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As Halloween approaches, it’s important to remember that horror movies are a genre that can be enjoyed year-round. In the past century, this medium has transformed, evolving from relying on scary makeup and practical effects to more extreme gore and jump scares, and now to a more nuanced approach that builds anticipation and keeps viewers on the edge of their seats. While everyone appreciates a good scare, it can be challenging to sift through the vast array of recommendations on streaming platforms, leading to occasional comments like, “Horror movies these days aren’t that great!”
So, to enhance your viewing experience, we have carefully selected some of the finest horror films available for streaming this weekend on platforms like Netflix, Amazon Prime Video, Disney+ Hotstar, and JioCinema. Get ready to lower the lights and settle in for a spine-tingling movie night.
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Best Horror Movies Available to Stream in India Right Now
The Witch
Robert Eggers made a significant impact on the world of independent horror filmmaking with his dark and thought-provoking folktale, “The Witch.” This film, which also marked Anya Taylor-Joy’s feature debut, tells the story of a deeply religious family in the 1630s who are banished from their settlement for going against the local church. They move to a quiet, remote wilderness, but their lives take a sinister turn when their newborn child disappears and their crops begin to wither. Suspicion and fear grip the family as they start to believe that a witch has cursed them, possibly hiding among them. The film is a terrifying experience filled with eerie songs about Black Phillip, occult practices, demonic possession, and escalating paranoia, all set against the backdrop of dimly lit oil lamps.
The movie’s New England setting is authentically rustic and bleak, and, typical of an Eggers film, the characters’ period-accurate dialogue adds to the overall craftsmanship. The cast includes Ralph Ineson as the father William, Kate Dickie as the mother Katherine, and Harvey Scrimshaw as Thomasin’s brother. “The Witch” is available for streaming on Amazon Prime Video and Netflix, and it is sure to leave a lasting impression on your mind.
Hereditary
We couldn’t possibly omit “Hereditary” from this list, especially considering that it’s a film frequently recommended for horror watch parties. The story revolves around Annie Graham (played by Toni Collette), who begins to notice strange occurrences in her home following the death of her estranged mother. It’s as if some malevolent force is manipulating her family members like puppets. Alongside this, she must grapple with her stoner son Peter (played by Alex Wolff) who, in a moment of ignorance, commits a shocking act that shatters their close-knit family and uncovers unsettling ancestral secrets with supernatural undertones.
Essentially, the film delves into the realm of domestic trauma that morphs into an eerie fear of the unknown. Filmmaker Ari Aster skillfully intensifies the atmosphere by introducing subtle and disturbing elements in the background and incorporating visceral body horror. All the while, the movie raises the question of whether these events are unfolding within the mother’s mind. The cast includes Gabriel Byrne as the often secretive father Steve, Milly Shapiro as daughter Annie, and Ann Dowd as Joan, a support group member offering assistance to Annie in her grief.
Barbarian
If you’re in the mood for something more widely appealing, the thriller Barbarian, which has elements of the giallo genre, might be a suitable option. Staying with a stranger in an Airbnb can be a nerve-wracking experience on its own, but it becomes even more anxiety-inducing when you discover that the house is hiding a network of mysterious tunnels. This is the predicament faced by Tess, a young woman played by Georgina Campbell, who arrives in a run-down neighborhood in Detroit, only to find unsettling creatures lurking beneath the house she’s rented. While the storyline does venture into somewhat clichéd territory, I personally find some of its structural choices quite intriguing. About halfway through the film, it introduces Justin Long (known for his role in Drag Me to Hell) and shifts its tone to a more humorous one, making fun of his money-hungry, oblivious character. This shift provides a welcome break from the intense and shocking events that came before it.
This relates to director Zach Cregger’s comedic background, particularly his involvement in the well-known sketch comedy group The Whitest Kids U’ Know, which I hope remains a prominent aspect of his future projects. Although the film initially diverges from its intended path, it eventually delves into the horror genre and tackles distressing themes of sexual abuse and trauma. This movie was created with a relatively low budget of $4.5 million (approximately Rs. 37 crore) and features Bill Skarsgård (famous for his role in “It”) in a significant part.
You can watch Barbarian on Disney+ Hotstar.
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The Wailing
Ever since Parasite’s big Oscar win, many film enthusiasts have developed a fondness for renowned Korean horror films. However, one movie that hasn’t received as much attention as it deserves is Na Hong-jin’s “The Wailing.” In this movie, a Japanese stranger’s arrival in the rural village of Gokseung triggers a strange and deadly illness that causes infected individuals to go insane and brutally kill their own families. The film follows a somewhat inept police officer who is plagued by demonic nightmares and gets drawn into the investigation, which takes a toll on his daughter, who shows signs of the infection.
Desperate to save his daughter, the policeman, Jong-goo, reluctantly allows a shaman to perform an exorcism, leading to incredibly tense and unsettling rituals filled with wailing, thunderous drumming, and intense prayers. Throughout its 156-minute runtime, “The Wailing” defies expectations and boasts captivating and eerie cinematography that is difficult to look away from. It’s a film that is best experienced with minimal prior knowledge.
You can watch “The Wailing” on Amazon Prime Video, although it has an English-language dub available. There’s also a Hindi version available on MX Player.
Get Out
Jordan Peele’s directorial debut was a surprising departure from his comedic sketch background, as he delved into horror with a unique focus on American racism. The film centers around a young photographer named Chris, played by Daniel Kaluuya, who is apprehensive about meeting his girlfriend Rose’s white parents due to their interracial relationship. To his surprise, the parents are overly accommodating, almost uncomfortably so, as they continuously highlight the achievements of black people in the US.
The weekend getaway takes a chilling turn when Chris begins to uncover unsettling events within the isolated community, which seem to target and threaten people of his race. Without giving away too much, the fear in “Get Out” stems from interpersonal relationships, making it a powerful social commentary on the amplified experiences of being a black person in the United States. The film received critical acclaim, winning the Best Screenplay Oscar in 2018, and boasts a talented ensemble cast, including Bradley Whitford, LaKeith Stanfield, Catherine Keener, and Stephen Root.
“Get Out” is available for streaming on Amazon Prime Video, Netflix, and JioCinema.
Alien (1979)
Isolation can be a potent source of fear, especially when you find yourself on a spaceship millions of lightyears away from Earth, where nobody can hear your cries for help. In Ridley Scott’s film “Alien,” the crew of the Nostromo responds to a distress signal from a remote planet, much like characters in a typical campy horror movie. When they arrive, they encounter a dangerous parasitic organism armed with corrosive acid, unknowingly bringing it on board, which results in terrifying confrontations as it stealthily hunts down the entire crew. Officer Ellen Ripley, portrayed by Sigourney Weaver, emerges as the primary force fighting the alien threat while also dealing with a rogue android determined to preserve it.
It’s astonishing to consider that “Alien” has earned its place as a classic in both the horror and science fiction genres, thanks in part to H.R. Giger’s unsettling design of the Xenomorph, which breathed life into the otherwise sterile and metallic Nostromo ship. The film even secured an Oscar for Best Visual Effects in 1980 and features a talented ensemble cast including Tom Skerritt, Harry Dean Stanton, John Hurt, and Veronica Cartwright. It’s worth noting that the subsequent Alien sequels diverged from the horror tone, with James Cameron’s “Aliens” taking a more action-packed route, and David Fincher’s “Alien 3” facing production issues from the start and resulting in a less successful installment.
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