This season is unlike any other because cinephiles search for the golden nuggets, like “Horror Movies on Crackle.” That may be a search you have never entered in Google, like you may not have searched for “Horror Movies on Tubi” or Netflix, HBO Max, or Shudder.
Horror enthusiasts are unlike any other fandom because of their affection for the finer things in cinema–building suspense, the intersection of a score with a scene, character arcs (yes, even in horror), or storytelling outside of a theme. That’s why the “other” streamers see a spike in new accounts. Horror buffs are on the prowl and often find themselves in Crackle because it’s an underrated streamer that deserves your attention.
Pay attention if that’s you, a lover of the dark and hoping something lurks in the shadows because you’re wired that way. This listicle is one of those Top 10 lists made for you.
These are the Top 10 Horror Movies on Crackle.
AUTHOR’S MEMO: The tricky thing about searching for movies you didn’t know existed is people are involved in more than what’s in front of the camera. Movies are judged on many things, like horror movies on Crackle, even before the user considers them.
Take a 1978 horror film called Magic.
Looking at the cover art, you’re thinking about a bug-eyed puppet. What harm could that be? Not too long ago, there was another bug-eyed doll that did cause harm. His name was Chucky.
This puppet was Chucky’s muse, but people didn’t give this a shot in Blockbuster Video (#RIP) because of the cover art they saw. The video box looks campy and has this silly poem. Who cares, right?
Look carefully, and you’ll see the puppet master is this Anthony Hopkins guy. Interested? Jerry Goldsmith wrote the score, and two years previously, he won an Oscar for The Omen. Yet, if you overlooked this one, you’re missing a gem.
This story is about a jealous dummy who lives in the mind of its schizophrenic puppet master (Hopkins does both) who goes on a rampage. It’s creepy as hell and sticks with you like gum on the bottom of your shoe. And you missed it because you didn’t like the cover. Sometimes, people give you $500 in a raggedy old envelope. Get it?
On with the show…
10. Prom Night (1980)
Thanks to Halloween and Laurie Stroud’s angst about her brother, who wears a William Shatner mask for kicks, Jamie Lee Curtis had to escape typecasting as that one white girl in a horror movie who isn’t afraid to take on a killer. Prom Night is not as cheesy as you may think. A killer is on the loose, slicing up zit-faced teens at the school prom. But there’s a catch–the killer is Curtis’ brother. So…oh wait, that sounds really familiar. Watch it anyway. You’ll dig it.
9. Grave Encounters (2011)
This sounds like a horror flick trope–paranormal hunters seek spirits inside an abandoned psychiatric hospital. What could go wrong? Okay, many things, but for some reason, this movie feels different and brings the eerie. It was filmed during the Halcyon Days of found footage films and pushes the envelope as far as it goes. There are several jitters with the hand-held camera but get past it. This one will put knots in your stomach.
8. Rampant (2018)
There is a sinister fascination with Asian filmmakers, zombies, and grossing the hell out of fans. Whatever keeps them fascinated with toying with the undead, let’s hope that never grows stale because they are masters at doing it. Rampant is part action, part horror, and part WTF! If Kingdom was your thing over on Netflix, meet its muse.
The characters seem thin, and the story lags in places, but when it’s action time, the gore comes with the thunder. You never knew there were this many ways to filet a person. Blood comes in buckets. It’s a hemophiliac’s worst nightmare. These “night demons” are horrifying, and you’ll be thankful for that.
7. The Exorcist III (1990)
If you see this in your search for “Horror Movies on Crackle,” stop. Never mind that it doesn’t hold up to the Linda-Blair-spitting-up-green-pea-soup-original. William Peter Blatty wasn’t involved with Exorcist II: The Heretic but returned for the third film in the sinister trilogy. The screenplay is loosely based on the Zodiac Killer. And, if you’re still not interested, it is home to the best jump scare in motion picture history.
6. V/H/S (2012)
If you had a parent tell you, “Leave that alone; it’s none of your business,” this movie proves why. Kids rob a house and find an old videotape while bagging up their earnings. From there, you can guess what happens. V/H/S may remind you of a campier, less-horrifying version of The Ring, and that’s fine. This is one of the most appealing horror films on Crackle, because it was popular enough to spawn a trilogy–and yes, all three are on the streamer. Make it a date night. You know? Without the videotape.
5. The Clearing (2020)
You seldom go wrong with a zombie apocalypse when you have no choice. This film is the reason Crackle got into the original content game. The living dead horde that breeds in this father’s town isn’t just out to kill–they’re motivated. Dad and daughter go on a campaign trip in the family Winnebago, only this virus spreads around the world faster than dirty old men on a leaked sex tape. Many horror fans wouldn’t see this one coming, but this is unlike a regular zombie flick. Enjoy.
4. Train to Busan (2016)
Remember Rampant? Yeah, this! When you mix zombies with horror, it’s usually a can’t-miss recipe. In the case of Train to Busan, it’s a dead bullseye. You probably know about this tense and amazeballs film if you love horror or zombies. But search “horror movies on Crackle” if you aren’t familiar with this, one of the best films in Korean history. It’s about a virus that thinks it’s a passenger on a bullet train from Seoul. And along the way, we see one fantastic action and horror movie. Don’t miss this one.
3. Phantasm (1979)
This fascinating story was one of the hidden secrets of the LSD-inspired horror flicks of the 1980s. In this movie, we meet a ghastly grave robber known as the “Tall Man,” If you think that’s too close to Slenderman, you’re right. Angus Scrimm‘s menacing portrayal inspired it. He probably had something to do with Jigsaw as well. This is one of the most original horror movies you’ll ever see, and it’s a good thing the reboot spirits in Hollywood have not tried this one. Once you see it, you’ll know they just can’t.
2. The Sacrament (2015)
This will instantly give you Jim Jones and “drinking Kool-Aid” vibes. It should, but this film creates scenes and a vibe that lives in your brain for weeks, rent-free. One scene, in particular, is a realistic mule kick to your netherregions. It’s horrifying and forces you to forget this is a movie. This is an “Eli Roth presents a Ti West film” with a spine-chilling score by Tyler Bates, so you know the pace is slow, unnerving, and meticulously measured.
When you least expect it, chaos ensues, and everything becomes real. Led by “Father,” played by an immaculately sociopathic Gene Jones. (Remember Anton Chigurh flipping a coin in the gas station store for some poor sap’s life? Gene Jones is that guy.) This is a mesmerizing watch. Do yourself a favor; get over Jonestown. This is Eden Parish, and it’s a grueling, dystopian paradise. Dang!
1 .The Endless (2017)
This cult-centric film is everything The Sacrament can’t be–surrealistic, haunting, and celestial horror. While there are plenty of horrific jump scares in this film, most of the fear comes from what you don’t see. Justin Benson (Synchronic, Moon Knight) directs a story you believe, even though there’s no way a Heaven’s Gate-type cult is this commanding.
With very little CGI and a plethora of natural suspense, The Endless becomes that movie you are thankful for finding, even if you didn’t have much faith in “Horror Movies on Crackle” or any other streamer. How this movie didn’t get more love is bewildering. We have two guys who grew up inside this UFO cult but decided to go back because the answers they seek are still vacant.
You know it’s the wrong choice, but you’re so glad they made it because what happens in this movie is uniquely situated to a force you can’t see. The term “unimaginable terror” makes so much sense here. Wonderfully creepy film.
Since he saw ‘Dune’ in the $1 movie theater as a kid, this guy has been a lover of geek culture. It wasn’t until he became a professional copywriter, ghostwriter, and speechwriter that he began to write about it (a lot).
From the gravitas of the Sith, the genius of Tolkien and C.S. Lewis, or the gluttony of today’s comic fan, SPW digs intelligent debate about entertainment. He’s also addicted to listicles, storytelling, useless trivia, and the Oxford comma. And, he prefers his puns intended.