If you’re looking for a few good scares this Halloween season, you’re in luck– Kanopy has plenty of extraordinary horror movies that you can stream for free with your Livingston Library card. Check out some of the recommended titles below, or browse Kanopy’s entire horror collection here.
(Descriptions provided by Kanopy)
Suspiria – 1977, directed by Dario Argento
A newcomer to a fancy ballet academy gradually comes to realize that the school is a front for something far more sinister and supernatural amidst a series of grisly murders. Suspiria is Italian Horror-master Dario Argento’s best-known and most acclaimed film.
Nosferatu – 1922, directed by F.W. Murnau
An unauthorized adaptation of Bram Stoker’s Dracula, Nosferatu is the quintessential silent vampire film, crafted by legendary German director F. W. Murnau. Rather than depicting Dracula as a shape-shifting monster or debonair gentleman, Murnau’s Graf Orlok (as portrayed by Max Schreck) is a nightmarish, spidery creature of bulbous head and taloned claws — perhaps the most genuinely disturbing incarnation of vampirism yet envisioned.
House on Haunted Hill – 1959, directed by William Castle
A true classic of suspense, this spooky, campy tale tells the story of five strangers who are offered $10,000 each by an eccentric millionaire to spend the night in a haunted house. As the night develops, it becomes clear that these strangers’ selection was no accident–and a few have some diabolical schemes of their own!
Creepshow – 1982, directed by George Romero
Get ready to be frightened as two masters of horror–novelist Stephen King and director George Romero–team up to terrorize with a spine tingling Creepshow. A young boy’s horror comic book comes to life in a series of five terrifying tales: A dead father comes back for the piece of Father’s Day cake that his murderous daughter never served him. A meteorite turns a hapless yokel into a form of plant life. A cuckolded husband plots a seagoing revenge. Something in a crate under the stairs is eating people. And an obsessively clean billionaire suffers an uncontrollable infestation of cockroaches.
The Babadook – 2014, directed by Jennifer Kent
In this terrifying thriller, a mother must protect her son from an evil, supernatural entity that has escaped the pages of a children’s book and is lurking in their home.
The Love Witch – 2016, directed by Anna Biller
In this cult favorite, modern-day witch Elaine (Samantha Robinson) uses spells and magic to get men to fall in love with her. A stylish tribute to 1960s technicolor horror, The Love Witch utilizes camp and pastiche to depict a feminist revision of the classics of a bygone era.
Infinity Pool – 2023, directed by Brandon Cronenberg
While staying at an isolated island resort, James and Em are enjoying a perfect vacation of pristine beaches, exceptional staff, and soaking up the sun. But guided by the seductive and mysterious Gabi, they venture outside the resort grounds and find themselves in a culture filled with violence, hedonism, and untold horror. A tragic accident leaves them facing a zero tolerance policy for crime: either you’ll be executed, or, if you’re rich enough to afford it, you can watch yourself die instead.
A Girl Walks Home Alone At Night – 2014, directed by Ana Lily Amirpour
Strange things are afoot in Bad City. The Iranian ghost town, home to prostitutes, junkies, pimps, and other sordid souls, is a place that reeks of death and hopelessness, where a lonely vampire is stalking the towns most unsavory inhabitants. But when boy meets girl, an unusual love story begins to blossom…blood red.
Ringu – 1998, directed by Hideo Nakata
A group of teenage friends are found dead, their bodies grotesquely contorted, their faces twisted in terror. Reiko (Nanako Matsushima, ‘When Marnie Was There’), a journalist and the aunt of one of the victims, sets out to investigate the shocking phenomenon, and in the process uncovers a creepy urban legend about a supposedly cursed videotape, the contents of which causes anyone who views it to die within a week – unless they can persuade someone else to watch it, and, in so doing, pass on the curse…
Let the Right One In – 2008, directed by Tomas Alfredson
Lonely, 12-year-old Oskar is regularly bullied by his stronger classmates. A new friendship develops when Eli, a pale, serious young girl who only comes out at night, moves in next door. Coinciding with her arrival is a series of inexplicable disappearances and murders. As Oskar becomes more aware of Eli’s tragic plight, he cannot forsake her. However, Eli knows that to continue living, she must keep relocating. But when Oskar faces his darkest hour, Eli returns to defend him the only way she can.
—Joe, Adult Services & Acquisitions