I watched 31 horror movies for Halloween and these are the 13 that stand out the most

I finally made it

Features By Rowan Davies published 31 October 2024

The day is finally here, it's Halloween 2024, and that means that my horror movie countdown has come to an end. Over the past few weeks, I've relied on the best streaming services to tick off best horror movies off my watchlist for each day of October, and now I've narrowed them all down to the top 13 horror movies that stood out to me the most.

After watching slasher movies, psychological horrors, sci-fi horrors, and supernatural horrors, I've accumulated movies across each subgenre which I recommend streaming for Halloween 2024. These are perfect for if you haven't got any Halloween plans and are staying at home, or to have on in the background while you travel back and forth to the front door to hand out candy to trick or treaters.

Ready or Not (2019)

Director: Tyler Gillett & Matt Bettinelli-Olpin
Running time: 95 minutes
Where to stream: Hulu (US); Disney Plus (UK and AU)

Ready or Not is one of those horror movies that combines comedy with slasher elements, and is a great comedy horror movie to watch this Halloween to balance the scary with the funny. While it packs suspense and bloody scenes that I've come to love in a slasher, the gore doesn't aim to be realistic making it a suitable watch if you're not one for graphic body horror.

This is the movie that affirmed Samara Weaving as a contemporary scream queen for me, joining the likes of icons Jamie Lee Curtis, Neve Campbell, and Mia Goth. Since ticking Ready or Not off my watchlist, Radio Silence productions announced that a sequel is on the way with Weaving returning - sign me up.

Scream (1996)

Director: Wes Craven
Running time: 111 minutes
Where to stream: Max (US), Paramount Plus (UK), Binge (AU)

Like I said in my slasher movie roundup in week one, Scream is the slasher to end all slashers - defining the age of self-referential horrors. It packs everything I want in a slasher; iconic cast, a whodunnit storyline, and character deaths that will be remembered forever (my personal favorites being Tatum's garage door situation, and Stu's death by television).

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