If you’re planning the ultimate scary movie marathon, you’ll need a lineup that delivers chills, thrills, and a few sleepless nights. From the best scary movies that have become timeless classics to newer horror movies that push the limits of fright, this list has you covered. Whether you’re looking for the perfect movies to watch when you’re getting ready for Halloween, or just want a night packed with jump scares and eerie atmospheres, these 50+ films are sure to keep your adrenaline pumping and your lights on.

This scary movie marathon list is organized by Level of Scare/Gore so you can pick the right mix for your mood. It’s organized into the following categories:

• Light & Creepy
• Classic Horror
• Slashers & Gore
• Supernatural & Paranormal
• Modern Terror & Disturbing

Light & Creepy (Good Warm-Up, Minimal Gore)

• Poltergeist (1982, PG) – A suburban family’s peaceful life turns into a nightmare when malicious spirits invade their home and abduct their young daughter.
  
• The Sixth Sense (1999, PG-13) – A troubled child psychologist tries to help a young boy who claims he can see and communicate with the dead.
  
• A Quiet Place (2018, PG-13) – In a post-apocalyptic world overrun by sound-hunting creatures, a family must live in complete silence to survive.
  
• Insidious (2010, PG-13) – After their son falls into an unexplained coma, a family discovers he’s trapped in a terrifying supernatural realm and must fight to bring him back.
  
• The Others (2001, PG-13) – A woman living in a secluded, dark mansion begins to suspect that unseen forces are haunting her home and children.
  
• Scary Stories to Tell in the Dark (2019, PG-13) – A group of teens finds a haunted book that brings its terrifying stories to life in their small town.
  
• Coraline (2009, PG – creepy animated) – A curious girl discovers a parallel world that seems perfect at first but hides a sinister secret.
  
• The Ring (2002, PG-13) – A journalist races to uncover the truth behind a cursed videotape that causes anyone who watches it to die in seven days.
  
• Mama (2013, PG-13) – Two young sisters found alone in the woods are taken in by their uncle, only to be followed by the mysterious maternal spirit that raised them.
  
• 1408 (2007, PG-13) – A skeptical author who debunks haunted locations checks into a notorious hotel room and confronts terrifying supernatural phenomena beyond his control.
  

Classic Horror (Atmosphere & Suspense)

• Psycho (1960, R) – A secretary on the run stops at a secluded motel, where she encounters its unsettling owner and a horrifying secret.
  
• Halloween (1978, R) – A masked killer escapes from a psychiatric institution and stalks a group of teenagers on Halloween night.
  
• The Exorcist (1973, R) – When a young girl becomes possessed by a demonic entity, her desperate mother seeks help from two priests to perform an exorcism.
  
• The Shining (1980, R) – A writer slowly descends into madness while isolated with his family in a haunted, snowbound hotel.
  
• Rosemary’s Baby (1968, R) – A pregnant woman becomes increasingly convinced that her seemingly friendly neighbors are involved in a sinister plot involving her unborn child.
  
• Carrie (1976, R) – A shy, bullied high school girl discovers her telekinetic powers and unleashes them after a cruel prom night humiliation.
  
• The Omen (1976, R) – A couple slowly realizes their seemingly innocent adopted son may actually be the Antichrist.
  
• The Texas Chainsaw Massacre (1974, R) – A group of friends traveling through rural Texas fall prey to a family of violent, chainsaw-wielding killers.
  
• Jaws (1975, PG, but terrifying) – A seaside town is terrorized by a massive great white shark, forcing a police chief, a scientist, and a fisherman to hunt it down.
  
• The Thing (1982, R) – A group of researchers in Antarctica battles a shape-shifting alien that can perfectly imitate any living being.
  

Slashers & Gore Lovers

• Friday the 13th (1980, R) – Camp counselors preparing to reopen a summer camp are stalked and brutally murdered by an unknown killer.
  
• Scream (1996, R) – A masked killer terrorizes a small town, targeting teenagers while playing on horror movie tropes and clichés.
  
• A Nightmare on Elm Street (1984, R) – Teenagers are hunted in their dreams by a vengeful, razor-gloved killer who turns their nightmares into deadly reality.
  
• Evil Dead II (1987, R) – A man fighting demonic forces in a secluded cabin faces relentless possession and gruesome supernatural horrors with darkly comedic twists.
  
• House of 1000 Corpses (2003, R) – A group of road-trippers stumble upon a sadistic backwoods family and become trapped in their nightmarish world of torture and murder.
  
• Saw (2004, R) – Two strangers awaken in a trapped room and must play a twisted and deadly game orchestrated by a sadistic mastermind in order to survive.
  
• Hostel (2005, R) – Backpacking travelers are lured to a seemingly fun hostel that hides a brutal underground torture operation targeting unsuspecting tourists.
  
• The Hills Have Eyes (2006, R) – A stranded family in the desert becomes the target of violent, cannibalistic mutants lurking in the surrounding hills.
  
• Wrong Turn (2003, R) – A group of travelers lost in the forest are hunted by deformed, murderous hill-dwellers after taking a deadly detour.
  
• Terrifier (2016, R – extremely gory) – A sadistic clown named Art terrorizes and brutally mutilates unsuspecting victims on Halloween night.
  

Supernatural & Paranormal

• Hereditary (2018, R) – A grieving family unravels dark and disturbing secrets after their grandmother’s death, leading to horrifying supernatural consequences.
  
• The Conjuring (2013, R) – Paranormal investigators Ed and Lorraine Warren help a terrified family confront a powerful demonic presence in their farmhouse.
  
• The Conjuring 2 (2016, R) – Ed and Lorraine Warren travel to London to assist a family tormented by a sinister poltergeist in their home.
  
• Annabelle: Creation (2017, R) – A dollmaker and his wife unknowingly unleash a malevolent force when they welcome orphaned girls into their home.
  
• Sinister (2012, R) – A true-crime writer discovers a box of disturbing home movies that reveal a sinister entity behind a series of gruesome family murders.
  
• Paranormal Activity (2007, R) – A young couple sets up cameras in their home and captures increasingly terrifying evidence of a malevolent supernatural presence.
  
• It Follows (2014, R) – A young woman is relentlessly pursued by a mysterious, shape-shifting entity after a supernatural curse is passed to her.
  
• The Nun (2018, R) – A priest and a novice investigate a remote abbey where a demonic nun unleashes terrifying supernatural evil.
  
• Drag Me to Hell (2009, PG-13) – A loan officer is cursed by a vengeful woman and must fight to escape a demonic fate that relentlessly pursues her.
  
• Crimson Peak (2015, R) – A young writer marries a mysterious aristocrat and discovers terrifying secrets within his crumbling, ghost-filled mansion.
  

Modern Terror & Disturbing

• Midsommar (2019, R) – A grieving woman joins her boyfriend’s friends at a remote Swedish festival that slowly reveals its disturbing and cult-like rituals.
  
• The Witch (2015, R) – A 17th-century Puritan family is torn apart by paranoia and dark forces after being banished to a remote forest farm.
  
• It (2017, R) – A group of kids in a small town bands together to fight a shape-shifting clown that feeds on their deepest fears.
  
• It: Chapter Two (2019, R) – The Losers’ Club reunites as adults to confront Pennywise once again when the evil clown returns to terrorize their hometown.
  
• The Babadook (2014, NR) – A widowed mother and her troubled son are haunted by a sinister entity that emerges from a mysterious children’s book.
  
• Us (2019, R) – A family’s vacation turns terrifying when they are confronted by violent doppelgängers who share their faces and darkest secrets.
  
• Get Out (2017, R) – A visit to his girlfriend’s family spirals into a terrifying ordeal when a young Black man uncovers their disturbing and sinister intentions.
  
• The Lighthouse (2019, R) – Two isolated lighthouse keepers slowly descend into madness as eerie and mysterious events plague their remote island post.
  
• Smile (2022, R) – A therapist becomes haunted by a terrifying entity that spreads through eerie smiling apparitions after witnessing a traumatic patient incident.
  
• Talk to Me (2023, R) – A group of friends use a mysterious embalmed hand to contact the dead, unleashing dangerous spirits and horrifying consequences.
  

Related Articles:

• 31 Best Halloween Movies for Families
• 24 Printable Halloween Activities for Kids
• Tips for Hosting the Perfect Halloween Horror Movie Marathon

Final Thoughts On This Epic Scary Movie Marathon

That’s 50 films, flowing from light & creepy into classic horror, then slashers & gore, paranormal chills, and ending with modern disturbing horror. You could marathon in order for a gradual ramp-up, or mix and match by category depending on your group’s tolerance! We hope you have so much fun going through this list of horror movies, just in time for Halloween!