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20 Essential Horror Films from Peacock's Massive Halloween Streaming List
This spooky season, spend some time on the couch with Peacock digging into a marathon of horror classics.
It's finally October, which means it's time for changing leaves, sweater weather, and of course, the Halloween season. If you're anything like us, you're already getting your decorations outside, buying up bags of candy for trick-or-treaters, and firing up a marathon of spooky movies on TV.
If you're still planning that marathon, or just looking to make it bigger and better, Peacock has you covered this Halloween with a wide variety of horror films added in September and October as part of the streamer's "Face Your Fears" Halloween offerings. But which of these films are just fun, and which are absolute essentials? That's what we're here to talk about. Here are 20 must-see horror movies from Peacock's spooky season new arrivals.
What Horror Movies Should You Watch on Peacock This Halloween?
Get Out (2017)
Whether you've been watching Jordan Peele's directorial debut every year since it was released, or you're making up for lost time, Get Out remains a modern horror masterpiece, as funny as it is scary, as incisive as it is brutal.
Watch it here on Peacock!
Bride of Frankenstein (1935)
Four years after the original Frankenstein, the stars and original director reunited for what's probably the first major horror sequel, and they not only delivered a good follow-up, but managed to top their first outing. Atmospheric, ambitious, and darkly hilarious, Bride of Frankenstein can still make a case for being the greatest horror sequel of all time.
Watch it here on Peacock!
Candyman (1992)
An essential horror film from the '90s, based on a story by Clive Barker, Candyman follows a young researcher (Virginia Madsen) as she traces an urban legend which turns into a face-to-face encounter with a monster (Tony Todd). Great performances, unforgettable visuals, and a layer of inescapable foreboding make this a film you'll want to watch with the lights on.
Watch it here on Peacock!
The Devil's Backbone (2001)
After the frustrations of Mimic, Guillermo del Toro returned to more personal horror stories for his third feature film, and made a classic in the process. Set during the Spanish Civil War, The Devil's Backbone is an emotional, chilling, endlessly haunting ghost story that's packed with Del Toro hallmarks.
Watch it here on Peacock!
Dracula's Daughter (1936)
Universal's follow-up to Dracula traces not the Count, but his vampiric daughter (Gloria Holden) as she tries to break the curse leveled on her by her notorious father. It seems like a stretch for a sequel concept, but it's clear from the very beginning that Dracula's Daughter is out to weave its own dark spell, and it succeeds.
Watch it here on Peacock!
Happy Death Day (2017)
What if a final girl was caught in a time loop? That's the hook of Happy Death Day, Christopher Landon's blast of a sci-fi-horror-comedy about a selfish college girl (Jessica Rothe) who learns to grow and change over the course of a neverending day in which she's pursued by a masked killer. It's one of those addictive watches you won't be able to stop replaying, and for extra fun, the sequel's on Peacock too!
Watch it here on Peacock!
Insidious (2010)
Saw creators James Wan and Leigh Whannell kept right on working together after that franchise's success, and launched a whole other horror franchise with this film about a haunted family and the strange ghostly dimension that plagues their lives. Patrick Wilson, Rose Byrne, and Lynn Shaye are all fantastic in the film, which throws an absolute assault of ghostly beings at the screen until you're begging for mercy (in a fun way).
Watch it here on Peacock!
The People Under the Stairs (1991)
The great Wes Craven gave us what's perhaps his most pointed social commentary in this film, which follows a group of robbers sneaking into a home to search for a cache of gold coins, only to find the owners have something much darker hidden in the bowels of the building. A commentary on predatory landlords, classism, and more, it's also wickedly funny and, of course, quite scary.
Watch it here on Peacock!
Prince of Darkness (1987)
Always interested in evil in its many forms, John Carpenter got really conceptual with Prince of Darkness, and gave us this tale of a group of scientists who discover that Satan is not just real, but lurking in concentrated form inside a church. Packed with wonderful practical effects and a great cast, Prince of Darkness is a Carpenter must-watch.
Watch it here on Peacock!
It Follows (2014)
One of the best and most memorable horror films of the 2010s, It Follows put budding horror star Maika Monroe on the map, and established David Robert Mitchell as an exciting new voice in the genre. It's a masterful depiction of slow pursuit terror, packed with great moments of pure atmosphere and splashed over with bloody, comedic brilliance.
Watch it here on Peacock!
The Thing (1982)
Arguably the best exercise in pure filmmaking craft that John Carpenter has ever produced, The Thing is a masterclass of character building, practical effects, ensemble work, and of course, the slow build of paranoia that eventually consumes the whole film. It's a movie so richly layered that people haven't been able to stop rewatching it for decades, which means that even if you've already seen it, you should probably throw it on again this Halloween season.
Watch it here on Peacock!
Videodrome (1983)
An essential film from horror master David Cronenberg, Videodrome follows a cynical TV station manager (James Woods) as he discovers a violent new obsession via a pirated signal, and works to find its origins. Featuring some of the most stunning and stomach-churning visuals in Cronenberg's career, it's a film that endures well past its VHS-era roots for very good reason.
Watch it here on Peacock!
The Devil's Rejects (2005)
Quite possibly the best of Rob Zombie's horror films, The Devil's Rejects trades the dark carnival energy of House of 1000 Corpses for the sun-bleached mayhem of a horror road movie, following a group of fugitives as they kill their way across America. It's a compelling blend of Zombie's horror fandom and his ability to weave a dark tale that stands on its own, and you won't soon forget it.
Watch it here on Peacock!
Shaun of the Dead (2004)
The story of two layabout roommates (Simon Pegg and Nick Frost) who find themselves caught in a zombie apocalypse, Shaun of the Dead is one of the most important horror films of the 2000s, a film both hilarious and poignant, that put Pegg and director Edgar Wright on the cinematic map. Its so good that it's already ranked among the best zombie movies of all time.
Watch it here on Peacock!
Jennifer's Body (2009)
Karyn Kusama and Diablo Cody's Jennifer's Body is still enjoying its horror renaissance, and with very good reason. The film, starring Megan Fox and Amanda Seyfried as best friends caught in the grip of a dark power, is stylish, funny, incisive, and truly frightening when it wants to be, and it just keeps growing in esteem 15 years later.
Watch it here on Peacock!
Saw (2004)
The film that put James Wan and Leigh Whannell on the map as horror filmmakers, Saw remains an incredible exercise in sustained tension, a high-concept thriller with a gruesome heart that launched a major franchise. While the sequels have certainly built their own complex mythology that fans keep getting lost in, it's always worth remembering where this whole thing started: with a tightly wound, gracefully executed chiller.
Watch it here on Peacock!
Tremors (1990)
Sometimes you just want a really fun, really wild creature feature, and Tremors is exactly that. Featuring great creature designs, a wonderful cast, and a sense of fun that makes it take off like a rocket, it's the perfect Friday night movie with friends, and it's also great for people who like their horror on the lighter side.
Watch it here on Peacock!
Split (2017)
M. Night Shyamalan's films don't always veer into pure horror territory, but when they do, it's always memorable. With Split, and a ferocious James McAvoy in the leading role, Shyamalan reminded everyone that he could not only do great horror films, but horror films anchored in great character work and wonderful high concepts.
Watch it here on Peacock!
Drag Me to Hell (2009)
The last time the great Sam Raimi directed a pure horror release, it was 15 years ago with this little film about a woman (Alison Lohman) who becomes the victim of a monstrous, relentless curse. It's scary, it's over-the-top, and it's got one of the most memorable endings of any horror film in the last two decades.
Watch it here on Peacock!
Malignant (2021)
James Wan directs this wonderful horror script by Akela Cooper, and the results are among the most fun we've had with a horror film in the 2020s so far. The story of a woman who's haunted by something from her past, it stars Annabelle Wallis as a woman pushed to the absolute brink, and features one of the most memorable creatures in horror from the last five years. It's a blast, and if you still don't know the twist, we're certainly not going to spoil it here.
Watch it here on Peacock!
Find these and tons of other great horror offerings, streaming now on Peacock!
