Before Max turns back into HBO Max, we're spending some time perusing its horror movie catalog and Warner Bros.'s streaming service is one of the best places to go when you're in the mood to watch something that will give you nightmares. With a mixture of modern films and classics, Max is home to hits both new and old.
The following list highlights five of the scariest and goriest horror movies currently available to stream on Max in the month of May. Watch them if you dare!
Evil Dead Rise (2023)
Ellie (Alyssa Sutherland) is a single mother raising three kids, teens Danny and Bridget, and young Kassie, in an apartment when she gets a visit from her newly-pregnant sister Beth (Lily Sullivan). What should be a happy reunion quickly turns into a nightmare when the kids discover a copy of Naturom Demonto tucked away within a secret chamber in the building's basement.
Danny foolishly reads one of the incantations aloud, summoning the franchise's iconic monsters known as Deadites, who quickly wreak havoc by taking possession of Ellie and attacking her family. Beth finds herself tasked with keeping herself, her unborn child, her nieces, and her nephew while trapped inside a building with a raging demonic entity.
It Follows (2014)
Maika Monroe really established herself as a scream queen with this cult horror movie about a mysterious curse transferred to new victims via sex. Once "infected," the person will be stalked by an entity that can take the shape of literally anyone.
Jay (Monroe) becomes the latest to be stalked by the being when her boyfriend gives it to her. If the thing catches up to her, it will result in Jay's brutal death and the only way to get rid of it is to have sex with someone else and pass it onto them, otherwise it follows you forever, or until you die. A sequel is in development.
It (2017)
With HBO sharing the new teaser for It prequel series Welcome to Derry, now feels like an opportune time to revisit Andy Muschietti's 2019 film. Bill Skarsgård will return to play Pennywise for the prequel, but the 2019 movie is an excellent modern horror film.
Set in the late 1980s and based on Stephen King's novel of the same name, the 2017 movie follows a group of outcast teens who dub themselves the "Loser's Club," as they combat an ancient evil entity that resurfaces every 27 years to devour the children of Derry and cause various catastrophes.
The Shining (1980)
Stanley Kubrick's take on King's novel The Shining has stood the test of time and remains of the best and scariest horror movies ever made. It's a testament to the film's central performances from Jack Nicholson, Shelley Duvall, Danny Lloyd, and Scatman Crothers that the the story and movie has become such a beloved staple.
After accepting a job as caretaker at the haunted Overlook Hotel in Colorado, writer Jack Torrance takes his wife and son along with him. But while there, Jack's writer's block manifests into something altogether more terrifying and he puts his family's lives at risk.
Carnival of Souls (1962)
Carnival of Souls might not terrify modern audiences the same it did back in the 1960s, but its still a brilliant horror movie and one that has had a marked influence on the genre. Made on a low budget, Carnival of Souls is considered a cult classic and even George A. Romero was inspired by the film.
It follows a young woman named Mary who narrowly avoids death from a car accident. Traumatized, Mary leaves town and begins having visions of a terrifying man following her. She finds herself draw to a deserted carnival in her new home in the hopes it might help her figure out where the visions are coming from.