The scariest time of the year is just around the corner and the world’s top streaming services want to scare us with a hat full of scary movies in the run-up to Halloween.
That includes Prime Video, whose latest horror film Total killer – a comedy horror that pays tribute to slashers and time travel films from the 80s – made our hearts beat faster. One of October’s new Prime Video films, the one starring Kiernan Shipka, currently has a horrifically good critical score of 78% on Rotten tomatoes. And with its clear homages to legendary films such as Back to the future And Screamit sounds like Total killer deserves much praise.
If this throwback movie has you in the mood for more pulse-pounding movies, we’re here to help. Below we’ve picked six of the best slasher films of all time, complete with information on where you can stream them in your part of the world. So what are you waiting for? Dim the lights, grab a pillow to hide behind, make some popcorn and scare yourself this weekend with our selection.
A nightmare on Elm Street
Where can you stream it: Max (US), Rent or Buy (UK), Binge (Australia)
Wes Craven’s 1984 supernatural slasher has become a mainstay on many people’s pre-Halloween watchlist, and for good reason. A nightmare on Elm Street redefined what a low-budget horror film could be. Not only that, but it is often seen as a major influence on many of the tropes we see in contemporary horror films, even though they are films that poke fun at the horror genre’s most notable clichés.
A nightmare on Elm Street also introduced us to one of the most chilling villains of all time: Freddy Kreuger. Kreuger, an undead former child murderer, begins killing teenagers (in their dreams, no less) to get revenge on the children’s parents for burning him alive years earlier. It’s easily one of the best horror films ever made, but we wouldn’t recommend watching its subpar sequels.
Candy Man (1992)
Where can you stream it: Peacock (US), rent or buy (UK and Australia)
Another supernatural slasher, and one labeled as a contemporary classic of the horror genre. From 1992, Candyman is an incredibly gory film that takes the human race’s fascination with urban myths and squeezes out a new kind of nightmarish, folklore-based story.
Based on the short story ‘The Forbidden’ by Clive Barker, Candyman Virginia Madsen plays Helen Lyle, a graduate student from Chicago whose dissertation focuses on urban legends. She stumbles upon the myths surrounding the titular character and unknowingly unleashes the bloodthirsty and vengeful spirit into the real world, with unsurprisingly dire consequences.
A direct sequel – 2021 has the same title Candymandirected by Nia DeCosta, who is directing the upcoming Marvel film The miracles – is also available to stream on Prime Video and Paramount Plus in the US, Stan in Australia, and premium on-demand services in the UK.
Child’s play
Where can you stream it: Max (US), Amazon Freevee (UK), Prime Video (Australia)
Ah, Child’s play, the 1988 horror film that ensured we would never look at dolls the same way again. The first feature film featuring the iconic horror villain Chucky, Child’s play is one of those quintessential classics that you shouldn’t miss in the run-up to Halloween.
Catherine Hicks plays Karen Barclay, mother of six-year-old Andy (Alex Vincent), who really wants a Good Guy doll for his birthday. Unable to afford one, Karen buys one at a discount from a homeless person. But unbeknownst to her, the doll known as Chucky is possessed by the soul of a serial killer. Murder abounds as the Barclays team up with Detective Mike Norris (Chris Sarandon) to stop Chucky.
Like it A nightmare on Elm Street, Child’s play has spawned numerous sequels that aren’t a patch on the original. But if you want more murderous puppet movies in your life, find out what’s the best Chucky movies should be streamed afterwards.
Friday the 13th
Where can you stream it: Max (US), Rent or Buy (UK), Foxtel (Australia)
The churning of the Hollywood machine continues Friday the 13thanother utterly horrific film that spawned far too many terrible sequels in the years following the original’s release in 1980.
But like the trio above, Friday the 13th also gave us one of the most memorable, knife-wielding antagonists in horror movie history: Jason Voorhees. Here, everyone’s favorite hockey mask-wearing serial killer decides to murder a group of teenage camp counselors who simply want to reopen an abandoned summer camp, even though it’s one with ties to Jason’s tragic past. A gratuitously violent film that has become a cult classic in the minds of many.
Halloween
Where can you stream it: Shudder (US), Netflix (UK & Australia)
John Carpenter is one of the greatest horror directors of all time, so a slasher film-based list wouldn’t be complete without one of his back catalogues.
What better movie to include than one that changed the horror movie game. 1978 Halloween wasn’t universally loved upon release, but in the decades since it’s been hailed as the benchmark for modern scary features. It’s brutal when it needs to be, soft and introspective on other occasions, and has given us another much-loved horror icon in Michael Myers. Oh, and it also catapulted Jamie Lee Curtis into the spotlight, where the beloved actor has remained ever since.
Also available on Fubo in the US, Sky/Now TV in the UK and Prime Video in Australia.
Scream
Where can you stream it: Paramount Plus
Undoubtedly the cream of the crop when it comes to slasher films, from 1996 Scream took the increasingly dated horror subgenre and breathed new life into it through its subversive storytelling and self-aware humor.
Another Wes Craven classic, the film follows high school student Sidney Prescott (Neve Campbell) and her friends who, on the anniversary of her mother’s death, are targeted by Ghostface, a costumed serial killer – one who has since become synonymous with the horror genre.
A metatextual film full of bloody violence, jump scares and metatextual commentary. Scream raised the bar for what was possible for a horror film. Like his contemporaries, Scream‘s success spawned multiple sequels with diminishing returns, both critically and commercially. A revival of the series with 2022’s Scream – also known as Scream 5 – has breathed new life into the franchise. Scream VI, one of the new films of 2023, is just as good, if not better, than its predecessor. While you’re here, read up on the top 10 scariest moments from the Scream movies.
Also available on Max in the US, Sky/Now TV in the UK and Foxtel/Binge in Australia.