Stephen King’s favorite scary movies to watch right now

Stephen King did what he does best this year beyond writing: he guided horror fans toward movies that are truly sleep-disrupting.

On Threads and X, the author narrowed down five movies that valiantly cut through the noise with scares, craft, and character. And in a genre where discovery is half the fun, one terrifying thumbs-up from the world’s most famous horror novelist can mean an automatic move to watchlists.

King’s preference leans toward the ones that are daring and make you care about the people in jeopardy. His selections run the gamut — from a literary-rooted chiller to a genre-blending Western — highlighting how elastic modern horror has become, when provided via streaming and premium rentals.

Why Stephen King’s latest horror picks matter for fans

King’s recommendations carry an outsized sway: he has a huge following across social platforms, and genre fans view his endorsements through the lens of curation. Tracking companies like Nielsen and Comscore have repeatedly found that, on streaming platforms, horror not only over-indexes but competes at broadcast stations — which is to say the right push can often turn a niche-y release into a word-of-mouth hit. His 2025 shoutouts run the gamut of Shudder, Hulu, Prime Video, and Max services, accessible to most.

Abraham’s Boys offers literary-rooted generational dread

Based on a Joe Hill story and starring Titus Welliver, this one really sinks its teeth into generational dread with a slow-burning intensity that pays off with patience. King lauded its slow-building unease, just the kind of flick where the terror is strictly of the mood-first variety and we’re still shook long after the final act. The literary DNA is evident: the horror springs from familial history and secrets, not cheap jump scares.

Where to watch: Now on Shudder, AMC Networks’ horror-oriented service, which is known for showcasing finds from the festival circuit and authorial adaptations. If you like to huddle in atmospheric Gothic tension, push this to the top of your queue.

Killing Faith blends Western grit with supernatural fear

King referred to this as a quasi-supernatural Western with an opening that goes for your throat and never lets go. The film embraces frontier fatalism and moral rot — if you will, think dust, dread, and sudden violence — while allowing the uncanny to flicker along the edges.

Where to watch: Rent or buy on Prime Video. The pick is in keeping with a larger movement of hybrid horror, in which genre mash-ups (Western, noir, and even romance) attract new fans without skimping on scares.

The Monkey delivers gleeful, chaotic supernatural thrills

King praised The Monkey for its gleefully unhinged energy, a gonzo supernatural roller-coaster narrative that goes from ridiculous to harrowing in one heartbeat. It’s a big swing on horror’s shake-up continuum — messy, bold, and so, so memorable, with set pieces designed to keep you foxed.

How to watch: Stream it on Hulu. For people who like cult-ready weirdness and escalating creativity, this is the chaos engine you’ve been waiting for.

Together turns relationship drama into claustrophobic terror

Featuring Dave Franco and Alison Brie, Together works because it recognizes a central horror truth King so often champions: stakes have more weight when the people involved feel real. The performances provide a foundation for the terror, transforming what begins as a relationship drama into a pressure cooker in which every choice is painful.

How to watch: Rent or buy on Prime Video. If you like your horror character-first — intimate, claustrophobic, and morally thorny — this one’s for you.

Weapons showcases precision scares and confident direction

King praised Weapons for its certainty of narration and real scare factor. The filmmaking is razor-sharp, relying on precision pacing and mounting dread rather than cheap thrills. It’s the rare modern studio-backed horror that shows how craft and commerce can coexist.

Where to watch: Stream on Max. Recent studio horror has demonstrated solid legs on subscription platforms, and this title fits the pattern — high rewatch value, strong chatter, and a narrative that rewards close attention.

The bottom line on Stephen King’s five horror favorites

King’s five picks make for a compact syllabus for horror fans: a literary creepfest, a boundary-pushing Western, delirious supernatural romps, relationship-driven nail-biters, and confidently mounted thrillers.

Whether you’re seeking atmosphere or audacity or airtight suspense, there’s a gateway here — and a reminder that in horror, daring still pays off.