Peacock TV has an impressive selection of horror films that are free to stream without a subscription. The latest streaming service to compete for viewership in the ever-growing market, this NBC off-shoot contains a curated list of both classic and contemporary genre titles to keep audiences occupied.
Designed to compete with popular streaming platforms such as Netflix and Disney Plus, Peacock TV contains a variety of unique programming options. Popular NBC sitcoms and news shows are the major draws here. Viewers who have “cut the cable” will find most of NBC’s popular sitcoms and dramas available along with the ability to stream live sports, kid’s movies and shows, and hit Spanish-language content. In addition to branded network programming, Peacock TV also has hundreds of movies, including a horror catalogue sure to please genre fans. The service also offers two additional subscription options that allow access to original programming without commercial interruptions, though most of their film titles are currently available for free.
While the selection of horror films is not unlimited, subscribers will find popular titles from Universal, Focus Features, and several boutique studios. Many of the classic Universal monster titles are represented as well as beloved Alfred Hitchcock films. Modern hits such as Jigsaw, Leatherface, and You’re Next can be streamed for free along with subversive cult favorites like Spike Lee’s Da Sweet Blood of Jesus, Sleepaway Camp, and American Psycho. There’s also Scream Factory-branded content such as their 2K scan of The Exorcist III. Presented is a list of the best horror titles that can be viewed without a subscription.
The Birds
![The Best Horror Movies On Peacock](https://static1.srcdn.com/wordpress/wp-content/uploads/2016/08/The-Birds-e1558699987301.jpg)
Alfred Hitchcock’s 1963 masterpiece, The Birds, was a precursor to the myriad of eco-horror films that inundated screens in the 1970s. Unexplained bird attacks begin to occur in the small coastal town of Bodega Bay. Socialite Melanie Daniels (Tippi Hedren), who has followed handsome lawyer Mitch Brenner (Rod Taylor) from San Francisco, gets caught up in the chaos as the attacks become deadly. Unforgettable set pieces and an engaged cast make this a tense experience nearly 60 years later.
The Blair Witch Project
![The Blair Witch Project](https://static1.srcdn.com/wordpress/wp-content/uploads/2020/02/1400x700-1-6.jpg)
While The Blair Witch Project was a huge hit at the box office in 1999, many wrote it off as a monotonous anomaly, driven purely by hype. The clever conceit that this was a real documentary assembled from found footage of missing filmmakers definitely drove the marketing. 20 years later, the film itself remains a scary, suspenseful ride – even in a fictional context. Three film students travel to Burkittsville, Maryland to interview the locals about the fabled Blair Witch. While camping in the woods, they lose their way and find someone or something is following them. Filmmakers Daniel Myrick and Eduardo Sanchez made the most of their low budget, and created an entire sub-genre of similar “found footage” films.
The Brides of Dracula
![The Brides of Dracula Movie](https://static1.srcdn.com/wordpress/wp-content/uploads/2020/07/Brides-Of-Dracula.jpg)
This gorgeous Hammer film from director Terence Fisher is a follow-up to his version of Dracula (Horror of Dracula) from 1958 with Christopher Lee. However, the character of Dracula does not appear in this film, though his shadow looms large. The connecting tissue here is Peter Cushing’s Van Helsing, who is called to investigate a baroness and her son—who might be a vampire. Gorgeous photography by Jack Asher and invested performances by Cushing and Martita Hunt help viewers forget that Dracula isn’t even involved. Lee would return as the dashing blood-sucker six years later in Dracula: Prince of Darkness.
Dead Ringers
![Jeremy Irons in Dead Ringers](https://static1.srcdn.com/wordpress/wp-content/uploads/2016/09/Jeremy-Irons-in-Dead-Ringers.jpg)
One of David Cronenberg’s most psychologically disturbing films, Dead Ringers was a critical success and gave Jeremy Irons an iconic, award-winning role. Based very loosely on the true story of twin gynecologists Stewart and Cyril Marcus, this artful plunge into madness is difficult to shake. Irons plays both Elliot and Beverly Mantle, successful twin gynecologists who specialize in female fertility issues. Genevieve Bujold plays an actress seeking their help who ends up in a complex relationship with both men. Both Irons and Bujold give commanding performances, grounding the more fantastic and unsettling elements of the script.
The Exorcist III
![George C Scott in The Exorcist 3](https://static1.srcdn.com/wordpress/wp-content/uploads/2016/10/George-C-Scott-in-The-Exorcist-3.jpg)
William Peter Blatty, who wrote both the novel and screenplay for the original The Exorcist, wanted nothing to do with the Warner Brothers mandated sequel. Six years after Exorcist II: The Heretic was universally reviled and forgotten, Blatty wrote his own sequel: Legion. The film rights to the novel were quickly purchased, and Blatty was assigned to both write and direct. Following the path of the original demon and combining elements of the real life Zodiac murders, this intriguing follow-up gets better with repeated viewings. Studio-imposed reshoots and a title change may have contributed to the middling box office, but the film has grown in stature since its 1990 release.
Last House On The Left (2009)
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The 2000’s ushered in a decade of horror remakes, many of which were successful on both artistic and financial levels. Texas Chain Saw Massacre (2003), The Hills Have Eyes (2006), and Dawn of the Dead (2004) were a few that managed to walk that fine line. Wes Craven’s 1972 exploitation film, The Last House on the Left—which many said shouldn’t be remade—was given a slick retelling in 2009. Though it’s nowhere near the grueling experience of its predecessor, Dennis Iliadis’ film manages to create its own suspenseful path where “the road leads to nowhere”. Tony Goldwyn and Monica Potter play the desperate parents seeking revenge for their brutalized daughter.
Leatherface
![A child finds a bloodied chainsaw in Leatherface](https://static1.srcdn.com/wordpress/wp-content/uploads/2020/02/Leatherface-2017-Movie-Chainsaw-Feature.jpg)
Julien Maury and Alexandre Bustillo, the French filmmakers behind the brutal Inside (2007), crafted this honorable prequel to Tobe Hooper’s The Texas Chain Saw Massacre (1974). Written by Seth M. Sherwood, Leatherface details the violent origin of the Sawyer family, the cannibal fiends from the original movie. Lili Taylor plays Verna Sawyer, matriarch of the family, who encourages her kids at a young age to play with chainsaws. Though tonally very different from its source material, the story is compelling and the grisly effects work—mainly practical—hits hard. Leatherface easily stands as one of the better entries in the franchise.
Lost Highway
![Robert Blake as the Mystery Man in Lost Highway](https://static1.srcdn.com/wordpress/wp-content/uploads/2016/09/Robert-Blake-in-Lost-Highway.jpg)
Though David Lynch has a reputation for the weird and surreal, he is also capable of making some truly terrifying films. Bill Pullman stars in Lost Highway as a saxophone player who begins receiving VHS tapes of him and his wife (Patricia Arquette) while they are asleep. Pullman is also having dreams of someone attacking and killing Arquette, which ultimately becomes a reality, as seen through additional video tapes from an unknown source. A creepy performance by Robert Blake and a body switch that foreshadows Mulholland Drive by a few years makes this essential viewing for Lynch fans.
Son of Frankenstein
![A scene from Son of Frankenstein](https://static1.srcdn.com/wordpress/wp-content/uploads/2017/03/Son-of-Frankenstein.jpg)
One of the great overlooked Universal monster films, Rowland V. Lee’s follow-up to The Bride of Frankenstein was the last time Boris Karloff played the monster. Used as the template for the Mel Brooks’ classic Young Frankenstein, Son of Frankenstein contains many elements that fans remember from the series. When Baron von Frankenstein (Basil Rathbone), son of the late scientist, returns to the family castle with his wife and son, history repeats itself. Bela Lugosi appears as Ygor for the first time, creating a character almost as iconic as Dracula. Peacock TV has all of the Frankenstein films; the first three are essential viewing.
You’re Next
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Adam Wingard’s You’re Next combines both slasher and classic mystery elements for a twisty, sophisticated thriller. A family reunion turns deadly when Erin (Sharni Vinson) accompanies her boyfriend Crispian (A.J. Bowen) to his rural family estate. A group of interlopers in animal masks begin killing off the family members one by one, forcing the couple to fight for their survival. A great cast including horror icon Barbara Crampton, Nicholas Tucci, and filmmaker Ti West keeps it engaging to the end.