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Grab a hot cider and prepare to be scared. These 15 cozy horror movies are the cinematic equivalent of a candle and a blanket

Grab a hot cider and prepare to be scared.

These 15 cozy horror movies are the cinematic equivalent of a candle and a blanket

Grab a hot cider and prepare to be scared.

By Randall Colburn

Randall Colburn

Randall Colburn is a writer and editor at **. His work has previously appeared on *The A.V. Club, The Guardian, The Ringer*, and many other publications.

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October 18, 2025 10:00 a.m. ET

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'Gremlins'; 'Corpse Bride'; 'The Changeling.

What does it mean to be cozy? Is it so simple as a warm blanket and a hot drink? Or to be safe and dry as a storm rages outside? Or is it something more personal — immersion in something you associate with happiness?

However you define it, "cozy" is having a moment in pop culture. As noted by *USA Today*, cozy mysteries, in which the violence and sex jump off the page (or screen), have grown increasingly popular in recent years. Just look at the success (and all-star cast) of Netflix's *The Thursday Murder Club*, which itself was adapted from one of the subgenre's leading literary titles.

It's a cute idea, but does it translate to other genres? Is there such a thing as cozy sci-fi? Cozy Westerns? How about cozy horror? The latter sounds like an oxymoron, as the best horror tends to send hearts racing.

But there's an argument to be made for cozy horror, which we've sought to articulate with the list below. When narrowing down our picks, we considered factors such as aesthetics, score, and setting, as well as the cuddle factor of any creatures.

Of course, what's cozy to some might be frightening to others, and isn't that the joy of horror? Read on for the coziest horror movies to stream now.**

House on Haunted Hill (1959)

Vincent Price in 'House on Haunted Hill'.

*House on Haunted Hill *is cozy in the same way as an old-fashioned haunted house attraction. (Director William Castle even enlivened screenings with live effects, such as a skeleton flying over the audience during one key scene.) Atmospheric but not scary, the film is ideal for easing your way into the Halloween season.

Speaking with * *in 2016, Cassandra Peterson, a.k.a. Elvira, named *House on Haunted Hill *as one of her go-to Halloween watches — and the source of her lifelong obsession with horror icon Vincent Price. "You really can't beat Vincent Price, when it comes to spooky," she said.

Where to watch *House on Haunted Hill*: HBO Max

The Haunting (1963)

'The Haunting'. Everett Collection

Decades have passed and remakes have piled up, but Robert Wise's *The Haunting*, an adaptation of Shirley Jackson's *The Haunting of Hill House, *still remains the "most frightening psychological ghostfest ever made, even though the spirits are heard but never seen," per EW's writer.

Following psychic researchers in search of spirits in a New England house with a tragic past, *The Haunting* trades leering ghouls and jump scares for atmosphere and suggestion, cultivating a cloud of dread that hangs like a heavy blanket over audiences. The gorgeous black-and-white cinematography, rustic environments, and disorienting camera tricks deliver elegance and unease in equal measure.**

Where to watch *The Haunting*: Amazon Prime (to rent)

The Wicker Man (1973)

Christopher Lee in 'The Wicker Man'.

Studio Canal/Shutterstock

The Scottish island of Summerisle, where Robin Hardy's folk-horror masterpiece *The Wicker Man* is set, feels unstuck in time. When a rigid, devoutly Christian cop (Edward Woodward) arrives in search of a missing girl, he's horrified by the island's embrace of pagan rituals.

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If you can separate them from all the horrors that follow, the songs, dances, costumes, and traditions that animate the island are beautiful in their quaintness and communality. It's easy to see how they could tempt someone away from the hustle and bustle of the real world — even if that means participating in a bit of sacrifice.

Where to watch *The Wicker Man*: Tubi**

Phantasm (1979)

'Phantasm'. Everett Collection

*Phantasm* is hard to describe. A boy, his brother, and a family friend investigate a local mortuary, where they encounter "the Tall Man" (Angus Scrimm) and a host of other strange things, from dwarves and fanged flies to lethal flying spheres.

The cult classic was based on a nightmare director Don Coscarelli had, and it's best viewed that way. This isn't a movie to untangle so much as give yourself over to. Despite its incredibly low budget and young crew, there are shots here that sear themselves into your mind.

Where to watch *Phantasm*: Amazon Prime

The Changeling (1980)

'The Changeling'. Severin Films

*The Changeling* is a tender and mournful movie about a composer, John Russell (George C. Scott), who's haunted by the ghost of a child after moving into a remote mansion.

As director Peter Medak told ** in 2018, he set out to make a movie that "didn't have any cheap shocks in it." The result, then, is something more contemplative and atmospheric, due in small part to a dizzying and deeply affecting score by Ken Wannberg.

Where to watch *The Changeling*: Tubi**

Ghost Story (1981)

Alice Krige in 'Ghost Story'.

Universal/courtesy Everett Collection

Based on the Peter Straub novel of the same name, John Irvin's chilly and affecting *Ghost Story* is cloaked in snow, leather, and firelight.

Fred Astaire, in his final film role, stars as the head of the Chowder Society, a New England men's club in which members regale each other with spooky stories while sipping brandy. When a ghost from their past emerges, it proves to be scarier than anything they could make up.

Where to watch *Ghost Story*: Amazon Prime

Something Wicked This Way Comes (1983)

Jonathan Pryce, Vidal Peterson, Shawn Carson, and Pam Grier in 'Something Wicked This Way Comes'.

Buena Vista Pictures/courtesy Everett Collection

Orange and red autumn leaves crowd nearly every corner of *Something Wicked This Way Comes*, a Walt Disney production based on Ray Bradbury's 1962 novel. Set in Illinois but shot in Vermont, this kid-friendly (but decidedly spooky) tale is catnip for anyone who enjoys haunted hayrides, pumpkin farms, and apple cider donuts.

The film centers on a carnival filled with strange and mysterious figures, like Jonathan Pryce's dapper Mr. Dark, and what happens to a pair of young boys who discover its secrets. A major influence on the works of genre legends like Neil Gaiman and Stephen King, the story weaves ample wonder and *just* enough horror into its cozy small-town milieu.

Where to watch* Something Wicked This Way Comes*: Disney+**

Gremlins (1984)

Zach Galligan and Gizmo in 'Gremlins'.

Warner Bros/Courtesy Everett

Is there a horror icon more cuddly than Gizmo? Over four decades after making his screen debut, the fuzzy little squeaker continues to melt hearts and inspire new generations of adorable little guys. *Gremlins* director Joe Dante wasn't wrong when he declared *The Mandalorian*'s Baby Yoda to be an "out-and-out" rip-off of Gizmo.

But *Gremlins*' Kingston Falls is just as cozily rendered. Even as Gizmo's less-cute Mogwai spawn trash the town, its snow-dusted streets, wood-paneled bars, and multi-colored Christmas lights remain serene.

Where to watch *Gremlins*: HBO Max**

Misery (1990)

Kathy Bates as Annie Wilkes in 'Misery'.

Columbia Pictures/Everett

So long as you're warm and well-prepared, being snowed-in can offer peak coziness. While that doesn't apply to *Misery*'s Paul Sheldon (James Caan) — who's forced to write a romance novel for the unhinged Annie Wilkes (Kathy Bates) while recovering from a car accident in her snug Victorian — it's certainly true for anyone who gets to watch this thrilling Stephen King adaptation as temperatures drop.

In our review, EW praised the "cabin-fever horror comedy" for how it gets "nastier and nastier" as it unfolds. "Caan lets you see that, for Paul, being tortured by Annie isn't just a nightmare; it's a profound learning experience."

Where to watch *Misery*: HBO Max

Tremors (1990)

Kevin Bacon and Fred Ward in 'Tremors'.

*"Tremors* is the *Slacker* of monster movies: bemused, improvisatory, willfully low-key," EW noted back in 1996.

That unique tone, captured with zeal by a charismatic ensemble led by Fred Ward, Kevin Bacon, and Reba McEntire, is what makes Ron Underwood's horror-comedy about giant worms terrorizing a remote desert town such a good hang.

Where to watch *Tremors*: AMC+

Ghostwatch (1992)

*Ghostwatch* is truly one of a kind, a ghost story disguised as a live news broadcast in which reporters chronicle a family supposedly being haunted by a poltergeist.

The movie aired on BBC1 on Halloween in 1992, featuring several actual broadcasters — including Michael Parkinson and Sarah Greene — as themselves. Their involvement gave the project such credence that many watching at home didn't realize it was a work of fiction.

Where to watch *Ghostwatch*: AMC+

Corpse Bride (2005)

'Corpse Bride'. Warner Bros.

*Corpse Bride* stars Johnny Depp and Helena Bonham Carter as a young groom-to-be and the titular undead bride, as they bounce between the bleak Land of the Living and the vibrant Land of the Dead.

But the story is secondary to the craft on display, from Tim Burton and Mike Johnson's lovingly rendered stop-motion puppetry to Danny Elfman's whimsical (and morbid) original songs. It's a feast for the senses, and, for young audiences, a gateway into gothic horror.

Where to watch *Corpse Bride*: HBO Max**

Trick r' Treat (2007)

'Trick 'r Treat'.

A f---ed-up little guy can do wonders for a horror movie. Just look at Michael Dougherty's *Trick 'r Treat*, an anthology that quickly became a seasonal favorite with the help of Sam, a monstrous (and adorable) trick-or-treater wearing a burlap sack over his head.

But Dougherty's film has a lot more going for it: blissful autumn atmosphere, boozy costume parties, and jack-o-lanterns galore. Its interconnected tales, which evoke campfire stories and urban legends, wring morbid laughs and genuine scares in much the same fashion as *Tales From the Crypt. *

Where to watch *Trick 'r Treat: *HBO Max

The Innkeepers (2011)

Sara Paxton and Pat Healy in 'The Innkeepers'. Everett Collection

Ti West's follow-up to his 2009 breakout *House of the Devil*, *The Innkeepers* isn't so much a ghost story as a story about wanting to believe in ghosts.

Set in the coziest of places — a historic, allegedly haunted New England inn — the film follows a pair of employees/ghost hunters, Claire (Sara Paxton) and Luke (Pat Healy), who long for a real-life supernatural encounter during the hotel's last weekend of operations.

Shot on 35mm film on location at the Yankee Pedlar in Torrington, Conn., *The Innkeepers* makes excellent use of the hotel's vintage charm and shadowy corners. Its horrors are more existential, with a ruined economy looming larger than any actual spirits, but the final stretch is as spine-chilling as anything in the West's catalog.

Where to watch *The Innkeepers:* AMC+**

Willow Creek (2013)

'Willow Creek'.

Written and directed by comedian-turned-filmmaker Bobcat Goldthwait, this found-footage flick* *sees a pair of would-be Bigfoot documentarians (Alexie Gilmore and Bryce Johnson) terrorized by unseen forces while camping.

As funny as it is disquieting, *Willow Creek* begins with a charming trek through the kitschy, tourist-driven sights of Humboldt County, where it's all Bigfoot all the time. The majority of the action, however, unfolds in a claustrophobic one-shot inside a tent, with our heroes quaking at the whoops and cries surrounding them.

Where to watch *Willow Creek*: Amazon Prime**

Scare Me (2020)

Aya Cash and Josh Ruben in 'Scare Me'. Shudder

Thanks to *Werewolves Within* (2021) and *Heart Eyes* (2025), writer, director, and actor Josh Ruben has emerged as one of this era's foremost architects of light-hearted horror. But his film career began in earnest with 2020's *Scare Me*, a stylish comedy about writers regaling each story with spooky tales in an isolated cabin during a power outage.

Though its particular brand of quippy banter won't be for everyone, the snow-capped mountains, flickering fires, and cold beverages offer a sense of comfort, while the small cast and low stakes keep the vibe intimate.

Where to watch *Scare Me*: AMC+**

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