The inclusion of Hugh Grant may draw you into this religious horror movie, but once you hit play, there’s no escaping the creepiness of his character, Mr. Reed. Watch this one if you want to see if a pair of young missionaries are able to outwit their evil captor.

Companion is a scary movie you should boot up and watch without much pre-Googling. It’s clever, unsettling and thrilling, with great performances from Sophie Thatcher of Yellowjackets and Jack Quaid of The Boys. Produced by the filmmakers behind 2022’s Barbarian, Companion sets the bar high for 2025 horror films. 

The Mia Goth-starring slasher Pearl is a prequel to Ti West’s film X, centering on a younger version of the elderly villain in that flick. Max carries X, Pearl and a third film in the series, MaXXXine, but I recommend Pearl if you only have time for one movie.

Jodie Foster interviews Anthony Hopkins’ evil Hannibal Lecter in this classic psychological thriller. Foster plays FBI agent Clarice Starling, who’s determined to bring down a killer. It’s the only horror movie ever to win a best picture Oscar, and it also won for best director, screenplay, actor (Hopkins) and actress (Foster) in 1992.

If you’re still on the hunt for a horror movie, you can’t go wrong with The Shining, the excellent Stanley Kubrick-directed movie starring Jack Nicholson and Shelley Duvall. In the film — another Stephen King adaptation — a writer (Nicholson) staying in a remote hotel with his family exhibits some troubling changes in behavior. This one will absolutely satisfy your horror cravings.

When this adaptation of the classic Stephen King novel hit theaters in 2017, it had moviegoers like me looking twice at storm drains and dreading red balloons. With a cast of intrepid kids and a lot of heart, it makes a compelling case for more supernatural coming-of-age stories. And a strong case against clowns. 

The 1988 horror comedy Beetlejuice may not be on Max, but you can catch Michael Keaton’s ghost with the most in the 2024 sequel. Winona Ryder and Catherine O’Hara also reprise their roles in the spooky follow-up film.

It’s more Stephen King, and you have to watch Sissy Spacek’s Oscar-nominated portrayal of the prom queen at least once in your life. Why not now?

David Lynch’s first feature-length film will make you feel like you’re in a bizarre nightmare. The 90-minute black-and-white horror flick is packed with odd sounds and imagery, and the result is incredibly eerie. Don’t even get me started on the main character’s freakish, otherworldly looking “baby” (that’s oddly still kind of cute?). There are messages about men and parenthood here, but even setting aside the bigger picture, Eraserhead’s surreal world is absolutely worth a visit. 

George Romero’s first horror film is an easy recommendation. A group of survivors take refuge in a house while members of the undead swarm outside. The influential flick is often regarded as the first modern zombie movie, and while it may not offer Freddy Krueger-level frights, you’ll be drawn in by the characters at the center of its story. You’re going to want to leave the door open for this one (but in the case of an actual apocalypse, keep it very, very shut).

A family accidentally unearths some unimaginable evils in this gory supernatural horror story. It’s the fifth entry in the film franchise after The Evil Dead (1981), Evil Dead II (’87), Army of Darkness (’92) and Evil Dead (2013).