5 best horror movies you can watch for free right now

You can watch more horror films than you have time for, as well as more streaming options than you might be able to subscribe to. You want to see a scary film this Halloween season, so what are you going to do? Watch one free of charge!

You can watch five of the most terrifying horror films ever made right now for absolutely free. You’ll have to sit through some ads, but for movies like these, it’s totally worth it.

Auditions

Image by Arrow Films

Takashi Miike’s 1999 horror film may best be remembered for its brutal final act, but the film as a whole is a dense and artfully constructed portrait of desperation, the human desire for companionship, and the dark appetites and horrors that the most unsuspecting of people harbor in the corners of their subconscious. Asami Shiina, a young widower (Ryo Shibashi), meets Shigeharu (RyoIshibashi). This is part of a complex plot by his television executive colleague to marry him. Shigeharu is compelled to discover more about his lover and finds himself immersed in his own personal psychological nightmare as he uncovers his terrifying past. AuditionsIt is a great horror movie. But, a warning: The film is not suitable for everyone. —Toussaint Egan

Auditions You can watch it for free, with no ads TubiYou can also get a free library card. Kanopy.

Hellraiser

Anchor Bay Entertainment

The latest entry in the franchise has a new Pinhead, a fun new puzzle box, and a wicked ending, but it’s not nearly as visceral as the original. 1987 Hellraiser has the perfect mix of pain and pleasure, mixing terrifying imagery with an aura of sensuality (when brainstorming a potential title, a crew member suggested “What a Woman Will Do for a Good Fuck”). The movie was also Clive Barker’s directorial debut, adapting his own novella The Hellbound Heart. Barker visited the library to look through every book on making movies (only one was in stock). The movie’s DIY texture gives it an edge over other, more polished entries. —Pete Volk

Hellraiser You can watch it for free, with no ads TubiAnd Pluto TVYou can also get a free library card. Hoopla.

Rec

Filmax Image

This Spanish horror is found-footage horror at its best. The story follows the exploits of a television reporter who has been embedded for the night with a local fire station. They are sent to investigate a disturbance in an apartment block. All hell breaks out. Rec This is an essential viewing for horror lovers who love a horrifyingly messed up building. —PV

RecIt is free to view with advertisements Tubi.

Suspiria

Image: Seda Spettacoli

If the subgenre of Giallo horror were a dance company, Dario Argento’s 1977 supernatural horror film would be the prima ballerina. The first in Argento’s loosely tied The Three Mothers trilogy, SuspiriaAmerican Ballet student Jessica Harper stars as the role of a German dance teacher who is forced to transfer to Germany’s prestigious academy for ballet. She later learns that the school has been taken over by a group of witches. There simply aren’t enough superlatives to throw at the film to aptly emphasize its immense craftsmanship, from its masterfully eerie score composed by Italian prog-rock band Goblin to the hypnotic cinematography and kaleidoscopic lighting courtesy of Luciano Tovoli to Harper’s captivating and chilling performance. This film represents a remarkable feat of artistic and technical genius and should be seen by horror fans and cinema fans alike. —TE

SuspiriaIt is free to view with advertisements TubiYou can also get a free library card. Kanopy.

Texas Chain Saw Massacre

Image from the Criterion Collection

There’s American horror cinema before Texas Chain Saw Massacre, and then there’s American horror cinema after Texas Chain Saw Massacre. Tobe Hooper’s 1974 slasher film is ThatImportant: The movie caused shockwaves in the industry due to its ridiculous premise. It was also criticized by critics and banned from several countries after its release. In the decades since, the film has spawned several sequels and remakes, as well as inspiring an entire generation of horror filmmakers who have attempted to capture the wild, untamed ferocity and horror of Hooper’s magnum opus. Texas Chain Saw Massacre didn’t just change Hollywood horror, it left an indelible mark on the whole of American pop culture. If you haven’t seen this masterpiece already, brace yourself — you’re in for a terrifying ride. —TE

Texas Chain Saw Massacre You can watch it for free, with no ads Tubi Freevee.