‘Tis the season to curl up on the couch with snacks, apple cider, and a blanket so you can tune into your favorite spooky and scary movies. But, with the constant price hikes and sharing crackdowns from streaming services, that’s not as easy anymore. It’s pretty hard to afford a zillion streaming services along with our steadily increasing cost of living. A lot of people are probably deciding to let a few streaming subscriptions go to save money. So, what spooky and scary things can you stream for free this October? We have a nice little list for ya.
Here’s 13 scary and spooky movies that are streaming for free:
Yes, we know that Tubi is often the butt of streaming jokes because of its wild original films. But people need to stop sleeping on this platform. There’s so many great things to explore for absolutely free, like Jennifer’s Body. Watch Megan Fox rip guys to shreds for Friday night funsies.
On October 2, Frank the Bunny warns Donnie that the world will end. So, if you’re looking for a reason to celebrate Donnie Darko, why not head to Tubi and fire up this movie to celebrate that in-universe anniversary? Head back to 1988 and watch Jake Gyllenhaal as the titular character, a troubled teenager who sleepwalks and has strange visions of a scary bunny that takes him on quite the bizarre adventure.
What better movie to watch during the Halloween season than Halloween itself? While there are a lot of low-budget and frankly strange horror offerings on Crackle for your amusement, Halloween is also available to watch for free. There’s nothing quite like that original film with the Shape following Laurie Strode around like a total weirdo.
Night of the Living Dead (1968) is one of the most influential horror films of all-time. It follows a group of people trying to survive in a Pennsylvania farmhouse as flesh eating ghouls descend upon them. The film was especially groundbreaking for starring Duane Jones as protagonist Ben, as it was rare to see a Black man in that kind of role. Watch Night of the Living Dead for free on Prime Video’s Freevee service as well as The Roku Channel.
Speaking of Freevee, they have quite a few things that horror fans will love. If you want to watch an entertaining Stephen King adaptation that features a few The Walking Dead alums, then check out The Mist (2007). In the film, a strange mist covers a Maine town and hides Lovecraftian creatures that attack humans. It’s creepy and fun. You can also watch it on Tubi.
Dario Argento’s Suspiria should be on every horror fan’s list. And, if you have a free public library card or a university login at select places, you are able to stream it for free on Kanopy. If not, Suspiria is also streaming on Xumo Play. There’s no better time to dive into a film that involves a secret coven of witches hiding behind the front of a dance academy.
If you can’t get enough witchy content for your October streaming list, then make sure you also check out The VVitch on Kanopy. It has everything to set the mood for this season: strange evil in the woods, Anya Taylor-Joy, and, of course, witchcraft.
So, maybe you aren’t in the mood to be frightened or you don’t like scary movies at all. Never fear, Practical Magic is here! While we are patiently waiting for that sequel film, October is the perfect time to revisit our favorite spinster aunties Jet and Frances. This film feels like Fall in the absolute best way and you can stream it for free on Pluto.
In the same vein of not-so-scary movies, Clue is another movie that fits in well for October streaming. The infamous story of a group of strangers invited to a mansion where murder takes place and a mystery ensues is a classic. You can check out Clue for free on Pluto. In fact, make it a double feature with Practical Magic.
Train to Busan is incredibly fast-paced and scary. A zombie virus outbreak is wild enough but imagine trying to survive it on a train. Yeesh. Train to Busan is actually streaming in a few places, but it is free to watch on Rakuten Viki as well as Tubi.
Summer of ‘84 (2018) isn’t as well known as the other offerings on this list. So that means it is time to make it a part of your October lineup. It’s a horror mystery where a group of teenage friends try to figure out if a police officer is actually the serial killer behind a string of disappearances. You can catch this for free on Kanopy.
The first Scary Movie is a horror comedy classic that parodies several films, most notably Scream. Sadly, the franchise went off the rails after the second installment, but we will always get a good chuckle or two from this one. And, it gave us the gift of Anna Faris, who got the role of Cindy Campbell despite having no professional acting experience. Scary Movie is currently streaming for free on Pluto.
Who doesn’t love a deadly cat-and-mouse flick? One of the best ones is Ready or Not, which stars Samara Weaving as Grace, a woman who marries into a family and subsequently has to fight for her life against them in their ritzy mansion. Ready or Not is ready for you to stream it for free on Tubi.
By Nermeen Nabil 
Nermeen Nabil Khear