The recent arrival and widespread critical acclaim of The Black Phone have helped give a boost to the widely popular horror movie genre. Of course, there are almost countless fantastic scary films available to add to your collection to get in the mood for the release or just to provide some scares.
Some are true classics that helped shape the future of the genre, a handful are modern movies that are refreshingly unique, and a few come straight from the beloved slasher subgenre. Regardless, they're all available for purchase on Amazon whether on DVD, Blu-Ray, 4K, or in a collection.
Midsommar
A rising star within the horror genre is filmmaker Ari Aster. He made his feature debut with 2018's Hereditary, which is heralded as one of the scariest movies of the decade. His follow-up a year later, Midsommar, takes things to the next level though.
The film sees a group of friends travel to Sweden for a midsummer festival only to get involved with a sinister cult. With the majority of the movie taking place in the daytime, it makes for an unusual but extra creepy horror setting. Plus, the performance by Florence Pugh in the lead role is spectacular.
The Saw Collection
For just about a decade, the Saw franchise had a stranglehold on Halloween season at movie theaters. The first film in 2004 was a huge hit, grossing more than $100 million on a budget of barely over $1 million. It set the tone for plenty of Saw sequels to follow.
The later movies weren't as well-received and focused more on the aspects of torture than on traditional horror but fans still flocked to see them. Even after the initial seven films, an eighth entry arrived years later, and a spin-off came in 2021. Amazon has the original seven films available in one collection.
Us
Similar to Ari Aster, Jordan Peele is another major new name in the world of horror. The comedian released his second feature film in 2019 with Us and it captivated audiences everywhere thanks to the haunting trailer that gave away very little of the plot and featured memorable music.
Oscar-winner Lupita Nyong'o has possibly never been better than she is in her dual role in Us, which makes it a must-see on its own. Throw in Peele's impressive directorial style, a strong supporting cast, and a stunning twist that is still hard to fathom and you can see why this movie is worth checking out.
The Shining
It doesn't get much more iconic in the genre than The Shining. The 1980 film is a pop culture staple that has been referenced and parodied so many times over the years. The Stephen King adaptation is basically a must for any horror fan.
The story of a writer who descends into madness while running a haunted hotel seems simple enough on the surface but the way that everything plays out will likely torment any viewer. Jack Nicholson is frightening in the role and after watching this, you can check out the modern sequel, Doctor Sleep.
Scream
If there's one problem that most horror franchises face, it's that they dwindle in quality over the years. That's especially true of the slasher genre including Halloween, Friday the 13th, The Texas Chainsaw Massacre, and more. One series has managed to buck that trend though.
That would be Scream and while the 1996 original is still widely viewed as the best, the sequels haven't diminished much. The immediate follow-ups are solid, 2011's Scream 4 is underrated, and the newly released Scream (2022) continued to find success decades after the original.
The Silence Of The Lambs
The Academy Awards aren't known to fondly look upon horror movies, with the majority of them not getting the time of day come ceremony time. Even heralded flicks like Hereditary in 2018 were ignored but The Silence of the Lambs is a totally different story.
This 1991 classic made history by being the only horror movie (and the third in general) to sweep the five major categories at the Oscars, winning Best Picture, Best Director, Best Actor, Best Actress, and Best Adapted Screenplay. Buying it on Amazon will make any collection much stronger.
X
Considering how many slasher movies have been released over the years, it is increasingly difficult to do something fresh within the subgenre. However, writer and director Ti West managed to pull that off with his 2022 film X.
The story sees a filmmaking crew shoot a pornographic movie on a rural Texas property, only for things to turn deadly as a killer haunts them. The film was widely praised for how it paid homage to the genre, felt like something out of the '70s, and was led by great performances from Mia Goth and Jenna Ortega.
Get Out
Returning to the twisted but brilliant mind of Jordan Peele, it's his directorial debut. Get Out was a game-changing movie that had the industry talking for months, even years after it was initially released in 2017. It helped make Peele and star Daniel Kaluuya into household names.
Get Out focuses on a Black man who visits his white girlfriend's family's home only for things to turn sinister when their true intentions are revealed. The film features some stunning twists and turns while also delivering some intriguing social critiques. On top of that, it scored a Best Original Screenplay Oscar win.
The Texas Chain Saw Massacre
While the likes of Michael Myers, Freddy Kruger, and Jason are more synonymous with the genre, Leatherface started it all as the killer in 1974's The Texas Chain Saw Massacre. The original is still seen by many as the pinnacle of slashers for a handful of reasons.
The kills are brutal, the film is shot in a way that makes it feel gritty and dirty, and it tells a compelling story in a short runtime. The entire thing is perfect for an at-home viewing of a retro classic and it's worth seeing the movie that helped influence others for decades to come.
The Evil Dead Groovy Collection
The iconic Sam Raimi shined with superhero flicks like his Spider-Man trilogy and Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness but his best work has always been the Evil Dead franchise. Thankfully, you can get pretty much all of it in one fantastic boxed set.
The comedic third entry Army of Darkness and the underrated 2013 remake aren't part of the collection but you do get the terrifying 1984 original and the well-received Evil Dead 2. To top it off, the entire Ash vs. Evil Dead TV series is a bonus on top of some cool collectibles. Groovy, indeed.