In the mood for a good ol’ fashioned scare? There’s a treasure trove of excellent horror movies to stream on Prime Video. Critic Katie Parker has found the best of the best.
See also
* All new movies & series on Prime Video
* All new streaming movies & series
American Mary (2012)
Watch on Prime VideoThe rise of streaming services has seen some of cinema’s gnarlier horrors find their way out of obscurity—and 2012’s provocative body horror film American Mary is among the best of Amazon’s more extreme offerings. Following a slightly unhinged surgical student who takes a detour into the world of body modification, this gory, striking and super screwed-up film is one for genre enthusiasts.
Bodies Bodies Bodies (2022)
Watch on Prime VideoFeaturing some of the hottest young up-and-comers in Hollywood, Halina Reijn’s comedy-slasher film was one of the freshest and funniest releases of 2022. Starring Amandla Stenberg, Rachel Sennott, Lee Pace, and Pete Davidson among others, this Gen Z send-up follows a group of 20 somethings whose hurricane party goes badly wrong when they realise a killer is in their midst. The blackest of black comedy ensues, culminating in one of the best twists in recent movie history.
The Cabinet of Doctor Calgari (1920)
Watch on Prime VideoA horror classic in the truest sense of the word and, according to iconic critic Roger Ebert, the first true instance ever of the genre, Robert Wiene’s 1920 silent film remains terrifying over 100 years after it was made. Clever, creepy and visually stunning, Wiene’s tale of a man’s trip to visit the mysterious titular doctor’s sideshow attraction—only to find that something sinister lies within.
Come True (2020)
Watch on Prime VideoHypnotic, haunting and visually stunning, Come True’s story of a teenage runaway taking part in an experimental sleep study for extra cash is the stuff of nightmares. A subtle, eerie slowburn taking cues from Davids Cronenberg and Lynch, director Anthony Scott Burns uses wonderfully weird dream imagery to create an atmospheric piece of Sci Fi cinema that is entirely original.
Fall (2022)
Watch on Prime VideoA survival horror for the influencer age, Fall follows a pair of daredevil best friends (one of whom is a Youtube star) whose latest stunt is climbing 2,000 feet to the top of a remote, abandoned and very rickety radio tower. What could go wrong? With an uncanny knack for capturing just how stomach turning it feels to be at the top of something very, very high, Scott Mann’s 2022 thriller milks its terrifying premise for all it’s worth.
Get Out (2017)
Watch on Prime VideoAn instant modern classic on its 2017 release, Jordan Peele’s directorial debut was a critical and commercial sensation, and remains one of the best horrors of modern cinema. Turning the universally chilling experience of a weekend spent with one’s in-laws into a terrifyingly astute critique of an insincere and cynical brand of white liberalism, Peele’s film changed the game for the genre—and is as potent today as ever.
The Green Knight (2021)
Watch on Prime VideoDavid Lowery’s acclaimed 2021 medieval epic may seem like a hard sell to traditional horror fans, but give this dark fantasy a chance and you will be richly rewarded. Following King Arthur’s wayward nephew, as he embarks on a quest to face the mysterious Green Knight, this creepy, atmospheric, visionary tale is a piece of folk horror like no other.
Hellraiser (1987)
Watch on Prime VideoRecently revived in the form of a sadly plodding reboot, nothing will ever beat Clive Barker’s campy, synth-heavy 1987 original. The story of a family who find themselves in the midst of an unfortunate series of events involving an ancient puzzle box and a group of demonic extra-dimensional, sadomasochistic beings who cannot differentiate between pain and pleasure, the film is as wacky, wonderful and endlessly rewatchable as it sounds.
Honeymoon (2014)
Watch on Prime VideoA strange, atmospheric, supernatural horror following a couple on, you guessed it, their honeymoon, Fear Street director Leigh Janiak’s directorial debut is a slow burn—but one with an admirable command of nail-biting suspense. Featuring a standout performance from Game of Thrones’ Rose Leslie and some top notch body horror, this under-the-radar chiller is enough to put anyone off taking a trip to a rustic cabin with their loved one.
Knock At The Cabin (2023)
Watch on Prime VideoLove him or hate him, it is hard to deny that modern Hollywood horror would not be the same without M. Night Shyamalan. His latest, 2023’s apocalyptic nightmare Knock At The Cabin, is a perfect example: who else could bring something equal parts bleak and silly to the table, and, in amongst it all, get such an amazing performance out of wrestling star Dave Bautista? Featuring all of Shyamalan signature schlocky flourishes, fans and critics alike should give this one a go.
M3GAN (2023)
Watch on Prime VideoIf you thought the rise of AI seemed scary, just wait until you meet M3GAN. Created as a friend for a girl struggling with the loss of her parents, at first the life size, artificially intelligent doll seems like a marvel of technology—that is until her programming sends her on an unhinged murder spree. From Kiwi director Gerard Johnstone, this campy, creepy, incredibly fun horror-comedy is the most fun horror has had in years.
Nope (2022)
Watch on Prime VideoJordan Peele is fast becoming one of the most interesting and unpredictable horror auteurs of modern cinema, and his latest outing, Nope, confirms that he remains unafraid to experiment with the genre. A sci-fi film crossed with a western, the 2022 film has all the humour Peele is known for while taking its subject matter seriously—resulting in a complex, compelling and completely entertaining foray into the UFO genre
The Rental (2020)
Watch on Prime VideoThe directorial debut of everyone’s unproblematic younger brother fave Dave Franco (who also produced and directed), The Rental is a sleek, slick, masterfully tense horror. Following two couples on a weekend getaway, their already slightly fraught fun is ruined when they start to suspect they are being watched. As adept at drama as he is a deep sense of sinister foreboding, Franco’s film is a stylish, subtle chiller.
Resident Evil (2002)
Watch on Prime VideoBased on the video game franchise, 2002’s film adaptation spawned one of its own—and with all six films in the series available to stream on Neon, the best place to start is the beginning. Starring Milla Jovovich as amnesiac heroine Alice who, along with a team of commandos, must attempt to contain the outbreak of the genetically engineered T-virus at a secret underground facility. Packed with violence and zombies, Resident Evil is full of big, dumb blockbuster fun.
Split (2017)
Watch on Prime VideoNot to be mistaken for a film imparting any especially sound information around the particularities of mental illness, Split is a brazen, bonkers and super on-brand entry from M. Night Shyamalan. Following a trio of girls abducted by a man suffering from dissociative identity disorder, they find themselves at the mercy of whatever ‘personality’ happens to be dominant at the time. Truly tasteless and gleefully silly, Split sees Shyamalan do what he does best.
Suspiria (2018)
Watch on Prime VideoHowever loyal you may be to Dario Argento’s 1977 original, so-hot-right-now director Luca Guadagnino’s 2018 Suspiria remains an unmissable film in its own right. Like Argento’s film, it tells the story of a young woman joining a Berlin dance school, only to suspect that it is run by a coven of witches. But Guadagnino has his own ideas and own vision, and uses his subject matter to end that is all his own.
Zombieland (2009)
Watch on Prime VideoWoody Harrelson, Jesse Eisenberg, Emma Stone and Abigail Breslin lead Ruben Fleischer’s 2009 horror comedy, about a rag-tag team of zombie apocalypse survivors on a road-trip to refuge. Nearly 15 years since it’s release is still one of the most entertaining and enjoyable end-of-the-world films around. Silly rather than scary, Zombieland is nonetheless gruesome enough to satisfy genre fans out for brains.
