Who needs to leave the house when you can watch these cinematic killing sprees instead?
While being chased through the woods or stalked in your own home by a masked maniac wielding a butcher's knife wouldn't be a good time in reality, it sure is fun to watch onscreen. That's the crux of the slasher subgenre of horror: Watching naive groups of unsuspecting teens or other victims run for their lives as they're picked off one by one is fun. And if there's one thing we need more of during these trying times, it's that. Luckily, thanks to the age of streaming, we don't need to press pause on our media viewing habits just because of a global pandemic. And there are plenty of gruesome, terrifying, and hilarious slashers streaming on platforms like Netflix, Shudder, Amazon Prime, Hulu, and more. Check out our full guide below to all the slashers you can stream right now, then browse some streaming cosmic horror, body horror, and monster movies and make an evening of it. And speaking of things you should be watching, consider listening to GameSpot's weekly TV series and movies-focused podcast, You Should Be Watching. With new episodes premiering every Wednesday, you can watch a video version of the podcast over on GameSpot Universe or listen to audio versions on Spotify, Stitcher, Google Play, and Apple Podcasts.
1. Scream 1-3 (1996-2000)
Streaming on: Various/Netflix Scream may have revitalized the horror movie scene in the 1990s, but it's just as fun a watch today. The original is available to stream on a variety of subscription and rental services, including Showtime, DirecTV, and Amazon Prime, while the first two sequels are available for streaming on Netflix.
2. Friday the 13th (1980)
Streaming on: Shudder/Amazon Prime While the Friday the 13th franchise is best known for introducing the masked killer Jason Voorhees onto the world, it's not him stalking and killing a summer camp full of unsuspecting teens in the originalthis horror classic. This movie is available to stream with an Amazon Prime subscription, or on the horror streaming service Shudder. Oh, and there are, like, ten sequels on Shudder as well. Might as well binge 'em.
3. Friday the 13th (2009)
Streaming on: Netflix The 2009 remake, on the other hand, is streaming on Netflix. Sure, it wasn't terribly well received at the time of its release, but maybe it's aged better in the last decade? Either way, it could be good for a hate-watch.
4. A Nightmare on Elm Street (1984)
Streaming on: Amazon/Google/YouTube/Vudu (rental) A Nightmare on Elm Street ruined an entire generation of kids' ability to sleep without nightmares about a blade-fingered, striped sweater-wearing lunatic slashing their throats. Like Friday the 13th, ANoES has a mediocre remake streaming on Netflix (the poorly received 2010 version). If you want to watch the classic original, you'll have to pony up a few bucks to rent it on a service like Amazon Prime, Google Play, or YouTube.
5. Candyman (1992)
Streaming on: Netflix Here's one classic slasher that is available on Netflix. Written and directed by Bernard Rose and based on the short story "The Forbidden" by Clive Barker, Candyman features a supernatural, hook-handed killer who can be summoned by repeating his name into a mirror. It's a tried-and-true gimmick, but effective nonetheless.
6. Child's Play (1988)
Streaming on: Netflix The campy slasher that caused children everywhere to burn all their toy dolls on a pyre in the backyard (we're guessing) is available to stream with a Netflix subscription. Just don't say we didn't warn you.
7. Cult of Chucky (2017)
Streaming on: Netflix Most seventh sequels are not this good, making 2017's Cult of Chucky a notable exception. Like the original Child's Play, Cult of Chucky is streaming on Netflix.
8. Child's Play 2-3
Streaming on: Hulu If you're a Hulu subscriber, you can also check out some of the in-between Chucky movies--specifically, Child's Play 2 and 3. If you think there's only so much you can do with a talking, stabbing, evil doll, well, so what? Don't overthink it.
9. Halloween
Streaming on: Shudder The movie that introduced Michael Myers is streaming on the horror platform Shudder. With the revitalization the series has seen in recent years thanks to the 2018 sequel/reboot, it's a great time to revisit the original.
10. Halloween 2
Streaming on: Max Go (Cinemax) If you're a Cinemax subscriber, you can also access Halloween's original sequel, Halloween 2, on the streaming Cinemax service Max Go.
12. The Slumber Party Massacre (1982)
Streaming on: Amazon Prime/Shudder Writer Rita Mae Brown penned The Slumber Party Massacre originally as a parody of the slasher genre, but director/producer Amy Holden Jones wound up shooting it as a genuine thriller. The result takes on genre tropes while establishing some of its own. Watch it with an Amazon Prime or Shudder subscription.
13. Maniac (1980)
Streaming on: Amazon Prime/Shudder/Vudu (ads) Cult classic exploitation slasher Maniac was remade in 2012 with Elijah Wood in the starring role, but it's the original that's still most worth watching. Luckily, you can find it streaming on Amazon Prime or Shudder, or, lacking either of those subscriptions, free (with ads) on Vudu.
14. Maniac (2012)
Streaming on: Amazon Prime The aforementioned Elijah Wood-starring remake can also be streamed, if you prefer something a bit more modern, or want to watch the two back to back and compare the carnage.
15. My Bloody Valentine (1981)
Streaming on: Shudder/Starz/DirecTV When My Bloody Valentine was originally released in 1981, the Motion Picture Association of America (MPAA) forced director George Mihalka to chop nine minutes of footage from the film. Most of that cut gore has never re-emerged, but nevertheless, you can stream the movie today on Shudder, Stars, or DirecTV. Oh, and in case you're wondering (like I was), the band is unrelated.
16. Hush (2016)
Streaming on: Netflix Hush may stretch the definition of a slasher--if we're being honest, it's really more of a home invasion movie, since the list of victims is so short (slashers generally have a high kill count as a rule). But the story of a deaf woman fighting back against a vicious killer is a fun ride, and since it's available on Netflix, we figured we might as well shout it out.
17. All The Boys Love Mandy Lane (2006)
Streaming on: Netflix All The Boys Love Mandy Lane has everything slasher fans might hope for: A grindhouse aesthetic, a bunch of naive teenage victims, a psycho killer, Amber Heard, and more. However, don't feel bad if you missed it--the movie did festival rounds in 2006, but then took several years to actually release, since its distributor went out of business. Thankfully, it's available for streaming on Netflix now.
18. Happy Death Day (2017) and Happy Death Day 2U (2019)
Streaming on: HBO/DirecTV This comedy slasher combines the genre's familiar tropes--a masked killerd stalking attractive college students--with the traditions of a completely unrelated subgenre: Groundhog Day. The victim, played by Jessica Rothe, wakes up in her bed on the same day after being murdered over and over, and must deduce exactly who keeps killing her. The sequel expands the sci-fi concept.
19. The Final Girls (2015)
Streaming on: DirecTV This genre send-up, in which a group of teenagers get trapped inside an actual slasher movie, features a stellar cast of comedic actors (including Taissa Farmiga, Malin Akerman, Alia Shawkat, Thomas Middleditch, Adam Devine, and more) who know exactly how to play with slasher tropes to create a fun and unique tribute movie.
20. Behind the Mask: The Rise of Leslie Vernon (2006)
Streaming on: Amazon Prime/Shudder This overlooked slasher classic is both parodic mockumentary and genuine horror--a wannabe killer invites a film crew to document his rise to power. It's a must-see for slasher fans, and it's streaming on Amazon Prime and Shudder.
21. Opera (1987)
Streaming on: Amazon Prime/Vudu (ads)/Epix Italian horror filmmaker Dario Argento presented this twisted take on a Phantom of the Opera-like story in which a killer murders various players in a production of Verdi's Macbeth opera. You can watch it with an Amazon Prime subscription, or free with ads on Vudu.
22. The Texas Chainsaw Massacre (1974)
Streaming on: Amazon Prime/Shudder The iconic Texas Chainsaw Massacre--the original--is streaming on Amazon Prime and Shudder. If you haven't seen it, go correct that now.
23. Christmas Evil (1980)
Streaming on: Shudder/Showtime/DirecTV/Vudu (ads)/Roku (ads) A man is gradually driven insane by a childhood trauma involving Santa. Naturally, this leads to murderous hijinks that include a red-suited killing spree. To top it off, the movie was originally called "You Better Watch Out," which is basically perfect. What more do you need to know?
24. Hell Night (1981)
Streaming on: Shudder Four college students--two male and two female--are picked off one by one in a decrepit mansion. You'll find this slasher streaming on Shudder.
25. StageFright (1987)
Streaming on: Shudder/DirecTV/Vudu (ads) Part slasher, part murder mystery, the Italian horror movie StageFright sees a troupe of actors trapped in a playhouse after one of them turns up dead during rehearsal. Like so many other classic slashers, it's streaming Shudder, as well as a couple of other platforms.
26. Madman (1982)
Streaming on: Amazon Prime/Shudder Boy, the '80s were a good time for slashers. This 1982 classic concerns an axe-wielding murderer summoned by a group of campers telling fireside scary stories. It doesn't get more tropey than that.
27. Tourist Trap (1979)
Streaming on: Shudder/Tubi (ads) David Schmoeller's 1979 slasher Tourist Trap follows a group of road-tripping teens as they become stranded at a roadside museum full of mannequins. Naturally, they quickly start dying. Watch it on Shudder, or on Tubi (with ads).
28. The Mutilator (1984)
Streaming on: Amazon Prime/Shudder Finally, 1984's The Mutilator opens with a young boy accidentally killing his own mother. Years later, he and his friends are hunted by his crazed father. You know, just another typical slasher. Watch it streaming on Amazon Prime or Shudder.
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