the original Scream for free with subscriptions on SlingTv, Max, Hulu, and Prime Video.

A Quiet Place

Based in a post-apocalyptic world, A Quiet Place follows a family who must stay quiet as they navigate a world now invaded by alien creatures with super-sonic hearing. To make their situation worse, the mother is pregnant, and their daughter is deaf.

This 90-minute movie is full of effective jump scares and building suspense. A Quiet Place feels like your classic monster movie with a modern twist, making a perfect Halloween scare.

Watch A Quiet Place for free with subscriptions on Paramount+, YouTube TV, Hulu, SlingTV, and Prime Video.

Get Out

A scary movie with a side of commentary, Get Out is about a young black man who meets his white girlfriend's parents for the first time. While he was originally worried about racial discrimination, he soon learns that should be the least of his concerns.

Sketch comedy artist, Jordan Peele, made his film debut with Get Out, and it became extremely popular and beloved by audiences for a reason. This suspenseful thriller is scary enough to satisfy horror lovers without being over the top scary.

Stream Get Out with a subscription on Netflix, Peacock, fuboTV, and Hulu.

Very Scary

Are you ready to be really scared? Then get ready for these very scary movies to watch this Halloween.

Hereditary

Produced by the iconic A24, Hereditary follows a family consisted of a mother, father, son, and daughter who are as dysfunctional as they come. The beginning funeral scene sets the tone for how dreadful the rest of the movie is going to be, and it only gets more disturbing as it goes.

If you're looking for a factory of jump scares, you're not going to find it in Hereditary. However, there's enough creepy and disturbing visuals and concepts to make you squirm in your seat. Hereditary is not for the squeamish or faint of heart, making this a perfect start to our 'very scary' list.

You can watch Hereditary for free with subscriptions on Hulu and Prime Video.

Smile

Despite the name, you'll be doing anything but smiling during this movie. Smile follows a psychiatrist who has a disturbing encounter with a patient at the beginning of the movie, then is haunted by a mysterious entity that shows up in the form of a smile. The movie is full of nothing but dread and disturbing visuals.

Let's be honest - the trailer for Smile looked creepy but goofy overall. However, Smile exceeds expectations when it comes to effective and intentional jump scares, creepy visuals, and overall dread. Get ready to jump out of your seat and be looking over your shoulder for the next couple days with this one.

You can watch Smile for free with subscriptions on MGM+, Prime Video, Paramount+, YouTubeTV, and SlingTV.

Evil Dead Rise

Just like its prequels, Evil Dead Rise is full of gore, disturbing imagery, and a hellish good time. While many of the Evil Dead's are usually set in a cabin in the woods, this adaption is set in a creepy apartment complex. Evil Dead Rise follows a single mom, her kids, and her sister as they battle a demon picking them off one by one in the worst ways you can imagine. Seriously - just wait for the cheese grater scene.

If you love blood and guts, Evil Dead Rise is the movie for you. With insanely and (dare we say) creative kills, Evil Dead Rise holds its own next to the other movies in the franchise. You might squirm, you might cringe, you might cover your eyes, but that's what horror lovers want, right?

Watch Evil Dead Rise now for free with subscriptions on Max and Prime Video.