Top 10 best horror movies on Amazon Prime Video

Even when it’s not Halloween, everyone’s entitled to one good scare, so we’ve gone further with a list of the best horror movies you can watch on Amazon Prime Video right now.

Whether it’s blood-slashing gore, thrilling jumps, or scary scenes that are so far-fetched you just can’t help but laugh, putting on a horror flick usually guarantees a good time.

Thanks to our favorite streaming services, an array of frightening flicks are available at the click of a button, from out-and-out classics to modern movies that have flown under the radar.

Amazon Prime Video has a mix of both raring to go. We’ve put together the best scary movies you can watch with your standard subscription today, meaning no need for add-ons here.

10. Piranha

• Release date: August 3, 1978
• Director: Joe Dante
• Cast: Bradford Dillman, Heather Menzies, Kevin McCarthy

What it’s about: When genetically engineered piranhas escape from a secret military facility into nearby rivers, locals race to stop the flesh-eating fish before they reach crowded holiday resorts.

Why we like it: Piranha started life as a cheap Jaws knockoff, but thanks to a witty John Sayles script and inventive Joe Dante direction, it’s a fine comedy horror in its own right, with likeable characters, killer fish that are genuinely threatening, and lots of laughs to go with the scares.

9. Girl on the Third Floor

• Release date: October 25, 2019
• Director: Travis Stevens
• Cast: Phil Brooks, Trieste Kelly Dunn, Sarak Brooks

What it’s about: A man renovating an old house ahead of his family’s arrival discovers the building harbors a sinister supernatural force that feeds on buried secrets.

Why we like it: Girl on the Third Floor turns a haunted house story into an unsettling exploration of toxic masculinity, guilt, and personal failure. Phil ‘CM Punk’ Brooks displays serious acting chops as the troubled protagonist with a dark past, while director Travis Stevens expertly balances psychological horror with visceral shocks.

8. From Beyond

• Release date: October 24, 1986
• Director: Stuart Gordon
• Cast: Jeffrey Combs, Barbara Crampton, Ken Foree

What it’s about: A pair of scientists activate a machine that opens a gateway to a terrifying parallel dimension, unleashing grotesque creatures, and mutating anyone exposed to its horrifying effects.

Why we like it: From Beyond is a gloriously twisted showcase for practical effects, blending crazed cosmic scares with bizarre body horror. Director Stuart Gordon brings H.P. Lovecraft’s ideas to life with wild abandon, while Jeffrey Combs and Barbara Crampton deliver committed performances amid the escalating insanity.

7. The House of the Devil

• Release date: October 30, 2009
• Director: Ti West
• Cast: Jocelin Donahue, Tom Noonan, Mary Woronov

What it’s about: A cash-strapped college student takes a babysitting job at a remote house during a lunar eclipse. As the spooky night unfolds, she realizes her employers are hiding sinister intentions, leading to a terrifying confrontation with forces beyond her understanding.

Why we like it: House of the Devil is one of the best modern throwbacks to the horror films of the late 1970s and early 1980s. Writer-director Ti West builds tension with remarkable patience, creating an atmosphere of dread long before the scares arrive.

His star Jocelin Donahue delivers a compelling lead performance, while the film’s retro visuals, synth-heavy score, and slow-burn storytelling make every moment feel unsettling. Rather than relying on jump scares, it lets anxiety build naturally, resulting in a payoff that feels genuinely earned.

6. Terrifier 2

• Release date: October 6, 2022
• Director: Damien Leone
• Cast: David Howard Thornton, Lauren LaVera, Jenna Kanell

What it’s about: Terrifier 2 deepens the mythology around killer clown Art, and pits him against an avenging angel in the form of heroine Sienna Shaw.

Why we like it: This blood-splattered sequel confirms Art the Clown as one of modern horror’s most sadistic and hilarious genre icons, and he’s played to perfection by David Thornton Howard. Lauren La Vera manages to match him as the film’s likably plucky protagonist, while the kills have to be seen to be believed, most notably that bedroom scene.

5. Suspiria

• Release date: September 1, 2018
• Director: Luca Guadagnino
• Cast: Dakota Johnson, Tilda Swinton, Mia Goth

What it’s about: Susie (Dakota Johnson) travels to Berlin to join the Markos Tanz Company, where a dark force targets the inhabitants of the ballet company, with violent and ultimately devastating results.

Why we like it: Rather than simply recreating Dario Argento’s Giallo classic, director Luca Guadagnino instead delivers a bold and ambitious reimagining. Suspiria blends psychological horror, political paranoia, and stunning visual storytelling into something entirely its own. Anchored by remarkable performances from Tilda Swinton and Dakota Johnson, it’s smart, unsettling, and packed with unforgettable imagery that lingers long after the credits roll.

4. Lake Mungo

• Release date: July 30, 2010
• Director: Joel Anderson
• Cast: Rosie Traynor, David Pledger, Martin Sharpe

What it’s about: Following the drowning of a teenage girl, her grieving family begins experiencing strange occurrences around their home. As new evidence emerges, a documentary investigation uncovers secrets that suggest her death may not be the end of the story.

Why we like it: Lake Mungo is one of the most haunting found-footage-style horror films ever made. Presented as a documentary, it feels disturbingly realistic, drawing viewers into a deeply emotional story about grief, loss, and unresolved trauma.

Rather than relying on constant scares, it slowly builds a sense of unease, while the film’s infamous reveal remains one of the most chilling moments in modern horror.

3. Phantasm

• Release date: March 28, 1979
• Director: Don Coscarelli
• Cast: A. Michael Baldwin, Bill Thornbury, Angus Scrimm, Reggie Bannister

What it’s about: A teenage boy becomes convinced that a mysterious mortician known as the Tall Man is connected to a series of strange deaths in his town. His investigation uncovers a bizarre nightmare involving alternate dimensions and deadly supernatural forces.

Why we like it: Phantasm feels unlike any other horror movie ever made. Writer-director Don Coscarelli combines science fiction, fantasy, and supernatural horror to weave a dreamlike experience that constantly keeps viewers off balance.

Angus Scrimm’s Tall Man is one of the genre’s greatest villains, while the film’s iconic flying silver spheres remain nightmare fuel decades on. Its strange mythology and surreal atmosphere also create a sense of mystery that few horror franchises have ever matched, making Phantasm a bona fide cult classic.

2. The Texas Chain Saw Massacre

• Release date: October 11, 1974
• Director: Tobe Hooper
• Cast: Marilyn Burns, Paul A. Partain, Edwin Neal, Jim Siedow, Gunnar Hansen
• Region: US

What it’s about: A group of friends falls prey to the deranged, chainsaw-wielding Leatherface and his family of cannibals.

Why we like it: Tobe Hooper’s 1974 classic The Texas Chain Saw Massacre remains one of the most influential horror films ever made, thanks to its realism, raw intensity, and minimalist style.

The movie is a masterclass in tension-building, revolutionizing the horror genre with its shocking brutality and unnerving atmosphere that still haunts viewers five decades later.

1. Weapons

• Release date: August 8, 2025
• Director: Zach Cregger
• Cast: Josh Brolin, Julia Garner, Alden Ehrenreich

What it’s about: When a group of children mysteriously vanish one night, their small community is left searching for answers. As the investigation unfolds, dark secrets emerge, revealing a far more disturbing mystery than anyone imagined.

Why we like it: Following the success of Barbarian – which is available to rent on Prime Video – writer-director Zach Cregger delivered another ambitious horror mystery that thrives on uncertainty and escalating dread.

Weapons constantly keeps audiences guessing, unfolding its story through multiple perspectives while building towards a series of shocking revelations.

The cast is uniformly excellent, particularly Julia Garner and Josh Brolin, and the film balances emotional drama with genuinely unsettling horror. Cleverly structured and packed with memorable moments, it demonstrates why Cregger has become one of the most exciting voices in modern horror.

For more horror viewings, check out the scariest movies based on true stories, the best horror TV shows ever made, and the best horror franchises ranked.