It’s a dream come true: Streaming horror films for free

If you are self-quarantining at home with nothing to do, and no money to subscribe to streaming services, 1428 Elm has the scoop on free trial subscriptions offering horror content.

With no extra cash to pay for streaming services, what’s a good, social distancing person to do? State-imposed stay at home orders are no joke, especially if you have been laid off from your job.

The good news is, many streaming services are offering great trial subscriptions for free, provided you are a new subscriber. If you don’t want to keep the subscription after the trial period is over, just let them know.

Since this is a horror fan site, we will keep our suggestions to streaming platforms that offer an ample amount of horror or horror-related movies and series.

First up is Shudder, which streams only horror, thrillers and the occasional sci-fi film. Shudder has a wide array of films, series and exclusives/originals, and new items are added and removed monthly.

Currently, “old favorites” such as Halloween, Halloween 4, Halloween 5, The Fog and a whole slew of Friday the 13th movies are available. Great Shudder originals/exclusives are also available, including Revenge, Mayhem, Haunt and series The Last Drive-in With Joe Bob Briggs and Creepshow. Shudder is normally $5.99 per month, or $56.99 for a yearly membership, but new subscribers can receive a free 30-day trial by using the code SHUTIN at check-out.

Hulu counts movies of all genres, television series and original series (such as The Handmaid’s Tale) among the content they offer. The regular rate for a basic subscription, which includes ads, is $5.99 per month.

This streaming service is currently offering one free month of their service for new and “eligible returning subscribers.” Horror offerings currently include content such as the delightful (and delightfully gory) Little Monsters, zombie musical Anna and the Apocalypse and Tragedy Girls.

New streaming platform Quibi is a bit different from most services, since all of their content is original. Also different is their format, with all movies and series specially formatted for viewing on a phone.

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All content is in small “bites” averaging around ten minutes each; even their movies are broken into chapters, with new ones available every weekday. Horror/horror-related offerings include 50 States of Fright, The Stranger and When the Street Lights Go On. A basic subscription  is $4.99 per month and includes ads, but Quibi is currently offering a free 90-day trial subscription.

For all of the “Murderinos” out there, A&E Crime Central is an appealing choice. Available to stream are series such as The First 48, Cold Case Files and Nightwatch, as well as A&E specials diving into the stories of the Menendez brothers, Casey Anthony and OJ Simpson. A subscription is $4.99 per month, but you can currently receive a free 30-day trial.

If you have been dragging your feet about becoming an Amazon Prime member, now is the time to pick those feet up! In addition to the free shipping perk that comes with Prime, you also have access to free e-books, music and streaming movies and series (including Prime original series).

An Amazon Prime subscription costs $119 annually, or $12.99 per month, but the first 30 days are absolutely free. Currently, you can stream movies such as A Quiet Place, Cabin in the Woods, The Descent and Hereditary.

Netflix has become a staple for many people, but I suppose there are some who never bit the bullet and subscribed. Currently, you can subscribe with a free 30-day introductory period, and a basic subscription is $8.99 per month.

With Netflix, you can watch possibly the best horror series ever, The Haunting of Hill House, along with Netflix Originals such as Malevolent, Gerald’s Game and Bird Box. Also available are The Autopsy of Jane Doe (which I, a horror lover from childhood, was unable to watch in its entirety while alone in my house), Green Room and Mike Flanagan’s Hush, among many others.

Hopefully, this information will be helpful to some of you horror lovers on a budget, and will give you plenty of streaming options to keep you occupied while you are in self-quarantine. Enjoy!

Will you be subscribing to any of the streaming platforms recommended above? If you know of any other services that offer horror content along with a free trial period, tell us all about it in the comments section.