Last Updated: February 27th
HBO has some kicka** titles in their movie category, so it only makes sense that their horror selection would also be on point. The streaming service may not boast the sheer volume of terror you can find over on Netflix, but it’s the quality of the chills and thrills that matters here. Classics about demonic children and serial killers with cannibalistic appetites, ’80s vampire cult flicks, and Rob Zombie’s unique eye for bloody horror. There’s a little something for every fanatic of the genre over at HBO, and it’s all good.
Here are the best horror movies on HBO guaranteed to give you nightmares.
Related: The Best Horror Movies On Hulu Right Now
Us (2018)
Run Time: 116min | IMDb: 6.9/10
Jordan Peele’s nightmarish follow-up to Get Out cements the director’s status as a master of horror. This twisted tale follows an African-American family on vacation who encounter evil doppelgangers of themselves that hint at an even darker conspiracy. Lupita Nyong’o, and Winston Duke play a married couple, Adelaide and Gabe Wilson, who must protect their family from beings known as the “Tethered,” clones of themselves who have been trapped underground for decades and who are ready to take over on the surface. Peele takes fans on a thrilling ride, causing us to constantly question what’s real and who’s who but you probably won’t get a good night’s sleep after watching this thing.
Alien (1979)
Run Time: 117 min | IMDb: 8.4/10
Ridley Scott basically invented sci-fi horror with this alien thriller about a crew on a commercial space tug who must battle a violent extraterrestrial being that’s infiltrated their ship. Sigourney Weaver plays Ripley, an officer aboard the Nostromo, who’s forced to face down the titular Alien, an aggressive lifeform intent on killing the ship’s human crew. Most of the action revolves around Weaver’s attempts to destroy the creature and save her shipmates but it’s Scott’s direction behind the camera that creates the suspense and terror this film has become known for.
Ready or Not (2019)
Run Time: 95 min | IMDb: 6.8/10
Samara Weaving and Adam Brody star in this horror jaunt about a wealthy family with a dark secret. Weaving plays Grace, a young woman set to marry her fiance, Alex, at his family’s estate. Alex comes from money, and Grace quickly discovers that his ancestors pulled some supernatural strings to get rich quick. A deadly game of hide-and-seek and a curse that ends in exploding bodies follow.
The Conjuring 2 (2016)
Run Time: 134 min | IMDb: 7.3/10
Patrick Wilson and Vera Farmiga return for round two of this haunting horror franchise. Ed and Lorrain travel to London to help a single mother of four children who live in a house plagued by evil spirits. The setting has changed but the plot stays pretty much the same, with the couple confronting some dark truths about their own natures while trying to save the kids.
The Curse of la Llorona (2019)
Run Time: 93 min | IMDb: 5.3/10
Linda Cardellini stars in this supernatural horror flick based on Mexican folklore. Cardellini plays Anna, a social worker investigating a case of child negligence when she encounters the titular weeping woman, a ghost who steals children and drowns them. Anna’s own kids are marked by la Llorona as is Anna, and the family fights for survival while uncovering disturbing details about the woman’s life.
