The Best Scary Movies To Watch On Peacock This October

This new streaming service has a lot to offer for spooky movie nights, including a ton of free options.

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Now let's get to the movies! Here are the best horror films on Peacock you'll want to add to your watch list this October.

1. Psycho

Courtesy Everett Collection

Often considered one of the greatest films of all time, Alfred Hitchcock's 1960 classic is a masterclass in artful horror. Its iconic performances, brilliant direction, and chilling score set the tone for countless horror movies to come and is still thrilling and shocking viewers decades later. Helpful tip: you might wanna consider taking a shower before watching this movie instead of after. Trust us.

2. Let Me In

Overture Films/Courtesy Everett Collection

An 11-year-old outcast boy (Kodi Smit-McPhee) makes friends with a young female vampire (Chloë Grace Moretz) who lives next door in this romantic horror film. Don't expect Twilight-level campiness, though! This remake of the acclaimed 2008 Swedish film Let the Right One In is as dark and haunting as it is touching and beautiful. And as far as remakes go, director Matt Reeves does a pretty excellent job of walking the line between remaining faithful to the original and making something new. Give this one a watch during a seven-day free trial of the premium service or subscribe now!

3. Cooties

Lions Gate / Courtesy Everett Collection

If you're looking for something with a little more humor, this zom-com written by Saw creator Leigh Whannell and Glee creator Ian Brennan is a flawed but fun gorefest. Honestly, it's worth it just to watch Elijah Wood, Rainn Wilson, and Alison Pill play teachers trying to fight off elementary students who, after eating some contaminated chicken nuggets, have turned into vicious zombies. Told from the POV of the increasingly frazzled teachers, this irreverent movie will make you laugh, gasp, and possibly wind up craving some chicken nuggets of your own.

4. Sleepaway Camp

United Film Distribution Company / Courtesy Everett Collection

This cult classic slasher flick from 1983 stands out from its peers thanks to its oddball take on the genre. Defying expectations from beginning to end, this campy and unprecedentedly disturbing film tells the story of a series of bizarre murders at a summer camp that get more and more violent as the mystery of who is behind the murders grows. Director Robert Hiltzik’s choice to cast actual teenage actors instead of seasoned twentysomethings lends an emotional authenticity to this movie that is missing in others of its kind. Plus, its jaw-dropping ending is basically horror canon at this point.

5. Frankenstein

Universal

Based on Mary Shelley's 1918 novel, this 1931 film is often cited as arguably one of the most influential horror movies of all time. To this day, it is a stark, menacing, and weirdly beautiful piece of timeless cinema. Even if you've never seen it, chances are you're familiar with its iconic "It's alive!" moment. Check it out during a seven-day free trial of the premium service or subscribe now!

6. Tales from the Hood

Toni Scott / Savoy Pictures / Courtesy Everett Collection

This horror-comedy anthology deals with police brutality, domestic abuse, gang violence, and institutional racism through four supernatural vignettes. When three drug dealers (Joe Torry, De'aundre Bonds, and Samuel Monroe Jr.) visit a mortuary to buy drugs from its eccentric owner (Clarence Williams III), the mortician shares creepy tales about some of his recent "customers." Directed by Rusty Cundieff and executive produced by Spike Lee, these darkly funny and frightening stories are packed with social commentary that feels just as relevant now as when it was released in 1995.

7. Zombieland

Columbia Pictures/Courtesy Everett Collection

Jesse Eisenberg, Emma Stone, Woody Harrelson, Abigail Breslin, Bill Murray, Amber Heard, and more star in this wickedly funny road trip-cum-zombie apocalypse movie. It's an outrageously entertaining ride from beginning to end, and there's enough gore splattered in among the laughs to earn it a spot on your October movie list.

8. Body Bags

Showtime Networks

This horror comedy anthology directed by John Carpenter (Halloween) and Tobe Hooper (Texas Chainsaw Massacre) is full of celebrity cameos. Originally intended to be a Showtime series, this TV movie is made up of three entertaining short stories — the first about a serial killer, the second involving some alien parasites, and the third about a baseball player with a possessed eye. Keep an eye out (an unpossessed one, hopefully) for Tom Arnold, Mark Hamill, Twiggy, Wes Craven, Blondie's Debbie Harry, and more famous faces in this 1993 flick!

9. You're Next

Lions Gate/Courtesy Everett Collection

This home invasion thriller/dysfunctional family dramedy/slasher flick mashup does a considerable job breathing new life into what could've been just another home invasion movie. Centered around a compelling performance by Sharni Vinson, You're Next is about an estranged family whose reunion quickly becomes a twisted, bloody massacre when a group of animal-masked killers invade their country mansion. Grab some popcorn, lock your doors, and strap in for a wild ride.

10. Dracula

Universal

This 1931 film was the first non-silent adaptation of Bram Stoker's 1897 novel, and the one that cemented Bela Lugosi's portrayal of Count Dracula as a cultural icon and the archetypal vampire throughout popular culture. Watch this highly influential movie to see where it all began!

11. Lost Highway

CiBy 2000

We'd be remiss if we didn't include a film by David Lynch, master of the chillingly surreal, and the mind behind Twin Peaks, Blue Velvet, Mulholland Drive, and other artfully weird meditations on Hollywood, dreams, murder, and the human condition. While 1997's Lost Highway may come off as baffling to those not accustomed to Lynch's disjointed style (and even Lynch devotees will admit it doesn't reach the heights of his finest work), it's possibly one of his most frightening pieces. Effective performances by Bill Pullman, Patricia Arquette, and Robert Blake, compelling avant-noir imagery, and a truly killer soundtrack featuring the likes of Trent Reznor, David Bowie, Marilyn Manson, the Smashing Pumpkins, and more make this a worthwhile watch for diehard fans and casual viewers alike!

12. Bride of Frankenstein

Courtesy Everett Collection

Fans and critics consider this movie to be one of the greatest sequels of all time — even better than the original Frankenstein. Its stark cinematography and dramatic use of light and shadow set it apart from other films of its era. And by creating a partner for the monster, the characters reach a new level of emotional depth that make this surreal film strangely touching.

13. Leatherface

Lionsgate/Courtesy Everett Collection

The eighth installment in the Texas Chainsaw Massacre franchise acts as a prequel to 1974's The Texas Chain Saw Massacre, revealing the origin of its titular character. A young Jedidiah Sawyer grows from refusing to take part in his family's sadistic rituals to escaping from a Texas mental institution and going on a violent rampage — ultimately shaping him into the killer we know and fear. While this 2017 film certainly doesn't outshine the original, Leatherface is still a worthy addition to the franchise.

14. Island of Lost Souls

Paramount Productions / Everett Collection

Peacock has an impressive amount of great classic horror films in its repertoire, but it also offers hidden gems from the same era like 1933's Island of Lost Souls. An adaptation of H.G. Wells' 1986 novel, The Island of Dr. Moreau, this film is about a sinister doctor performing gruesome experiments on a remote island (and a shipwrecked sailor trapped with him). It was not a major success at the time, but critics and audiences alike have reevaluated and celebrated it in the decades since, and it remains a chilling, rewarding watch to this day. Sign up for a seven-day free trial of the premium service or subscribe to go back in time with this spooky black-and-white film.

15. The Wolf Man

Universal Pictures

Many of the countless werewolf movies out there were influenced by this Universal classic from 1941. While elements of it may certainly feel a little dated, it's well worth it to watch Lon Chaney Jr. inhabit the iconic character in a film that excels at atmosphere. View it during a seven-day free trial of the premium service or subscribe now!

16. Dawn of the Dead

Universal/Courtesy Everett Collection

Zack Snyder's 2004 remake of the 1978 zombie classic veers a little closer to an action movie than the original, but its intense visceral bloodiness might still make you want to hide under the covers and close the curtains in case your neighbors have turned into...you know.

17. Son of Frankenstein

Universal Pictures

The third installment of Universal Studios' Frankenstein series is iconic for many reasons. It features two of Universal's biggest stars, Boris Karloff and Bela Lugosi, at the height of their fame, with Karloff portraying The Monster for the final time and Lugosi turning the character of Ygor into a certified scene-stealer. It's stylish, deliberately silly, and served as a huge inspiration for Mel Brooks's classic, Young Frankenstein. Maybe it's time for a Frankenstein marathon?

18. Jigsaw

Lionsgate Films

This 2017 film rebooted the Saw franchise after a seven-year hiatus and packs the same thrilling suspense, nauseating gore, and twisty plotline that fans fell in love with in the originals. Its fresh approach to the concept and upgraded visual style make it worth a watch as long as you aren't too squeamish.

19. The Brides of Dracula

Universal

A colorful feast (no pun intended) for the eyes, this sequel to 1958's Dracula makes up for its weaker moments with a gorgeous visual flair from director Terence Fisher. Though Dracula himself is not in the film, Peter Cushing reprises his role as Dr. Van Helsing, who is returning to Transylvania to dutifully destroy yet another bloodsucker.

20. The Birds

Courtesy Everett Collection

In case you haven't been following the conspiracy threads on Reddit about birds being, ya know, government drones, here's another reason to fear these claw-possessing, sharp-beaked, flying creatures. Actually, birds are pretty cool and probably not government drones, but this timeless Alfred Hitchcock masterpiece will leave you casting a suspicious eye toward any that hover a little too close.

21. Dead Ringers

Morgan Creek Entertainment

When identical twin brothers (who also happen to both be gynecologists) take advantage of the fact that no one can tell them apart, their system seems sickeningly foolproof. The more confident brother seduces the women, and when he grows tired of the relationship, he passes her onto the shy brother. But when the shy brother falls in love with a new patient first, the brothers' plan (and relationship) begins to unravel into a twisted web of psychological horror. Jeremy Irons gives an award-winning performance as both twins and Geneviève Bujold is incredible as the brothers' sophisticated new patient, though the film could have done a lot more with her character. David Cronenberg's artful direction lends a compelling atmosphere to this upsetting and disturbing film.

22. The Exorcist III

Warner Bros/Courtesy Everett Collection

After a truly terrible sequel, The Exorcist III does a better job of honoring the visceral horror of the 1973 original. The third installment in the series, released in 1990, takes us 17 years after the Gemini Killer's execution...but there's one problem. A continuous series of brutal murders around the district of Georgetown all bear the trademark of the supposedly dead murderer. YIKES.

23. American Psycho

Lions Gate/Courtesy Everett Collection

Cowritten and directed by Mary Harron and based on Bret Easton Ellis's controversial novel, American Psycho boasts a star-studded cast, including Christian Bale, Willem Dafoe, Jared Leto, Josh Lucas, Chloë Sevigny, Samantha Mathis, Cara Seymour, Justin Theroux, Guinevere Turner, Reg E. Cathey, and Reese Witherspoon. Bale gives a knockout performance as the deplorable Patrick Batement, a Wall Street yuppie by day and a serial killer whose grip on reality is ever loosening by night.

24. The Invisible Man

Mary Evans / Ronald Grant / Everett Collection

Critics are still fawning over this highly faithful adaptation of H.G. Wells' 1987 science fiction novel of the same name for its pioneering special effects, dark humor, and impressive acting and direction. In the story of a scientist who discovers a way of becoming invisible (at a terrible price), Claude Rains is positively spooky despite being mostly present as a disembodied voice and rarely appearing on screen.

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