The streaming service formerly known as HBO Max been in the headlines a lot lately. The service merged with Discovery+, removed a bunch of titles, and changed their name, dropping the “HBO”. They’re simply known as Max now, but their deep catalog of horror films are still up and active on the service. So we have put together a list of the Best Horror Movies on Max Right Now, but as always, you never know when movies will come and go, so if there’s anything on this list you’re dying to see, don’t wait – check it out now!
THE MENU (2022)
The most recent movie on this list, The Menu had a good run at theatres but has been getting even more attention now that it’s streaming. The story follows a couple (Anya Taylor-Joy and Nicholas Hoult) to a restaurant on a private island, where a celebrity chef (Ralph Fiennes) and his team have come up with a very unique tasting menu. And some of their guests might not survive the night. Directed by Mark Mylod, The Menu is a clever satire of pretentious chefs, cooking shows, and foodies that will keep you guessing as to what the next course is going to bring. And while there are plenty of fancy foods on display, it will leave most meat-eating viewers craving a classic cheeseburger.
THE EXORCIST (1973)
You definitely can’t go wrong by watching one of the most popular, highly respected horror films ever made. Directed by William Friedkin from a screenplay by William Peter Blatty (based on Blatty’s novel), The Exorcist has been scaring the hell out of people for nearly fifty nears now, and this story of a single mother trying to find someone who can help her possessed daughter is so well-crafted that it racked up Oscar nominations in the categories of Best Director, Best Cinematography, Best Actress (Ellen Burstyn), Best Supporting Actress (Linda Blair), Best Supporting Actor (Jason Miller), Best Art Direction, Best Editing, and Best Picture. It won Oscars in the Best Sound and Best Adapted Screenplay categories. So check it out on Max and marvel at it.
TUSK (2014)
Some people love Tusk. Some people hate it. Some people would tell you not to even attempt to watch it. But in our book, any movie about a man capturing another man and surgically transforming in a walrus creature demands to be seen at least once. (And if you love it after that one viewing, keep watching it again and again.) Written and directed by Kevin Smith, this twisted tale features terrific performances from Michael Parks, Justin Long, Genesis Rodriguez, and Haley Joel Osment – and a really bizarre performance from Johnny Depp. For a horror movie based on a hoax roommate ad and a comedic conversation on a podcast, Tusk is actually pretty awesome. And that walrus creature is an unforgettable sight.
THE TEXAS CHAINSAW MASSACRE 2 (1986)
The Texas Chainsaw Massacre 2 is a bit divisive, as some fans couldn’t go along with crazy comedic approach Tobe Hooper took to the sequel to his 1974 classic The Texas Chainsaw Massacre… but for me, this is one of the most brilliant, gleefully entertaining sequels ever made. Out to avenge characters from the first film, a former lawman teams with a female radio DJ to track Leatherface and his family down to their new lair, set up in the bowels of an old theme park. Leatherface falls for the DJ and experiences a cleverly written case of unrequited love while their co-stars chew the scenery and compete to see who go can further over-the-top.
CHILD’S PLAY (1988)
People have mocked slasher icon Chucky for his small stature over the years and some of his sequels have leaned further into comedy than horror, but when you go back and watch the 1988 film Child’s Play and see how director Tom Holland and screenwriter Don Mancini (with script revisions from Holland and John Lafia) first introduced the character, it’s no surprise he has stuck around as a genre icon. Holland made this killer doll, inhabited by the soul of a serial killer, come off as a real threat, a slasher who can take people down just as well as killers many times his size.
JENNIFER’S BODY (2009)
Diablo Cody and Jason Reitman really won me over when they decided to follow up their Best Picture-nominated first collaboration Juno (which did earn Cody an Oscar for Best Original Screenplay) with the horror movie Jennifer’s Body. Directed by Karyn Kusama, scripted by Cody, and produced by Reitman, the movie stars Megan Fox as Jennifer, a high schooler who becomes a man-eating demonic creature when a rock band tries to make her a virgin sacrifice to Satan, not realizing she isn’t a virgin. Now it’s up to her best friend Needy (Amanda Seyfried) to stop Jennifer’s killing spree. Jennifer’s Body was underappreciated at the time of its release, but thankfully has been gaining in popularity as the years have gone by.
PREDATOR (1987)
Some may argue that John McTiernan’s Predator doesn’t belong on a horror list, but I’m easy-going when it comes to categorizing films and feel that Predator deserves a spot on this list because it’s basically a slasher movie where the victims just happen to be heavily armed. An alien creature has come to Earth specifically to hunt humans and collect their skulls, and as its chosen prey we have a group of badass mercenaries – brought to life by a great cast led by Arnold Schwarzenegger – who are on a mission in a jungle, complete with explosions and a lot of gunfire. The alien Predator picks off the mercenaries one-by-one, and at times even dispatches them with blades like a proper slasher.
THE BLOB (1958)
With a budget of $100,000 and a batch of red-colored silicone gel, director Irvin S. Yeaworth, Jr. (who really wanted to be making religious-themed movies) unexpectedly gifted the genre with one of its most iconic creatures. Some viewers may scoff at the sight of The Blob, as this mass of gel doesn’t exactly look scary as it rolls around and consumes people, but this film still holds a lot of entertainment value, and it’s quite charming. Plus it offers the chance to watch future A-lister Steve McQueen, in his first starring role and looking too old to play a teenager like he does here, try to save a small town from a seemingly unstoppable creature. The fun begins as soon as the movie starts and that unforgettable theme song kicks in.
GREMLINS (1984)
A Steven Spielberg production, this one was directed by Joe Dante, who had previously directed Piranha, Spielberg’s favorite Jaws knock-off. The story begins when Billy Peltzer (Zach Galligan) receives Gizmo, an adorable little creature called a mogwai, for Christmas. Unfortunately, there are very strict rules about taking care of a mogwai and Billy is a lousy pet owner, so soon an army of maniacal gremlins have sprouted from Gizmo and start wreaking havoc in small town America. Gremlins is a nice blend of creepy creature moments and silly comedy, making it one of the best options to show a youngster who is just starting to get into the horror genre. You can actually have a major Gremlins marathon on Max, as they also have the sequel Gremlins 2: The New Batch and the animated prequel series Gremlins: Secrets of the Mogwai.
FROM DUSK TILL DAWN (1996)
In 1988, FX artist Robert Kurtzman hired an unknown writer named Quentin Tarantino to turn his treatment From Dusk Till Dawn into a screenplay. It was the first time Tarantino was ever paid to write something. Less than ten years later, with an Oscar in hand, Tarantino decided to team up with director Robert Rodriguez to bring From Dusk Till Dawn to the screen, and this collaboration resulted in one of my all-time favorite movies. The first half plays like a straightforward crime thriller, following criminal brothers (George Clooney and Tarantino) on the run as they take a family (Harvey Keitel, Juliette Lewis, Ernest Liu) hostage to help them get into Mexico. The brothers are supposed to meet some associates at a strip club called the Titty Twister – but once they reach the club, “all hell breaks loose” (as Tarantino’s script said) and the film switches genre gears, becoming an action-packed horror movie. It’s incredibly entertaining, with awesome characters battling some very strange and freaky creatures of the night.
Are these some of the best horror movies on Max in your opinion? Sound off below with any you think we forgot!