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The best horror on Criterion Channel right now

Right now the best horror films and series on Criterion Channel in the United States are Godzilla (1954), Meshes of the Afternoon (1943) and Funny Games (1997). This is the top 20 streaming there today, ranked by how well rated each one is, how many people have rated it, and what people are watching now.

Updated November 12, 2026 · streaming in the United States

Pick three for me

  1. 1. Godzilla1954

    Film · 1h 36mThriller, Horror, Science Fiction★ 7.6

    Japan is thrown into a panic after several ships are sunk near Odo Island. An expedition to the island led by Dr. Kyohei Yamane soon discover something far more devastating than imagined in the form of a 50 meter tall monster whom the…

    Stream onHBO MaxCriterion ChannelCinemaxTCM+1

  2. 2. Meshes of the Afternoon1943

    Film · 14mMystery, Horror★ 7.6

    A woman returning home falls asleep and has vivid dreams that may or may not be happening in reality. Through repetitive images and complete mismatching of the objective view of time and space, her dark inner desires play out on-screen.

    Stream onCriterion ChannelKanopy (free)

  3. 3. Funny Games1997

    Film · 1h 49mDrama, Horror, Thriller★ 7.3

    Two psychotic young men take a mother, father, and son hostage in their vacation cabin and force them to play sadistic "games" with one another for their own amusement.

    Stream onHBO MaxCriterion ChannelHowdyShout! Factory TV (free)+1

  4. 4. Kwaidan1965

    Film · 3h 3mHorror, Fantasy, Drama★ 7.7

    Taking its title from an archaic Japanese word meaning "ghost story," this anthology adapts four folk tales. A penniless samurai marries for money with tragic results.

    Stream onHBO MaxCriterion ChannelTCM

  5. 5. House1977

    Film · 1h 28mComedy, Fantasy, Horror★ 7.3

    Hoping to find a sense of connection to her late mother, Gorgeous takes a trip with her friends to visit her aunt's ancestral house in the countryside. The girls soon discover that there is more to the old house than meets the eye.

    Stream onHBO MaxCriterion ChannelTCMKanopy (free)+3

  6. Which of these would you actually like?

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  7. 6. The Most Dangerous Game1932

    Film · 1h 3mThriller, Adventure, Horror★ 6.9

    When legendary hunter Bob Rainsford is shipwrecked on the perilous reefs surrounding a mysterious island, he finds himself the guest of the reclusive and eccentric Count Zaroff.

    Stream onPrime VideofuboTVHBO MaxMGM++20

  8. 7. Godzilla, King of the Monsters!1956

    Film · 1h 21mScience Fiction, Horror★ 6.5

    During an assignment, foreign correspondent Steve Martin spends a layover in Tokyo and is caught amid the rampage of an unstoppable prehistoric monster the Japanese call 'Godzilla'.

    Stream onCriterion ChannelCinemaxDarkroom (free)

  9. 8. Altered States1980

    Film · 1h 43mHorror, Science Fiction, Thriller★ 6.7

    A research scientist explores the boundaries and frontiers of human consciousness. Using sensory deprivation and hallucinogenic mixtures from Native American shamans, he explores these altered states of cognizance and finds that memory,…

    Stream onPrime VideoCriterion ChannelHowdyHoopla (free)+1

  10. 9. The Phantom Carriage1921

    Film · 1h 48mDrama, Fantasy, Horror★ 7.7

    An alcoholic, abusive ne'er-do-well is shown the error of his ways through a legend that dooms the last person to die on New Year's Eve before the clock strikes twelve to take the reins of Death's chariot and work tirelessly collecting…

    Stream onCriterion ChannelIndieFlixIndieFlix ShortsFawesome (free)+1

  11. 10. Hour of the Wolf1968

    Film · 1h 28mDrama, Horror★ 7.4

    While vacationing on a remote German island with his younger pregnant wife, an artist has an emotional breakdown while confronting his repressed desires.

    Stream onCriterion Channel

  12. 11. The Big Shave1967

    Film · 6mHorror, Drama★ 6.9

    A young man walks into a meticulously clean and sterile bathroom and proceeds to shave away hair, then skin, in an increasingly bloody and graphic bathroom scene.

    Stream onCriterion ChannelHBO Max

  13. 12. The Cremator1969

    Film · 1h 41mHorror, Drama, Crime★ 7.8

    In 1930s Prague, a Czech cremator who firmly believes cremation relieves one from earthly suffering is drawn inexorably to Nazism.

    Stream onCriterion ChannelDocAlliance Films

  14. 13. The Addiction1995

    Film · 1h 22mDrama, Horror★ 6.5

    A vampiric doctoral student tries to follow the philosophy of a nocturnal comrade and control her thirst for blood.

    Stream onCriterion ChannelARROWKanopy (free)Plex (free)

  15. 14. The Return of Godzilla1984

    Film · 1h 43mScience Fiction, Action, Horror★ 7.2

    After a fishing boat is attacked, the sole surviving crew member realizes it is none other than a resurrected Godzilla. However, efforts to bring the story to light are suppressed by the Japanese government amid growing political tensions…

    Stream onHBO MaxCriterion ChannelCinemax

  16. 15. Doodlebug1997

    Film · 3mHorror, Thriller★ 6.5

    There's something in his apartment. A man looking for an insect-like thing devolves into a bout of insanity as his subconscious mind begins to strangle his waking one.

    Stream onCriterion Channel

  17. 16. The Alphabet1969

    Film · 4mAnimation, Horror★ 6.4

    A woman's dark and absurdist nightmare vision comprising a continuous recitation of the alphabet and bizarre living representations of each letter.

    Stream onCriterion Channel

  18. 17. Body Snatchers1993

    Film · 1h 27mHorror, Science Fiction★ 6.2

    When Environmental Protection Agency inspector Steve Malone travels to a remote military base in order to check for toxic materials, he brings his family along for the ride.

    Stream onPrime VideoCriterion ChannelAMC+Hoopla (free)

  19. 18. The Blob1958

    Film · 1h 22mHorror, Science Fiction★ 6.2

    A drive-in favorite, this sci-fi classic follows teenagers Steve and his best girl, Jane, as they try to protect their hometown from a gelatinous alien life form that engulfs everything it touches.

    Stream onHBO MaxYouTube TVCriterion ChannelHistory Vault+5

  20. 19. Encounters of the Spooky Kind1980

    Film · 1h 44mAction, Comedy, Fantasy★ 6.8

    "Big Guts" Cheung, a man well known in his local village for his lack of fear, is put to the test after being tricked into spending the night in a temple full of spirits, zombies, and vampires.

    Stream onCriterion Channel

  21. 20. Cemetery Man1994

    Film · 1h 44mComedy, Horror★ 6.9

    Francesco Dellamorte is the groundskeeper at a cemetery where the dead just won’t stay dead—and it’s up to him to deal with those who come back to life with a hunger for human flesh.

    Stream onPrime VideoAMC+Criterion ChannelShudder+15

Questions

What are the best horror films and series on Criterion Channel right now?
In the United States, as of November 12, 2026: Godzilla (1954), rated 7.6 out of 10 on TMDB, then Meshes of the Afternoon and Funny Games.
How is this list made?
Watchwalla asks TMDB for everything of this kind that streams in your country today, ranks it by rating (pulled toward the middle until enough people have rated a title), with a nudge for what's new and what people are watching now, and refreshes the list every day. Streaming availability comes from JustWatch, through TMDB.
Can it pick something for me?
Yes. The picker at watchwalla.com/tonight asks who's watching, how much time you have and what you're in the mood for, and gives three picks streaming where you are. Sign in and every title also gets a match score for your own taste.

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