Want to get your pulse racing and your spine tingling? Maybe you need something spooky as an excuse to cuddle up closer to your crush? Or perhaps you want to test your mettle with some supremely creepy cinema? Whatever your reasons, Paramount+ has a thrilling library of movies perfect for a scary night in.
Below, we’ve collected the highlights across a wide field of horror films. Whether you’re on the hunt for sinister slashers, creepy critters, evil aliens, or madcap mayhem, we’ve got what you want.
Here are the best scary movies now available on Paramount+.
1. Scream
It was the slasher movie that changed the way we looked at this stabby subgenre. Directed by Wes Craven and written by Kevin Williamson, Scream imagined what could happen if a Halloween-like scenario — a masked killer targeting teen girls in a charming suburban town — was happening to a generation raised on such movies.
Virginal Sidney Prescott (Neve Campbell) is the good girl of her group of friends, but soon seems to be the target of the Ghostface killer. Stalked and scared but far from helpless, she — with the help of a dopey deputy (David Arquette) and an opportunistic news reporter (Courteney Cox) — must survive the night and unmask the killer. A classic that launched a franchise, Scream is still the gold standard by which dastardly reveals are judged. And hey, you can also watch Scream 2-7 on Paramount+ too! — Kristy Puchko, Entertainment Editor
How to watch: Scream and its sequels are now streaming on Paramount+.
2. The Autopsy of Jane Doe
The pressure to continue running the family business is given a whole new spin in director André Øvredal's The Autopsy of Jane Doe; in it, Brian Cox (pre-Succession success) stars as Tommy, a coroner who works with his son Austin (Emile Hirsch). It's a weird, isolating life, carving up corpses — one which Austin has watched muck up his parents' relationship in close detail. And now that he's got a new girlfriend, Austin is thinking about maybe doing something else with his life besides death.
That's the emotional playing field laid out when our titular Jane Doe appears. Taking the advice to leave behind a beautiful corpse to its extreme, this dead body that shows up one dark and stormy night is outwardly perfect. Not a sign of trauma in sight. Weird, right? But when Tommy and Austin get out their scalpels and bonesaws and start digging around underneath, well, that's when the black clouds really roll in. The mystery of the body and its methodical undoing is riveting stuff — if you've got the stomach for it, anyway — and Øvredal turns this tight little thriller into a masterclass in subversion. — Jason Adams, Contributing Writer
How to watch: The Autopsy of Jane Doe is now streaming on Paramount+.
3. A Quiet Place
John Krasinski went from actor to celebrated horror director with this spine-tingling 2018 hit. Starring opposite his real-life wife Emily Blunt, The Office star plays a farmer dedicated to protecting his family from killer creatures that hunt by sound. This clever premise means the movie’s characters can't scream, because such a sound would definitely be their last. That means your own sounds of terror are weaponized while watching, crashing into the silent soundscape that’s suffocating in tension.
Ruthlessly paced and keenly realized, A Quiet Place is a superbly scary thrill ride. But what makes it top tier are the poignant performances by Krasinski, Blunt, and their onscreen children, Millicent Simmonds and Noah Jupe. Together, they make a family-frightening feature that's perfect for a quiet night at home. And if you dare to make it a triple feature, the spooky sequel A Quiet Place: Part II and prequel A Quiet Place: Day One are also available. — Kristy Puchko, Film Editor
How to watch: A Quiet Place is now streaming on Paramount+.
4. Pet Sematary
Stephen King has long been heralded the king of horror novels. His Pet Sematary was a book so scary that it’s been adapted to the big screen twice. The first came in 1989, yet this 2019 version is less a remake and more a reimagining. Instead of retreading the gruesome path of the original, directors Kevin Kölsch and Dennis Widmyer make surprising turns to keep the thrills fresh and frightening — but still deliciously ghoulish!
Jason Clarke and Amy Seimetz star as parents happy to move their young children away from the bustling of a big city to a quaint Maine town. The locals are odd but friendly. (Shout-out to a perfectly morose John Lithgow.) Their house is lovely, but its location proves full of dangers and deadly temptations. Then, this dreamy family’s waking nightmare begins when a dead cat is resurrected. From there, things grow more monstrous and moldering. — K.P.
How to watch: Pet Sematary is now streaming on Paramount+.
5. Apartment 7A
A Rosemary's Baby prequel was a big gamble to take, but it paid off. Set months before the events of the 1968 classic, Relic director Natalie Erika James takes minor character Terry (Julia Garner), a neighbor of Rosemary who only has a single scene in the original, and fleshes her story out to terrifying effect.
"With Relic, Natalie Erika James spun an intimate tale of mother-daughter relationships and family curses into a rivetingly scary thriller," wrote Mashable's Kristy Puchko in her review. "Here, she uses that gift of emotional intelligence and skill for crafting unsettling scenes to tell a story that's familiar yet all the more frightening for it. We know where Terry's story will end because of Rosemary's Baby. Yet James keeps us at the edge of our seats as she expertly spins a web of rich drama and sly horror, working in heartfelt conversations, shattering jump scares, and defiant dazzle. From Polanski's foundation, she builds a glittering tale of girlhood stolen that is sick, stunning, and horrifyingly relevant."* — Sam Haysom, Deputy UK Editor
How to watch: Apartment 7A is now streaming on Paramount+.
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6. Jacob’s Ladder
Adrian Lyne’s 1990 mindbender Jacob’s Ladder is a cult film that deserves a bigger cult. Tim Robbins plays Jacob Singer, a Vietnam veteran living in a dilapidated '70s New York with his girlfriend Jezzie (the late Elizabeth Peña) while experiencing horrifying hallucinations that may be the result of an experimental drug used on his platoon. Or is he being pursued by demons and the ghost of his dead son (an uncredited Macaulay Culkin)? Or is Jacob himself already dead and unaware of it? A surprisingly profound take on death and loss that happens to have one of the scariest hospitals ever seen on film. — Rufus Hickok, Contributing Writer
How to watch: Jacob’s Ladder is now streaming on Paramount+.
7. Smile 2
After the success of Parker Finn's Smile, expectations for the sequel were high — and you'd better believe that thing delivered. Following on from the events of the first movie, Smile 2 takes its cursed premise into the world of fame, following pop star Skye Riley (Naomi Scott) on a world tour-turned-nightmare.
"To match his superstar heroine, Finn goes all in on creating an unpredictable narrative that's full of jump scares, creepy imagery, and spine-tingling sound effects," wrote Monica Castillo in her Mashable review. "There are even more violent injuries, body horror, and bloody deaths to make an audience recoil, and plenty of upsetting details, from Skye's compulsive hair-pulling habit (aka trichotillomania) to a group of smiling backup dancers chasing Skye through her apartment in choreographed formation. These scares can feel delightfully over the top, almost like a carnival ride, but they're as creative and horrific as the best parts of the Final Destination series."* — S.H.
How to watch: Smile 2 is now streaming on Paramount+.
8. Hansel & Gretel: Witch Hunters
Want something exciting with a fairytale flourish? Then you'll cherish this outrageous R-rated film from 2013, which not only offers action and fantasy but also ghoulish horror.
Directed by Dead Snow helmer Tommy Wirkola, Hansel & Gretel: Witch Hunters reimagines the classic Grimm tale as one about two vengeance-driven siblings dedicated to eliminating the magical scourge that turns children into meals. Wearing matching smirks, Jeremy Renner and Gemma Arterton star as the titular brother-sister team. They wield crossbows and firearms with deadly accuracy and gory results. But with a massive coven coming for them, they'll need killer snares, quirky sidekicks, and some magic of their own. Along with bursts of action, Wirkola unveils a rich treasure trove of creepy witch designs that will have horror fans squealing. So, forget historical accuracy, embrace lunacy, and enjoy a realm where witches rule, trolls drool, and Hansel and Gretel are merciless ass-kickers. — K.P.
How to watch: Hansel & Gretel: Witch Hunters is now streaming on Paramount+.
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9. Disturbia
Want something scary that's PG-13? Then you'll get a kick out of Disturbia. This 2007 thriller is a sort-of remake of Alfred Hitchcock's Rear Window, but leaning hard into the 00s thirst for teen slashers flicks.
Shia LaBeouf stars as a teen boy who's under house arrest, and has the ankle bracelet to prove it. (Hey, at least it's not a broken leg!) Watching through his windows, he spies on his neighbors, and soon suspects that one of them is a serial killer. Is he paranoid? Or is he onto something sinister? Creepy, exciting, and slick, this twisted gem from director D. J. Caruso makes for a great watch without R-rated gore. — K.P.
How to watch: Disturbia is now streaming on Paramount+.
10. The Faculty
It’s a crime more people don’t know about this Breakfast Club vs. the Body Snatchers monster mashup. Not only does it boast the throwback fun of '50s alien invasion horror, but also, The Faculty scratches the itch for '90s teen horror. When the extraterrestrial-conquered teachers at an Ohio high school start acting very strange, a group of angsty teens have to stop them from taking over the town at the big football game. It’s an old story, but with Scream scribe Kevin Williamson bringing the meta-commentary, a cast featuring Josh Hartnett, Elijah Wood, Salma Hayek, Jon Stewart, and Piper Laurie, a '90s alt-rock soundtrack, fantastic creature design (by Bernie Wrightson), and Sin City director Robert Rodriguez keeping things moving quickly, it’s all too much fun. — R.H.
How to watch: The Faculty is now streaming on Paramount+.
UPDATE: Oct. 8, 2026, 3:40 p.m. EDT This article was first published on Sept. 3, 2021. It has since been updated to reflect current streaming options.