From suspenseful scares to gruesome gore flicks, Amazon Prime Video has an excellent selection of horror films. Easily eclipsing its streaming competition when it comes to classic fright flicks, browsing Prime's selection is like stepping back in time and into the horror section of your local video store. On top of this, you also have access to some great recent scary movies. Here are some of the best horror movies on Amazon Prime Video.
Brightburn
Why you can trust TechRadar We spend hours testing every product or service we review, so you can be sure you’re buying the best. Find out more about how we test.
Superman is known as the world's greatest superhero, but what if a similarly powerful alien child (Jackson A. Dunn) had landed on our planet who wasn't so heroic? What if he was, in fact, super evil? That's the premise behind Brightburn, a horror thriller produced by Guardians of the Galaxy director James Gunn. Seriously, can you think of anything more terrifying than an invincible psychotic child with super strength, super speed, heat vision and the ability to fly? Just imagine how the kid will react when he discovers his adoptive parents (Elizabeth Banks and David Denman) have been lying to him about where he came from for his entire life. Dark and violent, Brightburn is not for the squeamish.
IMDB Rating: 6.2, Rotten Tomatoes: 57%
Watch Brightburn on Amazon Prime Video
Overlord
Hugely underrated upon its recent release, the J.J Abrams-produced horror film Overlord is sure to garner a cult following in the years to come thanks to its tension-filled atmosphere, amazing practical effects and WWII-setting, which is relatively unique when it comes to horror films. Feeling like a live-action adaptation of Wolfenstein with a dash of Re-animator, Overlord isn't afraid to go for broke when it comes to gore – no wonder it earned an R18+ rating in Australia. The film follows a group of paratroopers as they attempt to destroy a radio tower on the eve of D-Day. Unfortunately, that tower is situated atop a castle that's behind enemy lines – onw which the Nazis have been using to re-animate the corpses of local villagers, turning them into super soldiers. Expect all bloody hell to break loose.
IMDB Rating: 6.7, Rotten Tomatoes: 81%
Watch Overlord on Amazon Prime Video
Zombie Flesh Eaters
One of the most entertaining (and stomach-turning) zombie films ever made, 'godfather of gore' Lucio Fulci's classic Zombie Flesh Eaters (aka Zombie/Zombi 2) has landed on Amazon Prime Video and is a must-see for horror fans. Originally marketed in Italy as a sequel to George A. Romero's seminal Dawn of the Dead (even though it has nothing to do with that film), Zombie Flesh Eaters' take on the well-worn sub-genre is inspired by the zombies in voodoo mythology, which has an entirely different flavour to The Walking Dead-style shambling creatures. The film sees a reporter set off on a trip to the Caribbean to track down a woman's missing father – a mad doctor who's been experimenting on island corpses and raising them from the dead. On their way to the island, the pair hitch a boat ride from a holidaying couple, leading to the most iconic scene in the film, in which a topless scuba diver comes into contact with an underwater zombie, who then proceeds to tussle with a real shark (pictured). Bursting at the seams with eye-popping gore and gross zombie makeup effects, Zombie Flesh Eaters is a trashy grindhouse classic.
IMDB Rating: 6.9
Watch Zombie Flesh Eaters on Amazon Prime Video
Lords of Chaos
Inspired by the real-life horrific crimes that took place in Norway during the early '90s in the name of 'true Norwegian Black Metal', Lords of Chaos is a shockingly violent (and occasionally fictionalised) story filled with arson and murder. It follows the deadly rivalry between Euronymous (Rory Culkin), lead singer of the pioneering black metal band Mayhem, and Kristian 'Varg' Vikernes (Emory Cohen), mastermind behind the infamous musical act Burzum, as the two attempt to outdo each other in an effort to prove who is most evil. This sets off a spate of church burnings across Norway, eventually leading to acts of unspeakable murder. Trust us when we say that Lords of Chaos is one of the most violent films you're ever likely to see – the film deals in animal cruelty, suicide and murder and these acts are depicted in incredibly realistic and explicit detail. However, if you're a true crime fanatic and a metal-head, you owe it to yourself to watch Lords of Chaos (if you do so without looking away).
IMDB Rating: 6.5, Rotten Tomatoes: 74%
Watch Lords of Chaos on Amazon Prime Video right now
Suspiria (2018)
Remaking Dario Argento's undisputed horror masterpiece Suspiria was never going to be an easy task for director Luca Guadagnino (Call Me By Your Name), but to his credit, the new version is about as far removed from the original as a remake can get without taking a new name. The film still deals with a dancing academy that's run by a coven of witches, but aside from that one sentence premise, the 2018 version takes off in an entirely different direction. Dakota Johnson (Fifty Shades of Grey) plays a very different version of Susie Bannion, who arrives at the academy as a new student in both versions of Suspiria, and she's joined by Tilda Swinton, who excels as two separate characters. Ultimately, this Amazon-produced take on Suspiria is a love it or hate it affair – it lacks the effective scares, brilliant music and vibrant cinematography of the original, opting instead to lean into its 1970s Berlin setting to provide extensive mood and backstory during its two and a half hour running time. If that sounds like your jam, you may find yourself appreciating this remake.
IMDB Rating: 6.8, Rotten Tomatoes: 66%
Watch Suspiria now on Amazon Prime Video
A Quiet Place
One of the best scary movies of the last few years, A Quiet Place sees its characters pursued by blind creatures that hunt solely by sound. The only way this young family, led by John Krasinski (Jack Ryan) and Emily Blunt (Sicario), will have any hope for survival is to remain completely silent at all times. Krasinski, who also writes and directs the film, builds tension with a masterful sense of suspense – every tiny creak or noise could lead to the characters' deaths, forcing the audience to also sit in silence and play close attention. A Quiet Place is the kind of horror film that will have you on the edge of your seat for its entire running time.
IMDB Rating: 7.6, Rotten Tomatoes: 95%
The House on Sorority Row
One of the more highly-regarded slasher movies from the sub-genre's golden era (1978-1984), The House on Sorority Row sees a group of sorority sisters stalked by a murderous maniac in a court jester's outfit after one of their pranks goes horribly wrong. Delivering everything you'd expect from a good slasher, including a high body count, shocking kills and a sexed-up young cast, The House on Sorority Row still manages to keep you guessing about the killer's identity until the very end. Just make sure you steer clear of the mediocre 2009 remake.
IMDB Rating: 6.1, Rotten Tomatoes: 56%
Society
Likely to be the most bizarre horror movie to grace this list, Society is a body-horror / melt film unlike any other. California teenager Bill (Billy Warlock) senses that something is not quite right with his wealthy family, and he's right: it turns out they're actually part of an orgy cult for the rich elite in Beverly Hills, and we wish that were the most shocking discovery made by Bill throughout Society's running time! With some truly disgusting (and mind-blowing) practical gore effects from the great Screaming Mad George (Re-Animator 2, Predator), Society is the kind of horror film that has to be seen to be believed. Not for the squeamish!
IMDB Rating: 6.5, Rotten Tomatoes: 55%
I Know What You Did Last Summer
While celebrating their high school graduation, a group of teenagers (including Jennifer Love Hewitt, Freddie Prinze Jr., Sarah Michelle Gellar and Ryan Phillippe) accidentally run over a man in the middle of the night. Convinced their lives will be over if anyone finds out about this incident, most of the group makes a pact to dump the body and pretend it never happened. Of course, this is a slasher movie, so that's easier said than done! Exactly one year after that fateful night, a hook-wielding killer shows up and begins to terrorise each member of the group, and now it's up to Julie (Love Hewitt) to uncover the killer's identity before it's too late. Like most teen horror movies, critics weren't so kind to I Know What You Did Last Summer upon initial release (it was unfavourably compared to Scream, which shared the same screenwriter), but it remains a favourite for '90s kids to this day thanks to its potent scares and intriguing mystery.
