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The Best Horror Movies to Watch on Max in October [CNET]
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The Warner Bros. streamer has the horror goods.
Meara covers streaming service news for CNET. She graduated from the University of Texas at Austin with a degree in journalism. When she’s not writing, she likes to dote over her cat, sip black coffee and try out new horror movies.
Max hosts a lot of content, but how’s its horror selection? Titles rotate throughout the year, and right now you can catch newer films like Midsommar and classics like The Shining. You may find a flick that lets you skip a scary-long search.
If you’re ready to make a spooky selection, here are nine standout horror movies on Max. All these films received generally favorable reviews or better, according to Metacritic. Max unites the HBO Max and Discovery Plus libraries and starts at $10 per month.
A Nightmare on Elm Street (1984)
This iconic slasher is streaming on Max along with most of its sequels, so a marathon may be in order. The first film follows teenager Nancy Thompson and her friends who begin to dream about the same man — a disfigured, sweater-wearing villain who wields blades on one hand. Good luck trying to sleep tonight.
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The Shining shows what can happen when some folks can’t handle a lengthy lockdown with their family.
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The Shining (1980)
If you’re still on the hunt for a horror movie, you can’t go wrong with The Shining, the excellent Stanley Kubrick-directed movie starring Jack Nicholson and Shelley Duvall. In this adaptation of a Stephen King novel, a writer (Nicholson) staying in a remote hotel with his family exhibits some troubling changes in behavior. This one will absolutely satisfy your horror cravings.
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‘Midsommar’ (2019).
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‘Midsommar’ (2019).
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Midsommar (2019)
Horrors take place in broad daylight in this haunting film from Ari Aster. Set at a midsummer festival in a remote Swedish village, Midsommar has plenty of disturbing surprises in store for its guests. Prepare for some shocking scenes and a gripping performance from Florence Pugh.
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George A. Romero’s classic horror film “Night of the Living Dead” is more than a monster movie about zombies, it put society under a masterful magnifying glass.
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Night of the Living Dead (1968)
George Romero’s first horror film is an easy recommendation. A group of survivors take refuge in a house while members of the undead swarm outside. The influential flick is often regarded as the first modern zombie movie, and while it may not offer Freddy Krueger-level frights, you’ll be drawn in by the characters at the center of its story. You’re going to want to leave the door open for this one (but in the case of an actual apocalypse, keep it very, very shut).
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An It prequel series could focus on Pennywise the Clown’s origin story.
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It (2017)
When this adaptation of the classic Stephen King novel hit theaters in 2017, it had moviegoers like me looking twice at storm drains and dreading red balloons. With a cast of intrepid kids and a lot of heart, it makes a compelling case for more supernatural coming-of-age stories. And a strong case against clowns.
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Eraserhead (1977)
David Lynch’s first feature-length film will make you feel like you’re in a bizarre nightmare. The 90-minute black-and-white horror flick is packed with odd sounds and imagery, and the result is incredibly eerie. Don’t even get me started on the main character’s freakish, otherworldly looking “baby” (that’s oddly still kind of cute?). There are messages about men and parenthood here, but even setting aside the bigger picture, Eraserhead’s surreal world is absolutely worth a visit.
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It Comes at Night (2017)
This grim horror film is about a family living in a secluded home in the aftermath of an unnamed cataclysm and what happens when a desperate couple with a young child enters the picture. The terrors aren’t supernatural, but this harrowing flick will haunt you.
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The Exorcist (1973)
Want to jog your memory about the terrifying events of the original Exorcist? Ellen Burstyn stars as a mother to a possessed 12-year-old daughter who enlists the help of a priest. The thoroughly scary flick also won an Oscar for best adapted screenplay.
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Evil Dead Rise (2023)
A family accidentally unearths some unimaginable evils in this gory supernatural horror story. It’s the fifth entry in the film franchise after The Evil Dead (1981), Evil Dead II (’87), Army of Darkness (’92) and Evil Dead (2013).
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