During spooky season, sometimes a viewing of Hocus Pocus hits the spot — other times, you might want something with a little more bite. (If you literally want more bite, there are plenty of vampire movies to be found.) Stumped about what to stream? PEOPLE has recommendations for every mood and thrill threshhold.
Silly-Scary: The Haunted Mansion (2023)
Tiffany Haddish and Danny DeVito bring laughs to this lighthearted mystery based on the titular Disney World attraction. It’s a fun, relatively family-friendly diversion that won’t have you double-checking the locks before bedtime. Stream on Disney+
Mild Chills: It’s What’s Inside (2024)
What’s that old saying? It’s all fun and games until someone….gets stuck in the wrong body. In this twisty thriller, a group of college pals reunite for a night of pre-wedding festivities, which are spiced up by a dangerous game. Nerdy friend Forbes (David Thompson) brings along some cutting edge technology that allows them all to swap bodies with each other. Trouble is, not everyone wants to swap back. Fear the Walking Dead’s Alycia Debnam-Carey and The White Lotus’s Brittany O’Grady costar. Streaming on Netflix
Gross, But Not Too Gross: House of Spoils (2024)
The good news: An up-and-coming chef (Ariana DeBose) gets the backing of some wealthy investors who bankroll her dream restaurant. The bad news: The remote site of her fine dining spot is probably haunted. Food turns moldy instantly, creepy-crawly bugs emerge from nearly every dish…and well, Chef should look down when she’s chopping. Just sayin’. Definitely don’t eat before viewing. Streaming on Prime Video
A Classic Frightfest: Rosemary’s Baby (1968)
Beware the chocolate mousse that has a chalky undertaste. A baby-faced Mia Farrow brings a wide-eyed innocence to director Roman Polanski’s adaptation of Ira Levin’s horror novel about a young couple whose seemingly sweet elderly neighbors are, in fact, devilishly evil. Stream on Paramount +
Seriously Unsettling: Midsommar (2019)
Florence Pugh gives a tour de force as a grieving young woman who accompanies her distant boyfriend to a midsummer festival in a remote area of Sweden. Suicide and human sacrifice are just some of the horrors she witnesses while abroad. Stream on Max
Definitely Don’t Watch This Alone: Hush (2016)
The jump scares don’t stop in this truly chilling tale of a deaf writer (Kate Siegel) who’s all alone at a remote cabin. Her lack of hearing puts her at a horrifying disadvantage against a masked stalker, who’s lurking in the words and determined to get inside the house. Stream on AMC+
Definitely Don’t Watch This Alone, Part II: Barbarian (2022)
A clever thriller that zigs when you think it will zag: After checking in to her Detroit house rental, Tess (Georgina Campbell) learns it’s been double-booked when a man (Bill Skarsgård) comes knocking after dark. Should she unlock the door and let him stay the night? Remarkably, that turns out to be one of the least suspenseful moments of this movie that costars Justin Long as a badly-behaving landlord. Stream on Prime Video
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