It’s the most wonderful time of the year — no, not that one, the spooky one! Starbucks has rolled out the annual pumpkin spice assault, ghosts and ghoulies are everywhere you look, and as summer fades into autumn, it’s about the perfect time to start lighting the fires of the lil' jack-o-lanterns in your heart. Look, it’s been a tough year and no doubt, it’s going to be an unusual Halloween, but it seems like many of us are super excited to have something fun to look forward to and embrace as a community. And heck yeah. Halloween rules. Bring. It. On.
With that in mind, we’ve put together a handy list of the best Halloween movies streaming on Amazon Prime Video right now. Whether you’re looking for something for the whole family or something that will keep you up at night, we’ve got the full gamut from spooky to scary as hell. If you don’t find what you’re looking for here, check out theBest Horror Movies on Amazonand theBest Halloween Movies on Netflix.
Editor’s note: This article was updated October 2023 to include Halloween Ends, Terrifier 2, and Orphan: First Kill.
Related:The Best Horror Movies of 2022 (So Far)
C.H.U.D. (1984)
Runtime: 1 hr 36 min |Director:Douglas Cheek
Cast:John Heard, Daniel Stern, Christopher Curry
C.H.U.D.(Cannibalistic Humanoid Underground Dwellers) is one of those cult movies that doesn’t quite live up to the potential of its title but makes a fairly entertaining go of it. Taking place firmly in mid-80s New York City, the film is about a group of unhoused people living in the sewer who get horribly mutated into reptilian monsters by toxic waste, and who crawl aboveground at night to hunt for delicious citizens (and their dogs). It has some gnarly practical effects and a few truly great horror shots, including one particular standout in whichDaniel Stern(yes, he is in this film) discovers the CHUDs worshiping at an altar of nuclear goo. But it’s also a little slow and occasionally gets so bogged down by its own plot that it forgets to deliver what we all came here to see, which is a bunch of people getting eaten by subterranean frog mutants. That said, it featuresJohn Goodmanin a blink-and-you-miss-it cameo as a nameless beat cop who gets turbo-murdered by the CHUDs, so honestly, I don’t know why you’re not already watching it. – Thomas Reimann
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Child’s Play (2019)
Runtime: 1 hr 30 min |Director: Lars Klevberg
Cast: Aubrey Plaza, Gabriel Bateman, Brian Tyree Henry, Mark Hamill
Child’s Playrebooted the franchise with geek royaltyMark Hamilltaking over the voice of Chucky from his originatorBrad Dourif. Baked into predictable gore and gruesome entertainment,Child’s Playdoesn’t revolutionize the popular series; instead, it provides a gratifying new chapter in the killer doll story. Breaking away from the traditional possession by a serial killer premise and opting for an evil AI,Child’s Playis a modern update veering the supernaturally inclined into science fiction territory. StarringAubrey PlazaandGabriel Batemanas the mom and son duo destined to deal with the doll,Child’s Playis an amusing eighth film in the fables ofChucky. –Yael Tygiel
Halloween Ends (2022)
Runtime: 1 hr 51 min |Genre: Horror |Director: David Gordon Green
Cast: Jamie Lee Curtis, Andi Matichak, James Jude Courtney
The third and final installment of the modern-day trilogy based on the 1978 horror classic,Halloween Endssees the iconic battle betweenJamie Lee Curtis’ Laurie and Michael Myers come to a long-awaited and gory end. Jamie Lee Curtis does what she does best, hitting every note alongside a supporting cast that includes the likes ofAndi MatichakandRohan Campbell.David Gordon Green’s direction checks every box as theHalloweenfranchise thrives at doing what it does best. Frighteningly gruesome with moments of sheer terror,Halloween Endsfeels worthy of the climactic end to one of the horror genre’s greatest rivalries. -Jake Hodges
Terrifier 2 (2022)
Runtime: 2 hr 18 min |Genre: Horror |Director: Damien Leone
Cast: Lauren LaVera, David Howard Thornton, Elliott Fulham
The sequel to the horrifying 2016 featureTerrifier,Terrifier 2takes place in the aftermath of the resurrection of Art the Clown (David Howard Thornton) as he goes back to Miles County and causes carnage on the night of Halloween. Not for the faint of heart,Terrifer 2ramps up the fear factor that made the original so successful, with David Howard Thornton excelling as the bone-chilling Art the Clown. Violent and gruesome, the visual effects and cinematography stand out as the movie paces toward its harrowing climax. Guaranteed to keep you awake at night,Terrifier 2is the perfect slasher for a Halloween fright night unless, of course, you are afraid of clowns. -Jake Hodges
Orphan: First Kill (2022)
Runtime: 1 hr 39 min |Genre: Horror |Director: William Brent Bell
Cast: Isabelle Fuhrman, Julia Stiles, Rossif Sutherland
A prequel to the 2009 hitOrphan,Orphan: First KillseesIsabelle Fuhrman’s Esther escaping an Estonian psychiatric facility and traveling to America under the guise of a rich family’s daughter. Fans of the original will relishOrphan: First Kill, withWilliam Brent Belland co. turning up the dial on everything that made the first so scary. Thrilling from start to finish, the film also does a wonderful job of delving deeper into the mind of Esther, bringing some much-needed backstory to a well-established horror character. In a relatively short run-time,Orphan: First Killexcels at bringing both endless fright and a genuine story with barely a beat missed. -Jake Hodges
Children of the Corn (1984)
Runtime: 1 hr 32 min |Director: Fritz Kiersch
Cast: Peter Horton, Linda Hamilton, R.G. Armstrong, Courtney Gains
Based on a short story by horror legendStephen King,Children of the Corn, directed byFritz Kiersch, is a time-honored fright fest. FeaturingPeter HortonandLinda Hamiltonand taking place, as many of the scariest movies do, in a secluded country town,Children of the Cornis about a young couple who finds themselves trapped by a malevolent group of children. Although any gang of kids can be dangerous, children who devote themselves to a religious cult that teaches that any person over 18 should be murdered is by far the worst type of child. Shockingly bloody and morbid,Children of the Cornis a terrifying classic.– Yael Tygiel
My Best Friend’s Exorcism (2022)
Runtime:1 hr 37 min |Director:Damon Thomas
Cast:Elsie Fisher, Amiah Miller, Cathy Ang, Rachel Ogechi Kanu
My Best Friend’s Exorcismis essentially what would happen ifJohn Hughesmade a horror movie. While the film certainly draws from teen horror movie cliches, it’s remarkably sincere in its depiction of friendship, growing up, talking to your parents, and feeling alone. Abby Rivers (Elsie Fisher) is confused why her best friend, Gretchen Lang (Amiah Miller), is suddenly acting like a bully. She suspects that Gretchen may have been possessed when things take a turn for the worse. Fisher has the same awkward energy that made her breakthrough performance inEighth Gradeso endearingly funny; she might be our next great scream queen. -Liam Gaughan
Saint Maud (2021)
Runtime:1 hr 24 min |Director:Rose Glass
Cast:Morfydd Clark, Jennifer Ehle, Lisa Knight
Rose Glass’s outstanding directorial debut sadly didn’t find the audience that it deserved due to its release amidst the heights of the COVID-19 pandemic, butSaint Maudis worth a look from anyone that loves A24’s brand of horror.The Lord of The Rings: The Rings of Power’s Galadriel,Morfydd Clark, gives her breakthrough performance as the titular character, a Roman Catholic care nurse who provides care to elderly patients that are dying. She becomes obsessed with a mysterious patient who she’s convinced needs her soul to be saved. At a tight 84 minutes,Saint Maudis a lean, spine-tingling exploration of religious paranoia. -Liam Gaughan
Goodnight Mommy (2022)
Runtime: 1 hr 32 min |Director:Matt Sobel
Cast:Naomi Watts, Cameron Crovetti, Nicholas Crovetti, Peter Hermann
Do you think mommy is acting strange? An American remake of the 2014 Austrian film of the same name,Goodnight Mommyis a subtle, chilling, and thought-provoking suspense story about a mother (Naomi Watts) who reunites with her young twin boys Elias (Cameron Crovetti) and Lukas (Nicholas Crovetti) after going away to receive cosmetic surgery. The inseparable siblings are disturbed at the sight of their mother, who wears a massive bandage over her face and head. Her startling appearance, coupled with her intense behavior changes, lead the boys to question whether it’s really their mother under the bandage after all. -Emily Bernard
A Quiet Place Part II (2020)
Runtime: 1 hr 37 min |Director:John Krasinski
Cast:John Krasinski, Emily Blunt, Cillian Murphy, Millicent Simmonds, Noah Jupe
The 2018 filmA Quiet Placereceived widespread critical acclaim from horror and non-horror fans alike – and for good reason. The characters, story, and overall premise were sharp and, ironically, it was nominated for an Oscar for Best Achievement in Sound Editing. There was understandably a lot of pressure riding on a sequel to a story that felt completely told. Luckily,A Quiet Place Part IIproved to be a very worthy follow-up. With the exception of a flashback, the sequel takes place after the events of the first film and follows Evelyn Abbott (Emily Blunt) as she leads her children Regan (Millicent Simmonds) and Marcus (Noah Jupe) away from home and into the quiet world to find humans and answers. -Emily Bernard
