Best Scary Movies to Stream for Halloween 2016

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By Samantha Leal

last updated 31 July 2021

Rosemary's Baby (1968)

Such a classic—there's nothing more frightening than knowing you might be pregnant with the spawn of Satan. (Oops.)

Stream here: Netflix, Amazon

The Amityville Horror (1979)

A scary movie based on true events = the ultimate creepfest, and that's exactly what you get with The Amityville Horror. (Well, maybe.) In 1975, the Lutz family bought a house and then, you guessed it, crazy things started happening. Jay Anson wrote a book detailing the events, and though some say they're exaggerated/not true, that doesn't stop this from being a must-watch movie.

Stream here: Amazon

Children of the Corn (1984)

Stephen King's classic centers around demonic children in a farm town and has spawned many a sequel—but none as good as the original. Watch. Obsess. Repeat.

Stream here: Amazon

People Under the Stairs (1991)

Wes Craven (RIP) might have been known for his bigger films like Scream and A Nightmare on Elm Street, but People Under the Stairs is a weird, weird trip that many would agree is his strangest (and possibly most brilliant?) movie. Give it a watch.

Stream here: Amazon

Hannibal (2001)

The long-awaited sequel to Silence of the Lambs does not disappoint. (Hellloooo, Clarice.)

Stream here: HBO Now

Let the Right One In (2008)

In this Swedish film, a 12-year-old bullied boy finds friendship with a vampire girl—but things get complicated. (P.S. They did a 2010 English version—it's not as good so stick with the original.)

Stream here: Netflix, Amazon

The Babadook (2014)

A mom is tired of her son's incessant worrying that there's a monster in their home. Except he might be right? This film opened to rave reviews, and was the third most-praised movie of the year on Rotten Tomatoes. In other words: Watch.

Stream: Netflix

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Samantha Leal is the Deputy Editor at Well+Good, where she spends most of her day thinking of new ideas across platforms, bringing on new writers, overseeing the day-to-day of the website, and working with the awesome team to produce the best stories and packages. Before W+G, she was the Senior Web Editor for Marie Claire and the Deputy Editor for Latina.com, with bylines all over the internet. Graduating from the Medill School of Journalism at Northwestern University with a minor in African history, she’s written everything from travel guides to political op-eds to wine explainers (currently enrolled in the WSET program) to celebrity profiles. Find her online pretty much everywhere @samanthajoleal.