Skip to main content
  1. Home
  2. Culture

9 best horror movies to stream on Max now

These are must-see horror flicks if you're a fan of the genre

By
Jack Nicholson in The Shining
Flickr

It’s horror season yet again! While some people might like to get scared year-round, most reserve the willies for October right before Halloween rolls around. Setting up decorations and going to a haunted house are hallowed traditions, but don’t forget to watch your favorite spooky flicks during a lazy Saturday night on the couch. There’s nothing like fall leaves and colder weather to put someone in the mood for a frightening story.

Netflix and Hulu have great movies for horror fans, but Max might top both of these streamers. The formerly titled HBO affiliation mixes a great variety of old and new classics in the genre. Zombies, dark lakes, creepy cabins, and so much more: It’s a great time to look in one place for all the best hits, and they’re covered here. These are the best horror movies on Max.

Recommended Videos

Scream (1996)

Scream
112m
Genre
Crime, Horror, Mystery
Stars
David Arquette, Neve Campbell, Courteney Cox
Directed by
Wes Craven
Watch on max
Horror as a concept can be quite humorous. Scream understands this better than most films by employing a lot of risky dark humor, satirizing past horror tropes, and delivering some sincere scares when you least expect it. Courteney Cox takes a break from the confines her cozy Friends apartment to expand her acting range next to her eventual husband David Arquette. The film spawned several sequels (and a TV series) as recently as Scream VI in 2023.
Related

Paranormal Activity (2007)

Paranormal Activity
86m
Genre
Horror, Mystery
Stars
Katie Featherston, Micah Sloat, Mark Fredrichs
Directed by
Oren Peli
Watch on max
Paranormal Activity changed the game for horror in the late 2000s and early 2010s. Using a simple concept (fear of what happens while we’re asleep), the movie taps into human paranoia without relying on special effects or hours of work from a costume and makeup department to illicit scares. The return on investment of the film was famously high, and it led to sequels such as Paranormal Activity 2 and Paranormal Activity: Next of Kin.

Caddo Lake (2024)

Caddo Lake
100m
Genre
Mystery, Thriller
Stars
Dylan O'Brien, Eliza Scanlen, Lauren Ambrose
Directed by
Celine Held, Logan George
Watch on max
Caddo Lake is the most recently released film on this list, but that doesn’t mean it can’t already be given recognition for being a fun watch. With M. Night Shyamalan attached as a producer, horror fans know the story is worth giving a chance. The cast, headed by Dylan O’Brien and Lauren Ambrose, tries to cope with the mysteries and miseries inflicted by the titular body of water. Murder, intrigue, and all of the usual trappings of scary bingeworthy stories are present in this Max original.

Krampus (2015)

Krampus
98m
Genre
Horror, Comedy, Fantasy
Stars
Emjay Anthony, Adam Scott, Toni Collette
Directed by
Michael Dougherty
Watch on max
Christmas and Halloween seem like natural juxtapositions, but they come together to bring holiday joy and terror in Krampus. The figure from ancient folklore wreaks havoc on a family belonging to a child who isn’t in the Christmas spirit. Krampus himself is menacing, but the idea of a monster ruining the most wonderful time of the year is even scarier. Big names like Adam Scott from Severance and Toni Collette from The Sixth Sense star here.

The Strangers (2008)

The Strangers
86m
Genre
Horror, Mystery, Thriller
Stars
Liv Tyler, Scott Speedman, Gemma Ward
Directed by
Bryan Bertino
Watch on max
Liv Tyler and Scott Speedman captivate in this drama about a couple who must face three masked psychopaths with nothing but each other’s strength. The Strangers excels when it leans into the corniness of hidden identity horror while creating a story that doesn’t try to do too much. It may feel repetitive to people who have watched a lot of burglar horror movies, but that’s also a comforting familiarity.

Pet Sematary (1989)

Pet Sematary
102m
Genre
Horror, Drama
Stars
Dale Midkiff, Fred Gwynne, Denise Crosby
Directed by
Mary Lambert
Watch on max
One of Stephen King’s most famous stories, Pet Semetary dives into supernatural horror and the fear of the undead. A family who moves to Maine isn’t ready for the repeated returns of deceased citizens in the area who are buried in a supposedly cursed site. King has a lot of control in this film, something that some people believe leads to the movie being inferior to something like Stanley Kubrick’s The Shining (more on that film,, later).

Saw (2004)

Saw
103m
Genre
Horror, Mystery, Crime
Stars
Cary Elwes, Leigh Whannell, Danny Glover
Directed by
James Wan
Watch on max
Saw upped the violence and gore to another level than had previously been seen in horror movies of the 1990s. Two men trapped in the same room must grapple with how far they are willing to hurt each other to save themselves from the Jigsaw Killer. The horror in Saw revolves around mental fragility and psychological horror, and Cary Elwes and Danny Glover are two of the highlight performances from the cast.

Night of the Living Dead (1968)

Night of the Living Dead
96m
Genre
Horror, Thriller
Stars
Judith O'Dea, Duane Jones, Marilyn Eastman
Directed by
George A. Romero
Watch on max
Night of the Living Dead is essential viewing not just for horror fans, but movie fans at large. The classic tale of a group of survivors trying to live through the night while zombies prey on their flesh set the standard for every zombie apocalypse movie and show that came out after it. The Walking Dead? It wouldn’t exist without this film. The Last of Us? Ditto. George A. Romero’s precise artistry and dedication to crafting a unique vision of what a zombie is shall never be forgotten. Also, the movie is still downright entertaining and shocking over 50 years later.

The Shining (1980)

The Shining
144m
Genre
Horror, Thriller
Stars
Jack Nicholson, Shelley Duvall, Danny Lloyd
Directed by
Stanley Kubrick
Watch on max
We said we’d get back to The Shining. It’s another Stephen King adaptation that really gets elevated by the acting of Jack Nicholson and the directing of Stanley Kubrick. A mother and son must avoid the deadly turn of events that commence when family patriarch Jack Torrance becomes something unrecognizable after staying at the Overlook Hotel. Shelley Duval’s fear during the climax scene should be in the horror Hall of Fame.

Editors’ Recommendations

Movie images and data from:
Topics
Shawn Laib
Shawn Laib
Contributor
Shawn Laib is a freelance writer with publications such as Den of Geek, Quote.com, Edge Media Network, diaTribe, SUPERJUMP…
April’s best: Shows on Max that will keep you hooked
From new originals to the best shows in HBO history, these are great shows to stream on Max
Scene from Succession

HBO Max was one of the most popular streaming services in the world due to the volume and the quality of the shows and movies on the platform. You've probably noticed when you log into HBO Max that the platform has been replaced by Max. What does this mean? WarnerMedia and Discovery have merged all of their content into one convenient location. You can still enjoy all of the shows like Succession and The Sopranos that were available on HBO Max, and this new streaming service also includes the kinds of reality shows that were available on Discovery+. Essentially, the libraries of the two services have been merged.
As is the case for many young TV lovers, HBO was one of the places I checked first for great TV, and some of the shows on this list made me realize everything that TV was capable of. What's even better, though, is that Max always has another show on deck.
Whatever kind of show you're looking for, you're likely to find it on Max. From iconic dramas to some of the funniest comedies ever created, every show on this list is a must-watch, whether it's 30 years old or just came out this year. Here are the best Max shows.

The Wire (2002)

Read more
Discover the best Disney+ movies to watch this April
If you're a Disney+ member, stream these movies this month
Princess Bride

Disney is arguably the most iconic entertainment brand in the world. The company's properties, both original and acquired, combine to produce content that transcends age demographics. Disney has built a brand that's beloved by children, and those children eventually age into adults who introduce their kids to the films they loved when they were young. Disney's animation alone has made it iconic, but in recent years, the company has also acquired some of the biggest pieces of intellectual property there are. And with Disney Plus available on any device, you can watch all these movies whenever you want.

Between its acquisitions of both Marvel and Star Wars, there's a good chance that Disney is shepherding whatever you love to screens, both large and small. When it launched Disney+, the company was sure to fill it with both those nostalgic animated classics and plenty of new stuff as well. If, like me, you've ever felt a twinge of nostalgia for the Disney movies you loved as a kid, they're all there. Just as importantly, though, you can find movies that will resonate with you today in ways they didn't as a kid. Whatever you're looking for, you can probably find it on Disney+.

Read more
Must-see films: The best movies on Peacock this April
Peacock is a TV service, but it also has a great catalog of movies to stream, too
Jack Black in Bernie.

A fun bit of historic TV trivia is that the original NBC peacock logo was first implemented in 1956 to highlight the network's new color programming. Even though the logo has gone through numerous iterations since then, the network has stuck with the colorful bird, in one form or another, for going on six decades now. It’s fitting, then, that Peacock is known most for its TV programming, highlighted by shows like The Office, Parks and Rec, and the self-mocking (and hilarious) 30 Rock. If you are on Peacock for the shows, however, don't overlook that the platform is also home to a number of great movies spanning cinema history, including everything from great comedy to excellent sports movies.

Below, I've picked out some of the best movies available on the service. I was surprised to see just how many greats there are to choose from, and I'm confident that whatever you like to watch, you'll find something good below.

Read more