The Best Horror Movies on HBO and HBO Max – Thrillist

For when you're in the mood for a good scare.

'The Exorcist' | Warner Bros. Pictures

'The Exorcist' | Warner Bros. Pictures

The greatest horror movies of all time get under your skin with original conceits. They sharpen your paranoia to burrow down into your brain. They grab hold of your heart with iconic imagery -- you'll never forget Freddy's claws, no matter how hard you try.

Most of the major streaming services take spooky, scary dramas quite seriously, including HBO and HBO Max, which are able to house a number of creepy classics you can't find anywhere else based on their deals with 20th Century, Warner Bros., and Turner Classic Movies. So switch off the lights, grab a blanket, and hold onto your nearest loved one -- these stream-ready horror movies are here to fill your head with nightmares. Have fun!

Can't get enough horror? Make sure to check out our list of the best horror movies of the year so far and the best horror movies of 2019.

*Denotes titles available on both HBO and HBO Max

With a bunch of blue-collar stiffs just trying to get home, Ridley Scott's 1979 movie is, like many of the best sci-fi films, basically another genre kitted out with science-fiction elements. But what elements they are: that dingy ship, which suggests the future isn't so bright for regular slobs like the crew of the Nostromo, and the vicious killing machine found on a cold, dead planet. That alien, complete with a grossly sexual life-cycle and particularly violent tendencies, is one of the greatest creations in any film, a horrifying representation of all the things we simply have to fight, even when the battle seems futile.

This classic creature-feature from director John Landis (The Blues Brothers) is a were-horror that transforms into gut-busting comedy for stretches of pale moonlight. Known for a wicked transformation sequence conducted by makeup maestro Rick Baker, An American Werewolf in London's backpacking buddy duo, played by David Naughton and Griffin Dunne, takes the movie to unexpected heights, as they deal with the repercussions of living with lycanthropy. A dizzying, wildly entertaining experience.

It's hard to imagine Wesley Snipes' Daywalker, decked out in his Oakleys and leather trench coat, as a character that wouldfit neatly into the modern Marvel Cinematic Universe. From its vampiric rave aesthetic to the icky effects of its hunted revenge, Blade and Blade II, directed by Stephen Norrington and Guillermo del Toro, respectively, have only grown more impressive with the passage of time. Snipes gives some of his most badass performances, staking vamps and tossing off one-liners with an effortlessly cool demeanor. This is slick, corporate-approved entertainment with a gonzo, cult-film soul -- we've deemed the sequel one of the best action movies of all time, though it would be nothing without its progenitor.

There's not a whole lot to the tale of a giant glob of goo that lands in a small town and begins devouring everyone, but there's something so damn fascinating about the monster itself that this oldie still calls for your attention. It's still so gloriously gross, it's hard to look away.

This low-budget black-and-white indie didn't make much noise when it was released onto the drive-in circuit in the early 1960s, but it's gone on to become one of the most celebrated horror films of the decade. It's a hallucinatory tale of a young woman who believes she's being stalked by a mysterious man -- or maybe she's simply losing her mind. Stick with it through the dry spots because act three is straight-up terrifying, provided you've been paying attention and have all the lights off.

If you're going to make a sequel to The Shining, here are two essential requirements: Stephen King has to write it, and there's probably nobody better to adapt it than Mike Flanagan, who did a great job with King's Gerald's Game. Here, Flanagan delivers another smart, dark, fascinating adaptation; Ewan McGregor plays the now-grown Danny Torrance -- and rather excellently -- who is forced to hit the road and do battle with a "shine"-swallowing vampire (Rebecca Ferguson, also great) who's nearly immortal.

The original, unquestionable, undisputed great grandpappy of "possession" horror, and one hell of a brutally good time, William Friedkin's The Exorcist is not just one of the scariest films ever made, it's also one of the most well-constructed horror movies of all time. The story of demon-inhabited Regan, her distraught mother, and the two priests working their religious mojo to save her life holds up to repeat viewings -- partially because the horrific set pieces still hold up resoundingly well, and also because the actors create realistic, believable characters who are worthy of our empathy.

The horror of nuclear weaponry is manifested as movie history's greatest monster in the signature science-fiction film from Japan. Monster movies had been around for decades, turning common fears into cinema boogeymen, but there was nothing quite like a giant lizard with radioactive breath and an oddly pleasing roar as a symbol for the dangers nuclear weapons posed to man and nature alike. The fact that Godzilla was such a perfectly designed creature helped, of course. This first film set in motion a series of wildly inventive characters and stories that continue to decimate cities on camera even now.

Joe Dante's creature feature hits that sweet spot between kid-friendly entertainment and cruel-and-unusual violent delight. For Christmas, Billy (Zach Galligan) receives an adorable "mogwai" as a pet. The one rule: Don't get the damn thing wet. When the inevitable happens, Gizmo the Adorable Furry Gremlin spawns five Mischievous Razor-Toothed Gremlins, who live for destruction, and threaten to rip apart the most wonderful time of the year.

"Da-dum da-dum da-dum da-dum da-dum!" You know the music. You know the "bigger boat" line. Maybe you even remember that dolly zoom shot of Roy Scheider sitting on the beach with his family when the screams of terror ring out and everyone runs like hell. But no matter how much pop culture chomps on the remains of this classic, there's no stripping this understated, fundamentally humanist monster picture of its primal power. Even in the age ofSharknadoandThe Shallows,Jawsis still scary, funny, and essential viewing. These are waters you'll want to get back into.

Remember this creepy-ass song? Victor Salva's equally creepy-ass brainchild, about a man-eating beast hell-bent on finishing its feeding ritual, is back to remind you of Halloweens past. It's a fun, early-2000s monster movie, starring Justin Long andGina Philips, with what is now a pretty absurd antagonist -- imagine Crichton's version of the dilophosaurus had a baby with the Frankenstein creature. Weird, yes, but still great.

You don't come across too many horror films that create their very own subgenre, but that's pretty much what George A. Romero's original Night of the Living Dead pulled off. The word "zombie" was around long before 1968, but this was the film that introduced legions of re-animated corpses who wander around in large groups and devour any living human they can get their hands on. The original film remains one of the most influential horror movies ever made, and the sequel is pretty much the Casablanca of zombie cinema.

With creepy kid movies, you usually know what you're getting into, but few are as utterly grim as Orphan. Out of any parents' nightmare, Vera Farmiga and Peter Sarsgaard bring home a little girl (Isabelle Fuhrman) who increasingly turns out to be anything but sugar and spice and everything nice. Critics may not have loved this movie when it was released since it's by no means as fun as you might want it to be, but it is a diabolical thriller that if you're looking to be creeped out absolutely does the job.

A new bride quickly discovers that all of her in-laws are trying to kill her in order to appease an ancient curse that threatens to destroy their board game empire. The horror-comedy directed by the collective Radio Silenceis basically one extended chase scene featuring a nastily colorful collection of villains, but leading lady Samara Weaving and a fun ensemble keep all the plates spinning. Plus, the ending is a freaking blast.

Too often dismissed as a footnote to the more flippant (and financially successful) Scream franchise, Wes Cravens New Nightmare isn't just a meta warm-up for the director's late-career resurgence. By casting the actors from his 1984 original Nightmare on Elm Street as themselves, he finds a surprisingly thoughtful, poignant way back into a franchise that was almost swallowed by camp after years of catchphrase-filled sequels. Funny, subtle, and genuinely frightening, New Nightmare is a work of keen-self-criticism from a genuine master of horror.

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The Best Horror Movies on HBO and HBO Max - Thrillist

Reviewed and Recommended by Erik Baquero