The Best Horror Marathon to Stream for Free this Halloween
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There’s something special about a Friday the 13th in October. The air is crisper, the vibes are spookier, and most importantly, it’s a Friday—which means you’re free to line up a scary movie marathon for the ages.
But what to watch? You’re tired of the same old offerings on Netflix, and you’ve already seen The Texas Chainsaw Massacre and The Babadook enough to last three lifetimes. Step right this way, into my office—and please ignore the ominous decorations, the black cats, and the mysterious potions. Here, for your perusal, is a horror fan’s guide to the best movies you can stream for free right now—whether that be on this fine Friday the 13th, on Halloween, or whenever else you might feel like it this month.
The Exorcist III (1990)
Available to stream on Pluto TV.
Horror fans have reclaimed The Exorcist III, and once you’ve watched, it’s easy to understand why. Never mind the unintentionally comical disaster that was The Exorcist II; the third entry in this franchise basically ignores it anyway, and it’s better for it. The ever-reliable George C. Scott and Brad Dourif are both in fine form here, and William Peter Blatty—who wrote and directed the film, based on his novel Legion—took the film in a different direction from many of its contemporaries, leaning into psychological horror over slasher gore. But is this threequel really better than the original, as some claim? You’ll have to decide that one for yourself.
Ginger Snaps (2000)
Available to stream on Tubi.
Why is it that so many werewolf movies focus on dudes? Is it the body hair, the internal battle against one’s own aggression, or something else? Whatever the reason for this oversight, the cult-classic Canadian supernatural horror Ginger Snaps is here to correct it. By using lycanthropy as a metaphor for puberty (which, for those with uteruses, brings its own once-monthly horror) the film pulls off a tricky balance. It’s both macabre and sincere, heartfelt and, at times, bleakly funny. Emily Perkins’s teenage protagonist Brigitte grounds Ginger Snaps, and Katharine Isabelle, who plays her wild, fanged older sister runs away with the show.
The Love Witch (2016)
Available to stream on Tubi.
This one’s for the folks who want to watch a creepy movie but not a scary movie. This Technicolor nightmare might’ve been made in 2016, but its atmosphere comes straight out of the 1960s. Samantha Robinson is captivating (and wickedly hilarious) as Elaine—a gorgeous young witch who is determined to find an all-consuming kind of love. Armed with herbs, a gorgeous apartment, and potions made from her own urine and used tampons, Elaine is not one to be trifled with or ignored—and neither is this campy instant classic.
They Live (1988)
Available to stream on Tubi.
Speaking of campy classics—there’s also John Carpenter’s They Live, a sci-fi send-up of Ronald Reagan’s vision for a post-Vietnam America. The parallels are not hard to decipher: A drifter named George Nada (wrestler Roddy Piper) discovers that his town is run by aliens who impose their will via subliminal messages in TV advertisements. The movie’s calling cards include a fight scene that lasts for more than five minutes, but its message is what really gives it staying power.
Carnival of Souls (1962)
Available to stream on Pluto TV.
This is one of those B-movies that accomplishes more than it should, given its constraints and budget. The story follows Mary (Candace Hilligoss) who escaped a car accident seemingly unscathed after her friends lose their lives. When she takes a job as a church organist, however, it quickly becomes clear that her scars will be internal; suddenly, she’s seeing apparitions and becomes convinced that something isn’t right. Carnival of Souls producer/director Herk Harvey hoped to capture “the look of a Bergman and the feel of a Cocteau,” and the end result is downright haunting. The score, in particular, is a marvel that shows off just how creepy organ music can be.
The Changeling (1980)
Available to stream on Tubi.
Speaking of excellent movie music, Peter Medak’s The Changeling includes one of the best horror scores of all time (and also, another star turn from George C. Scott). A perpetually underrated feature that nonetheless remains a favorite of directors like Martin Scorsese and Guillermo del Toro, The Changeling is a marvel for its technique alone. As with Carnival of Souls, the film dips its toe into the metaphorical waters of survivor’s guilt, as a composer moves to Seattle after surviving a car crash that killed his wife and daughter. Soon, he, like Mary from Carnival, begins seeing apparitions that lead him to discover the grim history of the stately house he’s bought. It’s moody, gorgeous, and (most importantly) terrifying.
Frogs (1972)
Available to stream on Pluto TV.
If you’d prefer a scary movie that makes you laugh rather than scream, look no further than this eco-horror classic. In the grand tradition of horror movies centered on animals, there’s a good bit of humor to be found in this ’70s B-movie hit. Sam Elliott plays a photographer who falls in with a wealthy family whose exploitation of nature has come back to bite them. Try and picture it: a scene in which a bunch of frogs push their way through a window to exact nature’s revenge. If that’s not worth a watch, I don’t know what is.
Bram Stoker’s Dracula (1992)
Available to stream on Pluto TV.
This might not be director Francis Ford Coppola’s strongest work, but it’s certainly some of the most fun. Each and every performance in this film screams with excess—from Gary Oldman’s operatic turn as Dracula, to Winona Ryder as his would-be bride Mina, to Anthony Hopkins as a bleakly comedic Van Helsing. In an era of vibes, this one’s all about creating a mood—and the mood is grand, over-the-top salaciousness.
Train to Busan (2016)
Available to stream on Tubi.
This South Korean zombie thriller manages to walk a fine line, offering shades of the old classics while weaving in a few innovations of its own. Amid a zombie outbreak, a father and daughter board a train to visit the little girl’s mother—and at the last second, an infected passenger jumps aboard. The undead in this movie are the kind you’d hope never to see during a zombie apocalypse in real life—fast, ruthless, and hungry. In a movie, though? They’re as good as it gets.
Hello Mary Lou: Prom Night II (1987)
Available to stream on Tubi.
Far be it from me to tell anyone to skip a movie starring Jamie Lee Curtis, but you don’t need to see the first Prom Night in order to enjoy the slasher masterpiece that is Prom Night II. Their plots are basically unrelated, and in many ways, the second installment in this franchise might be its cleverest and most fun. Wendy Lyon is a marvel as Vicki Carpenter—who is possessed by the vengeful spirit of a long-dead prom queen, Mary Lou Maloney, who met her fate on prom night. The result is one of the 80s most fun slashers—and also a cautionary tale about the ghostly risks of wearing vintage prom accessories.
Crawl (2019)
Available to stream on Pluto TV.
As a native Floridian and alligator enthusiast, I’ll admit that I was in the can for this one from the beginning. That said, director Alexandre Aja really pulled off something special with this one. A disaster flick about a hurricane that sets a swarm of alligators loose on the Sunshine State, Crawl is equal parts gripping and silly. The hulking alligators are startlingly realistic, and their kills are as brutal as one would expect. Frankly, this movie has everything: a fractured father-daughter relationship, a big storm, and a dog whose life is occasionally in peril. What more could you need?
Suspiria (1977)
Available to stream on Tubi.
Still haven’t watched Dario Argento’s original horror film about a ballet student who discovers the dark, murderous, witchy underbelly of her chosen academy? There’s no time like the present—and if you like that, you can check out the other two entries in the Italian director’s “Three Mothers” trilogy—1980’s Inferno and 2007’s Mother of Tears.
Urban Legend (1998)
Available to stream on Tubi.
This one might not be the most, erm, accomplished film on the list, but it is a compulsively rewatchable classic starring 90s genre powerhouses Rebecca Gayheart and Tara Reid (and, yes, Jared Leto). This classic slasher film follows a group of university students as they drop like flies at the hands of a serial murderer whose kills mirror those of... you guessed it... urban legends. If you never caught this one in its heyday or on cable, it’s well worth the watch—and its Scream-like intro will instantly set the tone.
C.H.U.D. (1984)
Available to stream on Pluto TV.
A critical failure that has since become a cult classic, C.H.U.D. stands for Cannibalistic Humanoid Underground Dwellers—promising fodder for any scary movie night. This is as broad and nonsensical as ’80s horror gets, so it might be an acquired taste, but if you love a good creature feature, there’s a reason this one has lurked in the back of public consciousness for so long—from internet memes to The Simpsons. I mean, just look at these guys!
Evil Dead II (1987)
Available to stream on Tubi.
In a refreshing change of pace from the dreaded sophomore slump, the best of the Evil Dead series is actually its sequel. Essentially a wilder, funnier remake of the (also excellent) first Evil Dead, this entry once again finds Bruce Campbell’s handsome protagonist, Ash, fighting off his possessed friends on a cabin trip from hell. Campbell’s over-the-top expressions, Sam Raimi’s famous running camera, and the film’s demonic humor make it a must-watch for every spooky season.
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