25 Scary Movies Our Editors Are Watching This Halloween
Supernatural horrors, psychological thrillers and classic slashers – take your pick (and maybe leave the lights on).
Some people love watching horror movies – the build up of tension and rush of adrenaline with every scare is thrilling. Others, who don't enjoy their nervous systems being taken on a rollercoaster, may find scary movies far too stressful. In that case, may we suggest turning to a lighthearted Halloween romp instead.
But here we are, in spooky season, with Halloween approaching, and there's perhaps no better way to get into the spirit than by having a scary movie marathon at home. We know scrolling through hundreds of options across multiple streaming platforms can be overwhelming, so the Bed Threads Journal editors have selected their all-time favourite films to narrow it down for you.
All that's left to do is pop the popcorn, get cosy, and press play. Or, if you are simply too spooked, keep reading to find out exactly which fear-inducing flicks not to watch this Halloween.
1. The Babadook
It’s become something of a cliché for the monsters in horror films to serve as metaphors for grief and trauma. But Jennifer Kent’s 2014 feature The Babadook, based on her 2005 short film Monster, captures the ominous, oppressive force of bereavement so powerfully that it’s earned its place as a modern classic of psychological horror.
Overwhelmed aged-care worker Amelia, still reeling from her husband’s death, grows increasingly concerned about her six-year-old son Sam’s troubling behaviour. When a sinister pop-up book about a shadowy figure called Mister Babadook appears on Sam’s bookshelf, things go from bad to worse. As its creepy verse warns, “If it’s in a word, or if it’s in a look / you can’t get rid of the Babadook.” Eek!
2. Backrooms
Loosely based on Backrooms director Kane Parsons' YouTube series of the same name, this psychological horror is a watch that will keep you locked in and guessing until the very end. The story follows Clark (played by Chiwetel Ejiofor), a failed architect-turned-furniture salesman who discovers an endless labyrinth within the basement of his store. Slowly, he begins to lose his sanity as he delves further into the space and disappears. It's up to his therapist, Mary (Renate Reinsve), to find him in the depths of the uncanny maze before it's too late.
3. Candyman (2021)
The 1992 Candyman is a horror classic, but Nia DaCosta’s 2021 sequel is a formidable addition to the canon. In the original, residents of Chicago’s Cabrini-Green housing projects are haunted by tales of a hook-handed killer who can be summoned by saying his name five times in front of a mirror. Decades later, the neighbourhood has been gentrified, and artist Anthony McCoy (Yahya Abdul-Mateen II) has moved into an upscale apartment where the public housing once stood. After discovering the urban legend, he becomes consumed by its morbid history, unravelling his sanity and reawakening the horror. Exploring how systemic racism, displacement and generational trauma intertwine with folklore, this terrifying tale has layers.
4. Child’s Play
This spooky '80s horror movie is the first in what became an influential franchise with a cult following. Film critic Roger Ebert gave it three out of four stars upon its release, calling it a "cheerfully energetic horror film," but all you really need to know is that it's about a widowed mother who gives a doll to her son, unaware that it is actually possessed by the soul of a serial killer. If you weren't scared of creepy dolls before, first of all, why weren't you, and second, you will be once you make it through Child's Play.
5. The Conjuring
We're staying on the 'scary doll' train with this one! Falling into the 'supernatural' subcategory of the horror film genre, The Conjuring is loosely based on the true story of the Perron family, who were terrorised by an evil spirit in their secluded farmhouse, and Ed and Lorraine, a married team of paranormal investigators who try to rescue them.
6. The First Omen
A prequel for the ages, this film takes us to Rome in 1971, before the events of 1976’s The Omen. Margaret, a young American nun, uncovers the mother (pun intended) of all conspiracies. If you’ve seen the original, you might piece together what the church is plotting. If you haven’t, you’re in for a wild ride. Nell Tiger Free delivers a visceral and manic lead performance, while director Arkasha Stevenson ignores tropes, instead building dread through unsettling imagery and a menacing atmosphere.
7. Fresh
Disillusioned with modern dating, Noa (Daisy Edgar-Jones) is thrilled to meet the attractive and charming Steve (Sebastian Stan). Things move quickly – after all, when you know, you know! Except Noa really doesn’t know what’s waiting for her at Steve’s remote cabin, where they’re heading for a supposedly romantic weekend away. Turns out, her seemingly perfect match has some deeply unsettling appetites. Fresh will have you squirming in your seat and reaching to delete your dating apps.
8. Ganja & Hess
Misunderstood on its release in 1973, this avant-garde independent horror film has since been recognised as a landmark of vampire cinema. Exploring addiction, morality, African-American identity and exploitation, Ganja & Hess follows anthropologist Hess Green (Duane Jones), who develops an insatiable thirst for blood after being stabbed with an ancient dagger, and Ganja Meda (Marlene Clark), who becomes his lover. Dreamlike and experimental, it’s one for cinephiles seeking something different this Halloween – best watched when you’re in the mood to be challenged rather than simply startled.
9. Get Out
Written and directed by Jordan Peele, Get Out is widely considered one of the best psychological horror movies of the 21st century, with star Daniel Kaluuya also earning an Oscar nomination for his performance. In the film, Kaluuya's character is a young Black photographer who visits his white girlfriend's family for the weekend, nervous about how they will react to him being Black. Despite being assured by his girlfriend, he finds the atmosphere odd on arrival, her family being overly hospitable, while something seems off with the estate's Black domestic staff. We won't say anymore – you'll just have to watch to find out!
10. A Girl Walks Home Alone at Night
The title alone is enough to strike fear into your heart, but it’s not quite what you might think… In the run-down Iranian town of Bad City, a nameless, solitary vampire cruises the streets on a skateboard, carefully choosing her prey. When she crosses paths with a local boy, an unlikely romance begins to bloom. Blending neo-Western, film noir and vampire horror, A Girl Walks Home Alone at Night is a visually captivating, slow-burning tale that brings a fresh perspective to the genre.
11. Hereditary
Fun fact: Hereditary is listed as one of the scariest movies ever (yes, science and heart rate monitors were involved). Without wanting to spoil this gripping plot, the film follows the grieving Graham family after the loss of their reclusive matriarch, Ellen, as they uncover the terrifying truth about their ancestry. Australia's own Toni Collette stars as Annie, Ellen's daughter, delivering a tour-de-force performance that keeps you in its grasp the whole way through.
12. His House
A thought-provoking take on horror's 'haunted house' subgenre, His House follows Bol and Rial Majur, a refugee couple seeking asylum from war-torn South Sudan on a dangerous boat ride to the United Kingdom with their daughter, Nyagak, who tragically drowns on the journey. Moving into a dilapidated house in England, where they are strictly bound to stay or else risk deportation back to South Sudan, the pair begin to see strange apparitions. They believe it to be an apeth (a night witch or evil spirit from South Sudanese Dinka folklore) that has followed them across the sea to demand a blood debt for their survival after the death of Nyagak and others on the boat: a life for a life.
13. Insidious
From Australian horror filmmaking duo James Wan and Leigh Whannell, this first instalment in their Insidious franchise made nearly $100 million against a budget of just $1.5 million. That's not scary, per se, but it's a sign of just how innovative these boys from Melbourne are.
Insidious is about a couple whose son falls into a coma and becomes a vessel for a whole host of evil entities. The couple is played by the highly talented and attractive actors Rose Byrne and Patrick Wilson, so if you do find yourself becoming too spooked for your own good, try to find comfort in their perfect faces.
14. Mārama
A Māori gothic horror flick set in 1859, Mārama is as brilliantly critical of colonialism as it is chilling in its suspense. Written and directed by Taratoa Stappard, the story centres on a young Māori woman named Mary who receives a summons from a mysterious stranger who claims to have information about her biological parents. Travelling solo from Aotearoa (New Zealand) to North Yorkshire, England, she soon finds herself in the home of a wealthy benefactor as the governess to his child, where her family history and a dark series of secrets worthy of bloody revenge await.
15. Nosferatu (2024)
Ranking among the best vampire films to watch, the most recent iteration in the Nosferatu canon is visually top-tier – as confirmed by its four 2025 Oscar nominations spanning Cinematography, Costume Design, Makeup and Hairstyling and Production Design. A gothic horror, it tells the story of an ancient vampire's obsession with a young woman with whom he's shared a disturbing psychic bond since her childhood, and the untold horrors that unfold in its wake.
16. Obsession (2025)
The moral of this psych-horror story? Be careful what you wish for, because you just might get it – at a terrifying price. Directed by Curry Barker, Obsession – as its title connotes – is a tale of infatuation gone deeply, deeply wrong. It kicks off when protagonist Bear, a socially awkward music store employee, wishes upon a cursed trinket for his crush and co-worker, Nikki, to fall in love with him. Initially, it works, with Nikki transforming into a deeply adoring girlfriend... before turning into nothing short of demonic in her possessiveness. Beneath the scares lies an exploration of consent and the ‘nice guy’ trope – and what happens when someone’s desire overrides another person’s autonomy.
17. Psycho
The original and the best, unless you're obsessed with Vince Vaughn in which case you will enjoy Gus Van Sant's 1998 shot-for-shot remake. Alfred Hitchcock's seminal adaptation of the 1959 novel of the same name wrote the book on so many popular tropes in the horror genre.
If you enjoyed Bates Motel, treat yourself to this stunning piece of cinema history. Anthony Perkins plays Norman Bates, proprietor of the Bates Motel, who, it turns out, has a really inappropriate relationship with his mother. The pace is slower than more recent horror films, which really only makes the whole thing that much more unnerving. Put your phone away and immerse yourself completely.
18. Scream
What's your favourite scary movie? That's the question this classic horror film's villain taunts his victims with in his many creepy phone calls. Once you've watched (or rewatched) Wes Craven's brilliant slasher film, your answer to that question will undoubtedly be: Scream.
Iconic doesn't even begin to describe this all-time cult classic, which is the first in a series of sequels, spin-offs and parodies, and definitely the best. Neve Campbell stars as Sidney Prescott, a high school student whose mother died one year ago, and features career-making performances from the rest of the cast (i.e. Courtney Cox, Drew Barrymore, Skeet Ulrich of Riverdale fame and Rose McGowan of being Rose McGowan fame, and more). It's funny, it's camp, and yet somehow absolutely terrifying.
19. The Substance
Have you ever dreamt of a better version of yourself? Scorned after being fired from her aerobics show, fading star Elisabeth Sparkle (Demi Moore) is lured by a mysterious serum promising youth and beauty. This horrifying parable explores misogyny, objectification, ageism, toxic beauty standards, and the cruelty of the male gaze. After injecting herself with the titular substance, her pursuit of perfection takes a grotesque turn, culminating in a fever dream of a final act. When released in 2024, it prompted walk outs and fainting from cinema-goers, so don't say we didn't warn you!
20. Silence of the Lambs
This cinematic masterpiece is scary every time. Jodie Foster stars as Clarice Starling, a young FBI trainee agent tasked with finding a serial killer known as "Buffalo Bill", who skins his victims' corpses and does who knows what else (you'll find out if you make it far enough).
What's really special about The Silence of the Lambs is the performances by and chemistry between the two leads: the aforementioned Foster and her antagonist – arguably an anti-hero, or at least a villain the audience is delighted to be terrified of. If you haven't seen this classic, do yourself a favour and add it to your to-do list this weekend. And if you have, you'll know it delivers just as much with every rewatch.
21. A Tale of Two Sisters
Inspired by a South Korean folk story, this gripping 2003 film sees the teenage Su-mi reunite with her sister Su-yeon after being released from her time in a mental hospital and return to their home in the countryside. However, their house is not as it once was, with strange events befalling it and their new cruel and constantly medicated stepmother now residing there too, with a series of unexpected revelations leading to a major twist ending. A critical and commercial smash success, the film became the highest-grossing South Korean horror movie and the first South Korean movie to be shown in American cinemas.
22. Teenage Sex and Death at Camp Miasma
If you’ve ever described your favourite horror film as a ‘guilty pleasure’, you’ll relate to Hannah Einbinder’s Kris, an eager young director tasked with reviving the Camp Miasma franchise (a nod to 1983’s controversial Sleepaway Camp). Things take a meta turn when she visits Billy Presley (Gillian Anderson), the reclusive star of the original film. Billed as a satirical, surrealist, psychological, romantic slasher, Teenage Sex and Death at Camp Miasma truly has it all.
23. The Ugly Stepsister
What if Cinderella’s stepsisters weren’t evil (or ugly, for that matter), but victims of a cruel, patriarchal society in which their entire family’s future depended on their ability to snag a prince? This award-winning Norwegian film takes that premise to grisly extremes. Not for the faint of heart, The Ugly Stepsister pairs ethereal sets and sumptuous costumes with stomach-churning body horror. You’ll never look at the Disney classic quite the same way again.
24. Ringu
You might be more familiar with the American remake, The Ring, a 2000s sleepover classic in which Naomi Watts plays the Hitchcock blonde to perfection. But as is often the case, the original is hard to beat. In 1998’s Ringu, Nanako Matsushima plays Reiko Asakawa, a reporter investigating a cursed videotape (they came before DVDs) that appears to kill anyone who watches it exactly seven days later. Part detective procedural, part eerie thriller and part supernatural horror, it has enough disturbing imagery to keep you sleeping with the lights on for at least a week.
25. The Wailing
If you're not averse to a little bit of body horror, we'd say The Wailing is a thoroughly worthy watch this Halloween. Critically and commercially acclaimed – it's widely considered one of the top horror movies of the 2010s – this South Korean film follows policeman Jong-goo, who begins investigating a slew of strange murders and illnesses in a remote Korean village to save his daughter. Unlike many films in the horror genre, and without giving anything away, it's unsuspectingly deep and stunningly shot (the bright colour palette is captivating).
Curl Up and Watch
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