The 5 most disturbing horror movies currently streaming on Paramount+

Are you a horror fan and a Paramount+ subscriber? If so, you're lucky because the streaming service has a surprisingly robust selection of horror movies. At least one new Paramount Original is coming later this year when the streamer releases their Rosemary's Baby prequel film Apartment 7A.

Plus, Evil season 4 is releasing this month on May 23, so if you're already re-subscribing to watch the new episodes, you can check out some of the service's other great horror selections. Paramount+ usually goes big at Halloween with its "Peak Screaming" collection, and since we're more than halfway to the spookiest day of the year, it's time to start warming up!

Event Horizon (1997)

• Director: Paul W.S. Anderson
• Writer: Philip Eisner

Popular genre filmmaker Paul W.S. Anderson's dark and terrifying sci-fi horror film set in 2047 follows a small crew of astronauts sent into space to investigate why a previous expedition never returned.

When they find the missing starship, they're horrified by the mystery they unravel onboard. Starring Laurence Fishburne, Sam Neill, Kathleen Quinlan, and Joely Richardson, Event Horizon contains one of the most brutal and visceral on-screen depictions of Hell with genuinely unsettling imagery that will haunt you.

Hellbound: Hellraiser II (1988)

• Director: Tony Randel
• Writer: Peter Atkins

The original 1987 Hellraiser stands the test of time and remains the best of the franchise, but unfortunately it's not currently available to watch on Paramount+, though several of its sequels are. Out of the many Hellraiser follow-ups, most fans and critics agree that the first sequel, Hellbound: Hellraiser II, is the scariest and most well-made of the bunch.

If you were terrified of Pinhead and the Cenobites in the first movie, wait until you see how crazy, bloody, and downright gross this movie gets.

Beau is Afraid (2023)

• Director & Writer: Ari Aster

Technically, Beau is Afraid is an amalgamation of several genres, including dark comedy, but it also has many horror elements. As you might expect from the man who brought us Hereditary and Midsommar, Beau is Afraid is a disturbing movie that takes viewers on a surreal odyssey through one man's (Joaquin Phoenix) life as he faces his biggest fears. It's a big undertaking given its 3-hour runtime, but if you're a fan of Franz Kafka and Aster, this is a worthwhile choice that will likely push you out of your comfort zone.

As someone who has dealt with anxiety my entire life, Beau is Afraid had one of the most nerve-wracking and realistic depictions of what it feels like to live with anxiety I've ever seen on film. While it might not be "scary" to everyone, I found many scenes in this film incredibly disturbing.

A Quiet Place (2018)

• Director & Writer: John Krasinski

I don't think anyone anticipated that this film would blow up and become as influential as it did, but it really helped catapult writer, director, and star John Krasinski to the A-list and established the film as fodder for a new original franchise. Krasinski also returned to write an direct the sequel, with both movies starring his wife and Academy Award-nominated actress Emily Blunt.

Mysterious creatures that hunt through sound, like the clickers in The Last of Us, stalk their victims and terrorize survivors in this post-apocalyptic thriller that hinges on staying quiet to stay alive. It's so tense you'll find yourself holding your breath right alongside the characters. The next film in the franchise, A Quiet Place: Day One, will be released on June 28, 2024.

Annihilation (2018)

• Director & Writer: Alex Garland

Annihilation is one of my all-time favorite movies (and book series—Jeff Vandermeer), so I'm biased when writing about it. Alex Garland's unnerving sci-fi thriller isn't the goriest or outright scary, but it has several sequences that stick with you, including the very memorable "bear" scene.

I won't spoil too much in case you haven't seen it, but there's a reason people continue talking about this movie and its crazy ending. Plus you can't go wrong with the cast, which includes Natalie Portman, Oscar Isaac, Jennifer Jason Leigh, Gina Rodriguez, and Tessa Thompson.

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