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When looking for a scary movie to watch, many people turn to streaming services. Many people turn to Netflix or Hulu. However, the reality is that both have a very finite amount of movies available at any point. Indeed, it seems that when Shocktober rolls around, a lot of the famous horror flicks disappear from popular services. Luckily for horror fans, there’s a secret weapon. There are a jaw-dropping amount of horror movies on Tubi TV perfect to watch this Halloween.
Tubi TV is a free service that is supported by ads. Similar to Crackle, the service has an incredible selection of horror movies, from cheesy to foreign to cult. If you’re looking for that perfect movie to set that creepy Halloween mood, you’re guaranteed to find something great on Tubi TV. These are the 10 best horror movies on Tubi TV to watch this Halloween.
10) Suspiria
No one quite makes horror movies like the Italians. Suspiria is an iconic cult film from directed Dario Argento. The film follows a ballerina who joins a prestigious dance academy that turns out to be a front for sinister occult activity. The film is famous for its incredible use of vibrant colors and visually striking imagery. The movie’s score is by Italian prog-rock band Goblin, whose memorable soundtrack helps underscore the combative atmosphere that Argento creates.
Though there are many Italian horror movies on Tubi TV, Suspiria is the perfect introduction, if only for the impressive visual flair and genuine craft on display here.
9) Nosferatu
While many people regard the 1931 Dracula as the first adaptation of the iconic Bram Stoker character. However, Nosferatu actually beat Dracula to the punch, standing as an unofficial adaptation. What does that mean? Well, they kept most of the plot elements, but changed the name, set the story in Germany instead of Britain, and omitted certain characters and plot points.
Despite all the changes, Stoker’s estate sued, and a court ordered that all copies be destroyed. Thankfully, for German Expressionism, horror, and the medium of film, a few prints of Nosferatu survived. Nowadays, many see the film as a bonafide classic. Nosferatu is one of the oldest horror movies on Tubi TV, but despite its age, the film still manages to wring some genuine scares out of dark hallways, spindly fingers, and a terrifying descent down a staircase.
8) The Crazies
George A Romero’s pitch-black comedy is as foreboding as it is funny. Granted, this isn’t a classic laugh-out-loud comedy. It’s more of a dreary style of comedy that hurts to watch. This biting satire of government bureaucracy follows a small town that gets hit with a mandatory quarantine. Meanwhile, a scientist is forced to come up with a vaccine as quickly as possible. If it sounds familiar, it’s because the plot of The Crazies bears many similarities to the events of the 2020 pandemic.
As the film progresses, we see the depleted and incompetent task force end up killing more people than the mysterious virus does. It’s a very compelling film that will hopefully be rediscovered in the ’20s as a cult classic in tandem with pandemic fallout.
7) Chopping Mall
Featuring ’80s cheese and sleaze in excess, Chopping Mall is one of the many fantastic “so bad they’re good” horror movies on Tubi TV. The film follows killer robots that start picking off teenagers in a locked-down mall. The movie is light on the plot but makes up for it with great kills and memorable set pieces.
Chopping Mall is one of those fun horror movies on Tubi TV that’s perfect for throwing on with some friends. It doesn’t take itself too seriously and delivers that perfect Halloween camp for those who want to keep the mood light.
6) Elvira, Mistress of the Dark
Elvira sort of pushes the limits of what one could consider a horror movie. However, Elvira herself is nearly synonymous with Halloween, and Elvira, Mistress of the Dark is a great vehicle for her goofy spooky sensibilities. The movie follows Elvira as she moves to a judgmental suburban community after inheriting a house. While there, she rubs locals the wrong way and clashes with the puritan values of the town.
While the film may be light on traditional scares, there’s more than enough Halloween spirit to set the macabre mood. The script is jam-packed with puns, double entendres, and visual gags that keep the movie moving along breezily. However, the main attraction is Elvira herself. Cassandra Peterson possesses so much charisma that it’s hard to believe this movie isn’t more popular. Regardless, if you’re new to the Elvira character in general, this movie is the perfect introduction to her! If you’re in the mood for something light, this is the perfect movie to watch on Tubi TV this Halloween.
5) The Exorcist 3
You read that correctly. The Exorcist 3 is one of the greatest horror movies on Tubi TV and yet, very few people appreciate it. The film never really had a chance to excel, as many dismissed it for two main reasons. The first is that it came after Exorcist II: The Heretic, universally known as one of the worst sequels of all time. The second reason is that the original Exorcist is so iconic and many people assume a sequel can’t possibly be good. How wrong they were.
The Exorcist 3 is written and directed by William Peter Blatty. Blatty is also known as the author of the original Exorcist novel. The film ignores the events of Exorcist 2 and takes place 17 years after the first film. Despite his limited experience with film, Blatty creates a Catholic nightmare populated with intense characters, dreary hallways, and a frightening sense that evil is ever-present. The hospital scene is still one of the greatest jump scares of all time and the final confrontation is a harrowing exercise in pure dread.
4) House on Haunted Hill
The horror movies on Tubi TV have a reputation for being splatter films and the like. While that is certainly true to an extent, Tubi also has a lot of great classic picks for your Halloween viewing pleasure. House on Haunted Hill perfectly captures the spooky haunted castle vibe with a fun macabre story in which five strangers must spend the night in a haunted mansion to receive $10,000.
The orchestrator of this mysterious offer is none other than horror icon Vincent Price. The film itself embodies everything fun about the haunted house genre with plenty of skeletons, lighting strikes, and snappy one-lines to set the perfect spooky mood. Originally released as an event picture, the film has endured over the years, cementing its status as a horror classic.
3) Hellraiser
Cosmic horror has always been a difficult genre to adapt to the screen. But somehow, Hellraiser pulled it off with only a $1 million budget. Clive Barker’s sadistic tale of S&M has not aged a day since ’87. Hellraiser is a genuinely unnerving descent into grotesque madness and cosmic despair. The film features some of the most outlandish and skin-crawling sequences that are still shocking today.
It’s this potent mix of cosmic horror and gross-out gore that makes the film so uniquely unsettling. Hellraiser is the type of film that sits with you long after the movie is over.
2) Ringu
While many have marveled over the American remake, the original Ringu kicked off an entire movement of Japanese technology horror films. The film, directed by Hideo Nakata and based on the novel by Koji Suzuki, (the “Japanese Steven King”) is one of those films that has had so many remakes and sequels, that many people overlook the experience of watching the original film in its low-budget, nerve-wracking intensity.
Unlike the equally brilliant The Ring, Ringu is not trying to cultivate a spooky and haunted atmosphere. It’s just trying to tell a story of the unexplained horror living in the corners of the emergence of the digital era. Despite this, the sheer terror seeps through and went on to influence both Eastern and Western cinema.
1) Texas Chainsaw Massacre
They don’t call it Hooptober for nothing. Tobe Hooper’s The Texas Chainsaw Massacre is a sun-soaked nightmare that changed the way viewers see chainsaws forever. It also invented many of the tropes that went on to define horror for the next five decades. However, all of this is secondary to the sheer terror the movie inspires. TCSM is not only one of the greatest horror movies on Tubi TV, but one of the greatest feats of low-budget filmmaking ever to grace the silver screen.
If you’re looking to hit Tubi TV for a spooky Halloween night, it’s hard to go wrong with this classic.