10 Scary Movies You Can Watch For Free on YouTube

October is here, and that means it's time to get into the spooky spirit. Whether you're looking for a classic horror flick, a psychological thriller, or a comedy with a twist, there's a ton of great movies on YouTube. And the best part is, you can watch them for free!

We've compiled a list of some of the best scary movies that you can stream on YouTube right now. These films will keep you on the edge of your seat, make you laugh, or give you nightmares. So grab some popcorn, turn off the lights, and enjoy these scary movies on YouTube this October.

Editors note: Most of these films are not suitable for children so please do your own research based on the intended audience.  

Watch: Dawn of the Dead (1978)

Genres: Horror, Thriller

IMDb rating: 7.8/10

Rated: Unrated

Dawn of the Dead is a 1978 zombie horror film written, directed, and edited by George A. Romero, and produced by Richard P. Rubinstein. An American-Italian international co-production, it is the second film in Romero's series of zombie films, and though it contains no characters or settings from the preceding film Night of the Living Dead (1968), it shows the larger-scale effects of a zombie apocalypse on society. 

In the film, a phenomenon of unidentified origin has caused the reanimation of the dead, who prey on human flesh. David Emge, Ken Foree, Scott Reiniger, and Gaylen Ross star as survivors of the outbreak who barricade themselves inside a suburban shopping mall amid mass hysteria.

Watch: Exorcist III (1990)

Genres: Horror, Drama, Mystery

IMDb rating: 6.5/10

Rated: R

Do you like serial killers, demonic possession, and creepy psychiatric wards? Then you'll love The Exorcist III, the 1990 horror film that is a direct sequel to the classic The Exorcist. Forget about the disappointing Exorcist II: The Heretic, and join George C. Scott as he investigates a series of murders that have the signature of the Gemini Killer, who was executed 15 years ago. How is this possible? And what does it have to do with Father Damien Karras, the priest who sacrificed himself to save Regan MacNeil from the demon Pazuzu?

The Exorcist III is based on the novel Legion by William Peter Blatty, who also wrote the original novel and screenplay of The Exorcist. Blatty also directed the film, but he had to make some changes to please the studio, such as adding an exorcism scene at the end. However, even with these compromises, The Exorcist III is a masterpiece of psychological horror that will keep you guessing and scared until the very end.

Watch: Black Sabbath (1963)

Genre: Horror

IMDB rating: 7.0/10

Rated: Unrated

Do you like horror stories that are creepy and atmospheric? Then you'll love Black Sabbath, a 1963 horror anthology film directed by Mario Bava and starring Boris Karloff. The film consists of three separate tales that are introduced by Karloff himself. The order in which the stories are presented varies among the different versions in which the film has been released.

The first story, titled "The Telephone", involves Rosy (Michèle Mercier), who receives threatening phone calls from an unseen stalker. The second story, titled "The Wurdulak", follows a man named Gorca (Karloff), who returns to his family after slaying a Wurdulak, an undead creature who preys on those that it had once loved. The third story, titled "The Drop of Water", centers on Helen Corey (Jacqueline Pierreux), a nurse who steals a ring from a corpse that is being prepared for burial and finds herself haunted by the ring's original owner.

Black Sabbath is a horror classic that showcases Bava's mastery of the genre. The film is based on various sources, including stories by Anton Chekhov and Aleksey Tolstoy. The film has influenced many filmmakers, such as Martin Scorsese, Quentin Tarantino, and Tim Burton. The film also inspired the name of the heavy metal band Black Sabbath.

Watch: Society (1989)

Genres: Horror, Comedy

IMDb rating: 6.5/10

Rated: R

WARNING: This one is GROSS. 

Society is a 1989 body horror film directed by Brian Yuzna and starring Billy Warlock, Devin DeVasquez, Evan Richards, and Ben Meyerson. Its plot follows a Beverly Hills teenager who begins to suspect that his wealthy parents are part of a gruesome cult for the social elite.

The film follows Bill Whitney, who feels out of place in his rich family. He receives a disturbing tape from his sister's ex-boyfriend, which reveals a shocking secret about his parents and their friends. They are not human, but a different species that can deform and merge their bodies in a ritual called "shunting". Bill is in danger of becoming their next victim, unless he can escape from their twisted society.

Watch: Saturday the 14th (1981) 

Genres: Horror, Comedy, Fantasy, Sci-Fi

IMDb rating: 4.6/10

Rated: PG

Do you like horror movies, but also like to laugh at them? Then you'll love Saturday the 14th, a 1981 comedy horror film that spoofs classic horror films from the 1930s and 1940s. 

The film follows John and Mary Hyatt, a couple who inherit a haunted house from a deceased uncle. Along with their son Billy and daughter Debbie, they move into the house, unaware of the evil that lurks inside. Billy finds a mysterious book that unleashes monsters from its pages, such as vampires, werewolves, mummies, and more. The house is soon swarming with creatures of the night, but John and Mary are oblivious to the danger.

Saturday the 14th is a hilarious horror spoof that will make you laugh at the absurdity of the genre. It features great performances by Richard Benjamin and Paula Prentiss as the clueless couple, Jeffrey Tambor as Waldemar, and Severn Darden as Van Helsing. It also has some memorable scenes that parody famous horror movies, such as Psycho, The Exorcist, Jaws, and more.

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Watch: Night of the Demons (1988)

Genres: Horror, Comedy, Fantasy

IMDb rating: 6.1/10

Rated: R

Night of the Demons is a horror comedy movie that was released in 1988. It was directed by Kevin Tenney, written and produced by Joe Augustyn, and starred Amelia Kinkade, Cathy Podewell, Linnea Quigley, Hal Havins, and Alvin Alexis. 

The movie follows a group of teenagers who decide to have a Halloween party at an abandoned funeral parlor that is haunted by evil spirits. During the party, they accidentally unleash a demon that possesses them one by one and turns them into murderous creatures. Only two of them manage to escape the house and survive the night of terror.

Related: 21 Horror Movie Locations Across America

Watch:  The Stand (1994)

Genres: Horror, Sci-Fi, Fastasy, Adventure, Drama

IMDb rating: 7.1/10

Rated: Unrated

If you are looking for a thrilling and epic TV miniseries to watch, you might want to check out The Stand, based on the novel by Stephen King. 

The Stand tells the story of a post-apocalyptic world where a deadly virus has killed most of humanity, and the survivors are divided into two factions: one led by a benevolent woman named Mother Abigail, and the other by a sinister man named Randall Flagg. 

The miniseries features a star-studded cast of more than 125 actors, including Gary Sinise, Molly Ringwald, Jamey Sheridan, Rob Lowe, Laura San Giacomo, Miguel Ferrer, Ruby Dee, Ossie Davis, Matt Frewer, Ed Harris, and Kathy Bates. The Stand was directed by Mick Garris, who had previously collaborated with King on Sleepwalkers (1992), and was written by King himself, who also made a cameo appearance. 

The Stand is a gripping and captivating adaptation of King’s epic novel that explores the themes of good versus evil, faith versus fear, and free will versus destiny.

Watch: Stigmata (1999)

Genres: Horror, Mystery

IMDb rating: 6.2/10

Rated: R

Stigmata is a supernatural horror film that was released in 1999 and directed by Rupert Wainwright. It stars Patricia Arquette, Gabriel Byrne, Jonathan Pryce, Nia Long, and Rade Šerbedžija. 

The film follows an atheist hairdresser from Pittsburgh who starts to experience the wounds of Christ after receiving a rosary that belonged to a priest who had stigmata. A Vatican investigator is sent to examine her case and uncovers a conspiracy involving a hidden gospel that challenges the Catholic doctrine. 

Watch: Murders in the Rue Morgue (1932)

Genres: Horror, Crime, Mystery, Romance

IMDb rating: 6.3/10

Rated: Unrated

Murders in the Rue Morgue is a horror film directed by Robert Florey and based on the short story by Edgar Allan Poe. The film stars Bela Lugosi as Dr. Mirakle, a mad scientist who kidnaps women and injects them with ape blood to create a mate for his gorilla, Erik. He becomes obsessed with Camille L’Espanaye, a young woman who visits his sideshow with her fiancé Pierre Dupin, a medical student and amateur detective. When Mirakle abducts Camille and kills her mother, Dupin tries to rescue her and stop Mirakle’s experiments.

The film was produced by Universal Pictures and released in 1932. It was one of the first films to feature Lugosi in a role of a mad scientist or a doctor, which he would reprise in many other films. The film was also influenced by the success of Frankenstein (1931), which Florey was originally supposed to direct. The film deviated from Poe’s story and added elements of comedy, romance, and action. The film was censored in some regions for its violence and gore.

Watch: Nosferatu (1922)

Genres: Horror, Fantasy

IMDb rating: 7.9/10

Rated: Unrated

Nosferatu is a silent German horror film directed by F. W. Murnau and based on the novel Dracula by Bram Stoker. The film stars Max Schreck as Count Orlok, a vampire who wants to buy a house in the town of Wisborg and becomes obsessed with the wife of his estate agent, Hutter. The film follows Hutter’s journey to Orlok’s castle in Transylvania, where he discovers the Count’s true nature, and his attempt to save his wife Ellen from Orlok’s clutches.

The film was produced by Prana Film, an independent studio founded by Albin Grau, who also designed the sets and costumes. Grau was inspired by his interest in the occult and a story he heard from a Serbian farmer about his encounter with a vampire.

The film is considered a masterpiece of German Expressionism and one of the most influential horror films of all time. It is known for its eerie atmosphere, striking visuals, and Schreck’s iconic performance as Orlok. The film also introduced some elements that became staples of vampire lore, such as the vampire’s vulnerability to sunlight and his aversion to garlic.

Watch: Threads (1984)

Genre: Drama, Sci-Fi, Thriller

IMDb rating: 8.0/10

What if the Cold War turned hot? What if the world was plunged into a nuclear nightmare? What if you had to survive the aftermath of the ultimate catastrophe?

Threads is a 1984 movie that shows the terrifying reality of a nuclear war and its effects on Britain, especially on the city of Sheffield. Follow the lives of two families as they face the horror of a global conflict that spirals out of control. Witness the medical, economic, social and environmental consequences of a nuclear winter that wipes out civilization as we know it.

Threads is not a movie for the faint-hearted. It is a chilling and realistic account of the full horror of nuclear war and its aftermath. It is a movie that will make you think, make you feel, and make you question the sanity of humanity.

While not a horror film, Threads definitely qualifies as a scary movie. 

At Cheapism, we're all about saving you time, money, and sanity. And that includes saving money on entertainment. 

These movie suggestions came from perusing Reddit's r/fullmoviesonyoutube subreddit, and there are so many more that we didn't include, including classics, comedies, dramas, and everything else you can think of. 

So next time you're looking for something to watch that isn't going to touch your bank account, consider checking out what's been posted there recently.