If you're getting into the Halloween spirit and craving some classic horror vibes, you're in luck. From old-school slashers to scream queens and creepy paranormal flicks, there are so many iconic horror movies available to watch on all the biggest streaming platforms in Canada — and we've done the digging for you to find 17 of the absolute best.
Modern horror films and streaming originals are great, but there's just something about those timeless classics that hit different in October. While everyone's definition of "classic" might differ, for this list, we've picked movies that are all over 15 years old — with some dating back more than 50 years. From the spine-chilling terror of The Exorcist to the unsettling creepiness of The Ring, these movies have stood the test of time, proving that true horror never goes out of style.
And the best part? You can stream all of these iconic films for free in Canada on popular platforms like Netflix, Disney Plus, Prime Video, Crave and Paramount Plus.
So whether you're reliving Freddy Krueger's nightmares in A Nightmare on Elm Street or heading to a prom bloodbath with Carrie, these classics are the perfect way to get your spooky fix this Halloween. In no particular order, here are some of the best horror movies you can stream in Canada — no matter what streaming service you have.
The Exorcist (1973)
Rotten Tomatoes rating: 78%
Director: William Friedkin
Stars: Ellen Burstyn, Max von Sydow & Linda Blair
IMDb description: When a mysterious entity possesses a young girl, her mother seeks the help of two Catholic priests to save her life.
Where to watch: Crave
Saw (2004)
Rotten Tomatoes rating: 50%
Director: James Wan
Stars: Cary Elwes, Leigh Whannell & Danny Glover
IMDb description: Two men awaken to find themselves on the opposite sides of a dead body, each with specific instructions to kill the other or face consequences. These two are the latest victims of the Jigsaw Killer.
Where to watch: Prime Video
The Ring (2002)
Rotten Tomatoes rating: 71%
Director: Gore Verbinski
Stars: Naomi Watts, Martin Henderson & Brian Cox
IMDb description: A journalist must investigate a mysterious videotape which seems to cause the death of anyone one week to the day after they view it.
Where to watch: Paramount+
The Hills Have Eyes (2006)
Rotten Tomatoes rating: 52%
Director: Alexandre Aja
Stars: Ted Levine, Kathleen Quinlan & Dan Byrd
IMDb description: A travelling family falls victim to a group of mutated cannibals in a desert far away from civilization.
Where to watch: Disney+
Friday the 13th (1980)
Rotten Tomatoes rating: 66%
Director: Sean S. Cunningham
Stars: Betsy Palmer, Adrienne King & Jeannine Taylor
IMDb description: A group of teenage camp counsellors attempt to re-open an abandoned summer camp with a tragic past, but they are stalked by a mysterious, relentless killer.
Where to watch: Paramount+
A Nightmare on Elm Street (1984)
Rotten Tomatoes rating: 95%
Director: Wes Craven
Stars: Heather Langenkamp, Johnny Depp & Robert Englund
IMDb description: Teenager Nancy Thompson must uncover the dark truth concealed by her parents after she and her friends become targets of the spirit of a serial killer with a bladed glove in their dreams, in which if they die, it kills them in real life.
Where to watch: Crave
Scream (1996)
Rotten Tomatoes rating: 78%
Director: Wes Craven
Stars: Neve Campbell, Courteney Cox, Drew Barrymore & David Arquette
IMDb description: A year after the murder of her mother, a teenage girl is terrorized by a masked killer who targets her and her friends by using scary movies as part of a deadly game.
Where to watch: Prime Video and Paramount+
Paranormal Activity (2007)
Rotten Tomatoes rating: 83%
Director: Oren Peli
Stars: Katie Featherston, Micah Sloat & Mark Fredrichs
IMDb description: After moving into a suburban home, a couple becomes increasingly disturbed by a nightly demonic presence.
Where to watch: Paramount+
The Shining (1980)
Rotten Tomatoes rating: 83%
Director: Stanley Kubrick
Stars: Jack Nicholson, Shelley Duvall & Danny Lloyd
IMDb description: A family heads to an isolated hotel for the winter, where a sinister presence influences the father into violence. At the same time, his psychic son sees horrifying forebodings from both the past and the future.
Where to watch: Crave
Jaws (1975)
Rotten Tomatoes rating: 97%
Director: Steven Spielberg
Stars: Roy Scheider, Robert Shaw & Richard Dreyfuss
IMDb description: When a massive killer shark unleashes chaos on a beach community off Long Island, it's up to a local sheriff, a marine biologist, and an old seafarer to hunt the beast down.
Where to watch: Netflix
The Fly (1986)
Rotten Tomatoes rating: 93%
Director: David Cronenberg
Stars: Jeff Goldblum, Geena Davis & John Getz
IMDb description: A brilliant but eccentric scientist begins to transform into a giant man/fly hybrid after one of his experiments goes horribly wrong.
Where to watch: Disney+ and Crave
Carrie (1976)
Rotten Tomatoes rating: 94%
Director: Brian De Palma
Stars: Sissy Spacek, Piper Laurie & Amy Irving
IMDb description: Carrie White, a shy, friendless teenage girl who is sheltered by her domineering, religious mother, unleashes her telekinetic powers after being humiliated by her classmates at her senior prom.
Where to watch: Prime Video
The Grudge (2004)
Rotten Tomatoes rating: 41%
Director: Takashi Shimizu
Stars: Sarah Michelle Gellar, Jason Behr & Clea DuVall
IMDb description: An American nurse living and working in Tokyo is exposed to a mysterious supernatural curse, one that locks a person in a powerful rage before claiming their life and spreading to another victim.
Where to watch: Prime Video
Alien (1979)
Rotten Tomatoes rating: 93%
Director: Ridley Scott
Stars: Sigourney Weaver, Tom Skerritt & John Hurt
IMDb description: After investigating a mysterious transmission of unknown origin, the crew of a commercial spacecraft encounters a deadly lifeform.
Where to watch: Disney+ and Crave
The Amityville Horror (1979)
Rotten Tomatoes rating: 31%
Director: Stuart Rosenberg
Stars: James Brolin, Margot Kidder & Rod Steiger
IMDb description: Newlyweds and their children battle a demonic presence in their home.
Where to watch: Prime Video
Rosemary's Baby (1968)
Rotten Tomatoes rating: 96%
Director: Roman Polanski
Stars: Mia Farrow, John Cassavetes & Ruth Gordon
IMDb description: A young couple trying for a baby moves into an aging, ornate apartment building on Central Park West, where they find themselves surrounded by peculiar neighbours.
Where to watch: Paramount+
The Silence of the Lambs (1991)
Rotten Tomatoes rating: 95%
Director: Jonathan Demme
Stars: Jodie Foster, Anthony Hopkins & Scott Glenn
IMDb description: A young FBI cadet must receive the help of an incarcerated and manipulative cannibal killer to help catch another serial killer, a madman who skins his victims.
Where to watch: Prime Video
