3 Paramount+ Horror Movies Guaranteed to Keep You Up Tonight

Embracing the Spooky Season

If you are looking to lean into the Sunday scaries rather than brush them aside with a cozy feel-good watch, Paramount+ has you covered. With the platform recently dropping over 20 new horror movies just in time for spooky season, horror enthusiasts have plenty of nightmare fuel to choose from. To help you navigate the massive influx of content, we have curated the top three horror movies currently streaming on Paramount+ that deserve an immediate spot on your weekend watchlist.

Ranked progressively from least to most terrifying, this trio features a mix of slow-burn supernatural tension and deeply unsettling psychological horror. Whether you are a casual viewer looking to dip your toes into the genre or a hardcore horror fanatic searching for your next genuine scare, here is what you need to stream tonight.

1. 'It Follows'

For viewers looking to test the waters of the horror genre without diving straight into unadulterated terror, David Robert Mitchell's 2014 masterpiece It Follows is the ultimate entry point. Starring Maika Monroe as Jay, the film follows a young woman who becomes the target of a relentless supernatural entity after a seemingly harmless romantic encounter.

The premise is simple yet deeply effective: the entity will walk toward its victim at a slow, relentless pace, appearing in the guise of everyday people. The only way to rid yourself of the curse is to pass it on to someone else. Boasting campy slasher vibes, incredible retro-synth atmospheric music, and an ever-present sense of paranoia where anyone on the street could be your impending doom, It Follows will have you second-guessing every stranger in your peripheral vision.

2. 'Smile'

Stepping deeper into psychological dread, 2022's Smile plays in a similar sandbox of trauma and paranoia. Following a therapist named Rose (Sosie Bacon), the movie spirals out of control after she witnesses a patient violently take her own life while wearing a grotesque, unblinking grin.

As Rose begins experiencing terrifying hallucinations and unexplained blackouts, those around her write off her fears as a mental breakdown, forcing her to investigate the supernatural curse on her own. While the final monster reveal leans a bit heavily into classic creature-feature tropes, everything leading up to that climax is a masterclass in tension, unreliable narration, and jump-scare execution. Once you finish it, you can even dive straight into the surprisingly competent sequel, Smile 2, which is also available on Paramount+.

3. 'Sinister'

Capping off the list is a film that has successfully haunted viewers for over a decade: 2012's Sinister. Starring Ethan Hawke as a struggling true-crime novelist desperate for a breakout hit, the story kicks off when his family moves into a house marked by tragedy. Ellison discovers a box of dusty Super 8 home movies in the attic, only to realize they depict brutal, unsolved murders.

As Ellison becomes dangerously obsessed with the footage, he unknowingly unleashes an ancient, malevolent deity named Bughuul. Blending elements of found-footage dread with a deeply unsettling atmosphere and a genuinely tragic narrative arc, Sinister delivers psychological and supernatural chills that will linger long after the credits roll.