My Picks for Horror Worth Streaming for Halloween 2018

Train to Busan is one of Zengrrl's picks for horror to stream for Halloween 2018.

Since Halloween falls on a Wednesday this year, I’m guessing most of you will be staying home doing the Stream and Scream thing, instead of going out and partying (hey – isn’t that what the weekend is for?).

If you fall into this category, and are looking for some quality horror, here are my picks for what to stream on Amazon Prime, Hulu, and Netflix for Halloween 2018. I watch a lot of horror to find the best ones, so give these picks a try (the videos may take a bit to load):

IF YOU LIKE DEMON/SUPERNATURAL HORROR, TRY:

Apostle [NETFLIX]

London, 1905. Prodigal son Thomas Richardson has returned home, only to learn that his sister is being held for ransom by a religious cult. Determined to get her back at any cost, Thomas travels to the idyllic island where the cult lives. As Thomas infiltrates the island’s community, he learns that the corruption of mainland society that they claim to reject has infested the cult’s ranks nonetheless – and uncovers a secret more evil than he could have imagined.

Written and directed by Gareth Evans and starring Dan Stevens, Lucy Boynton, Mark Lewis Jones, Bill Milner, Kristine Froseth and Michael Sheen, this film evokes shades of The Wicker Man and The VVitch, then throws in some Lovecraft in the end for a strange and creepy film that doesn’t shy away from the gore.

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The Haunting of Hill House [NETFLIX]

This modern reimagining of the Shirley Jackson novel follows siblings who, as children, grew up in what would go on to become the most famous haunted house in the country. Now adults, they are forced back together in the face of tragedy and must finally confront the ghosts of their past. Some of those ghosts still lurk in their minds, while others may actually be stalking the shadows of Hill House.

The amazing ensemble cast includes Oscar winner Timothy Hutton, Carla Gugino, Michael Huisman, Oliver Jackson-Cohen, Kate Siegel, and Henry Thomas, and they do an great job of showing a family battling both personal demons, and real ones. At ten episodes, this is a slow burn horror, but there are plenty of creepy scenes along the way. Start tonight and binge the final episodes on Halloween.

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Last Shift [NETFLIX]

Jessica is a rookie cop assigned to the last shift at a police station before it is permanently closed. Unexplained things start happening, and it’s all tied to a murderous cult that worships the King of Hell. But is it really happening? That’s the real mystery of this movie, which uses the isolated setting very well.

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Night of the Demons [AMAZON PRIME]

In this 80s classic, 10 teens decide to go to a party at an abandoned funeral parlor on Halloween night. While starting the party, the teens awaken some evil force and find themselves trapped and taken over one by one. Now it’s a battle for who can survive and cross over the stream before going to hell.

IF YOU LIKE STALKER/SLASHER FILMS, TRY:

Green Room [AMAZON PRIME]

A punk rock band becomes trapped in a secluded venue after finding a scene of violence. For what they saw, the band themselves become targets of violence from a gang of white power skinheads, who want to eliminate all evidence of the crime. This intense film has outstanding performances from Patrick Stewart and Anton Yelchin.

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Hush [NETFLIX]

Maddie, a female author, is holed up in her house in the woods, when a masked man starts trying to get in. The problem? She’s deaf, so she can’t hear him. This film has a lot of great tension and scares.

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Into The Dark: The Body [HULU]

The first episode in the monthly Blumhouse horror anthology deals with the consummate hitman on Halloween, and the partiers that get in the way of an assignment.

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Motel Hell [AMAZON PRIME]

This 80s horror film has achieved cult status for it’s tale of siblings Vincent Smith and his sister Ida. The two run a rural motel, but they earn most of their cash operating a food stand that specializes in world-famous sausages. But just where do they get their meat…

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Pet [AMAZON PRIME]

A young waitress engages in psychological warfare with the lonely man who abducts her, revealing the darkness lurking in each of them. What elevates this film is excellent performances by Dominic Monaghan and Ksenia Solo, and a surprise twist near the end.

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Prom Night [AMAZON PRIME]

One of the classic slasher films that helped cement Jamie Lee Curtis as a Scream Queen. In it, a masked killer stalks four teenagers who were responsible for the accidental death of a little girl six years earlier, at their high school’s senior prom.

IF YOU LIKE YOUR HORROR UNDEAD OR MIXED WITH A VIRUS OUTBREAK, TRY:

Cargo [NETFLIX]

Starring Martin Freeman, this is the story of a man and his infant daughter who are stranded in the middle of a zombie apocalypse in rural Australia. And when he becomes infected, the countdown begins for him to find her protection before he changes forever.

The film is more of a character study than a zombie horde-type of film, and has a minimum of gore.

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The Girl With All the Gifts [AMAZON PRIME]

In the future, a strange fungus has changed nearly everyone into a thoughtless, flesh-eating monster. When a scientist and a teacher find a girl who seems to be immune to the fungus, they all begin a journey to save humanity. Very little gore, but definitely thought-provoking.

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Mom and Dad [HULU]

A teenage girl and her little brother must survive a wild 24 hours during which a mass hysteria of unknown viral origins causes parents to turn violently on their own kids. Just when you think it can’t get any crazier, it goes off the rails near the end.

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Train to Busan [NETFLIX]

This is one of my favorite zombie movies ever! A man, his estranged daughter and other passengers become trapped on a speeding train during a zombie outbreak in South Korea. It’s a blood-drenched ride to the Safe Zone..which may or may not still be there. It is in Korean, but it has subtitles. The almost non-stop action and scares are worth the watch.

IF YOU LIKE YOUR HORROR MIXED WITH COMEDY, TRY:

Ash vs. The Evil Dead [NETFLIX]

Bruce Campbell reprises his “Evil Dead” film role as heroic, chainsaw-handed monster fighter Ash Williams, now an aging lothario who has successfully avoided responsibility, maturity and heinous villains for the past 30 years. Constantly peering over his shoulder, Ash commits an act of carelessness, unleashing a Deadite plague that threatens to destroy mankind. Co-starring in the half-hour series are Lucy Lawless as mysterious Ruby; Ray Santiago as Ash’s loyal sidekick, Pablo Simon Bolivar; and Dana DeLorenzo as moody wild child Kelly Maxwell.

All three seasons of this Starz series are available for streaming. Expect plenty of gore and an anything goes sense of humor. Definitely not fo the squeamish

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The Babysitter [NETFLIX]

In this Netflix original, when young Cole stays up past his bedtime, he discovers that his hot baby sitter belongs to a satanic cult that will stop at nothing to sacrifice him and keep him quiet.

This teen horror-comedy film directed by McG stars Samara Weaving, Judah Lewis, Hana Mae Lee, Robbie Amell and Bella Thorne. It feels like an 80s slasher/possession fim with a lot of modern day humor, and a mild amount of gore.

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Santa Clarita Diet [NETFLIX]

Drew Barrymore and Timothy Olyphant star in this series as married realtors, Sheila and Joel, who are living a quiet life, raising their teenage daughter in Santa Clarita, Calif. Their world unexpectedly changes when Sheila goes through a dramatic transformation that turns her into a zombie — but leaves her looking and feeling better than ever.

The two seasons of episodes get funnier as the family tries harder and harder to deal Sheila’s increasing need for human flesh. Moderate gore, as to be expected with zombies.

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Tragedy Girls [HULU]

Teenage crime reporters Sadie and McKayla are hot on the trail of a crazed serial killer. After capturing the maniac and holding him hostage, they soon realize that the best way to boost their social media stardom is to commit the murders themselves.

IF YOU LIKE YOUR HORROR VERY STRANGE OR HARD TO CATEGORIZE TRY:

Raw [NETFLIX]

Stringent vegetarian Justine encounters a decadent, merciless and dangerously seductive world during her first week at veterinary school. Desperate to fit in, she strays from her principles and eats raw meat for the first time. The young woman soon experiences terrible and unexpected consequences as her true self begins to emerge. This French-Belgian film has English subtitles and is not for the squeamish.

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Society [AMAZON PRIME]

This early-90s classic is one of the strangest horror films I’ve ever seen. In it, a Beverly Hills teen (Billy Warlock) discovers his parents are part of a gruesome orgy cult for the social elite…but not the kind of orgy you’re thinking of.

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Teeth [NETFLIX]

Dawn is an active member of her high-school chastity club who suddenly learns she is a living example of the vagina dentata myth when a boy tries to assault her. She then uses her nether teeth to exact revenge.

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The Void [NETFLIX]

Cloaked, cult-like figures trap a police officer, patients and staffers inside a hospital that is a gateway to evil in this indie film that has a heavy dose of Lovecraft horror in it.

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I'm Michelle Snow, the writer and creator of Zengrrl. I write about travel, entertainment, women's issues, health, body positivity, and more, both for this blog and freelance. I have also authored/co-authored four guidebooks on Orlando and Florida. If you aren't already following me, the links are below, as well as on the top right of this page. Thanks!