It's movie night on the weekend. No more work for a couple of days, everyone's tired after a busy week, and the children will probably go to bed early or hang out in a pajama party that hopefully, you won't have to host. Your partner in crime is only expecting you to open the wine if you're not a bloodsucking vampire or make popcorn if Ghostface doesn't call first. The latest addition to the family comes in the form of HBO's streaming service, Max.
We know time is like a currency nowadays, so we don't want you to waste any of it. That's why we've handpicked a list of titles that are available on Max for your enjoyment. Not everyone likes the same, so we've made sure to pick something of each horror subgenre. Who knows, maybe you'll end up going on a horror marathon that'll continue until Saturday morning. Just be careful, as none of these are family-friendly.
Updated on August 5, 2023, by Neville Naidoo: This article has been updated with additional content to keep the discussion fresh and relevant with even more information and new entries.
25 Insidious (2010)
It's been a popular horror franchise for more than a decade now. With the success of its recent fifth installment, it seems ages ago now that Insidious became the chilling first film that kicked it all off. A brilliant film that helped cement acclaimed horror director James Wan as a cult favorite among fanatics of the genre, this film is still arguably the scariest of the lot.
It tells the tale of a young boy who slips into a mysterious coma. When a paranormal expert is brought in to help the family, they learn that the child has the ability to astral project and enter a demonic realm known as "The Further". The problem is, once the door to this realm is opened, evil spirits from the other side can now enter our world too. Filled with some truly chilling horror, Insidious is a great film that will scare the daylights out of you.
24 Orphan (2009)
Patrick Wilson and Vera Farmiga have become fan favorites of the horror world for their time together in The Conjuring universe. However, both have been involved in other notable horror films too. For Farmiga, back in 2009, she starred alongside the brilliant young actress, Isabelle Fuhrman, in Orphan. The film was a great psychological horror that played on some mesmerizing twists and the stuff of parental nightmares. However, the scariest part was probably the fact that it drew inspiration from a horrifying true story.
Farmiga and Peter Saarsgaard play a married couple who are looking to adopt another child after their third was stillborn. In young Esther, they think they've found the perfect child. She's sweet, well-mannered, polite, and unbelievably mature for her age. However, once Esther's brought home, things soon take a chilling turn as the family learns that she holds some terrifying secrets. The film is a cult classic of the genre, and its popularity led to a second film being released more recently. If you enjoy Orphan, Max also has its prequel, Orphan: First Kill available too.
23 Insidious: Chapter 2 (2013)
Like most others who've seen it, watching the first Insidious film will likely whet the appetite for more from this awesome franchise. The events of the first film become the catalyst as Insidious: Chapter 2 takes the concept to new heights with a frightening new demon in the mix too.
"The Further" is again explored as the ill-fated family from the first film learns that their bone-chilling ordeal is far from over. Patrick Wilson is again in the lead alongside the talented Rose Byrne who plays his wife. Like the first film, Chapter 2 was also directed personally by James Wan and features some hair-raising moments that tug at your nerves in typical Wan style.
22 The Nun (2018)
Between the Insidious films and the Saw franchise, James Wan was already revered enough by horror fanatics. The now iconic Conjuring universe encompasses multiple films including The Conjuring and Annabelle films. While audiences first got nightmarish glimpses of the demon known as Valak in The Conjuring movies, her popularity led to the standalone film, The Nun.
This film fully explores how this truly spine-tingling entity first found its way into The Conjuring universe. In a remote Romanian Abbey inhabited by a cloister of nuns underscoring its religious themes, the location alone was already enough to make it creepy. The film lived up to its reputation and made for one very scary film. It also featured a great backstory, with some terrific performances from Vera Farmiga's younger sister, Taissa Farmiga. Definitely a must-see horror film, Valak's haunting actions are set to continue with The Nun 2 due to be released soon.
21 Barbarian (2022)
Barbarian is a refreshingly new entry in the horror genre and a delight for fans. The directorial debut from Zach Cregger begins in an unsettling manner as a young businesswoman rents an Airbnb in Detroit that happens to be, unbeknownst to her at the time of booking, completely overrun by dread and madness. As Tess, our lead character played by Georgina Campbell, entered the shabby abode, she soon realizes that an extremely suspicious man named Keith has double-booked the same room.
Against her better judgment, she spends the stormy night in the room with him. The film wastes no time in switching from an unwanted house guest scenario to a truly horrifying and tense fight for survival as Tess tries to escape the dirty and disturbing secrets hidden within the walls of this barbaric house.
20 The Cabin in the Woods (2011)
Horror movies outside the Scream franchise don’t often give expert meta-commentaries. They are associated with jump scares, well-crafted stories, and sometimes, pure laughter. But The Cabin in the Woods is an exception to the rule because it will make you see horror films in a whole new light. The whole setup feels familiar, even cliché at first – a group of five college friends rents a remote college in the middle of the woods for a sweet weekend getaway. But strange things quickly begin to happen.
To simplify it for those who haven’t already watched the movie, there are two storylines that intersect here. One follows the inevitably doomed teens and the other focuses on a technologically advanced facility as two bored employees manipulate these events from behind the scenes. Intelligent, scary, hilarious, and wildly original, this was clearly way ahead of its time upon release.
19 Night of the Living Dead (1968)
A movie that definitely deserves a spot on this list is George Romero's masterful low-budget 1968 black-and-white zombie classic. It didn’t just pioneer the zombie genre but also redefined what a horror movie could be and undoubtedly, Night of the Living Dead remains a raw, chilling experience even five decades later.
The story begins with a couple who visit a cemetery. The woman is attacked by a strange man, whom we soon realize is one of the living dead. She flees to an abandoned farmhouse somewhere close and barricades herself along with several other survivors. Perhaps the best thing about the film is its simple and confined setting. It allows the true horror to unfold by portraying the characters’ worsening state of mind as they realize help is not coming but the zombies are.
18 Eraserhead (1977)
Directed by David Lynch, Eraserhead is a twisted, surreal masterpiece that has only ever been created once in the history of cinema. It’s the kind of movie with a plot that’s so unbelievable you’re gonna have to watch it for it to be true. It follows a timid and frightened young man named Henry and his girlfriend who has given birth to a mutant baby that makes strange squealing and groaning noises.
The dread develops throughout the entire setting. The dimly lit, run-down industrial wasteland of a home, no explanation as to what caused the baby’s condition, and the visual representation of Henry’s claustrophobia. Though off-putting at times and not everyone’s cup of tea, this cult classic remains utterly unique and strangely fascinating.
17 The Conjuring (2013)
Horrors and one thing and period horrors based on a true story another. This chilling film by James Wan tells the supposedly real tale of Catholic spirituals Ed and Lorraine Warren investigating a haunted farmhouse in the 1970s.
The Conjuring begins like most do: a family of five moves into a secluded farm to start anew only to experience increasingly disturbing and even violent incidents that leave them scared to the bone. The Warrens are brought in to figure out the cause and nature of these events. The film has some of the most realistic 70s visual detail, unsettling sound design, and a straightforward narrative that only works to build up suspense.
16 The Crazies (2010)
The Crazies was a consequence of the Hollywood remake craze from over a decade ago. When most of them tended to be generic, this one made a few heads turn. The film reimagined George A. Romero's 1973 movie of the same name.
It told the story of a town infected with some kind of virus that turned people into rabid killers. It stars the always-effective Timothy Olyphant, and we're pretty sure it still holds up. Its most famous scene, the one on a baseball field, is straight-up terrifying.
15 Cronos (1993)
Directed by a very young Guillermo Del Toro, Cronos is a great variation of the vampire genre and a pretty great example of international horror that's always worth revisiting. Cronos follows an old antique dealer who finds a unique device that can transform others into dark vampiric creatures.
Horror films aren't usually based on a premise with so much substance. With Cronos, fans will want to dig deeper. Many people don't know this, but Cronos takes place in the same universe asthe excellent Mexican film about cannibalism, We Are What We Are.
14 Sinister (2012)
It's always a good time to revisit Scott Derrickson's insanely scary film Sinister. When people ask for a scary film, this one always makes for a good answer. For those of you who don't know, it tells the story of a writer who finds a box of home videos in his new home.
What's in those videos is pure nightmare fuel that we'd rather you see for yourselves. After this film, lawnmowers will never be the same. The sequel failed to capture the terror of the first film, though it did dive a bit further into the dark entity haunting the home movies.
13 The Brood (1979)
David Cronenberg's The Brood is a very intense film about divorce, motherhood, and trauma. It basically tells the story of a psychologist's set of techniques through which evil materializes in the form of... something we won't spoil for you.
It stars the great Oliver Reed and its pivotal scene is full of controversies as it was cut by censors at the time: What do you think a woman can do in a Cronenberg film when she has a fetus in her hands? Pick this one today and you'll find out.
12 The Blackcoat’s Daughter (2017)
Oz Perkins is a very underrated director. The son of Anthony Perkins has a great eye for horror and uses a heavy psychological narrative to induce fear in a very natural and almost unexpected manner.
His 2015 film The Blackcoat’s Daughter wasn't more popular when it was released, but we can start fixing this today. This story about a weird relationship between two girls has a depressing and traumatizing ending you will never see coming.
11 The Lodge (2020)
Austrian duo Veronika Franz and Severin Fiala made The Lodge in 2019 and served audiences with a terrifyingly atmospheric horror film that simply stayed with you for a few days. It tells the story of a young woman who's forced to stay with her fiancé's children in a cabin alone.
The newly built relationship is tense, and everyone patiently awaits the return of their father and husband. However, weird stuff starts happening and everything seems to be connected to her past. Again, fans probably won't be able to predict where this one is heading.
10 Sisters (1973)
Sisters is a Brian de Palma film you probably never watched, at least until The Criterion Collection released it on home media. Luckily, fans can also watch it today on Max. It tells the story of a fashion model who swears she saw a murder being committed by a reporter in the apartment across the street.
Discussing any more of the film might give away important details. However, it stars the great Margot Kidder, and the score is by Hitchcock's frequent collaborator Bernard Herrmann. If you like how de Palma homages his favorite director of all time, don't miss out on Sisters
9 Malignant (2021)
James Wan's Malignant is a beautiful rendition of a horror aesthetic that isn't usually seen in current cinema. It tells the story of a woman who, after a traumatic event, begins to suspect there's something alive in her mind that's forcing her to do horrible things.
What actually happens is something most fans will never guess. The use of practical effects as well as the score and production design are awesome, and the last few moments of the film will really determine whether you think Malignant is a masterpiece or a misfire.
8 The Silence of the Lambs (1991)
You can never go wrong with Jonathan Demme's The Silence of the Lambs. Hannibal Lecter being performed by Anthony Hopkins is unforgettable, but Jodie Foster's Clarice Starling is a great and powerful match for one of the greatest villains ever.
He's both brilliant and sadistic, making him the real villain of the movie even though the FBI spends the majority of the film hunting down another killer. It's pretty clear where we stand on the whole "Is it really a horror movie?" discussion. A gutted corpse hanging from an empty cell will probably change your mind if you think it's a thriller.
7 The Menu (2022)
The most recently released film on the list, The Menu, took everyone by surprise in 2022. This is a great portrait of the relationship current society has with art and gastronomy, of course, taken to the extreme.
It's incredibly funny, but slowly it takes us down a rabbit hole deep into a chef's excentric state of mind. It's much better if you go completely blind into this one but be prepared to have your tastes expanded in one of the most surprising thrillers of the last few years.
6 House (1977)
House (also known as Hausu) is a Japanese film released in 1977 that confirmed surrealism was a natural cousin to horror based on folklore. It gets weird from the beginning and you will probably have many questions in the end.
In any case, the tale of seven schoolgirls being haunted, and some of them eaten, by a house in the country is a classic of Asian cinema that will make you have nightmares if you decide to watch it tonight.