Looking for new horror movies to watch? August may not be the traditional month to get scary, but we're less than 100 days away from Halloween now, so let's get stuck into some nailbiters.
Happily, the best streaming services offer up a variety of must-see movies to choose from each month, including both brand-new films and older films that are just new to these particular streamers.
Highlights this month include Shudder dropping a new hotel-set slasher to compete with the best Shudder movies, Paramount Plus offering a brutal Western, and Prime Video offering a handful of excellent options. So get caught up on some of the year's creepiest outings with our picks of the top horror movies new to stream in August.
Saw
When: August 1
Where to stream it: Prime Video (US/Australia), Netflix (UK)
Just in time for the upcoming prequel-sequel, Saw X. While a great many horror series don't necessarily warrant a rewatch before the latest movie arrives, Saw is different. This first outing kicks off 20 years of storytelling, stitched together by retcons, and remains a solid piece of early 2000s horror cinema. Most of the movie takes place in a single location as two apparent strangers wake up to find themselves tied up with a dead body between them. James Wan directs from a script he co-wrote with Leigh Whannell, delivering a headscratcher that packs in twists galore and a still-shocking ending. Maybe time to acquaint yourself with our guide on how to watch the Saw movies?
Skinamarink
When: August 4
Where to stream it: Hulu (US), Shudder (UK/Australia)
There's a reason Skinamarink went viral following its Fantasia Fest debut. This microbudget horror hails from Canadian filmmaker Kyle Edward Ball and tells the simple tale of two siblings who wake in the night to discover their father is missing. Oh, and so are the doors and windows to their home. While its creepy premise warrants exploration, beware: this is an experimental mash – a shoegaze chiller with intentions of lulling you into a hypnotic state before unleashing some of the creepiest scenes last year. Further proof that you don't need stacks of cash to scare the bejeezus out of audiences.
Bones and All
When: August 8
Where to stream it: Prime Video
This is the second sublime horror movie directed by Call Me By Your Name filmmaker Luca Guadagnino. This follow-up to Suspiria confirms he's got the chops to handle genre storytelling with aplomb. Bones and All adapts the YA novel about two young lovers, Timothee Chalamet and Taylor Russell, adrift in an unending American landscape… with a taste for human flesh. It carries the emotional heft of Guadagnino's more romantic works, and at times, its aesthetic feels plucked from 1970s cinema. But this love story is very much also a cannibal story, awash with plenty of grue and blood, and a creepy performance from Mark Rylance for the ages.
Enys Men
When: August 9
Where to stream it: Hulu (US), BFI Player (UK)
Keeping with the trend of muted horror offerings, Enys Men is an understated folk film that takes place off the English coast. Set in the days preceding May Day on an uninhabited Cornish island in 1973, it follows the experiences of a wildlife volunteer – simply called The Volunteer (Mary Woodvine)– as she explores and tracks the growth of wildflowers. While it sounds rather quaint, this dreamy feature from Mark Jenkin (who crafted 2019's Bait) is anything but. Shot on 16mm as an attempt at capturing its epoch, perhaps, the film mesmerizes more than it shocks. When The Volunteer makes a sudden discovery, all bets are off between what is real and what is imaginary.
Cocaine Bear
When: August 15
Where to stream it: Prime Video
Of course, you might prefer an animal attack horror. Cocaine Bear is a B-movie that delivers exactly what you'd expect from its title. This surprisingly gory flick is loosely based on the true story of a bear that happens upon a stash of dumped cocaine in the woods and proceeds to ingest it. Everything else outside of that framework is pure fiction and Elizabeth Banks directs the hell out of it. Several story threads following an ensemble of kids, park rangers, drug runners, and cops all pull together in the Georgia forest. Alas, as the titular beast gets more coked-up, it takes its rage out on whomever crosses its path. One particularly inspired setpiece involves the bear attacking a moving ambulance that winds up with someone's cheek shredded against the tarmac. Pure Friday night fuel.
Bad Things
When: August 18
Where to stream it: Shudder
Comparisons to The Shining feature in almost every review of the movie following its debut at this year's Tribeca Film Festival. And is it any wonder, considering its premise? This creepy slasher follows four friends during a stay at a wintry abode who soon discover the place has horrific designs on them. Gayle Rankin leads this psychological pic as Ruthie, who invites her girlfriend and two of her best friends to stay at the hotel she inherited from her aunt. The vibe lifts from Kubrick's classic, an ominous sense of dread as the four women face ghosts – literal and figurative – in the walls of the abandoned lodge.
Organ Trail
When: August 24
Where to stream it: Paramount Plus
See what you did there, Organ Trail. Set in 1870 Montana this unflinching Western carries flecks of horror that make it a must-see for August – even if it takes some time for those components to kick in. Abigail (Zoé De Grand Maison) is discovered in the wilderness, bloodied but hanging on, surrounded by the bodies of her family. Her pledge to seek revenge on those responsible ignites a trek across the American west that's lensed beautifully by filmmaker Michael Patrick Jann (best known for mockumentary Drop Dead Gorgeous). Replete with sufficient slayings to make it a distinctly solid genre offering, Organ Trail might not match the shock of Bone Tomahawk but it's nevertheless a worthy watch.
Don't forget to check out lists of the best Prime Video movies for more from the service, which apparently is having a very horror-friendly month. And we've got guides to the best Netflix movies and best Max movies for those, too.
