The 10 Top Horror Movies to Scare Your Pants Off

Looking to heart-pounding movie that’ll make you jump right out of your seat? This list of the top 10 best horror movies to watch right now will give you a serious adrenaline rush and keep you sleeping with the lights on for days.

Keep an eye on this list as it is updated with the latest and greatest horror movies, so you can be sure you’re in the loop. From Ready or Not to The Lost Boys, this list will help horror movie fans stay up to date on the most popular horror movies available.

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Watch Guide Methodology: Using proprietary viewership data, DIRECTV Insider curates lists of the most popular TV shows and movies being watched by real people, in real time, to help you pick the best trending content to watch across networks. Our rolling data collection also allows readers to see how a trending show’s ranking has changed week over week.

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TOP 10 HORROR MOVIES TO WATCH

Let’s get started. Here are the trending horror movies that movie-watchers are enjoying right now, with all the information you need to check them out for yourself.

1. ‘Ready or Not’

↔ vs. Prior Week

In Ready or Not (2019), newlywed Grace joins her husband Alex’s wealthy, eccentric family for what she expects to be a light-hearted wedding night celebration. But when they initiate a deadly game of hide-and-seek, she discovers that survival may cost her everything.

What starts as a thrilling cat-and-mouse chase quickly becomes a darkly humorous and suspense-filled nightmare as Grace fights to escape the sadistic family’s sinister traditions. With razor-sharp tension and twisted humor, Ready or Not delivers a fresh spin on horror that explores themes of loyalty, survival and class.

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2. ‘Ma’

↑ 346 vs. Prior Week

In Ma (2019), Octavia Spencer transforms from a friendly, middle-aged woman to an obsessive threat, making for an unforgettable thriller. When a group of teenagers meet Ma, they believe they’ve struck gold, as she opens her basement for them to party, under a set of peculiar rules, including referring to her as Ma.

However, her benign hospitality morphs into an unsettling obsession, turning their dreams into horrifying nightmares. As the sinister nature of Ma’s place surfaces, the once ‘best place in town’ becomes a dreaded abode, making for an intensifying tale of obsession, terror and suspense.

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3. ‘Drag Me to Hell’

↑ 342 vs. Prior Week

Experience the chilling repercussion of a simple work decision gone wrong in the 2009 horror film, Drag Me to Hell. Alison Lohman plays Christine Brown, a compassionate bank employee living the ideal life in Los Angeles with her loving boyfriend, played by Justin Long.

However, Christine’s life spirals into a supernatural nightmare when she denies an old woman’s loan extension to impress her boss, earning herself a horrifying curse in return. The film follows her desperate journey to save her soul from eternal damnation with the help of a psychic, but at a cost that could be too high for her to pay. Every moment is a thrill ride into the unexpected, reminding us that our actions have consequences, sometimes hauntingly so.

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4. ‘Victor Frankenstein’

↑ 174 vs. Prior Week

In the 2015 film Victor Frankenstein, embrace yourself for a thrilling roller-coaster ride that delves into the contentious realms of life and death. James McAvoy’s convincing portrayal of the radical scientist, Victor Frankenstein, is partnered by the equally capable Daniel Radcliffe as the gifted surgeon, Igor Strausman.

As they experiment with mortality, their groundwork research dares to take a step beyond the known, threatening to change the world irrevocably. However, when Frankenstein veers dangerously close to madness, it is up to Strausman to salvage their friendship and pull him back from the precipice of this moral abyss.

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5. ‘Rosemary’s Baby’

↑ 258 vs. Prior Week

In the haunting supernatural thriller, Rosemary’s Baby (1968), a terrifyingly dark secret overshadows the burgeoning joy of young motherhood. The naive and delicate Rosemary Woodhouse (Mia Farrow), along with her struggling actor husband Guy (John Cassavetes), find themselves unnerved by their ominous New York City apartment building and mysterious neighbors, the eccentric Roman and Minnie Castavet (Sidney Blackmer, Ruth Gordon).

As an increasingly isolated and pregnant Rosemary grows more anxious, the unimaginable truth only comes to light after childbirth. This film delves into frightful depths and potential of malevolence in the most unexpected places, making it a spine-chilling viewing experience.

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6. ‘Gothika’

↑ 92 vs. Prior Week

Plunge into the unnerving and dark world of the film, Gothika (2003), where psychiatrist Miranda Grey (played by Halle Berry) finds herself trapped in a nightmare of her own profession. After a strange encounter one night, her world transforms, and she wakes up in her own mental hospital, with her peer Pete Graham (Robert Downey Jr) as her caregiver.

It’s not just her location that’s alarming – she’s also the primary suspect in her husband’s murder. Desperate to reclaim her lost memories and prove her innocence, Miranda must escape her haunting confines and unravel the chilling mystery. This intense psychological thriller, with stellar performances, will have you doubting what you think is real.

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7. ‘Freaky’

↑ 51 vs. Prior Week

Laugh-out-loud yet bone-chillingly scary: welcome to Freaky, a genre-bending cinematic treat. The film follows high school student Millie Kessler, played to innocence-turned-fearless perfection by Kathryn Newton, whose life takes a terrifying turn when she switches bodies with a deranged serial killer (a role brought to life by Vince Vaughn).

As much as the premise promises blood-curdling horror, it is also filled with moments of hilarity, giving a delightful, terrifying spin on the classic Freaky Friday genre. Will she survive 24 hours in this freaky unsettling scenario or become a psycho killer’s next victim? Prepare to be thrilled in unexpected ways.

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8. ‘The Thaw’

↑ 245 vs. Prior Week

In the gripping 2022 movie, The Thaw, a group of dedicated ecology students stumble upon a terrifying reality. A prehistoric parasite, dormant for millennia, is released from the melting polar ice cap, posing a substantial threat to global safety. With an icy fusion of scientific exploration and impending doom, the film crafts an edge-of-the-seat narrative about environmental responsibility and survival.

The Thaw will chill you to your core, leaving audiences both fascinated and horrified by the monstrous beast awoken from the arctic depths. It’s a compelling reminder that disturbing the natural order can have catastrophic consequences.

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9. ‘Night Shift’

↑ 276 vs. Prior Week

In the thrilling film Night Shift, a young woman’s ordinary night at work twists into a night of terror. She secures her first job at a remote motel but starts to panic as she thinks she recognizes a dangerous face from her murky past lurking in the premises.

The tension doesn’t end there, though – as the night grows darker, eerie events point towards the disturbing possibility that the motel might be haunted. Night Shift is a chilling blend of suspense and the supernatural that keeps you on your seat’s edge.

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10. ‘The Lost Boys’

↑ 171 vs. Prior Week

The Lost Boys, a timeless 80s cult classic, sends shivers down your spine while simultaneously tickling your funny bone. The film centers around two brothers, Michael and Sam, played by Jason Patric and Corey Haim, who stumble upon a secret underworld of vampires after moving to a new town.

Embodying the height of horror-comedy, their struggle against the head vampire, brilliantly portrayed by Kiefer Sutherland, is fraught with suspense, surprises and sharp-witted humor. Between its memorable one-liners and unique juxtapositions of humor and horror, The Lost Boys is an unforgettable ride that will leave you questioning what lurks in the shadows.

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And there you have it: the top 10 horror movies to stream at home. Stay tuned for updates to come so you can keep up with the best content available right now.

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And for even more insight into the top shows and movies to watch right now, check out these other lists:

• Top 20 Movies to Stream Right Now
• 20 Most Binge-Worthy TV Shows to Watch Right Now
• 10 Best Limited Series to Watch
• The Top 10 Paranormal Shows on TV Right Now
• Top 10 Best Horror TV Shows to Give You a Fright Right Now
• The Top 10 Sci-Fi Shows to Watch on TV
• Top Suspense Movies to Keep Your Heart Pounding

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