Free Horror Movies And Where To Stream Them: ‘Insidious,’ ‘Shadow Of The Vampire,’ And More

If you’re looking for free horror movies for your streaming pleasure, there are a few good selections out there that make for good viewing on a weekend afternoon. Two of the three movies listed below are certainly full-on horror, and while the other selection plays more like a creepy drama, it is based on a true story that genre enthusiasts should enjoy.

Insidious

This 2011 horror film kicked off the popular franchise, leading to three other movies (including the 2018 prequel, Insidious: The Last Key). While the films that followed gained some popularity, none of them reached the high-praise of the original. This movie is certainly not a stranger to most horror fans, but it is worth revisiting if you’re looking to kill time and get some scares while doing so.

This intense horror feature is currently streaming for free on Crackle.

The Shadow of the Vampire

This may have more drama than terror, but this movie contains a good amount of suspense, creepy visuals, and it is inspired on the true story based on the creation of one of the most iconic horror films of all time, Nosferatu. With a “fresh” score of 81 percent on Rotten Tomatoes, the site describes one of the most intriguing horror movies streaming for free.

“F W Murnau is making Nosferatu on location in Eastern Europe. The director is determined to make this the most authentic movie ever. To this end Murnau has employed a real vampire, Max Schreck. He explains Schreck’s weird behavior by saying that he is a fastidious method actor. As payment Schreck has been promised drug addicted beauty Greta – Nosferatu’s leading-lady. She is to be his at the end of filming. But it seems that Schreck cannot wait that long to taste the blood of the crew.”

The Shadow of the Vampire is available for free on Tubi TV, and it is a must-watch for cinephiles.

The Texas Chainsaw Massacre: The Next Generation

This third entry into the famed franchise may not be entered in any “best of” lists, but it is still a blast to watch. Many critics and fans panned this at the time of its release in 1995, but it has since become somewhat of a cult classic. The ’74 original was one of the most intense horror movies that audiences had seen at the time, but the sequel took a comedic turn, and this entry does much of the same.

Renee Zellweger portrays Jenny, a young high school student looking forward to the prom, but along with a group of her friends, she becomes stranded in the backwoods of Texas (never a good thing in horror movies). Matthew McConaughey plays Vilmer, a relative to Leatherface. Vilmer is the primary villain in this horror film that, despite its name, doesn’t feature a single killing via a chainsaw.

Watching McConaughey’s over-the-top routine is very entertaining, as is his bionic-like leg that never lends an explanation. Zellweger’s performance as the scream-queen final girl ranks up there with Jamie Lee Curtis in Halloween and Neve Campbell in Scream. This is a great entry into the so-bad-it’s-good category of horror, and at only 87 minutes, it’s a quick watch that’s a lot of fun.

The Next Generation is one of the free horror movies streaming on Crackle.