Creepy Scary Movies to Cuddle Up With

Reading Time: 4 minutes

Looking for a not-so-scary movie to spend a chilly evening with. Then get a fluffy blanket, make yourself a warm bowl of soup (even better with a gooey grilled cheese!), a soothing cup of cocoa or tea and comfy up on a couch alone or with one of your favorite people (or animals!) and get ready for some chills without gory or torture. 

We promise these movies will give you a tingle without keeping you up all night. If you’re looking for spooky, scary movies that aren’t too scary, you’re in for a treat. Here, we’re focusing on retro horror classics, the scary movies from the 50s, 60s, 70s and 80s. Nope, they didn’t have any CGI effects, but what they lacked in computer animation they made up for in ghoulish charm and creepy life-like effects. 

Whether you’re looking for a Halloween horror-fest or just want to spend a day wrapped up in mystery and the supernatural, there’s always a good reason to indulge in some scary movies. How many of these movies have you seen? Most here are worth a re-watch, but if you’re new to old camp classics, you’re in for a real trick and treat. 

1. The Fog

I did not expect to see Jamie Lee Curtis in this, one of her earliest roles following Halloween. This John Carpenter movie doesn’t stop moving and keeps a swift pace while tapping into that small town charm (with a secret) that makes good scary movies also kinda cozy. Surprisingly, it’s not one of those “charming New England towns” but coastal California.

And if you’re wondering, like I was after finishing the movie, if you can visit the picturesque places from the movie, you’re in luck, because here’s a whole tour of what these spots look like now to inspire your own spooky road trip.

2. Ghost Story

Fred Astaire in a horror movie? Yep, that’s enough to sell me on this pick. Fans of moody New England woodlands will enjoy some of the settings filmed in Albany and Saratoga Springs, New York, along with Woodstock, Vermont. Reviews are mixed but it’s worth checking out.

3. The Thing

From mixed reviews to cinematic classic, if you haven’t watched this epic horror, put it to the top of your must-watch list. Isolation, paranoia and a literally chilling Antarctic setting, you’ll never look at a Malamute the same way again.

4. Fright Night

This movie has a Friday night visit to West Coast Video written all of it. It’s fun, young, innocent, with just enough of an edge to keep you hooked through the whole vampire-fighting adventure.

5. An American Werewolf in London

Another one on my list that’s definitely considered a classic, it wasn’t until 2023 that I actually got to see this flick and although I don’t usually find werewolves all that scary (I mean, c’mon, look how furry they are, I bet they’d enjoy a pet and a doggie treat) this film captures the eeriness of the English countryside with an amazing cast who do justice to this chilling script.

6. Phantasm

Phantasm feels like if you took one of your nightmares and attempted to vision board it out. There’s graveyards, creepy dudes, spinning balls of death, mausoleums and all the ghoulishness you’d expect in a good horror movie. It’s trippy and like no other scary movie I’ve ever seen.

7. Ghoulies

8. They Live

Totally did not expect this movie to be anything worth watching. After all, its main star is pro wrestler, Rowdy Roddy Piper. Another John Carpenter on the list, this one is more relevant than ever before as it tackles big subjects like alien invasions, mind-control and propoganda. Fast forward over the extended wrastling scene if you must (which one can only assume was in Piper’s contract) but you’ll probably be pleasantly surprised by this sleeper.

9. House

The housing market is tough out there, so how about a movie that will turn you off to any thoughts of home ownership? This one has a classic 80s horror vibe to it but what’s even more wild is how different the sequel is. Go into House II ready to laugh at some crazy scenes like dragons, zombies and a memorable grandpa.

10. Creepshow

Inspired by old horror comics, this one is perfect when you’re not looking to dig into an epic but instead feel like some terrorizing tidbits. It’s written by Stephen King, so you know it won’t disappoint with creeping you out.

11. The Goonies

12. The Howling

13. House on Haunted Hill

And if you want to watch the full movie, here’s a great colorized version. I know colorized edition get hate for not being true to the original vision, and it’s true, you don’t want to mess with most b&w classics. But this version has an Instagram filter feel to it and I actually enjoyed the sepia color palette. It’s the first version I watched thanks to the comedic treatment of the RiffTrax treatment which you can purchase on their website or watch on Prime.

14. Night of the Lepus

15. Squirm

16. Food of the Gods

17. Piranha

18. The Crater Lake Monster

19. The Gate

Again, my expectations were super low with this one, but wow, some of these have stuck with me for years (but in a good way, not like a laying awake terrified kind of way). Enjoy the full glory of 80s animatronic stop-motion monsters.

20. The Burbs

Technically a black comedy, this one still have plenty of creepy vibes and will give you a great mystery adventure to go on with everyone’s favorite average Joe actor, Tom Hanks.