Spooky movie season has finally arrived, and while 2023 hasn’t turned out to be a banner year for horror movies, it has still delivered a number of genuinely memorable additions to the genre. This October, horror fans don’t need to rely solely on Hollywood’s current, frankly disappointing, lineup of theatrical offerings, either. There are, in fact, a handful of underrated horror movies available to stream right now.
So, whether you need some ideas for what to watch on Halloween Night or you’re just in the mood for something scary this weekend, here are five horror movies from this year that you can stream at any point throughout the coming weeks.
The Boogeyman (Hulu)
Based on a Stephen King short story of the same name, The Boogeyman didn’t make much of a mark when it was released in theaters in June. That’s a shame because The Boogeyman is one of the most effective mainstream horror movies of the year so far.
The film, which focuses on a family that finds itself tormented by an evil supernatural entity, isn’t by any means revolutionary or all that original. It is, however, an entertaining piece of horror that features more than its fair share of memorable jump scares and set pieces. That makes it a perfect movie to watch from the comfort of your own home this October.
The Boogeyman is streaming now on Hulu.
Huesera: The Bone Woman (Shudder)
One of this year’s indie horror darlings, Huesera: The Bone Woman is an unnerving, frequently terrifying addition to the body horror genre. Directed by Michelle Garza Cerveza, the film follows Valeria (Natalia Solián), a young woman whose first pregnancy is complicated after she’s cursed by an evil entity and forced to turn to a group of witches for help.
As far as body horror movies go, Huesera definitely isn’t for the faint of heart, but it’s perfect for anyone in the mood for a horror film that’s both original and truly hard to shake.
Huesera: The Bone Woman is streaming now on Shudder.
Unseen (Prime Video)
Director Yoko Okumura’s Unseen follows Sam (Jolene Purdy), a gas station clerk who receives a phone call from Emily (Midori Francis), a nearly blind woman on the run from her murderous ex. Stranded in the middle of the woods with no way to know where she’s going, Emily is forced to rely on Sam’s video call directions to try and survive.
One of this year’s low-budget, Blumhouse-produced horror offerings, Unseen is as quirky and intense as its premise suggests and, thanks to its 76-minute runtime, it doesn’t overstay its welcome, either.
Unseen is streaming now on Amazon Prime Video.
Influencer (Shudder)
One of the year’s biggest surprises, Influencer is a sneaky horror thriller that contains far more tricks up its sleeve than its premise may lead you to believe. Directed and co-written by Kurtis David Harder, the film follows Madison (Emily Tennant), a social media influencer who crosses paths with CW (Cassandra Naud), a mysterious stranger, while traveling abroad in Thailand.
To say much more about Influencer’s plot would be to spoil what makes it so great. Suffice it to say: It’s a slick, subversive slasher thriller that’ll keep you on your toes for the entirety of its runtime.
Influencer is streaming now on Shudder.
Sick (Peacock)
Speaking of smart slasher flicks, Sick is one of this year’s most underrated and entertaining horror films. Directed by John Hyams and co-written by Scream scribe Kevin Williamson, the thriller follows a pair of friends who decide to make the most of the global COVID-19 pandemic by quarantining together at one of their family’s lake houses… only to find themselves stalked by a knife-wielding killer.
The film makes the most out of its familiar premise — delivering a darkly funny, brutal, and bare-bones horror experience that’s just thrilling and simple enough for nearly everyone to enjoy.
Sick is streaming now on Peacock.
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