You want Halloween movies to watch online, but the wide world of Netflix Instant can prove to be an intimidating place if you don’t already know what you’re looking for.
For those of you that want to spend All Hallows’ Eve (or All Hollows’ Eve Eve) inside watching a scary movie or two, it might be helpful to know which films are already at your fingertips.
For your convenience, we’ve split the films into two spook-tacular categories. Below is our selection of fairly recent movies that are bound to send a chill up your spine. Classic horror and monster movies can be found on the next page if you’re in the mood for some good ol’ fashioned silent horror.
Modern Horror on Netflix Instant
1. Let The Right One In
Why it’s perfect for Halloween viewing:
Adding another notch to the ever-expanding belt of vampire sub-genres, Let the Right One In chose to explore the dark and compelling life of a scared vampire child. You won’t find too many cheap scares in this adaptation, but what you’ll get is a legitimately deep and horrifying examination of the vampire condition.
The character interaction is what’s terrifying in this vampire film. While most horror places its roots in the conventions of the genre, Let the Right One In comes off as more of a love story. It’s a twisted, wicked, manipulative, and survivalist love story, but it’s still a love story nonetheless.
Vampire movies are a dime a dozen in the after-wave of the recent vamp-pocalypse, but Let the Right One In separates itself from the bunch by being a challenging, atmospheric, and emotional spin on a familiar icon of horror.
2. Donnie Darko
Why it’s perfect for Halloween viewing:
There’s much more going on in this mind-bending psychological mystery than just Halloween. Frank the giant bunny is freaky enough to creep into a person’s imagination long after watching, and the Halloween themed climax may help you get into the holiday spirit.
More than that, Donnie Darko might actually be helpful in imparting a few last minute Halloween costume ideas. Maybe you could scrawl “They made me do it” across a T-shirt, or maybe you can go as Grandmother Death.
Anything is better than that stupid man suit.
3. Paranormal Activity 2
Why it’s perfect for Halloween viewing:
There was once a time when the original Paranormal Activity was available on Netflix Instant streaming, but alas, that time is no longer. Aside from the potential conspiracy at hand (WHERE ARE OUR FAVORITE MOVIES, NETFLIX??), this means that the standard viewer has two choices at hand. Paranormal Activity 2 and Paranormal Activity 3.
Between the two, we would choose the former for its ability to stay as viscerally terrifying as the first installment without moving into “we’re going to say Bloody Mary into the mirror three times and hope nothing bad happens” territory.
Like Paranormal Activity, Paranormal Activity 2 will not only scare you during your viewing, it will haunt you even when you’re hiding under your covers late at night.
4. The Omen
Why it’s perfect for Halloween viewing:
The 2006 remake hasn’t yet hit Netflix Instant, and it’s probably for the best. The original 1976 version directed by Richard Donner has the advantage over it’s descendant, with a startling performance by six-year-old actor Harvey Stephens and a visually arresting cinematic style.
If you’re the type to duck under the covers at the mention of anything Satanic or demonic, then the chills and scares offered by The Omen will shake you down to your core. For those that aren’t aware, The Omen follows an American ambassador that discovers that his son was switched at birth with none other than The Antichrist.
Let the crucifix-gripping scare-wagon begin.
5. The Walking Dead
Why it’s perfect for Halloween viewing:
Yes, yes, it’s a TV show. Either take us to internet court or quiet down. It takes a few episodes for the true terror to kick in, but The Walking Dead stands above most as quintessential zombie fare that actually takes the time to develop a full cast of characters before putting them in dire situations.
It favors suspense over scares and drama over shocks, but if you have a whole Halloween at your disposal and at least one uninitiated friend, then All Hallows’ Eve might prove to be the perfect time to sit down and watch zombies devour the living.
One helpful tip: Be careful what you’re eating when you begin your Walking Dead experience. Candy should be fine, but if Halloween coincides with pork ribs night in your household, then you might want to try something else on our list.
Maybe something from our Classic Netflix Instant Horror Movie section on page two…
Classic Horror on Netflix Instant
1. Nosferatu
Why it’s perfect for Halloween viewing:
Nosferatu made its bones back in 1922 as the first full-length vampire film to hit theaters. All of the effects that you’ll see in this film are not only done in-camera, but the majority of them were engineered to be done on stage. This means that when you see the shadow of Count Orlok’s hand clasp over a character’s neck, it’s something that was actually done in the studio.
Fun Fact: Nosferatu was originally an adaptation of Bram Stoker’s novel Dracula, but when the studio couldn’t obtain the rights to the novel, they changed the title and renamed their title character Count Orlok.
2. The House on Haunted Hill
Why it’s perfect for Halloween viewing:
You’ve heard the story before. A group of people are on a bet from an eccentric millionaire to spend one night in a haunted house. Whoever completes the night will be the winner of $10,000. Few haunted house movies actually include a motivation to keep people inside the house, so this is an early haunted house movie that actually decided to do it right.
Fun Fact: In some screenings of the film, a rubber skeleton was swung from the rafters of the theater during the climax to scare audiences into thinking that the skeletons from the film had gotten through the screen. It worked.
3. The Mummy
Why it’s perfect for Halloween viewing:
Inspired by the historic opening of King Tut’s tomb in 1922, Universal’s Carl Laemmle Jr. decided that he would create an original Egyptian horror story based on the curse that the tomb supposedly held. Since it was modeled after other icons of horror that Universal had produced at the time (namely Frankenstein and Dracula), it found its roots as a monster movie and forever threw The Mummy into the the book of traditional Halloween monsters.
Fun Fact: The Mummy has spawned 16 different incarnations over the years including Brendan Frasier’s The Mummy in 1999, Abbot and Costello Meet the Mummy in 1955, and all of those god awful Scorpion King movies.
4. The Phantom of the Opera
Why it’s perfect for Halloween viewing:
No, not the musical (although as of the writing of this article, a live recording of the musical is available on Netflix Instant!), but the original silent film based on the same book that the Andrew Lloyd Webber musical found its roots in. It departs from the traditional monster movie in a number of ways, mainly through the title character’s motivation: to make Christine, his secret love, the star of the Paris opera house.
Fun Fact: Lon Chaney, the actor who portrays the Phantom in the film, applied his own makeup. The studio kept his “Phantom face” hidden from the public so that they would have to buy a ticket in order to catch a glimpse of what was underneath the mask, making it one of the first viral marketing campaigns in the history of film.
5. The Cabinet of Dr. Caligari
Why it’s perfect for Halloween viewing:
Anyone who has taken a critical studies of film course has probably seen this film. It stands as one of the biggest influences in the horror genre, particularly in its use of shadows, staging, and ethereal music. It’s another German expressionist film, which means that there’s plenty of strange things going on in Dr. Caligari to catch your attention.
Fun Fact: The Cabinet of Dr. Caligari features what very well might be the very first twist ending in a feature length motion picture. We don’t want to spoil the end for you, but this whole film comes off as Tim Burton’s wet dream so we’ll leave you with that.
A very Hypable Halloween
We have gone a little Halloween crazy, but can you blame us? If you need a brilliant last minute idea for your pumpkin, check out the submissions to our Fandom Pumpkin Carving Contest. You can also submit photos of your (and your pet’s) Halloween costume for a new Hypable contest.
Find further reason for the season with our Halloween-inspired revisit of Sleepy Hollow and then cool down with John Gallagher, Jr.’s list of favorite scary films, as luckily for us, The Newsroom star has been tweeting a terrifying film recommendation every day in October.
Finally, if you’re still trying to plan a last minute Halloween bash, we have some important tips to help make it as successful as possible.
What scary movies will you be watching on Netflix Instant? Happy Halloween everyone!