One of my favorite genres of movies has always been horror. Whether it’s the really good effects some of these movies have, or the screams they inspire from me, I always love a good horror movie. While there are plenty of fun upcoming horror movies releasing in the next couple of years, today I’m taking a look at some of the best horror movies on Paramount+.
If you’re a horror fan and don’t have a Paramount+ subscription, now might be a good time, as these are some of the best horror movies that the platform has to offer. From classics like Rosemary’s Baby to modern gems like Smile, there are plenty of reasons why Paramount+ is one of the best streaming services, especially for horror fans.
Talk To Me (2023)
Danny and Michael Phillipou’s Talk to Me, which took top honors on our best horror movies of 2023 ranking and was one of the best overall releases that year, is one of the fresh, inventive, and terrifying as-all-hell cinematic experiences that is just so much fun. Set during a high school party, the Phillipous’ directorial debut treads new ground with its story about teens who treat an embalmed hand like the latest drug.
Hooked on the thrill of the experience, the group of friends, led by Sophie Wilde’s Mia, soon find out that actions have consequences when the new party trick leads to some absolutely frightening and life-changing discoveries.
Stream Talk to Me on Paramount+.
Cloverfield (2008)
One of the best movies under 90 minutes, Matt Reeves’ Cloverfield is probably one of the most economical horror films when it comes to getting the most out of its runtime. There are few, if any, wasted moments in this iconic found-footage movie about a group of friends attempting to survive a giant and mysterious monster’s attack on New York City.
Even more than a decade-and-a-half after the movie’s release, Cloverfield remains one of the best additions to the horror genre this century, and perhaps of all time. The inventive storytelling techniques, outstanding visuals, and a camera-shy monster make this a movie that’s so much fun to revisit.
Stream Cloverfield on Paramount+.
When A Stranger Calls (1979)
One of the best psychological thrillers of all time, Fred Walton’s 1979 horror film, When a Stranger Calls focuses less on scary monsters or portals to alternate dimensions and more on the evil of man. The movie follows Jill Johnson (Carol Kane), a young babysitter who becomes the latest target of a mysterious killer with a habit of playing sick and sadistic games. Though the man is eventually caught, the story is far from finished.
Taking place over multiple years, and several terrifying incidents, When a Stranger Calls is one of the most unnerving horror films you’ll find on Paramount+ (or any streaming service, really). It’s unsettling, traumatizing, and exciting all at the same time.
Stream When a Stranger Calls on Paramount+.
Invasion Of The Body Snatchers (1956)
The first of the five adaptations of Jack Finney’s 1954 novel of the same name, Invasion of the Body Snatchers centers on an alien invasion of the fictional town of Santa Mira, California, and the residents who begin being replaced by extraterrestrial beings. Though the invasion largely goes unnoticed, Dr. Miles Bennell (Kevin McCarthy) begins to pick up on the strange phenomenon and these new and emotionless invaders who have taken the place of his patients and friends.
With its mid-’50s sensibilities, black-and-white presentation, and primitive special effects, Invasion of the Body Snatchers is an iconic and terrifying horror experience that is as fun as it is scary.
Stream Invasion of the Body Snatchers on Paramount+.
I Know What You Did Last Summer (1997)
Jim Gillespie’s 1997 slasher film, I Know What You Did Last Summer, which is loosely based on Lois Duncan’s 1973 novel of the same name, is one of those quintessential ‘90s horror movies that are just so much fun to revisit years, or even decades, later. The movie follows a group of high school friends (Jennifer Love Hewitt, Sarah Michelle Gellar, Ryan Phillippe, and Freddie Prinze Jr.) as they are stalked by a mysterious killer one year after they ran over and left a man for dead.
From the hook-wielding killer in fisherman attire to the psychological duress experienced by the four central characters to the gnarly death scenes, there’s so much for horror fans to enjoy from this nearly 30-year-old classic.
Stream I Know What You Did Last Summer on Paramount+.
Mimic (1997)
Before making classics like Pan’s Labyrinth and The Shape of Water, Mexican filmmaker Guillermo del Toro gave the world Mimic, a 1997 sci-fi horror that proves that the path to Hell is paved with the best of intentions. In an attempt to stop a plague from killing millions of children in New York City, a group of biologists engineer a new species of bugs to wipe out the city’s cockroaches. However, things take a deadly turn, and things go from bad to nightmarish.
One of Guillermo del Toro’s best movies, this creature feature doesn’t hold back and has a perfect combination of horror, suspense, and grossness.
Rosemary’s Baby (1968)
One of the most critically acclaimed horror films of all time, Rosemary’s Baby is one of those movies that exceeds the hype surrounding it. Directed by Roman Polanski, this 1968 classic follows Rosemary Woodhouse (Mia Farrow), an expectant mother who begins to fall down a rabbit hole of nightmarish paranoia and pure, unrelenting dread as she begins to suspect that her neighbors want to use her child as part of a satanic cult.
This slow-burn horror film has an unnerving and terrifying pace that adds even more tension to the story and Rosemary’s descent into madness. Still nightmare fuel more than 50 years after its release, Rosemary’s Baby remains in a league of its own.
Stream Rosemary’s Baby on Paramount+.
The Stepford Wives (2004)
Though lighter in tone than many horror movies on Paramount+, Frank Oz’s 2004 adaptation of Ira Levin’s The Stepford Wives isn’t without its fair share of terrifying moments and unnerving revelations. After suffering a mental breakdown after an incident on a reality show, TV producer Joanna Eberhart (Nicole Kidman) and her husband, Walter Kresby (Matthew Broderick) leave New York City for a seemingly idyllic community in Connecticut.
However, Joanna soon discovers that something is amiss in Stepford and that all of the women in the community seem to have been replaced by subservient robots who do anything and everything asked of them by their husbands. In a race against time, she sets out to uncover the truth, for better or worse.
Stream The Stepford Wives on Paramount+.
World War Z (2013)
Despite being vastly different from Max Brooks’ novel of the same name, Marc Forster’s 2013 zombie flick, World War Z is a fun and terrifying thrill ride that gave audiences several iconic horror moments a decade ago. Unlike the book, which is an oral history recounting various events in the zombie war, the Brad Pitt-led adaptation follows a United Nations investigator around the world as he finds himself facing off with all kinds of zombies in increasingly dangerous situations.
Seriously, the final act of this movie is legitimately frightening. The rest of the movie has some harrowing moments, but the section inside the World Health Organization headquarters is nightmare fuel.
Stream World War Z on Paramount+.
Crawl (2019)
If you’re looking for a fun yet terrifying monster movie, then 2019’s Crawl is going to be the way to go. What starts out as a race against time to save her father (Barry Pepper) from drowning or being swept away by a massive hurricane quickly turns into a fight for survival when Haley Keller (Kaya Scodelario) comes face-to-face with a swarm of alligators.
Directed by Alexandre Aja, this short and sweet creature feature takes a lot of what worked for movies like Jaws and Lake Placid and turns up the tension. It has quite the bite and some fun set pieces before the storm passes.
Bodies Bodies Bodies (2022)
There were few comedies that were as funny and few horror movies as bloody in 2022 as Halina Reijn’s slasher film, Bodies Bodies Bodies. The movie, which features a cast anchored by Amandla Stenberg, Maria Bkalova, Myha'la Herrold, Chase Sui Wonders, Rachel Sennott, Lee Pace, and Pete Davidson, follows a group of friends who do what any responsible 20-something would do to await the arrival of a deadly hurricane: they throw a booze and drug-fueled party in a massive mansion.
Just as the approaching storm kills the power, the friends play “Bodies Bodies Bodies,” a murder-mystery game that quickly turns into a real-life fight for survival when one of the revelers has their throat slashed. What follows is a race against time to find the killer before they claim their next victim in this under-the-radar 2022 movie.
Stream Bodies Bodies Bodies on Paramount+.
X (2022)
Throughout the early part of the 21st century, Ti West has emerged as one of the best minds in the horror game thanks to instant classics like The House of the Devil, The Innkeepers, and his X film series. This chapter of West’s career kicked off with the 2022 slasher film X, which follows the cast and crew of a pornographic film shoot who find themselves being targeted by a deranged couple hellbent on murder.
With some new additions to the list of all-time great scream queens, the movie’s cast boasts talented actresses like Jenna Ortega, Brittany Snow, and Mia Goth, who pulls double-duty in this intense and scary thriller. If old school slashers and ‘70s vibes are you thing, then look no further.
Pearl (2022)
Half a year after Ti West introduced audiences to Mia Goth’s Pearl in X, he gave the character her own origin story with the September 2022 release of Pearl. Set with the backdrop of the 1918 Spanish Flu pandemic, the slasher, which carries the subtitle An X-Traordinary Origin Story, follows the aspiring movie star as she goes from being a Hollywood hopeful to a vicious murderer on her family’s ranch.
But this won’t be the last we see of the series, as West is currently working on the upcoming MaXXXine, which will follow Goth’s other X character, Maxine in the years following the events of the first film in the franchise.
Smile (2022)
You know you have a great horror movie on your hands when Stephen King decides to sing its praises on Twitter, and that’s exactly what happened with the release of Parker Finn’s feature directorial debut, Smile. Released in September 2022, the psychological horror film follows psychiatrist Dr. Rose Cotter (Sosie Bacon) after she witnesses a patient commit suicide and begins to experience terrifying happenings in her own life.
Thanks in part to the movie’s story, the incredible Smile cast, and some terrifying guerilla marketing, the horror flick ended up becoming a massive hit at the box office before finding its streaming home on Paramount+ a little more than a month after its initial release. This could very well be a modern horror classic we talk about for years to come, even if a sequel never comes to fruition.
The Scream Movies (2022 - 2023)
Though you won’t be able to watch the first four entries in the Scream franchise on Paramount+, you can check out the 2022 legacy sequel and Scream VI, both of which are great additions to the property. Whether Sam Carpenter (Melissa Barrera) and her sister, Tara (Jenna Ortega) are battling Ghost Face in California or New York City, the two protagonists, and the assortment of new and returning characters, there’s a lot to enjoy.
Stream Scream (2022) on Paramount+.
Stream Scream VI on Paramount+.
The Ring (2002)
Undoubtedly one of the most well-known and successful horror movies from the turn of the 21st Century, The Ring tells the story of investigative journalist Rachel Keller (Naomi Watts) as she begins to look into a mysterious videotape that supposedly claims the lives of victims seven days after they watch its contents.
Based on the 1998 Japanese horror movie of the same name, which itself was an adaptation of the 1991 horror novel, The Ring was inescapable upon release and in the years following. Though it’s not talked about as much 20 years later, it remains a great example of supernatural horror that must be watched.
Stream The Ring on Paramount+.
Jacob's Ladder (1990)
Upon returning from Hell on Earth during the Vietnam War, Jacob Singer (Tim Robbins) is a broken man suffering from traumatic and seemingly nonstop violent hallucinations that slowly cause him to lose touch, not just with those around him, but with reality in general. As he falls deeper down the dark and twisted path, Jacob is left to question everything he has ever known.
Adrian Lyne’s 1990 psychological horror film, Jacob’s Ladder, is incredibly unsettling through and through, and will leave you feeling as confused and detached as its main character. And, it also doesn’t hurt that it features one of the best Tim Robbins performances to date, one that really shows off his dynamic range.
Stream Jacob’s Ladder on Paramount+.
A Quiet Place Parts 1 & 2 (2018, 2021)
A Quiet Place is certainly one of the better modern horror movie franchises, and it deserves the praise it has gotten so much. A Quiet Place takes place in a world that is inhabited by alien-monsters that can’t see but have a keen sense of hearing. This family must stay quiet at all times, for if they make just a peep of sound, the aliens will stalk them and kill them.
Starring real-life married couple John Krasinski and Emily Blunt, A Quiet Place is such a brilliant piece of cinema, in my opinion. I remember the first time I watched this movie, I felt as if I was in the film and if I made a sound, the monster would come to get me. The acting is brilliant, the story entertaining and scary, the sound design flawless – I could go on and on about how great this movie is. The sequel was just as good, if not more dramatic and full of badass scenes featuring some truly terrifying moments. If you haven’t seen the franchise yet, watch it now while we wait for the third Quiet Place movie.
Stream A Quiet Place: Part 1 on Paramount+.
Stream A Quiet Place: Part 2 on Paramount+.
If you’re looking for even more to watch on the streaming service, check out our list of the best movies on Paramount+, especially if you need a break after all these thrills and chills..
