Amazon Prime Video’s catalog can be a bit more challenging to navigate versus the neatness of Netflix or Hulu. There are no subcategories or breakdowns, just an endless scroll of fifty-ish pages loaded with titles. Don’t expect many Amazon Originals in their horror section either — these seem to be limited to Blumhouse’s “Into The Blumhouse” collections and not much else. You’d think this is where horror movies come to die, but that’s only if you don’t have a guide.
Clicking through every page of Prime Video’s horror section, you’ll find some real gems hidden between backyard-made uploads that Amazon loosely vets. The problem is, “hidden gems” are just that — hidden. I’m talking “Page 15” for an outright horror icon or anything before the 2000s. Curation seems like an afterthought, just whatever’s available at the time. To make perusing easier, we’ve highlighted the best horror films currently streamable on Prime Video, updated monthly as we sink deeper into their catalog of neverending pages.
Please note: This list pertains to U.S. Amazon subscribers. Some titles may not currently be available on international platforms. This article is frequently amended to remove films no longer on Amazon and to include more horror movies that are now available on the service.
Pearl
Ti West and Mia Goth have created a beautiful partnership starting with X, but Pearl is where Goth shines brightest. As a prequel that lets Goth play a 1918 farmgirl with starstruck dreams, it’s barebones in storytelling but incredibly meaty regarding Pearl’s larger-than-life personality. I described Goth’s performance as “Cinderella, Norman Bates, and Annie Wilkes” rolled into one, a sight to behold. West and Goth collaborated on Pearl’s script over a few short weeks, which is evident in slighter parts, but try ignoring Goth’s command of the screen as she spirals into delusional psychosis.
Dark Harvest
If you’ve ever thought, “You know, there aren’t enough horror films that endanger children,” check out Dark Harvest. David Slade’s adaptation of Norman Partridge’s book brings to life a rural American ritual where young boys participate in a Halloween “run” to hunt a deadly creature, Sawtooth Jack. A unique blend of practical and digital effects brings Sawtooth Jack to life with grotesque realism, and gore effects are top-notch as an evil Jack-O-Lantern entity slaughters boys of all ages. Dark Harvest is a cornfed folktale that might be a little anemic in its recreation of 1960s period aesthetics, but doesn’t waste Halloween appeal that’s as dark as it is deadly.
Frozen
Adam Green’s most known for the Louisiana slasher franchise Hatchet, but I’d argue Frozen is one of his best. No, this isn’t a Disney remake with cheery songs — just freezing temperatures and hungry wolves. Shawn Ashmore, Kevin Zegers, and Emma Bell are stuck on a ski lift after hours due to an operator handover and unclear instructions. That’s the movie, focused and frost-bitten, but it’s hardly disappointing. As the three friends try to survive the elements, dangers mount and panic escalates. Green gets to the point and lands the concept, making big chills out of little means with a wintery twist.
Hell Fest
Every few months, I think about what a shame it is that Hell Fest never got a sequel or prequel. It’s one of my favorite Halloween rewatches, and my appreciation grows yearly. Gregory Plotkin’s haunted attraction slasher feels like a horror movie takeover of Universal’s Halloween Horror Nights in all the right ways. Amusement park thrills prey upon the ease with which any psychopath could pose as a scare actor, as Plotkin plays up the holiday’s inherently spooky aesthetics. If it’s October, you bet I’m going to force my friends to watch Hell Fest again.
Hell Night
Speaking of Halloween movies with “Hell” in the title, why not try Hell Night? Linda Blair stars in an ‘80s slasher that mixes hazing, haunted houses, and wacky kill sequences into one tasty holiday treat. It’s an old-school midnighter breed that isn’t known for immaculate quality, but that matters less because director Tom DeSimone has plenty of fun with the concept. Four pledges must endure an initiation ritual that sees them spend the night at “Garth Manor,” but as you might predict, the mean-spirited prank leads to dead bodies. It’s not an outright horror comedy, but you’ll probably laugh anyway, and that’s alright. Have fun with Hell Night; it’ll only enhance the experience.
The Monster Project
By 2017, the found footage subgenre had long been oversaturated with cheap Blair Witch and Paranormal Activity imitations. Thankfully, Victor Mathieu dared to be different with The Monster Project. YouTubers who typically film fake monster encounters decide to search for some real-deal subjects, which they ultimately find. A skinwalker, a vampire, and a girl suffering demonic possession gather in a house to be interviewed on the night of a lunar eclipse, and that’s when everything goes wrong. The YouTuber crew becomes trapped in a rental house with their three real-life monsters, fighting for survival. Monster effects are better than expected, and the found footage shooting style works with Mathieu’s dedication to in-your-face action. Frankly, it’s one of my favorite hidden gems of the first-person subgenre.
Zombeavers
Zombeavers is what SYFY Originals dream about being when they grow up. Jordan Rubin’s loving satire of ridiculous B-movies is indeed about zombified beavers accidentally created by truckers played by John Mayer and Bill Burr. From there, things only get goofier and more entertaining. The concept of werebeavers is introduced, beaver puppets run amok, and flesh-ripping gore gets downright nasty. Rubin holds nothing back as he charges full-sprint into an asinine concept that could only succeed by taking the biggest swings, which the film does. It’s a doofy, proudly dumb, tail-thwappin’ good time of a horror-comedy.
Breaking Surface
Breaking Surface is a thrilling and straightforward premise executed to the max. Joachim Hedén’s aquatic horror tale is about sisters who love diving together — one sister gets trapped underwater beneath falling rocks, and the other tries to pull off an improbable rescue. Madeleine Martin and Moa Gammel deliver above-and-beyond performances as siblings fighting for one’s life, generating tension from the scenario and their love for one another under immense duress. Hedén faces the horrors of Mother Nature as any of us might unluckily encounter, contrasting feelings of hopelessness against his characters’ will to live. It’s just good wilderness horror, pinning our nerves to the bottom of the ocean’s floor.
Jack Frost
Michael Cooney’s supremely 90s horror movie Jack Frost begs an important question: What if Child’s Play, but a snowman? That’s the concept in a nutshell. A serial killer is involved in a car accident, gets doused with genetic research chemicals, and fuses with the snow outside. It’s a highly unserious Christmas horror movie about what would happen if Frosty ever snapped, but Cooney works about as well as he can with the lower-budget gonzo material. Cooney leans hard into the festive spirit with a bevy of seasonal deaths as Jack cracks cheesy one-liners you’d expect from a slasher villain snowman. It’s goofy as heck, knows its role, and delivers plenty of fun for B-Movie fans seeking horror schlock during the holidays. They even got Shannon Elizabeth to show up and die!
Uncle Peckerhead
Despite preconceptions outside the genre, there is such a thing as “Feel Good Horror.” Uncle Peckerhead fits the brand, about a scrappy punk band named Duh that unknowingly lets a monster join their first-ever tour. Every night for thirteen minutes, the band’s roadie “Uncle Peckerhead” (aka “Peck”) turns into a flesh-munching creature. As the tour progresses, Duh learns to love their murderous companion — especially when he tears apart sleazy promoters or club owners. Writer and director Matthew John Lawrence does well to honor indie punk-rock aesthetics through the unexpectedly sweet journey with plenty of rebellious spirits, rad tunes, and spilled blood.
Totally Killer
If Hot Tub Time Machine turned into a slasher, you’d get Totally Killer. It’s a comical horror film that’s comedy-forward in terms of balance, frequently poking fun at easy 80s stereotypes like railing cocaine on the regular. Kiernan Shipka is delightful in these moments as a “wokester” modern girl trying to comprehend how anyone made it out of the 80s alive — then the horror hits. A masked maniac reminds us that we’re watching a slasher movie where teens die horribly, and scares attempt to wash away comedic brightness. It’s never totally in balance, but sure can be killer.
Renfield
Yes, the Nicolas Cage Dracula film is worth your time. It’s a humorous take on escaping toxic relationships led by Nicholas Hoult as Dracula’s famous familiar Renfield that twists iconic vampire lore into a unique new form. Renfield eats bugs to become super powerful, and Dracula works with drug kingpins — you have to accept that Renfield (the movie and the character) just wants to have fun. Oh, and it’s gratuitously bloody? Renfield hits the right notes for a contemporary vampire flick that aims to entertain with broad horror strokes, and Cage is as deliciously batty as you’d hope.
Cocaine Bear
I don’t think Cocaine Bear ever pushes as far as it should, but that doesn’t ruin the entire experience. Elizabeth Banks still finds a worthwhile twist on creature features as a cocaine-sniffing bear brutalizes victims in the Chattahoochee National Forest. There’s a suitable amount of gore that helps lift the somewhat struggling comedic bits, as Banks distracts us from mediocre humor by tossing another severed limb into frame. Whenever the bear is on screen (and on drugs), Cocaine Bear delivers on promises — sometimes good enough is indeed good enough.
Mutant Blast
Here’s one you probably haven’t heard about yet. Mutant Blast is a Troma-produced piece of B-Movie mania that features gross-out practical effects, full-body rat mamma costumes, and so much more insanity. It’s a nuclear doomsday movie, a zombie apocalypse movie, a mutant monster movie — a little bit of everything that fans of kooky horror movies love. Where else can you find a French lobster wearing a business suit with an intense hatred for dolphins? I promise you’ve never seen anything like the grotesque, often hilarious, and freakishly inventive Mutant Blast.
Hell Baby
From the minds behind Reno 911! and many other goofball comedy productions comes a demonic comedy that puts laughs first and hellspawn terror second. Hell Baby isn’t revolutionizing the horror-comedy, but for those who enjoy Robert Ben Garant and Thomas Lennon’s sense of humor (a vast range of maturity levels), there’s some solid gold haunted house schtick to be found. A cast of reliably funny people including Rob Corddry, Leslie Bibb, Keegan-Michael Key, and so many more familiar faces make Hell Baby more entertaining than it should be — look no further than Kumail Nanjiani’s insane long-take gag as a stoned cable guy trying to drive away without drawing attention. Hell Baby gets the job done as a means of silly satanic entertainment that pokes fun at exorcisms, Vatican heroes, and other horror tropes.
Smile
Smile is a textbook definition horror movie that’s scary, composed, and adheres to commen genre expectations. Sosie Bacon leads a film where seeing a haunting grin means you’re about to become an evil entity’s next victim. Storytelling lacks tightness as characters come and go from the absurd scenario, but the scares are all aces. Writer and director Parker Finn understands the bread and butter of most horror experiences: primetime chills. Finn’s movie exists to make you scream and scream you shall. I’m not sure everything about the ending works for me personally? But it’s still worth the stream for the adrenaline spikes alone.
Torn Hearts
In the mood for some honky-tonk horrors? How about a movie where Katey Sagal stars as a once-famous country music sensation who torments an aspiring duo after they show up on her doorstep begging for a collaboration? Director Brea Grant feeds off Nashville’s music scene as newbie band Torn Hearts tangles with their idol — Sagal’s Harper Dutch — who soaks their insides with booze and starts breaking down their psyches. Good music, bad attitudes, and jaded celebrity commentaries are the key ingredients that make Torn Hearts such a boot-scootin’ blast to watch. The trio of actresses embraces madness in harmony, and while their standoff isn’t without some disbelief, it’s still one hell of a performance I’d grant an encore.
Nanny
Nikyatu Jusu’s Nanny is one of the better original Prime Video horror releases as of today’s date. Anna Diop stars as immigrant Aisha, with Michelle Monaghan as her upper-class boss. Terror is based on international folklore and damning conversations until an absolute gut punch of a finale drives home Jusu’s fragile vision. We love a horror film that reminds us how movies don’t need fictional monsters — life itself is frightening enough.
Run Sweetheart Run
Subtle is something that Run Sweetheart Run is not, which I find a feature, not a bug. Ella Balinska plays a single mother in Los Angeles who is being chased by a misogynistic, womanizing, possibly supernatural predator after a blind date (Pilou Asbæk plays “bad” so well). It’s not pulling punches or sugarcoating commentary. There’s a John Carpenter-esque feel as Balinska’s target flees through a dystopian version of LA where everyone is on her pursuer’s payroll, but also less dystopian based on how characters interact with the fleeing woman. It’s a fight for survival, a bloody satire on women fending for themselves, and a vicious chase flick that’s only taking home run swings.
Uncaged
From the guy who directed killer elevator and killer Santa movies (Dick Maas) comes Uncaged, about a monstrous lion terrorizing Amsterdam. A blend of CG and animatronic effects bring the lion to life, as a veterinarian leads hunters through the Dutch capital. Maas is known for having a flair for the outrageous, which doesn’t escape Uncaged. The film’s ideas are grotesque and a bit bonkers, amassing a showy body count while indulging darkened humor. If you’re into Mass, B-Movies, and beastly creature features, give Uncaged a whirl.
Candyman
Nia DaCosta’s Candyman — say it five times — succeeds as a thoughtful requel in remake camouflauge. The creative team sees an opportunity to challenge Bernard Rose’s original by viewing its legacy through a Black lens, which gives a complementary perspective. New elements are introduced (mirror travel), the universe of Candyman expands, and effects teams splatter some righteous gore as trauma is exploited as art. There’s a poignant conversation at the center of Monkey Paw’s Candyman update, one that unifies the worlds of cultural reflection and representative horror in a tasty way.
Hell House LLC
Stephen Cognetti’s Hell House LLC is a spectacularly scrappy take on found-footage Halloween horrors. Haunted attraction creators select an abandoned hotel in upstate New York for their next production, and opening night ends with fifteen dead. Hell House LLC sells itself as documentary footage that recounts the tragedy of Hell House — what went wrong, all the supernatural signs that attraction makers ignored. It’s one of its decade’s better independent horror efforts, especially considering how it maximizes every advantage of found footage styles. Minimal budgets, seasonally creative scares, and in-your-face screams are the calling cards of Hell House LLC.
Master
Mariama Diallo’s Master turns systemic racism into a ghost story that haunts collegiate halls. Regina Hall shines as the first Black master at Ancaster, a predominantly white New England college. There are legends of haunted dorm rooms thanks to witch hangings nearby, but Hall’s character encounters prejudice that’s far more horrifying. The paranormal element of Diallo’s story becomes the unseen but campus-wide stoking of hatred that’s ingrained in Ancaster’s traditions. Horror becomes a conduit for protest as well as a frightening accent on a few occasions, but most impressively, Diallo keeps thematic emphasis tight and tense throughout the university thriller. It’s spooky, frustrated, and particular with its monsters — horror continues to be as punchily political as always.
Harpoon
Rob Grant’s Harpoon is so sarcastic, caustic, and spiteful. I say that with glee. It’s the darkest of dark comedies, cutting to the chase about humanity’s vile core. Three “friends” are stranded on a boat and devolve into the worst versions of themselves — somehow even worse than the betrayers and hotheads they were on land. There’s also a harpoon on board, hence the title. Brett Gelman narrates as Richard (Christopher Gray), Jonah (Munro Chambers), and Sasha (Emily Tyra) try to survive heatstroke, dehydration, and themselves. Drifting on waters that are much calmer than tensions aboard, which is all I want to reveal about this laugh-out-out slice of human misery.
The Taking Of Deborah Logan
Found footage fans already know why Adam Robitel’s The Taking Of Deborah Logan is on this list. Deborah Logan (Jill Larson) permits a film crew to document her battle with Alzheimer’s, but the production becomes more nightmare than informational research. Threads between mental illness and possession are pulled so delicately until jarring scares deliver thunderous horrors. Deborah’s condition worsens as the camera rolls and evolves past medical explanations. Then we reach an open-wide finale moment that’s been gif’ed a million times, assuring mass acclaim around Robitel’s debut.
We Are Still Here
Haunted houses are part of any horror fan’s comfort formula but can present storytelling problems. Why remain in an estate that aims to harm you? Or possess your family? Ted Geoghegan’s We Are Still Here works as a New England ghost story because characters played by Barbara Crampton and Andrew Sensenig believe their new abode’s strange occurrences are signs from their deceased son. A calmness keeps them settled until their assumptions are proven very, disastrously wrong. It’s a third-act for the ages that pays off slower burns when Geoghegan unleashes more bloodshed in its closing remarks than some entire movies accomplish. Eat your hearts out, A24. Here’s how you sustain elongated simmers with a proper climax.
Stitches
If you’re in the mood for a horror-comedy slasher, may I direct you towards Conor McMahon’s Stitches? British comedian Ross Noble plays an undead clown who reanimates to slaughter the now-teenage children responsible for his accidental party death. Death scenes are over-the-top and emphasize practicality, like when a boy’s head inflates like a balloon or brains are scooped like ice cream blobs. It’s wild fun and even sets up a mythological cultish vibe as Stitches is somehow tied to a graveyard clown congregation, which begs for a sequel. That ship has probably sailed, but for everyone who misses the lunacy of 80s slasher romps? Stitches should be a headliner act.
Hellraiser
Classic horror staples don’t often find their way onto Prime Video, but Clive Barker’s Hellraiser remains the exception. Pinhead makes his theatrical debut serving sadomasochism as the only flavor on Barker’s menu. Cenobites explore new torturous carnal pleasures, no longer able to decipher between pain and pleasure. So begins a gory affair where bodies are pulled apart by hooks as leather demons bring such sights to show the humans caught in their path. Oh, and there’s skinwalking to boot? Hellraiser lives its name by bringing Hell unto Earth, whether you’re talking about the disgusting gratification on-screen or the slew of unappetizing sequels.
House On Haunted Hill
Yes, 1999’s House On Haunted Hill is an underrated aughts-era example of gothic decadence — but let’s not forget the William Castle original. Vincent Price and Carol Ohmart star as untrusting partners who so entertainingly scorch each other with hateful words, setting a proper murder mystery afoot. Since we’re talking about a 1959 haunted house whodunit, there’s less stress put on inky ghosts and more on the macabre charisma of Price and his character’s guests. Survive the night and win a handsome sum of cash — leave, or worse, and forfeit. The latter becomes harder as the evening turns gravely severe in this delicious horror puzzler that still holds its mansion-mania charm.
Suck
If you’re a sucker for horror rock musicals, you should crank Rob Stefaniuk’s Suck. A host of rockstars from Alice Cooper to Henry Rollins roll through this vampire take on selling your soul for everlasting fame. Admittedly, it’s not precisely high-brow since Malcolm McDowell plays a vampire hunter named Eddie Van Helsing. Still, musical interludes and the film’s goofy commentary on stardom strum the right chords. Moby, Iggy Pop, Alex Lifeson — Suck has it all in terms of talent. If only “The Winners” had any of the listed legends in their actual band, they wouldn’t have to morph into bloodsuckers for attention.
