For many, horror is a year-round staple. However, when October rolls around, even scaredy-cats and horror naysayers tend to gravitate toward the genre. After all, what fun is the spooky season without at least one scary movie night? If you're looking for your next horror movie hit, let's delve into JustWatch's streaming chart data from the week of October 27, 2025, to see what our users are watching in the lead-up to Halloween.
From the ultimate 1978 classic to new favorites, here are the top 10 horror movies trending on JustWatch. While this ranking only applies to the week of Halloween, these movies make solid choices all year long.
10. Scream (1996)
As someone who easily ranks Scream within their top 10 favorite movies of all time, seeing it in last place is a bit of a surprise. For starters, Wes Craven's meta masterpiece has enough mainstream appeal to pull in all kinds of audiences, while the deeper-cut jokes and nods give horror veterans something to latch onto. Secondly, the movie's whodunit aspect is enough to pique anyone's interest.
Neve Campbell leads a star-studded ensemble cast as Sidney Prescott, one of the greatest final girls in horror history. Through her POV, audiences get pulled into a fun but bloody slasher steeped in mystery. If horror films about masked killers stalking twenty-somethings are your thing, Scream will delight you. Not only does the movie deliver those familiar tropes and clichés, but it also lovingly pokes fun at them in the process.
9. I Know What You Did Last Summer (2025)
While I Know What You Did Last Summer (2025) is friendly enough to new audiences, you'll want to start with I Know What You Did Last Summer (1997) to fully appreciate it. The sequel picks up 27 years after the first movie, when, once again, the hook-handed killer returns to stalk and kill a new set of protagonists involved in a horrible car accident. Jennifer Love-Hewitt and Freddie Prinze Jr. reprise their roles, this time in a mentor-esque position to the young ensemble cast.
While the original movie was rated R, it's a mostly bloodless movie (believe it or not). I Know What You Did Last Summer (2025) ups the gore and scares. However, it's still very much a suspense-driven horror movie with a young adult feel. Unlike other slashers, the mystery takes precedent, not the kills. Think Urban Legend (1998) or Heathers (1998) but with a modern-day vibe.
8. Bring Her Back (2025)
After the success of Talk to Me (2022) and now Bring Her Back, Danny and Michael Philippou have proven Australian horror is nothing to sneeze at. Here, two step-siblings find their time in their new foster home plagued by satanic cult rituals and dark secrets. With enough blood, gore, and body horror, the Philippou brothers want you to squirm while watching this movie. There's no doubt about that.
Sally Hawkins delivers a career-best performance that will keep you invested. However, Bring Her Back is riddled with grief and children in peril. Some audiences might struggle with the heavy themes, but for others, Bring Her Back is a must-watch supernatural nightmare that ranks among A24's best movies.
7. Sinners (2025)
Director Ryan Coogler has impressed us before. Fruitvale Station (2013), Black Panther, and Creed (2015) prove he excels at delivering immersive dramas that have something to say. As for his first foray into the horror genre, Coogler impresses yet again with Sinners. The horror-infused neo-western puts Michael B. Jordan into a dual role as twin brothers whose return from the big city is upended by vampires.
With some of the finest cinematography in the biz, Sinners is beautiful despite its blood and ugly themes. Set in 1932, the movie delves into racism, assimilation, and Christianity in the Bible Belt. Fans of symbolism-rich horror movies, like Get Out (2017) and The Witch (2015), will find a similar type of viewing experience here. This one wants you to think, so don't expect mindless blood-sucking action.
6. Halloween (1978)
Inarguably one of the greatest horror movies of all time, Halloween's streaming chart climb isn't all that shocking in October. The movie, of course, takes place on the holiday and chronicles Michael Myers' return to Haddonfield and ensuing cat-and-mouse encounter with high school babysitter Laurie Strode (Jamie Lee Curtis). While modern audiences might consider the slasher formula old hat, you need to remember that no one had seen a movie like Halloween in 1978.
As someone who has watched this movie more than a dozen times, I vouch for its timelessness. Even in 2025, Halloween holds up as suspenseful, creepy, and thoroughly engaging despite its simple premise. Sure, there's a little cheese, but that makes it all the more fun. If you want to see where famous horror movies like Friday the 13th (1980) and A Nightmare on Elm Street (1984) got their ideas, watch Halloween.
5. The Hand That Rocks the Cradle
If you're familiar with the 1992 movie of the same name, then you already know a little bit about what to expect with Hulu's The Hand That Rocks the Cradle remake. Horror regulars Mary Elizabeth Winstead and Maika Monroe lead the film as Caitlyn, an attorney and new mother, and Polly, the woman Caitlyn agrees to let nanny her two kids. However, in true psychological horror fashion, Caitlyn begins to realize that Polly has dark secrets.
If you like popcorn thrillers, The Hand That Rocks the Cradle definitely has that vibe. While its twisty premise will likely hook you, it doesn't have quite the same satisfying spark as the original. Predictable to some, and fun to others, the one thing most audiences seem to agree on is Winstead and Monroe's solid performances. This one is most certainly trending because of its easy access as a streaming release. It might not have the same lasting impact as Halloween, but it's still a decent psychological horror movie for the right kind of audience.
4. 28 Years Later (2025)
A horror franchise rarely remains just as engaging in its later entries, but 28 Years Later is the exception. Set 25 years after the original film, 28 Days Later (2002), the third movie begins on a secluded island filled with survivors before transitioning to more of a coming-of-age story about a tween forced to participate in a rite of passage to understand the dangers of the mainland. Like the rest of the series, this involves plenty of blood, gore, and tension-inducing encounters with the movie's particularly brutal version of zombies.
As the third franchise entry, some might expect 28 Years Later to conclude the story established in the original movie. However, it actually marks a beginning point for a new trilogy of films, with the sequel, 28 Years Later: The Bone Temple, set to premiere in 2026. While that may leave existing fans divided, 28 Years Later makes a thrilling starting point for new fans, especially if you dig beautifully shot, high-octane zombie movies like Train to Busan (2016) and World War Z (2013).
3. The Substance (2024)
If body horror is your thing, say hello to The Substance. Coralie Fargeat's indie movie has been a consistent streaming chart topper since its 2024 release. Why? Well, clearly, audiences are hungry for original horror content that delivers scares and razor-sharp social commentary. Here, the film delivers a scathing critique of unattainable beauty standards and aging, particularly when it comes to women.
If you somehow missed all the hubbub surrounding Demi Moore's first Golden Globe win last year, let it be known that The Substance rivaled big-budget blockbusters for its performances and special effects. This movie is gross in a David Cronenberg kind of way. If films like The Fly (1986) or Titane (2021) make you squirm, chances are that this one will, too. That said, if you want an engrossing, hard-to-look-away-from horror movie, The Substance absolutely delivers.
2. The Black Phone (2022)
Truthfully, The Black Phone's staggering rise on the streaming charts has less to do with Halloween and more to do with its sequel, The Black Phone 2 (2025), currently being in theaters—and killing it. Those who haven't seen the original want to watch it before dishing out money for the sequel, and those who have already seen it likely want a rewatch to refresh their memories. Based on a short story by Joe Hill, Stephen King's son, The Black Phone delivers a monster that feels all too real. Ethan Hawke menacingly plays The Grabber, a child murderer, who meets his match in the teenager Finney (Mason Thames).
While it seems like a pretty standard cat-and-mouse formula, The Black Phone takes a supernatural turn when past murder victims assist Finney from beyond the grave. If you want scream-worthy scares, look elsewhere. Despite its supernatural flair, The Black Phone feels more appropriately categorized as a thriller. Dark, suspenseful, and, at times, surprisingly emotional, this one works best for fans of supernatural horror movies like Insidious (2011) and It (2017).
1. Weapons (2025)
Like The Black Phone, Weapons' top spot on the streaming charts is less about Halloween and more about its recent drop on HBO Max. However, that does not change the fact that it's arguably one of the best horror movies of 2025. Created by the same director of Barbarian (2022), Weapons delves into a mystery surrounding the bizarre (and sudden) disappearance of 17 children on the same night… and at the same time. (If you somehow missed the viral marketing campaign for this, head over to YouTube and check out the teasers.)
Honestly, though, it's best to go in blind. Weapons excels at slow tension-building that will have you on the edge of your seat, awaiting answers. Beautifully shot, well-acted, and just all-around engrossing, Weapons is for anyone searching for a high-quality horror movie. Bonus points if you like supernatural mysteries.
