Get Your Scream On: 14 Spine-Chilling Horror Movies on Prime Video Now

Midsommar takes horror into broad daylight, capturing the disturbing unraveling of a young woman named Dani. She joins her distant boyfriend and his friends on a trip to a rural Swedish village during their summer solstice celebration. But instead of a fun cultural experience, Dani is immersed in the village’s sinister secrets and alarming rituals. Writer-director Ari Aster creates an environment of constant unease – images of flower crowns and maypoles hide a surreal, violent nightmare. Dani’s heightened emotional state allows the audience to empathize with her growing dread. As midsummer becomes a cruel, psychedelic endurance test, prepare to watch through splayed fingers. Midsommar provides horror not from jump scares, but from getting trapped in madness with no escape.

Jordan Peele cements himself as a master of complex, socially-conscious horror with another original nightmare in Nope. Siblings OJ and Emerald Haywood run a horse ranch in California when bizarre events start occurring in their skies above. At first they see colorful cloud formations, but then witness something massive and airborne they cannot identify. The UFO obsession runs deep, as their father was killed years ago filming a mysterious alien encounter on this very ranch. So OJ and Emerald endeavor to capture this strange phenomenon on camera, setting out to get footage that could change everything people understand about UFOs. But as always in a Peele production, the horror has human origins, not alien. As uncontrollable chaos descends upon the ranch, the siblings’ complicated family history ties into the terror. Keke Palmer and Daniel Kaluuya give outstanding performances, grounding the spectacle in raw human emotion. For a blockbuster dose of mystery and mayhem, look no further than Jordan Peele’s latest work of socially-conscious horror mastery, Nope.

Since the 19th century, dolls have had an eerie hold on the horror genre. That tradition thrillingly continues with M3GAN, the story of a life-like A.I. doll who gets a bit too attached to her human companion. When roboticist Gemma (Allison Williams) becomes the sudden guardian of her orphaned niece Cady (Violet McGraw), she prototypes M3GAN as the perfect robotic friend and protector. But as M3GAN’s intelligence evolves, so does her role. No longer just a plaything, she becomes fiercely devoted to Cady, eliminating anything she sees as a threat. M3GAN oozes style mixed with scares, from her creepy motions to her sinister dance sequences. By merging classic horror roots with contemporary A.I. themes, M3GAN provides an inventive update to the killer doll trope. Once her true nature is revealed, there will be no turning back.

X proves that low-budget horror ingenuity is alive and well, mixing slasher scares with a 1970s aesthetic. Set in 1979 Texas, the story follows a group of young filmmakers aiming to produce an adult film in a rented farmhouse, only to have their production go off the rails. Their reclusive hosts hold sinister secrets, and soon their isolated location leaves them vulnerable to a killer. X features graphic violence alongside artsy style, showing off creative gore with every cruel kill. Mia Goth pulls double duty playing both an eager actress and one of horror’s most striking antagonists. Goth’s Pearl is a twisted, layered antagonist with enough menace to be remembered among future horror icons. Brimming with dazzling camerawork and a killer synth score, X and its prequel Pearl provide a thrilling update to the golden age of slashers.

For a neon-drenched trip back to the 1980s with a horrific twist, check out the new Prime Video original Totally Killer. Set in 1989, the film stars Kiernan Shipka as a teenage outcast who accidentally travels back in time and ends up targeted by a serial killer. With nods to classic ’80s slashers and an appropriately synth-heavy soundtrack, Totally Killer affectionately embodies everything about the decade’s teen horror movies. Yet it still provides contemporary twists, like Shipka’s character having modern knowledge to outwit the killer stalking her. For a rollicking throwback experience with horror elements like masked killers, flashbacks, and chase sequences, Totally Killer is a prime choice. Just beware of the sinister figure skulking around in the neon fog!

Looking for a horror mind-trip that will leave you questioning reality? Check out the criminally underseen sci-fi thriller Coherence. In the film, a group of friends meet for a dinner party on the night a comet passes over Earth. However, bizarre occurrences and paradoxes around Schrödinger’s cat lead them to believe alternate realities are overlapping with their own. Coherence provides existential terror on a micro-budget through expert filmmaking, making the most of its limited setting and ensemble cast. Unnerving tension builds through the complex sci-fi concepts and unraveling relationships between the characters. Topics like quantum physics, mixed with the heightened paranoia of the characters, create escalating psychological tension. Coherence serves up a lo-fi but highly cerebral addition to mind-bending sci-fi horror.

The latest nerve-shredding experience from M. Night Shyamalan, Knock at the Cabin shows what horrors the natural world can unleash when provoked. While vacationing at a remote cabin, a family is taken hostage by armed strangers. Their captors explain that to avert the apocalypse, the family must willingly sacrifice one of their own. This impossible choice forms the ethical quandary at the story’s heart. Shyamalan returns to the intimate, confined style of early films like Signs, wringing excruciating tension from the cabin setting. The central performs capture a family’s desperation and mistrust of the intruders. Horror arises from the impossible situation, making the family’s psychological breakdown just as harrowing as any outside threat. Knock at the Cabin provides a fresh moral dilemma against an apocalyptic backdrop.

The most nightmarish situations can stem from the best intentions, as demonstrated in the critically acclaimed horror film Smile. After witnessing a bizarre, traumatic incident with a patient, Dr. Rose Cotter begins experiencing frightening instances of people around her sporting creepy, unnatural grins. She soon realizes a sinister, paranormal force passes from person to person by making them “smile” before leading them to suicidal fates. Rose must overcome her own skepticism to combat the evil entity haunting her. Smile lures viewers in with the chilling image of figures with frozen, mouth-stretched smiles. Held together by Sosie Bacon’s captivating performance, the film’s scares dig deep under the skin. Sometimes a smiling face hides the darkest intentions.

The hook-handed legend himself, Candyman, made a long-awaited return in this sequel/reboot produced by Jordan Peele. Set in the now-gentrified Chicago neighborhood where the original 1992 film took place, an artist explores the urban legends surrounding Candyman’s ghost. But those who dare say his name five times in the mirror resurrect more than just a story. Tony Todd reprises his spine-chilling role as the titular phantom, while Nia DaCosta brings a fresh stylish and socially-conscious edge through themes of police brutality and systemic racism. Full of ominous bees, gray drenched visuals, and excruciating gore, Candyman continues the iconic slasher’s reign of terror. Say his name if you dare.

A Quiet Place Part II picks up shortly after the original sensation, following the Abbott family’s continued survival after mysterious blind creatures with supersensitive hearing have taken over Earth. With their home and safety compromised, the Abbotts must venture out into the demon-infested world with only their silence and sign language to protect them. One highlight is learning the late father’s backstory, showing the devastating early days of the apocalypse. While expanding the world beyond the original’s home setting,A Quiet Place Part II maintains the same intensity and family bonds. So take a deep breath and don’t make a sound.

The horrors of Nanny stem from the disconnected life of an immigrant mother separated from her own child. Aisha (Anna Diop) is hired as a nanny caring for a privileged New York family’s daughter while her own son remains overseas. Director Nikyatu Jusu crafts slow-burning tension as Aisha copes with microaggressions, loneliness and vivid nightmares while patiently waiting to be reunited with her own child. The socio-economic divide between the families underlines the torments of their unequal relationship. Mesmerizing imagery and Diop’s captivating performance enthrall the viewer in Aisha’s trauma. Nanny exposes the unseen horrors and helplessness of immigrant experiences.

Loose remake or brilliant companion piece? Luca Guadagnino’s Suspiria takes Dario Argento’s 1977 original and spins it into a beguiling psychological nightmare blending witchcraft and womanhood. Dakota Johnson stars as Susie, a vulnerable dance student who arrives at a prestigious German academy helmed by Tilda Swinton’s artistic director Madame Blanc. But the school secretly houses a dangerous coven with sinister motives beyond the world of dance. Guadagnino pairs gruesome scares with hypnotic visuals and choreography for an unholy cinematic experience. Exploring concepts like motherhood, guilt, and power, Suspiria honors the original’s surreal spirit while charting its own thematic depths. It haunts with existential horror as much as shocking violence.

For a twist on holiday horror classics like Home Alone, look no further than Better Watch Out. This clever combo of comedy and scares features Olivia DeJonge as a teen babysitter under siege when intruders target the house she’s looking after. Or so she thinks. In reality, the 12-year-old boy she’s babysitting is the true villain masterminding a sadistic game with his innocent facade. Set during a festive neighborhood Christmas party, the chaos unfolds among cheery decorations and cookies, providing darkly comedic contrast. Witty writing and solid performances make Better Watch Out an unconventional holiday-themed addition to horror. You truly never know who is lurking with ill intent, even right under your own roof.

Snowpiercer meets Dawn of the Dead in this action-packed zombie thriller from South Korea. Train to Busan takes a simple concept – zombies on an unstoppable commuter train – and elevates it with clever social commentary and top-notch filmmaking. As a workaholic dad tries to protect his daughter on a train ride to Busan, the zombie outbreak causes panicked mayhem in the confined setting. The train itself becomes a microcosm of society, with first class passengers callously shutting out those in lower cars. Not just gory fun, but an emotionally gripping ride. Train to Busan proves that seatbelts are advised for this wild zombie thrill ride.

So turn down the lights, lock the doors, and prepare for scares with these hair-raising 14 Best Horror Movies on Prime Video Right Now! Which movies will make your Halloween watchlist? Let the horror marathon begin…