15 Must-See 2022 Horror Movies for Halloween and Where to Watch Them
The horror genre has become increasingly competitive in recent years, and 2022 is no different. For those who are yearning for recent horror treats over their Halloween season, there is a little something for everyone to dig into. Whether you’re looking for something with a comedic edge, arthouse fare, or a gore-filled slasher, this list of 15 must-see horror movies will give you the perfect spooky season viewing.
‘Barbarian’
Zach Cregger’s Barbarian follows Tess (Georgina Campbell), a woman staying at an Airbnb for a job interview. However, she soon discovers that nothing about this house is what it seems after it was double booked with a mysterious other guest named Keith (Bill Skarsgård).
It’s one of the most talked about genre movies of the year thanks to its truly unpredictable twists and turns. Barbarian keeps viewers at the edge of their seats with unrivaled tension, sufficient gross-out moments, and a bonkers conclusion that will make you think twice before booking your next rental property.
Barbarian is currently still playing exclusively in theaters, but 20th Century Studios titles generally hit Hulu and HBO Max 45 days after their theatrical release. If this holds true, it will be available to stream starting on Oct. 24.
‘Deadstream’
Deadstream follows an obnoxious Internet personality named Shawn Ruddy (Joseph Winter), who is on the verge of losing his following. Therefore, he decides to livestream a night alone in a haunted house to win them back. Shawn quickly regrets that decision when he angers a vengeful spirit that refuses to let him leave with his life.
There’s no question that Joseph and Vanessa Winter’s horror movie has an incredibly grating lead character, but that’s intentional. It blends comedy with horror in ways reminiscent of Sam Raimi’s The Evil Dead, although mixed with the modern found footage phenomenon. It’s a wonderful addition to any Halloween watch list, especially for those able to watch it with a crowd or a few friends. Deadstream is sure to garner a wide array of big reactions from the room.
Deadstream goes to Shudder starting Oct. 6.
‘Fresh’
Fresh made a lot of noise after making its premiere at the 2022 Sundance Film Festival. Director Mimi Cave takes audiences on what initially appears to be an unconventional love story between Noa (Daisy Edgar-Jones) and Steve (Sebastian Stan). She believes that she’s off for a romantic getaway, but things take a turn for the worst when his terrifying appetites make their presence known.
Cave successfully blends horror, romance, and dark comedy into a winning combination. Lauryn Kahn’s screenplay never takes itself too seriously but also knows how to appropriately explore the grave situation the protagonist finds herself in. Also, Edgar-Jones and Stan both deliver wildly witty and fun performances here.
Fresh is now streaming on Hulu.
‘Hellraiser’
David Bruckner’s Hellraiser brings a new take on Clive Barker’s 1987 horror movie classic. A young woman encountering addiction gets her hands on the ancient puzzle box. However, she doesn’t realize that its purpose is to summon the Cenobites, which is a group of supernatural beings from another dimension determined to bring pain into ours.
The Hellraiser franchise has a loyal group of fans, although many of the sequels didn’t hit the mark. As a result, some folks may approach this installment with hesitance. Nevertheless, critics hailed the new Hellraiser as a return to form for the franchise while simultaneously offering plenty of bloodshed for the fans.
Hellraiser streams exclusively on Hulu starting on Oct. 7.
‘The Innocents’
Eskil Vogt’s The innocents takes place during a beautiful Nordic summer. Many of the nearby families left for the holiday, but some decided to stay. A group of children decides to play to pass the time, but they discover that they have mysterious powers. However, they aren’t all determined to use these new abilities for good.
The Innocents hit the film festival circuit in 2021, but it didn’t receive domestic distribution until 2022. It’s a slow-burn horror drama that exposes some of the most terrifying aspects of childhood. Vogt introduces fantastical elements into a tale that is dark, gripping, and sure to stick with you long after the credits roll. It isn’t your typical horror fare.
The Innocents is available to stream on Shudder and through digital retailers, such as Amazon and Google Play.
‘Master’
Mariama Diallo’s Master follows three women who encounter their own horrors within a snobbish Northeastern university. An anonymous racist attack on campus against a Black freshman is only the beginning of her fears, as she believes that ghosts are haunting her. Each of the three women must determine the real threat of their existence at a university with a questionable past.
Master made its world premiere at the 2022 Sundance Film Festival. Diallo crafts an eerie atmosphere that is an excellent choice for audiences seeking out slow-burn, philosophical horror offerings. Regina Hall and Zoe Renee deliver show-stopping performances that elevate this indie horror darling.
Master is available to stream on Amazon Prime Video.
‘Men’
Alex Garland’s Men is told from the perspective of Harper (Jessie Buckley). She’s a young woman who decides to go on a solo vacation to clear her head after the death of her ex-husband. As a result, Harper believes that the English countryside is the best place to begin the healing process. However, the landlord (Rory Kinnear) disturbs her, as she starts to feel like she can’t stop seeing him everywhere.
A24 divided audiences with Men because of its slow pacing and an incredibly strange third act. Nevertheless, there’s plenty here for horror movie fans looking for something a bit on the peculiar side. Buckley and Kinnear are both fantastic, and Garland’s direction is deeply disturbing. If nothing else, this film is sure to leave audiences feeling uneasy and with plenty to discuss.
Men is available to watch via digital retailers, including Amazon Prime Video and Google Play.
‘Pearl’
Pearl is a prequel to A24’s X, which was also written and directed by Ti West. It’s an origin story surrounding one of the antagonists from the previous film named after the title and played by Mia Goth. Pearl has grand dreams of escaping her quiet life on a farm with her parents and making it big as a dancer in feature films for Hollywood.
West outdid himself with Pearl, somehow exceeding the quality of X. It’s a Technicolor nightmare that fuses The Wizard of Oz with an utterly disturbing twist. Goth delivers an Oscar-worthy performance as the type of killer that audiences will undoubtedly root for. It has a smaller body count than X, but it makes up for it with its ability to dig under the skin in a totally singular way.
Pearl is currently playing exclusively in theaters. If it follows the release plan of A24’s X, then the horror movie prequel will be available to rent via digital retailers sometime in Oct. 2022.
‘The Sadness’
The Sadness is about a young Taiwanese couple who gets separated at the beginning of a viral pandemic that brings out peoples’ most vicious, primal desires. They must fight to survive long enough to reunite, but they will have to encounter an entire city filled with bloodthirsty sadists along the way.
Rob Jabbaz’s film originally premiered in 2021 on the film festival circuit, but it wasn’t widely available until 2022. It gained momentum thanks to its incredibly graphic nature of violence and sexual content, but there’s more here than a bunch of gross-out moments stitched together. The Sadness is a compelling horror feature that also engages the viewer in its action-oriented plot. Nevertheless, squeamish audiences should avoid this one.
The Sadness is streaming on Shudder.
‘Sissy’
Hannah Barlow and Kane Senes’ Sissy explores the world of social media influencer Cecilia (Aisha Dee), who runs into her teen best friend, Emma (Barlow). She invites Cecilia to her bachelorette weekend after they haven’t seen each other for a decade, but things aren’t what they seem. The influencer finds herself locked in a remote cabin with her high school bully, and she plans to get her revenge.
Sissy made its premiere at the 2022 SXSW Film Festival, where it rightfully earned positive reviews. The film certainly never holds back on its bloodshed, but it also crafts plenty of suspense and humor along the way. Dee turns in a delectable lead performance that becomes increasingly more twisted and entertaining as it moves along.
Sissy is now streaming on Shudder.
‘Speak No Evil’
Christian Tafdrup shocks the system with Speak No Evil. A Danish family becomes friends with a Dutch family while they’re on vacation. The Danes try to stay polite as the new group invites them to spend an idyllic weekend with them. However, it slowly unravels into a weekend of awkwardness and terror.
Speak No Evil is one of the most bone-chilling horror movies of the year. It builds suspense through incredibly awkward social encounters, but they all contribute to Tafdrup’s message on social interaction. The final act is a cruel and violent explosion that’s sure to stick with viewers long after the credits are done rolling. You certainly won’t want to speak to strangers on vacation ever again.
Speak No Evil is streaming on Shudder.
‘Terrifier 2’
Damien Leone makes a big return with Terrifier 2. An evil entity brings Art the Clown (David Howard Thornton) back from the dead to create more chaos. He makes his way back to Miles County for Halloween to leave a trail of bodies in his wake. Art the Clown sets his eyes on a teenage girl (Lauren LaVera) and her younger brother (Elliott Fullam), but they aren’t willing to go down without a fight.
Terrifier 2 is bigger and badder than its predecessor in every way imaginable. Art the Clown returns with hilarious, yet disturbing antics that make for entertaining horror set pieces. Gnarly practical effects contribute to crafting some of the most creatively brutal and extreme kills in recent memory. It’s not for everyone, but those yearning for a mean, violent slasher found their match with over two hours of brutality.
Terrifier 2 will be in theaters on Oct. 6 from Cinedigm in partnership with Iconic Events.
‘V/H/S/99’
V/H/S/99 takes the found footage franchise back to the year 1999. Social isolation and analog technology combine into terrifying home videos that contain pure nightmare fuel. The film explores five different tales from various filmmakers in a horror movie anthology.
The V/H/S franchise overstayed its welcome for some, but anthology lovers have more than enough of a reason to return. V/H/S/99 certainly gives Halloween viewers the opportunity to enjoy an array of shorts with entirely different visions. The latest filmmakers include Flying Lotus, Maggie Levin, Tyler MacIntyre, Johannes Roberts, and Joseph and Vanessa Winter.
V/H/S/99 streams on Shudder on Oct. 20.
‘X’
West brought his first disturbing horror movie of 2022 to the world with X. It takes place in 1979, where a group of young filmmakers seeks to make an adult film in rural Texas. They decide to leave the city to shoot their dirty movie on the cheaper end, but their elderly hosts aren’t so welcoming of their behavior. As a result, the young group will have to fight for their lives if they hope to escape.
X is an absolute bloody blast of a slasher flick. The kills are inventive, but there’s more than just death going on. West introduces hints of uncomfortable comedy along with some eerie antagonists. There’s no denying that this is the type of crowd-pleasing horror picture that will make Halloween just a little more fun. It’s worth seeing for Goth’s dual performance alone.
X is available via digital retailers, such as Apple TV and Amazon Prime Video.
‘You Won’t Be Alone’
Goran Stolevski’s You Won’t Be Alone takes place in a remote mountain village in 19th-century Macedonia. An ancient entity kidnaps a young girl and raises her away from society to turn her into a witch. She gained impressive skills but yearns to break her loneliness by any means necessary.
You Won’t Be Alone is deeply haunting in its ability to blend horror and drama into an arthouse feature that simultaneously disturbs and mentally stimulates. Noomi Rapace, Alice Englert, and Anamaria Marinca supply just a few of the extraordinary performances. It’s not so much scary as it is atmospheric and thought-provoking. Nevertheless, it’s worth adding to any Halloween list looking for something a bit more emotionally stirring.
You Won’t Be Alone is available via digital retailers, including Apple TV and Amazon Prime Video.
