Audiences no longer think that horror movies are just reserved for Halloween. Instead, spine-chilling stories and creepy creatures can be enjoyed on the big screen at any time of year. Prime Video has a wide and constantly-changing selection of terrifying horror movies.
From absolutely terrifying classics to psychological horrors, Prime's selection of horror movies runs the gamut. If Prime subscribers are looking for a great horror movie night, they don't have to look far to find hit releases like Nope, The Black Phone, and Paranormal Activity 2.
Updated on 09/20/23 by Christine Persaud: Prime Video continues to add exciting new horror movies to its line-up, including new films as well as old classics. The deeper within the library, the more titles are found that are perfect for a cozy night in. All these titles are available with a base Amazon Prime subscription so no add-on channels or extra fees are necessary.
Nope (2022)
Jordan Peele has become a master horror director in recent years with hit releases like Get Out and Us, and 2022's Nope is no different. Nope stars Daniel Kaluuya and Keke Palmer as siblings OJ and Emerald, who work on a horse ranch. One day, they happen upon an unidentified flying object (UFO) in the sky. A small metallic object falls from it and instantly kills their father. Months later, strange things begin to happen to the remaining family members and their horses.
The situation gets more complicated and bizarre from there when Emerald and OJ sell some of their horses to a man running a Western-themed park called Jupiter’s Claim. With an original, unnerving, and ambitious premise, and plenty of scares throughout, Nope is a great horror option for Prime subscribers.
Smile (2022)
A creepy psychological supernatural horror movie, Smile follows Sosie Bacon's Rose, a therapist who witnesses her patient's suicide. After seeing the patient's unnerving smile before she died by suicide, Rose begins to experience a series of strange events. Soon after, the situation turns deadly.
From having a gift replaced with her dead cat to hallucinations of people smiling, Rose can’t figure out what’s happening to her, and no one will believe her. Smile hurtles toward its jump-scare-fueled ending, and critics praised the unsettling but captivating imagery. The horror movie deals with complex issues like trauma, grief, and mental health, all of which elevate the story to frightening heights.
Halloween Ends (2022)
Halloween Ends is presumably the end of the iconic slasher franchise, Halloween. Jamie Lee Curtis reprises her role as Laurie Strode, who now knows she's Michael Myers' sister. Her vicious, murdering brother is back, and while Laurie has always been the franchise's final girl, she's had enough of his terror. To protect her daughter and granddaughter, Laurie goes up against the masked killer one last time, but she discovers that someone else might be trying to take over Myers' reign.
The Halloween reboot trilogy didn't get everything right, but there's something incredibly satisfying about seeing Laurie finally kill Michael Myers after 45 years. As a seemingly definitive end to the iconic series, Halloween Ends is sure to entertain horror and Halloween fans.
Knock At The Cabin (2023)
In this apocalyptic psychological horror movie by M. Night Shyamalan, a family is vacationing at a remote cabin when they are approached by a group of strangers saying they need help saving the world. They claim to have been driven to the family by a series of visions, and have been told that the family needs to sacrifice someone in order to stop the rise of a pandemic.
The movie, which stars Dave Bautista, Jonathan Groff, Ben Aldridge, and Rupert Grint, takes plenty of twists and turns throughout the puzzling, horrifying plot. Though reviews call it less scary and more thought-provoking, Knock at the Cabinhas Shyalaman's signature style all over it.
The Black Phone (2021)
The Black Phone is a supernatural horror movie and an adaptation of the 2004 short story from Joe Hill. In the film's opening minutes, viewers meet Finney, a young kid who suffers bullying at school and abuse from his father at home. Soon enough, a renowned child abductor known as "the Grabber" begins kidnapping various children, including Finney.
The Black Phone takes place largely in a dark, soundproofed basement where all Finney has is a disconnected black rotary phone. However, the phone rings and Finney discovers he is talking to the Grabber's previous victim, Bruce, who gives Finney useful tips on how to escape. Plenty of scary moments come when Finney desperately tries to escape the Grabber's clutches.
M3GAN (2022)
One of the most talked about movies of 2022 overall, not just in the horror genre, Megan in M3GAN is a Model 3 Generative Android covertly being developed by Gemma (Allison Williams) a roboticist at a high-tech company. Powered by AI and life-size, Megan starts to go rogue, going to heinous lengths to prevent any threat to Gemma's niece Cady (Violet McGraw).
The movie brings the horror of Chucky to a modern audience and creates a whole new level of doll terror. The film is also a chilling look into the future of AI and robots becoming sentient, not to mention dangerous, M3GAN delivers a nice balance of chills and silliness while also serving as social commentary.
Hellraiser (1987)
Hellraiser is easily one of the most iconic supernatural horror movies of all time. Based on Clive Barker’s novella The Hellbound Heart, Hellraiser focuses on a mysterious puzzle box that, when assembled, summons extradimensional beings known as Cenobites. These terrifying and sinister beings can't distinguish between pain and pleasure, which makes them especially dangerous.
Although the franchise has amassed a total of nine sequels, including the 2022 reboot of the franchise, the original Hellraiser is by far the scariest. The movie swaps excessive gore to build dread and suspense wonderfully, and when paired with the Cenobites' disturbing appearance, Hellraiser is a spine-chilling watch.
Paranormal Activity 2 (2010)
Paranormal Activity shocked viewers when it released in 2007 and forever changed the horror genre. Just like its predecessor, Paranormal Activity 2 follows a series of paranormal events in the Rey household, which fans see through the found footage format. When the Rey house is burgled and every room torn apart except the infant son’s bedroom, Kristi and Daniel begin to think that the house is haunted by evil spirits.
Kristi and Daniel can’t figure out what to do to stop the paranormal happenings. The movie is not gory or especially graphic, but the use of black-and-white scenes, camera angles, and deafening silence have the audience jumping out of their seats.
Saw (2004)
One of the most subtle yet haunting and gruesome horror movie franchises is Saw and it all began with the original film in 2004. While fans now know about the Jigsaw Killer, it was in this first movie that begins with two men chained to pipes in a dark, dank basement. Confused and afraid, they soon receive instructions to do awful things to save their lives.
It's all about making seemingly impossible decisions and every scene keeps viewers cringing and feeling the terror right along with the main characters. Before delving into the newest movie in the franchise, Saw X, it's worth watching or re-watching the one that started it all.
Drag Me To Hell (2009)
The name just about says it all. Drag Me to Hell was written by Sam Raimi and stars Justin Long in one of his earlier roles. The setting begins in 1969 when a Hispanic couple look to a young medium for help with their son Juan, who claims to be hearing evil voices. But during a séance, the young boy is dragged to Hell.
The story picks up in present day when a bank loan officer is cursed by an upset client and terrible things begin to happen to her. It seems the very same demon is out for her soul. The movie has solid reviews, making it an under-rated one worth watching for fans of the genre.
V/H/S (2012)
Any of the new generation might not have an idea of what VHS is, but older Millennials, Gen-Xers, and Boomers know very well. In this found footage horror anthology movie, the first of a continued franchise, it's like watching several short horror movies in one. The movie contains various segments, each involving a single VHS tape with terrifying videos on it.
V/H/S didn't receive incredible reviews, with admittedly the stories being hit-and-miss. Nonetheless, for the segments that are enthralling and spooky, it's an interesting, albeit long, watch.