The Best Horror Movies I’ve Streamed in the Last Month

Hey Creepy Catalogers,

This week I’m recounting the best movies I’ve streamed in the last month or so:

When a Stranger Calls Back (1993). Streaming on Tubi. One of the rare horror sequels that is slightly better than the original. Carol Kane returns as Jill Johnson, all grown up. She befriends a young woman named Julia Jenz who is being stalked by an unseen man who began terrorizing her while she was babysitting several years ago. This movie has some insane twists and is a VERY creepy home invasion/babysitter horror movie.

The Innocents (1961). Streaming on YouTube. This was my first time viewing this classic haunted house horror movie! It was surprisingly easy for me to get into this black and white movie about a babysitter who moves into a secluded (and haunted!) English estate in order to care for two spooky kids. As a modern horror fan, I also found The Innocents had way more scary moments than I was expecting. This movie is free on YouTube in its entirety!

Dual (2022). Streaming on AMC+. In a dystopian near-future a woman purchases a clone to replace her so that her loved ones won’t be sad after she is diagnosed with a terminal illness. When she miraculously recovers, her “dual” decides she wants to stay and by law the two must duel to the death. Fans of dry humor and Yorgos Lanthimos films will definitely enjoy this one.

Friday the 13th, Part 2 (1981). Streaming on Pluto TV (free app). I haven’t seen any of the F13 movies in years so I recently rewatched the first three. I’m partial to the second installment because of the character of Ginny as someone who doesn’t dismiss the folklore of Jason, but empathizes with him and is curious about his point of view as someone who has recently been traumatized by witnessing his mother’s murder. This later helps her survive as (spoiler) she uses psychology to put on Mrs. Voorhees sweater and pretends to be Jason’s mom in order to subdue him and escape.

Dashcam (2022). Available for rental on Amazon and Youtube. If you like jump scares, boy do I have the movie for you. There are a lot of really well done jump scares in Dashcam. I’m only hesitant to recommend paying to rent it because the main character is REALLY ANNOYING. I hated her but as the film went on and became more and more ridiculous and horrifying I was weirdly won over and began to see the movie as just absurd and funny and scary. This isn’t everyone’s experience though and reviews have been pretty divided.

This week in horror:

• Neve Campbell is officially not returning for Scream 6 making this the first Scream movie that will not follow Sidney Prescott’s storyline. While Scream 5 did a wonderful job setting up the franchise to not be dependent on Sidney, it seems like a pay dispute is what ultimately led to Neve not returning. She told Deadline: “As a woman I have had to work extremely hard in my career to establish my value, especially when it comes to Scream…I felt the offer that was presented to me did not equate to the value I have brought to the franchise.” Deadline noted that the Scream franchise has made more than $744M globally with Neve as its star. She also sent some love to horror fans: “It’s been a very difficult decision to move on. To all my Scream fans, I love you. You’ve always been so incredibly supportive to me. I’m forever grateful to you and to what this franchise has given me over the past 25 years.”
• The first look of Jenna Ortega as Wednesday Addams in the upcoming Netflix series Wednesday.
• Robert Englund turned 75 this week. Happy birthday to the man of our Nightmares!
• Stephen King says he has no intention of writing an It prequel.
• A full length trailer for Jordan Peele’s next movie was finally released on June 9th. Here’s everything we know about Nope so far.

Creepy reads:

• 7 things we need from the Arachnophobia remake.
• Revisiting the dreamy 70’s haunted house/vampire movie Let’s Scare Jessica to Death (1971).
• 20 of the creepiest unsolved mysteries ever.
• I’m not sure what I saw in the woods, but I do know no one will ever believe me.

Happy streaming and stay spooky!