You don’t have to pay a dime to be frightened by these creepy favorites.

The 20 best horror movies on Tubi to watch late at night

You don't have to pay a dime to be frightened by these creepy favorites.

By Kevin Jacobsen

and Declan Gallagher

January 31, 2026 10:00 a.m. ET

Andrea Riseborough as Tasya Vos in 'Possessor'; Gunnar Hansen as Leatherface in 'The Texas Chain Saw Massacre'; Rie Ino'o as Sadako Yamamura in 'Ringu'. Credit:

Neon; Everett; Arrow Films

Tubi and horror movies go together like a creepy doll and a haunted house. The streamer has a deep bench of horror films from all eras of cinema among its offerings, from influential classics like *Nosferatu* (1922) to newer hair-raisers like *Possessor* (2020), and all kinds of thrillers and chillers in between.

Thanks to the service's free-with-ads model, you can essentially get a whole education in the history of horror without spending a dime. So, where to begin? We've plumbed the depths of Tubi's vast collection and narrowed it down to 20 essential titles worth streaming today, including mainstream hits and hidden gems.

Ahead, read EW's guide to the 20 best horror movies on Tubi.**

The Babadook (2014)

Noah Wiseman as Samuel Vanek in ‘The Babadook’. Matt Nettheim/IFC Films

*"If it's in a word, or if it's in a book,**you can't get rid of the Babadook."*

A widowed mother learns this the hard way in Jennifer Kent's widely acclaimed indie horror film. Essie Davis plays Amelia, who struggles to raise her 6-year-old son, Sam (Noah Wiseman), as he's tormented by the titular humanoid storybook monster. The Babadook's power comes from readers becoming aware of his existence, and, after Amelia reads the book to Sam, she too begins to endure horrific experiences of her own.

Before every artful-minded modern horror film became about grief and trauma, *The Babadook* explored these themes with authenticity, deftly weaving in Amelia's grief over the loss of her husband and her inability to control her son with traditional horror tropes. —*Kevin Jacobsen*

Where to watch *The Babadook*: Tubi

**EW grade:** B+

**Director:** Jennifer Kent

**Cast:** Essie Davis, Noah Wiseman, Hayley McElhinney, Daniel Henshall, Barbara West

Black Christmas (1974)

Margot Kidder as Barb Coard in 'Black Christmas'. Everett Collection

Imbued with the suburban paranoia of the '70s, *Black Christmas* is the ultimate feel-bad holiday movie — though it can certainly be enjoyed all year round. Taking place during the Christmas season, the film centers on a group of sorority sisters who are tormented by persistent, disturbing phone calls. After one of the sisters is murdered, they try to get the police to intervene as the mysterious killer brutally picks off the other young women. Haunting and influential, *Black Christmas* is all the more terrifying due to the plausibility of the fears expressed. —*K.J.*

Where to watch *Black Christmas*: Tubi

**Director:** Bob Clark

**Cast: **Olivia Hussey, Keir Dullea, Margot Kidder, John Saxon

Dark Night of the Scarecrow (1981)

Larry Drake as Charles Elliot 'Bubba' Ritter in 'Dark Night of the Scarecrow'. CBS

In a small southern town, a mob led by postman Otis Hazelrigg (Charles Durning) hunts down and murders Bubba (Larry Drake), who is developmentally disabled, after mistakenly believing he hurt a local girl who was in fact mauled by a dog. Not long after Bubba's funeral, the men who killed him begin to perish in a series of mysterious accidents.

Frank De Felitta's made-for-TV chiller is a searing indictment of mob violence and personal prejudice that only gains relevance as the years go on. It also happens to be one of the most frightening films of the era. It's a film that seems to say, in the end, the most monstrous villains are not supernatural vengeance-seekers, but rather everyday men in pursuit of power. —*Declan Gallagher*

Where to watch *Dark Night of the Scarecrow*: Tubi

**Director: **Frank De Felitta

**Cast: **Larry Drake, Charles Durning, Tonya Crowe, Jocelyn Brando, Lane Smith

Eraserhead (1977)

Jack Nance as Henry Spencer in 'Eraserhead'. Everett Collection

The legendary David Lynch announced himself to the world with this startling, nightmarish debut feature. Set in an eerie industrial city, *Eraserhead* follows a humble man named Henry (Jack Nance) as he struggles to raise his grotesque, reptilian-looking infant child. As the child incessantly cries day and night, Henry begins to have surreal visions that only an innovative mind like Lynch's could devise. Filmed in striking black and white, the film's unsettling power comes from its blending of an alien-like sensibility and our very human subconscious fears. —*K.J.*

Where to watch *Eraserhead*: Tubi

**Director:** David Lynch

**Cast:** Jack Nance, Charlotte Stewart, Allen Joseph, Jeanne Bates, Judith Roberts

Goodnight Mommy (2015)

Susanne Wuest as Mother in 'Goodnight Mommy'. RADiUS-TWC

A mother (Susanne Wuest) returns home after cosmetic facial surgery, leaving her twin sons (Elias and Lukas Schwarz) unnerved by her heavily bandaged appearance in this Austrian psychological horror film. When their mother starts to exhibit strange behavior, the twins conclude that she's not their real mother, but, in fact, an impostor. The boys begin testing this presumed interloper, going to extreme lengths to prove her wrong, despite her protestations. Featuring a wild twist ending, *Goodnight Mommy* gets under your skin while exploring themes of family trauma and fear of the unknown.

An American remake starring Naomi Watts was released in 2022, but, like with most horror films, you're better off sticking with the original. —*K.J.*

Where to watch *Goodnight Mommy*: Tubi

**EW grade:** A

**Directors:** Veronika Franz, Severin Fiala

**Cast:** Susanne Wuest, Elias Schwarz, Lukas Schwarz

Green Room (2016)

Patrick Stewart as Darcy Banker in 'Green Room'. Scott Green/A24

The eternal battle of ideologues vs. rebels is represented in bloody fashion in Jeremy Saulnier's underrated horror-thriller. After a down-on-their-luck punk band plays at a seedy venue that turns out to be a bar for neo-Nazis, they quickly find themselves fighting for their lives. Confined to the bar's titular green room, the band is forced to use its limited resources to find a way out. Anton Yelchin, Alia Shawkat, Joe Cole, and Callum Turner make up the band, the cleverly named Ain't Rights, but it's Patrick Stewart who steals the show as the eerily calm skinhead leader. —*K.J.*

Where to watch *Green Room*: Tubi

**EW grade:** A–

**Director:** Jeremy Saulnier

**Cast:** Anton Yelchin, Imogen Poots, Alia Shawkat, Callum Turner, Patrick Stewart

Hellraiser (1987)

Doug Bradley as Lead Cenobite in 'Hellraiser'. Everett Collection

Hollywood has returned again and again to the *Hellraiser* well — with a whopping nine sequels and a 2022 reboot — but nothing beats the original. Clive Barker's adaptation of his own novella, *The Hellbound Heart*, introduced us to one of the scariest cinematic baddies, Pinhead, leader of a group of sadomasochistic demonic beings who are summoned by humans either accidentally or in pursuit of pleasures of their own. Frank Cotton (Sean Chapman) falls into the latter category in the original film, learning the hard way of Pinhead and the Cenobites' twisted sensibilities. After escaping their clutches, his sister-in-law — with whom he's also had an affair — learns of his unusual fate and takes extreme measures to revive him.

Even after all these years, the film holds up in spectacle and substance, with EW's critic calling it "a nauseatingly gooey visual effects epic as well as a character drama with an unexpected emotional hook." —*K.J.*

Where to watch *Hellraiser*: Tubi

**Director:** Clive Barker

**Cast:** Andrew Robinson, Clare Higgins, Ashley Laurence, Sean Chapman

Hush (2016)

John Gallagher Jr. as the Man in 'Hush'.

Shout! Studios/Courtesy Everett Collection

This anxiety-riddled film from horror maestro Mike Flanagan makes the most of its relatively simple concept. Kate Siegel stars as Maddie, a writer living in seclusion in the woods who must deal with the sudden arrival of a serial killer (John Gallagher Jr.). Complicating matters is the fact that Maddie is deaf and mute, forcing her to utilize her other senses to stop the killer from claiming her as his next victim. What separates *Hush* from other slasher films of its ilk is how Flanagan and Siegel give its main character sharp instincts and depth, as well as a frightening use of silence. —*K.J.*

Where to watch *Hush*: Tubi

**Director:** Mike Flanagan

**Cast:** Kate Siegel, John Gallagher Jr., Samantha Sloyan, Michael Trucco, Emma Graves

The Invitation (2016)

Logan Marshall-Green as Will in 'The Invitation'. Drafthouse Films

Have you ever been to a dinner party that feels a little...off? Such is the case in *The Invitation*, which stars Logan Marshall-Green as Will, who attends a soiree thrown by his ex-wife, with whom he has a shared trauma. Will becomes unsettled as he learns of his ex-wife and her new boyfriend's recent induction into a cultish group called the Invitation. To say much more would be to ruin the wild twists and turns that unfold as the night marches onward.

Filled to the brim with slow-burning dread, *The Invitation* marked a welcome return to indie filmmaking for director Karyn Kusama, previously known for *Girlfight* (2000), *Aeon Flux* (2005), and the perpetually misunderstood *Jennifer's Body* (2009). —*K.J.*

Where to watch *The Invitation*: Tubi

**EW grade:** A–

**Director: **Karyn Kusama

**Cast: **Logan Marshall-Green, Tammy Blanchard, Michiel Huisman, Emayatzy Corinealdi, Lindsay Burdge

Let the Right One In (2008)

Kare Hedebrant as Oskar in 'Let the Right One In'.

Magnolia Pictures/Courtesy Everett

The depiction of vampires on film has run the gamut from creepy classics like *Nosferatu* (1922) to moody gothic romance like *Nosferatu* (2024), and this Swedish horror drama has a little something for everyone. Set in early-'80s Stockholm, *Let the Right One In* centers on Oskar (Kåre Hedebrant), a 12-year-old outcast boy who befriends a vampire girl named Eli (Lina Leandersson) — though he's unaware of her true identity at first. Together, they develop an intense connection as Eli helps Oskar confront his sadistic bullies while she tries to harbor her bloody secret. —*K.J.*

Where to watch *Let the Right One In*: Tubi

**Director:** Tomas Alfredson

**Cast:** Kåre Hedebrant, Lina Leandersson, Per Ragnar, Ika Nord, Peter Carlberg

The Love Witch (2016)

Jared Sanford as Gahan, Jennifer Ingrum as Barbara, and Samantha Robinson as Elaine Parks in 'The Love Witch'.

Oscilloscope/Courtesy Everett Collection

Shot on gorgeous 35mm film, this darkly comedic horror flick is a nostalgic cinephile's dream. *The Love Witch* centers on a young witch (Samantha Robinson) who moves to a California town and uses her magic powers to make men fall in love with her, though she soon gets herself into increasingly messy situations as bodies start to pile up. Anna Biller, who wrote, directed, and produced the film, finds inspiration in B-movie horror and the sumptuous Technicolor of Old Hollywood. —*K.J.*

Where to watch *The Love Witch*: Tubi

**EW grade:** B

**Director:** Anna Biller

**Cast:** Samantha Robinson, Gian Keys, Laura Waddell, Jeffrey Vincent Parise, Jared Sanford

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Next of Kin (1982)

Jacki Kerin as Linda Stevens in 'Next of Kin'. The Film House

Linda (Jacki Kerin) returns to her Australian hometown in the wake of a family death to oversee her inheritance: Montclare, a creaky old mansion that functions as a retirement home for the community. Before long, bodies of residents begin turning up, and diary entries from Linda's mother expose dark secrets from the past. *Next of Kin* is a brilliantly constructed slow burn, an old-fashioned gothic spine-tingler of the highest caliber. Director Tony Williams masterfully curates a mood of oppressive dread from the opening minutes through the bloody climax and explosive final frames, making this one of the very best Australian horror films of all time. —*D.G.*

Where to watch *Next of Kin*: Tubi

**Director: **Tony Williams

**Cast: **Jackie Kerin, John Jarratt, Gerda Nicolson, Alex Scott

Night of the Living Dead (1968)

Karl Hardman as Harry Cooper, Marilyn Eastman as Helen Cooper, and Kyra Schon as Karen Cooper in 'Night of the Living Dead'. Everett

Our modern understanding of zombies can be traced back to George A. Romero's landmark horror classic. While the undead walkers in *Night of the Living Dead* are never referred to as "zombies," they have all the trademarks of the horror movie staple. A group of humans, drawn together out of necessity, try to ward off a pack of ghouls who intend to feast on them — thus turning them into ghouls themselves.

While the film remains an effective horror experience, its historical context makes it all the more fascinating. Analysts have cited *Night of the Living Dead* as a subversive commentary on the Vietnam War, which was raging at the time of the film's release. It also features a Black man as the central hero when race relations were being examined more than ever before in American society. Even without that context, though, *Night of the Living Dead* operates as an enthralling horror movie in and of itself. —*K.J.*

Where to watch *Night of the Living Dead*: Tubi

**Director:** George A. Romero

**Cast: **Judith O'Dea, Duane Jones, Marilyn Eastman, Karl Hardman, Judith Ridley

Nosferatu (1922)

Max Schreck as Count Orlok in 'Nosferatu'. Frederic Lewis/Hulton Archive/Getty

Horror wouldn't be what it is today without *Nosferatu*, which celebrated its 100-year anniversary in 2022. F.W. Murnau's gothic silent film is essentially an unofficial take on Bram Stoker's *Dracula*, with the names changed. Max Schreck plays Count Orlok, the Dracula analog who preys upon Hutter, a visiting estate agent. Hutter eventually realizes his client is, in fact, a vampire, and Hutter's wife may be the key to saving him and their community.

While the limitations of technology at the time naturally prevent the film from delivering the dread-inducing jump scares that modern audiences may crave, the atmosphere of *Nosferatu* is enough to get under your skin. A century later, there have been too many depictions of Dracula and other blood-sucking vampires to count, but Schreck's Count Orlok might still be the creepiest. —*K.J.*

Where to watch *Nosferatu*: Tubi

**Director:** F.W. Murnau

**Cast: **Max Schreck, Gustav von Wangenheim, Greta Schröder, Alexander Granach, Ruth Landshoff

Pieces (1982)

Alejandro Hernández as Timmy Reston in 'Pieces'. Grindhouse Releasing

Genre stalwart Christopher George stars as a detective investigating a series of chainsaw murders at a Boston university in this gonzo gorefest. Joining George in his fight to stop the slasher are a particularly suspicious student (Ian Sera) and a famous tennis pro (Lynda Day George) who, bored with the celebrity touring circuit, decides to join up as an undercover detective.

The unabashed silliness of the plot does little to dilute the entertainment value of director Juan Piquer Simón's sleazy, cheesy fever dream. Among moments of dubious dubbing and peculiar acting, the film delivers some genuinely suspenseful sequences, and Juan Mariné's cinematography is colorful and well-polished. Simón made the film in response to the *Friday the 13th* series, which he felt would often soft-peddle the gore. If you're in it strictly for the viscera, you will leave satisfied, and possibly even a bit exhausted, by the splattery shenanigans on display here. —*D.G.*

Where to watch *Pieces*: Tubi

**Director: **Juan Piquer Simón

**Cast: **Christopher George, Paul Smith, Edmund Purdom, Linda Day

Possessor (2020)

Andrea Riseborough as Tasya Vos in 'Possessor'.

Andrea Riseborough is renowned for her ability to shape-shift as a performer, which takes on new meaning in this acclaimed sci-fi horror film. The Oscar-nominated actress plays Tasya Vos, an assassin who uses an innovative machine that allows her to inhabit other people's bodies and carry out her bloody tasks. This has gradually caused difficulties in living her own life as she is plagued with violent memories. She experiences her biggest challenge yet when she possesses a man (Christopher Abbott) who unexpectedly regains control, trapping Vos' consciousness in his body.

Director Brandon Cronenberg revealed to EW that he devised the film from his own emotional experience of the press campaign for his previous film, *Antiviral* (2012). "You end up performing another version of yourself, this kind of media-self that then goes off and has its own weird life online without you," he explained. —*K.J.*

Where to watch *Possessor*: Tubi

**Director:** Brandon Cronenberg

**Cast:** Andrea Riseborough, Christopher Abbott, Rossif Sutherland, Sean Bean, Jennifer Jason Leigh

Rec (2007)

Claudia Silva as Jennifer in 'Rec'.

Found-footage horror was all the rage in the late-2000s, and this Spanish zombie movie is one of the exemplars of the subgenre. The film follows Ángela (Manuela Velasco), a reporter who goes with her cameraman (Ferrán Terraza) to an apartment building where an elderly woman has called the fire department for assistance. Upon arriving, the woman viciously attacks a police officer and it becomes clear that a dangerous infection is spreading within the complex. Legitimately scary stuff. —*K.J.*

Where to watch *Rec*: Tubi

**Directors:** Jaume Balagueró, Paco Plaza

**Cast:** Manuela Velasco, Ferrán Terraza, Jorge-Yamam Serrano, Pablo Rosso, David Vert

Ringu (1998)

Nanako Matsushima as Reiko Asakawa in 'Ringu'.

Moviestore/Shutterstock

*Ringu* is one of the most influential films in the horror genre, not only spawning a U.S. remake in the form of 2002's *The Ring* but also making "J-horror" such a hot, worldwide trend in film at the turn of the century. The Japanese psychological horror drama tells the story of Reiko (Nanako Matsushima), a journalist investigating the death of her niece, who watched a videotape featuring cryptic imagery and received an ominous phone call claiming she would die in seven days — which ended up coming true. After Reiko watches the tape for herself, she receives the same call and tries to get to the bottom of its origin and meaning.

Unnervingly tense, *Ringu* still holds up today as a watch-between-your-fingers favorite. As EW's critic put it, "*Ringu* has proven to be a surprisingly durable concept...The elegant simplicity of that hook is supported by a disturbing internal mythology." —*K.J.*

Where to watch *Ringu*: Tubi

**Director: **Hideo Nakata

**Cast: **Nanako Matsushima, Hiroyuki Sanada, Rikiya Otaka, Miki Nakatani, Yuko Takeuchi

Suspiria (1977)

Jessica Harper as Suzy Bannion in 'Suspiria'. 20th Century Studios

Back in 2017, Scott Derrickson, the noted director behind *Sinister*, told EW that *Suspiria*, the tale of American Suzy Bannion (Jessica Harper) and her encounter with a coven of witches at a prestigious German dance academy, was "the most influential horror film on me, personally... Every time I see it, its influence on me continues to grow."

Dario Argento's sublime horror film (streaming in a luminous new transfer) was originally written for a cast of young children. When scripting issues necessitated older characters, Argento built the sets to appear large next to his adult actors. Through this sly trick, where doorknobs rise to noses and walls tower high above the hairline, Argento sketches a vision of witchy terror akin to early works of German surrealism. *Suspiria* sees Argento at the height of his powers, and contains some of the most eye-popping production design ever committed to celluloid. —*D.G.*

Where to watch *Suspiria*: Tubi

**Director:** Dario Argento

**Cast:** Jessica Harper, Stefania Casini, Flavio Bucci, Miguel Bosé, Barbara Magnolfi

The Texas Chain Saw Massacre (1974)

Gunnar Hansen as Leatherface in 'The Texas Chain Saw Massacre'. Everett Collection

One of the true granddaddies of the horror genre is as terrifying now as it was to moviegoers in 1974. The film follows a group of unsuspecting young friends who travel through Texas and come across a depraved family of cannibals hellbent on making them their next victims. As the friends are taken out one by one, the dread amplifies all the way through the blood-soaked finale.

*The Texas Chain Saw Massacre* not only spawned a franchise (with nine feature films, to date) but proved massively influential on horror in the decades to come. The low-budget slasher proved you didn't need big studio money or high-profile stars to make an impact. Director Julia Ducournau, who mastered the art of body horror with films like *Raw* and *Titane*, cited *The Texas Chain Saw Massacre* as the preeminent Halloween film. —*K.J.*

Where to watch *The Texas Chain Saw Massacre*: Tubi

**Director:** Tobe Hooper

**Cast: **Marilyn Burns, Paul A. Partain, Edwin Neal, Jim Siedow, Gunnar Hansen

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