5 of the Scariest Movies (According to Science) Are Now Free To Stream Online

Free to stream

Two weeks ago, we shared that 2023 liminal horror sensation Skinamarink was one of several recent horror releases to top Science of Scare’s Top 10 Scariest Movies of All Time list (according to science). Skinamarink ranked at number 3 alongside 2022 offering Smile (number 7) and Sundance breakout Talk to Me (number 10). While the list is jam-packed with must-see horror titles, we’re happy to announce that five of them are presently available to stream for free on Tubi. Read on to see what made the cut!

Hell House LLC (Number 9)

Hot on the heels of the forthcoming Hell House LLC Origins: The Carmichael Manor (which, I should note, is aggressively, turn on all the lights scary), audiences can now stream Stephen Cognetti’s coulrophobic scare fest for free on Tubi. It’s one of the century’s most effective found footage offerings, and its placement on the list is no fluke. It’s scary stuff.

The Babadook (Number 16)

Jennifer Kent’s supernatural classic terrified an entire generation. While it’s been unfairly maligned in recent years, serving as an easy scapegoat for ostensible “elevated horror,” revisiting it post-hype makes it clearer than ever that Kent is working on an entirely different level here. Evocative and terrifying, The Babadook regularly ranks among the scariest movies of all time for a reason. Catch it now on Tubi.

The Autopsy of Jane Doe (Number 18)

André Øvredal’s haunted chamber piece follows a coroner (a fantastic Brian Cox) and his son (Emile Hirsch) as they conduct an autopsy on the titular Jane Doe. Not everything is as it seems, and as the evening unfolds, it becomes clearer that this body possesses a lot more than it should. While I’m partial Øvredal’s grander works, The Autopsy of Jane Doe is bite-sized horror with a serious scare factor.

The Texas Chain Saw Massacre (Number 23)

It needs no introduction. Tobe Hooper’s grim slice of rural horror remains one of the most vicious, uncompromising horror movies ever made. It may not list as high as other entries, likely on account of the scale used to rank, but this piece of horror history demands to be seen. And now it’s on Tubi. Rev your chainsaws for that.

Oculus (Number 41)

Mike Flanagan’s first earnest dip into theatrical horror (before Netflix stole him away, that is) is a creative, mind-bending tale of a haunted mirror. It sounds silly. It is silly. That it not only works, but works with vicious efficacy, is a testament to Flanagan’s tight control of genre conventions. Don’t miss it on Tubi.

Science of the Scare uses both heart rate (measured via BPM) and heart rate variance (measured in milliseconds) to measure both fear and dread. The list is restricted to only popular horror releases in the English language, and it undoubtedly prioritizes horror films packed to the brim with jumps. That is, it’s not a perfect metric, though as a gateway to what audiences find scary, it’s worthwhile to explore.

What do you think? Do you plan to check any of these features out on Tubi? Let me know over on Twitter @Chadiscollins!

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