The Best Horror Movies To Watch On HBO Max Right Now

All the Conjuring you want!

HBO Max has a lot to offer, but if you are in for some terror, you have found the right post!

Warner Bros.

Before you scroll down to the ranking, check out the newest additions to HBO Max for this month:

Last Night in Soho

Focus Features

Anya Taylor-Joy killed it in The Witch and Split, so I'm eager to finally see her performance in this "psycho-thriller" that seems pretty trippy.

The Satanic Rites of Dracula

Columbia-Warner Distributors

"Count Dracula is undead and well and living in London. And he is creating a plague to unleash on the world - unless Scotland Yard can stop him."

Never say no to a Christopher Lee-Peter Cushing horror.

Here's the best horror movies to watch right now on HBO Max:

1. The Shining

Warner Bros.

"Jack Torrance becomes winter caretaker at the isolated Overlook Hotel in Colorado, hoping to cure his writer's block. He settles in along with his wife, Wendy, and his son, Danny, who is plagued by psychic premonitions."

A lot of people look at this as one of the best of all time, and I'd agree that it is up there. The performances are fantastic and does not rely heavily on "jump scares" and focuses on more horrifying elements. If you've never seen it, life is short, and I suggest you do. The past three years I've been watching universally popular horror films that I thought I wouldn't be into, and I've loved them.

2. Carnival of Souls

Herts-Lion International Corp.

"A church organist battles demons and delusions after a deadly car accident."

One of my all-time favorites. Definition of an "oldie but a goodie." A weird story with some unsettling moments and an even freakier ending.

3. The Conjuring

Warner Bros. Pictures

"Paranormal investigators Lorraine and Ed Warren confront a powerful demonic entity when they try to help parents and children being terrorized in their secluded farmhouse."

The one that started it all. This film has become very underappreciated over time because it has expanded into its own little universe, but man, this film is spooky.

4. Insidious

FilmDistrict

"A family looks to prevent evil spirits from trapping their comatose child in a realm called The Further."

Maybe my favorite James Wan horror film. I think The Conjuring is better overall, but I find this one more unsettling. When you watch a horror movie a week, few still are solidified as "freaky" in my eyes.

5. Malignant

Warner Bros.

"From James Wan comes this innovative horror film about a young woman whose shocking visions are in fact terrifying realities."

People loved it or hated it. I loved it. It was such a nice nod to the classic horror genre. It took a lot of chances to make an outrageous story. I literally gushed over it before in a previous post, so I would highly recommend giving it a shot, because you don't see too many mainstream horror films like this. 

6. Halloween Kills (Extended Edition)

Universal Pictures

"Michael Myers continues his reign of terror as the residents of Haddonfield band together to stop him."

I liked this one a lot. A little corny at times, but hey, that's realistically what happens when common folk try to play hero against an un-killable boogeyman. Plenty of fun moments and questionable moments, so I'm excited to see what any extended scenes offer to the overall story.

7. The Conjuring: The Devil Made Me Do It

Warner Bros. Pictures

"Paranormal investigators Ed and Lorraine Warren look into a terrifying case of murder and demonic possession."

An underappreciated sequel and really went for something different in the Conjuring trilogy. I like risk-taking, and this movie was unexpected...I just wish it had a few more scares.

8. Equinox

Tonylyn Productions

"Four friends are attacked by a demon while on a picnic, due to possession of a tome of mystic information."

Quite the fever dream of a film, but overall enjoyable. It just screams 70's horror and you can tell it inspired plenty of other horror movies that followed it. A classic and a must-watch you need to add.

9. The Conjuring 2

Warner Bros. Pictures

"In 1977, paranormal investigators Ed and Lorraine Warren travel to north London to help a single mother of four and her possessed daughter."

An excellent movie that is filmed beautifully terrifying. An underrated Christmas horror film and a haunting ghost story.

10. Annabelle

Warner Bros. Pictures

"The 'supremely creepy' (Hollywood Reporter) devil doll from 'The Conjuring' terrorizes a young couple in this scary prequel."

Shocking (to me) but I have still yet to see this film, but it is added to the watchlist for this week.

11. Troll Hunter

SF Norge A/S

"Student filmmakers encounter a poacher who kills trolls for the Norwegian government in this clever mockumentary."

This movies was ridiculous and absolutely fantastic. The troll designs are goofy, but a lot of people on the Internet actually find them terrifying. A movie that seems like it's a joke, but it actually has a really captivating story.

12. The Blair Witch Project

Artisan Entertainment

"In October of 1994, three student filmmakers disappeared in the woods near Burkittsville, Maryland, while shooting a documentary...A year later their footage was found."

This film mainstreamed found footage horror. It's a long watch (or it feels like it) but it is worth sitting through at least once. Not a lot of jump scares, but a classic ending that is arguably one of the best ever.

13. The Haunting in Connecticut

Lionsgate

"Moving into an old house to be closer to their son’s cancer treatments, a family soon learns the place is infested by sinister spirits."

This one is a tough watch just because it is really depressing. A very unique film for its time and some interesting visual effects that really standout.

14. The Nun

Warner Bros. Pictures

"Vatican officials send a priest and a novitiate to investigate the suicide of a young nun in Romania. They soon find themselves in a fight for their lives when they encounter a demonic force that takes the shape of a nun."

Some actually really good moments that are "goose-bump" worthy. Not a perfect film, but if you are into the Conjuring films, give it a shot.

15. Old

Universal Pictures

"A family finds themselves rapidly aging while on vacation at a mysterious beach in this supernatural drama from M. Night Shyamalan."

A sneaky addition to HBO Max from mid-May, be sure to check out M. Night's latest terror.

16. Stephen King's It

Warner Bros. Television Distribution

"Six childhood friends reunite in their small hometown in Maine to once again confront an evil entity they thought they had destroyed 30 years earlier."

If you got three hours in 'ya, take a spin into the OG miniseries (still counting it on this list) that gave so many people clown trauma. Tim Curry is brilliant...always.

17. Urban Legend (1998)

Sony Pictures Releasing

"A college student investigates a series of murders that resemble common urban legends."

I have never even heard of this film before, but I am excited to add it to my watchlist. Anything urban legend has me intrigued and it's literally the title! A strange cast with random people like Jared Leto, Alicia Witt, and even Freddy...I mean, Robert Englund.

18. The Curse of La Llorona

Warner Bros. Pictures

"A social worker investigating the disappearance of two children discovers her own family might also be in danger."

The legend of the weeping woman is one of most universally known urban legends around the world. A little underwhelming of a film, but the legend alone is worth the watch.

19. It Chapter Two

Warner Bros. Pictures

"Six childhood friends reunite in their small hometown in Maine to once again confront an evil entity they thought they had destroyed 30 years earlier."

A bold movie to split the book in half and although I didn't love it, it's worth watching if you have seen the first one. The two Bills are brilliant in this film (Hader and Skarsgård).

20. Mama

Universal Pictures

"Two orphan girls found after five years in the woods are followed by an ominous presence in this old-school ghost story."

Based on the awesome short-film, Mama brings a full-length story that is sure to make you jump out of your seat. The combo of Jessica Chastain and Nikolaj Coster-Waldau as the parents made for an interesting mix. 

21. The Purge

Universal Pictures

"In a crime-ridden future America, the government has set aside one night a year where all criminal activity--including murder--is legal."

I was never huge into the Purge series, but you should definitely give it a shot. Example: I had avoided Halloween for years thinking, "that's not my jam," and now it is one of my all-time favorites. 

22. Cloverfield

Paramount Pictures

"A group of young people race to survive a giant monster's attack on New York City in this harrowing 'found footage' thriller."

If you can handle shaky-cam films, this one is very popular. It's rare to see found-footage films with big budgets, but this one is on another level.

23. Lady in White

New Century Vista Film Company

"A little boy who loves to tell ghost stories has an encounter with a real ghost that marks him as a child-killer's next victim."

It's high up on my watchlist, so I thought it was worthy of mentioning. I love the atmospheric look of this film and it feels very...well, ghostly!

24. Annabelle Comes Home

Warner Bros. Pictures

"Determined to keep Annabelle from wreaking more havoc, demonologists Ed and Lorraine Warren bring the possessed doll to the locked artifacts room in their home placing her 'safely' behind sacred glass and enlisting a priest's holy blessing."

Didn't love this one, but they did take the time to introduce some new potential haunted items for their Conjuring universe. I loved the haunted coins.

25. House of 1,000 Corpses

Lionsgate Films

"From the mind of Rob Zombie comes this tale of a bizarre and sadistic backwater family of serial killers."

If you're a Rob Zombie fan, this one is for you. It is currently in my queue list, so I will save any judgment, but I hear this one has a nice following.

26. The Night House

Searchlight Pictures

"A widow uncovers disturbing secrets inside the house that her late husband built."

Rebecca Hall? Horror? I'm in.

27. Killer Klowns from Outer Space

Trans World Entertainment

"Blood-sucking extraterrestrial clowns invade a small-town to make cotton-candy food pods out of hapless humans in this campy horror flick."

Shocking, but a lot of people are actually terrified by this ridiculous film. The designs are fantastic and they really scared people over the years. It's the perfect late-night popcorn horror film filled with laughs and gags.

28. Freaky

Universal Pictures

"A teen magically swaps bodies with a serial killer in this entertaining, genre-bending horror comedy."

It's Freaky Friday but with a serial killer. Queued up in my watchlist, so it may climb higher.

29. Deep Blue Sea

Warner Bros.

"In her efforts to find a cure for Alzheimer's disease, Dr. Susan McAlester implants human brain tissue into sharks. The experiment backfires, producing a horrifying species of killer sharks with the capacity to think like humans."

A Samuel L. Jackson scene more famous than the movie itself. I wouldn't call this horror, but there are enough scares that could freak you out if you don't like sharks, water, or small spaces. 

Which movie are you adding to your watchlist? Comment below and come back for more HBO Max Horror movie updates!