Need more Halloween horror viewing inspiration? For the horror fan, Tubi has quickly emerged as a popular platform for its impressive genre offerings. The completely free streaming service, meaning no subscriptions or hidden fees, offers an insane selection for viewers with over 35,000 titles available. That means a robust catalog of horror; Tubi covers just about every level of horror, from the famous, mainstream titles to the obscure little gem awaiting discovery.
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Tubi is an always-free treasure trove for the genre fan, whether you’re in the mood for comfort watches or deep cuts, old and new alike, and it’s getting into the Halloween spirit. Tubi’s month long celebration of horror, Terror on Tubi, kicks off on October 22, but you can sign up now for a reminder. When it does go live, you’ll find a screaming booth that pairs a users’ scream with an appropriate horror movie recommendation. They can be shared on socials. Also look for daily giveaways, including a home theatre giveaway.
To hold you over until then, here are ten horror titles to stream for the Halloween season, all capturing the holiday spirit in varying ways- from modern classics to deep cuts. Many of them are exclusively streaming for free on Tubi.
Bones
Ernest R. Dickerson brings horror and comedy in equal measure with this supernatural tale of revenge. Snoop Dogg stars as the eponymous character, a vengeful spirit that’s seeking retribution while cleaning up his neighborhood. Bones has a little bit of everything, including some romance nestled between maggots and ghost dogs. It may not be set around Halloween, but its initial theatrical release intentionally sought to capture the October horror-loving crowds, bringing the holiday spirit.
Scary Movie (1991)
A paranoid young man comes to strongly believe that a psychopath has taken up residence in the local Halloween haunted house. Academy Award nominee John Hawkes stars in this campy, SOV love letter to Halloween. It’s low on budget but high on ambition, full of surrealism and dream logic. Shot in Austin, Texas, Scary Movie remained an obscure regional gem for decades until its recent AGFA release. It may not have the chops to become a significant seasonal cult classic, but it charms nonetheless. Look for a cameo by Eddie Munster actor Butch Patrick.
Neon Maniacs
Monsters from another dimension have taken up residence inside the Golden Gate Bridge by day. At night, they emerge to slaughter. When a group of friends hanging out at a nearby park falls prey to the creatures, only Natalie (Leilani Sarelle) survives. Naturally, the police don’t believe her story, and she’s ostracized at school. She teams up with new love interest Steven (Clyde Hayes) and young horror fan Paula (Donna Locke) to keep the monsters at bay. The third act sees the monsters invading the high school Halloween dance.
Dark Night of the Scarecrow
Don’t let the simplicity of this made-for-TV movie fool you; Dark Night of the Scarecrow is compelling storytelling with major Halloween vibes. Set in a small Southern town over the Halloween season, a mentally challenged man is wrongfully murdered for a crime he didn’t commit. When his murderers evade justice, a mysterious scarecrow systematically takes them out one by one. Halloween décor, scarecrows, farmland, and a fantastic performance by horror stalwart Larry Drake makes for one perfect Halloween season movie.
May
May (Angela Bettis) is a lonely vet assistant whose only friend is her doll, Suzie. Then she meets Adam (Jeremy Sisto). Obsessed with his hands and ideals of perfection, May descends into madness in her attempts to forge new friendships. Her mother once told her that if she couldn’t find any friends, she should make them. The lonely woman takes this literally. In keeping with the trend, Lucky McKee’s film sets its finale over Halloween night. Framed from the killer’s perspective, though, May becomes a heartbreaking character study.
House II: The Second Story
Save for a bizarre house with a mind of its own and returning screenwriter Ethan Wiley, who’s picked up directorial duties for this sequel, House II: The Second Story bears little in common with its predecessor. This time the story follows Jesse (Arye Gross), the new owner of a mansion that’s been in his family for generations. The more Jesse settles into his new home, the more he discovers its rooms function as portals to different places in time, and it’s all centered around a mysterious Aztec crystal skull. This sequel takes a kitchen sink approach with prehistoric dinosaurs, troglodytes, a great-great-grandpa mummy, evil rotting wild west gunslingers, Aztecs, sacrificial virgins, and most famously, a caterpillar-puppy. Thanks to a Halloween setting with a big Halloween bash, these characters blend in with their surroundings.
The Guest
Dan Stevens stars as “David,” a soldier that introduces himself to the Peterson family as the former comrade of their son, who died in combat. He quickly assimilates himself into the family, but a series of deaths seems to lead to him. Written by Simon Barrett and directed by Adam Wingard, The Guest is a horror adjacent action thriller meant to get your adrenaline flowing. Halloween factors into the film in a big way, namely in the climax set in the school’s haunted Halloween dance. Maika Monroe makes a compelling final girl in this untraditional twist on the slasher formula, but Stevens’ villain steals the film. Look for Halloween III: Season of the Witch Easter eggs.
Slugs
An ’80s creature feature about garden slugs doesn’t seem all that thrilling on paper, perhaps, but this one happens to be directed by Juan Piquer Simón, the madman behind Pieces. Throw in toxic waste, and the small town at the center of this movie becomes ground zero for a surprisingly gnarly siege of carnivorous little creatures. The deaths are gruesome in the most entertaining way. Even better is how creative the kills can be, like a business meal that turns into a parasitic melt-down nightmare. The story takes place over Halloween, with a Halloween party in the woods serving as a major set-piece. Beyond that, Slugs doesn’t lean into the holiday as much as you’d expect, so consider this more Halloween-lite.
Donnie Darko
This psychological thriller follows a troubled teen plagued by visions of a man in a rabbit suit after narrowly escaping a freak accident. The hallucinations spurn him into committing a series of crimes. Set in October of 1988, the surreal cult classic’s climax kicks off on the night of a Halloween party. Is it horror? No, but it’s adjacent enough that we’re embracing it. There’s enough real-world horror nestled in the mind-bending sci-fi story anyhow, and the cast delivers riveting performances. As far as Halloween costumes go, it’s hard to beat Frank’s all-timer.
Hell House LLC: The Director’s Cut
Five years after a bizarre event claimed the lives of staff and attendees at a newly opened Halloween haunt, a documentary crew travels back to the scene for answers. This spooky Halloween treat crafts scares that get under your skin, making it easy to see how it spawned a trilogy. Hell House LLC makes for a great seasonal watch, and the Director’s Cut packs in even more scares and bonus footage.
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