Summary
- Peacock offers a wide selection of horror movies, including classics and modern releases, making it a hidden gem for horror enthusiasts.
- Black Phone and The House of the Devil are standout horror movies on Peacock, receiving great reviews and accolades.
- Black Christmas and Nosferatu The Vampyre are iconic horror films available on Peacock, providing chilling and unique experiences for viewers.
Horror movies on Peacock include a great selection of terrifying films for subscribers, covering many different subgenres and eras from throughout the long history of scary, spooky, and unsettling cinema. The selection of horror movies on Peacock offers everything from monster movies and demonic possession stories to psychological horror, gore-fests, and even horror comedies that can both scare and cause a viewer to uneasily laugh at an otherwise terrifying situation. These include modern releases as well as classics, although the best horror movies on Peacock stand out as highlights of the genre.
While Peacock might not have the household name of Prime Video or Netflix, the streaming service owned by NBC Universal has the rights to some of the best horror movies imaginable. This includes modern theatrical releases, Peacock exclusives, and countless hours of licensed content. As new movies come and go from the streaming service, the best horror movies currently available to stream on Peacock are always a packed roster of fear-inducing high-quality cinema.
15 Open Grave (2013)
A Tense Tale Of Memory Loss And Pits Of Corpses
When a man wakes up in a large grave full of bodies, he fails to remember how he got there or who he is. After escaping from the pit, he rushes to a nearby home where he finds a group of other people who’ve also experienced memory loss. As the group pieces together the events that lead them here, they realize that a threat is among them and what brought them together might be this person’s doing.
Starring Sharlto Copley and Thomas Kretschmann, Open Grave is a slow-burner horror-thriller that’s a hidden gem waiting to be seen — and full of nail-biting tension throughout. While critics’ reviews were middling, this is still a zombie-influenced horror movie worth seeking out, and among the best lesser-known horror movies on Peacock.
14 Body Bags (1993)
Lesser-Known Anthology From A Horror Movie Legend
John Carpenter’s Body Bags is a 1993 anthology movie. The first segment, called “The Gas Station,” is about a deranged serial killer named Bill (Robert Carradine), the second segment is titled, “Hair,” and follows a man named Richard Coberts (Stacy Keach) who not only receives a hair transplant, but an alien infestation, as well.
The final segment, “Eye,” stars Mark Hamill as a man who undergoes surgery for an eye transplant and realizes his persona has been taken over by the previous owner — a serial killer. With a great cast and Carpenter delivering the soundtrack, Body Bags is a unique entry among the horror movies on Peacock, and it’s also a lesser-known title from one of the most infamous horror movie directors.
13 My Friend Dahmer (2017)
A Chilling Look Into The Genesis Of A Serial Killer
My Friend Dahmer is a 2017 horror drama that centers on a young Jeffrey Dahmer, who is awkward and shy in his high school years. The movie is based on the novel of the same name by John “Derf” Backderf, who went to school with Dahmer. Viewers are given an inside look at what the infamous serial killer was like before he became the monster world knows him as today. This horror movie on Peacock builds up the tension and focuses on what drove Dahmer toward becoming a serial killer and how he coped with his family dynamic, kids at school, and his morbid interests that become more unattainable.
12 Black Phone (2022)
Ethan Hawke’s Twisted Serial Killer Can Be Found On Peacock
The Black Phone
- Release Date
- June 24, 2022
- Director
- Scott Derrickson
- Cast
- Ethan Hawke, Mason Thames, Brady Hepner, James Ransone, Jordan Isaiah White, Jeremy Davies, Jacob Moran, Madeleine McGraw
- Rating
- R
- Runtime
- 102 minutes
Scott Derrickson (Doctor Strange) returned to his horror roots with the 2022 Blumhouse movie, Black Phone. Based on a short story by Stephen King’s son, Joe Hill, Black Phone stars Ethan Hawke as a serial killer, The Grabber, who abducts children and locks them in his basement until he is ready to dispose of them. However, when his latest victim, a boy named Finney, sees a disconnected phone on the wall begin to ring, he answers and finds help from beyond the grave to survive this experience. Black Phone received great reviews and won multiple accolades at the Saturn Awards, Fangoria, and the Bram Stoker Awards. Among modern entries to the genre available on the platform, Black Phone stands out as one of the best horror movies on Peacock.
11 The House Of The Devil (2009)
Ti West’s Throwback To The 1980s Satanic Panic Era
the house of the devil
- Release Date
- October 30, 2009
- Director
- Ti West
- Cast
- Ti West, Jocelin Donahue
- Rating
- r
- Runtime
- 95minutes
Many discovered horror movie director Ti West thanks to his double-shot success with X and Pearl. However, West has been working for well over a decade, making great horror movies. In 2009, West directed the throwback horror movie The House of the Devil. The movie sees Samantha as a college student who gets a job babysitting an elderly man at a secluded home in the woods and soon learns that she was called in as a sacrifice to a demonic cult. The movie has the feel of a 1980s Satanic Scare horror movie, and it ended up with overwhelmingly positive reviews and has since become a cult classic.
10 Sleepaway Camp (1983)
Controversial Cult Classic That’s Still Shocking Today
Sleepaway Camp
- Release Date
- November 18, 1983
- Director
- Robert Hiltzik
- Cast
- Jonathan Tiersten, Mike Kellin, Felissa Rose, Karen Fields, Christopher Collet
- Rating
- R
- Runtime
- 84 minutes
Sleepaway Camp might seem like a copycat movie to Friday the 13th, but it stands on its own as a cult classic and a beloved favorite of many horror enthusiasts. Sleepaway Camp centers on a traumatized young girl named Angela Baker (Felissa Rose) who lost her parents. After moving in with her aunt, she and her cousin Ricky (Jonathan Tiersten) go to a summer camp. However, as expected in the horror genre, one by one, the campers disappear. The Sleepaway Camp twist ending remains problematic today, but it was a huge shock at the time and the franchise created a new slasher killer who remains a cult icon.
9 Black Christmas (1974)
The Christmas Movie That Inspired The Slasher Genre
Black Christmas (1974)
- Release Date
- December 20, 1974
- Director
- Bob Clark
- Cast
- Olivia Hussey, Keir Dullea, Margot Kidder, John Saxon, Andrea Martin, Marian Waldman
- Rating
- R
- Runtime
- 98 Minutes
It’s Christmas break, and a sorority house is making plans when they start receiving strange and anonymous phone calls. While they seem harmless at first, the calls become worrisome after a sorority sister named Clare (Lynne Griffin) vanishes. When a young girl is found dead in a nearby park, it turns into a hunt for a serial killer.
Inspired by the classic urban legend about “the babysitter and the killer upstairs,” Bob Clark’s 1974 movie actually came out before John Carpener’s Halloween, and Black Christmas was pivotal in starting the slasher horror movie craze that lasted until the late 1980s. Unlike many of the best horror movies on Peacock, Black Christmas is also appropriate festive viewing for the holiday season.
8 Nosferatu The Vampyre (1979)
The 1970s Reimagining Of A Timeless Vampire Tale
Nosferatu the Vampyre is a 1979 horror film set in the 19th century and is a remake of F.W. Murnau’s 1922 German Expressionist horror movie, Nosferatu. The story centers on Count Dracula (Klaus Kinski) who lives in Transylvania but decides to relocate to Wismar, Germany. Jonathan Harker is sent to Dracula’s castle to offer him a house, and when Dracula sees a photo of his wife Lucy, he agrees to purchase the house to get closer to her.
During his journey, he unleashes a plague upon anyone he comes across, leading to many classic vampire movie moments and now-pop-culture tropes. Nosferatu The Vampyre picked up positive reviews as a unique remake and a re-telling of a familiar story. For Peacock subscribers seeking a vampire horror movie, this 1979 reimagining of one of the earliest is a great choice.
7 Day Of The Dead (1985)
Counterculture Critique From A Zombie Movie Master
Day of the Dead
- Release Date
- July 19, 1985
- Director
- George A. Romero
- Cast
- Sherman Howard, Lori Cardille, Richard Liberty, Joseph Pilato, Terry Alexander
- Rating
- m
- Runtime
- 96 minutes
George Romero created a new subgenre with his zombie movie Night of the Living Dead, transforming the Caribbean zombie legends into a literal walking dead. After sequel, Dawn of the Dead, which itself is an attack on consumerism, he followed up with 1985’s Day of the Dead. Romero kept his movies in the realm of counterculture with the third movie in his decades-spanning franchise and questioned the military and government response to a zombie outbreak.
The powers that be tried to not only stop the zombie apocalypse but weaponize it, adding some interesting sci-fi elements to Day of the Dead’s plot. The movie received positive reviews and has gone on to be considered a cult classic, and among the vintage horror movies available on Peacock, Day of the Dead stands out as one of the best.
6 The Invisible Man (2020)
The Terrifying Modern Reimagining Of A Vintage Movie Villain
The Invisible Man
- Release Date
- February 28, 2020
- Director
- Leigh Whannell
- Cast
- Zara Michaels, Storm Reid, Sam Smith, Oliver Jackson-Cohen, Anthony Brandon Wong, Aldis Hodge, Amali Golden, Harriet Dyer, Bianca Pomponio, Elisabeth Moss, Benedict Hardie
- Rating
- R
- Runtime
- 124 minutes
Universal wanted to remake the classic monster movies for a new generation. However, after Dracula Untold, The Wolfman, and The Mummy failed to start a new shared universe, Blumhouse found success with The Invisible Man. Written and directed by Leigh Whannell (Saw), Elisabeth Moss stars as Cecilia, an architect in an abusive relationship who leaves her boyfriend Adrian and runs away for safety. However, Adrian fakes his death, develops invisibility technology, and comes after Cecilia for revenge. The movie received universal acclaim, won several awards, and was a box office success, grossing over $140 million worldwide on a $7 million budget (via Box Office Mojo).
5 Train To Busan (2016)
The South Korean Hit That Revitalized Zombie Movies
Train to Busan
- Release Date
- July 1, 2016
- Director
- Yeon Sang-ho
- Cast
- Gong Yoo
- Rating
- t
- Runtime
- 118minutes
Train to Busan hit theaters in 2016 as a South Korean zombie movie that exceeded all expectations. While the zombie trend seemed to be running out of steam by this time, this movie showed that there was still something left to offer from the zombie genre. This story follows a father and his young estranged daughter. Thanks to his workaholic personality, his daughter expresses her wishes to spend her birthday with her mom, so he agrees to put her on a train to Busan.
At this moment, a zombie apocalypse breaks out and the father and daughter have to survive on the train as people turn, and all hope seems lost. Train to Busan was a critical success and continues to perform well on streaming thanks to being one of the best horror movies on Peacock, and perhaps the outright scariest focusing on zombies.
4 Ginger Snaps (2000)
The Cult Canadian Werewolf Movie
Ginger Snaps
- Release Date
- May 11, 2001
- Director
- John Fawcett
- Cast
- Katharine Isabelle, Jesse Moss, Kris Lemche, Emily Perkins, Mimi Rogers
- Rating
- Not Rated
- Runtime
- 108 minutes
Ginger Snaps is part of the small group of werewolf movies that stand up today as true groundbreaking works in the subgenre. The Canadian horror film from 2000 takes the idea of turning into a werewolf once a month and contrasts it to female menstruation. Ginger and Brigitte are two sisters in their teenage years, abut when Ginger becomes a werewolf it’s apparent she’s a danger to everyone around her.
Brigitte has to figure out how to help or stop her sister, and the pair are a notably iconic movie sister duo. Ginger Snaps has a huge cult following that’s only grown since the movie arrived on Peacock, and it received awards at the Saturn Awards and the Fangoria Chainsaw Awards.
3 Let The Right One In (2008)
A Surprisingly Heartfelt Swedish Vampire Story
Let the Right One In
- Release Date
- December 12, 2008
- Director
- Tomas Alfredson
- Cast
- Lina Leandersson, Karin Bergquist, Kåre Hedebrant, Henrik Dahl, Per Ragnar
- Rating
- R
- Runtime
- 114 minutes
Based on the Swedish novel of the same name by John Ajvide Lindqvist, Let the Right One In is an unconventional vampire movie that plays itself out as a coming-of-age story. Oskar is a lonely 12-year-old boy tormented by bullies in a small Stockholm suburb. When a young girl named Eli moves in next door, he becomes curious and the two quickly become friends.
However, Eli is actually a centuries-old vampire, and the man who poses as her father is her Familiar, who finds her sustenance. When Eli comes to protect Oskar from the bullies, she seems to be slowly grooming him to become her next Familiar. Let The Right One In received universal acclaim and countless awards, and while it doesn’t inspire outright fear, it remains among the best horror movies on Peacock — and is definitely among the most original.
2 Texas Chain Saw Massacre (1974)
The Infamous And Controversial Classic
Texas Chain Saw Massacre
- Release Date
- October 11, 1974
- Director
- Tobe Hooper
- Cast
- Jim Seidow, Gunnar Hansen, Paul A. Partain, Edwin Neal, Marilyn Burns
- Rating
- R
- Runtime
- 83 minutes
While not technically a slasher movie, The Texas Chain Saw Massacre is a movie bearing many hallmarks of the subgenre. The gory movie became a controversial sensation upon its 1974 release, and despite how many decades worth of newer horror movies have arrived since, it remains one of the best horror movies on Peacock.
The Texas Chainsaw Massacre follows a group of kids who are traveling through rural Texas when they happen upon a house where a family of cannibals lives. While Leatherface is the iconic main villain, his entire family is utterly terrifying. The movie spawned a franchise and remains one of the most infamous horror movies ever made.
1 Night of The Living Dead (1968)
The Movie That Spawned The Zombie Subgenre
Night of the Living Dead
- Release Date
- October 4, 1968
- Director
- George A. Romero
- Cast
- Judith O’Dea, Kyra Schon, Duane Jones, Marilyn Eastman, Karl Hardman
- Rating
- x
- Runtime
- 96 minutes
George A. Romero created the modern-day zombie in Night of the Living Dead. Before this movie, the zombies were a Caribbean legend that mostly consisted of voodoo and rituals. Romero took the idea and span it into the zombies audiences know today, with the dead rising from their graves to feed on the living. This classic movie ended up creating a new horror subgenre, which has become one of the most popular in genre history. This 1968 title is now in the public domain, which means many streaming services, including Peacock, can offer it. The genre-creating horror movie was also added to the National Film Registry in 1999 by the Library of Congress.