Big-budget horror movies might be memorable, but they’ll never quite beat the campiness of cheesy horror movies. The 70s and 80s were the golden age of cheesy horror with movies that were sometimes so bad and unbelievable, they were good. Many of these horror movies have their own cult following of dedicated fans. You don’t have to wait for Halloween or pay for expensive streaming services to watch them, though. Just check out these great sites.
Want to thank your best friend for binge watching hundreds of horror flicks with you? All you need is a great gift. Try one of these horror-themed gifts for something you know they’ll love. Then, sit back and watch some of these urban legend horror movies.
1. Tubi TV
Tubi TV has become a go-to free streaming site for a wide range of movies and shows, but the site really excels when it comes to horror movies. While they have more serious fare, they have some of the best cheesy horror movies around. If you don’t mind some ad breaks, you can check out classics like Zombie Strippers, Elvira: Mistress of the Dark, and The Return of the Living Dead.
Dive into Tubi’s horror catalog and you’ll have plenty go keep you cringing and laughing for weeks. The site’s even developing their own originals, which is sure to include a little cheesiness. During October, the site hosts Terror on Tubi.
2. Crackle
Crackle works much like Tubi TV and also has a large horror selection. Of course, you’ll find quite a few selections that are so terrible you can’t help but laugh out loud at the absurdity. While it’d be nice to be able to better filter the horror genre, it’s easy enough to just scroll through and find something fun to watch. At the time of writing, you can find great cheesy horror like Lavalantua, Piranhaconda, Creature from the Haunted Sea, and Boa vs. Python.
Everything’s free on Crackle and they even have an originals section. Just remember, the site is ad-supported.
3. Freevee
Freevee, which was originally IMDbTV, is Amazon’s free ad-supported streaming service. While you can watch it via an app on most devices, you’ll have to stream it through Amazon, completely free with no Prime subscription necessary, on computers. Surprisingly, the platform has a growing selection of horror, including cheesy horror movies.
Need a good laugh? Check out Saturday the 14th. There’s also the fun shopping mall horror flick Chopping Mall.
4. Popcornflix
Grab some popcorn, sit back, and enjoy as much cheesy horror as you want on Popcornflix. While the free ad-supported site has numerous movies in all genres, including some older blockbusters, their horror selection is rather impressive.
Just don’t say you weren’t warned about how horribly good some of movies are, such as Strippers vs. Werewolves and Sharktopus vs. Whalewolf. You might also never see carousels the same way again after watching Caroushell.
If you get bored of the horror flicks, check out the random theme collections, such as the recent Rage in the Cage collection of Nicholas Cage movies.
5. CONtv
CONtv, formerly known as Viewster, has become one of the best streaming platforms for comic con and comic content. However, it also has a growing selection of horror, sci-fi, and action movies, which fit the site’s theme fairly well. Unlike the other sites on this list so far, not everything is free to watch. There’s a small selection of free ad-supported content, but it’s $7/month and comes with a free trial.
There’s cheesy horror on both the free and premium plans. For instance, check out Night of the Living Dead and Pop Punk Zombies for free. Or, watch Bigfoot vs. the Illuminati and Under ConTROLL in the premium version.
6. YouTube
Finding cheesy horror movies on YouTube might lead to you to some questionable sources, but there’s an entire section of YouTube that has legal free movies to watch. Of course, you can also buy/rent movies through YouTube. You can easily search for any movie you want, but if you want the legal versions only, look for the green “Free with Ads” or “Buy or Rent” under the result. You can also jump straight to YouTube’s movie selection here.
You’ll have to scroll a little to find the horror movies, but it’s well worth it. They’ve got a decent selection, including Elvira’s Haunted Hills, Troll 2 and Dinoshark. All free content is ad-supported. Premium content costs vary based on the title.
7. Hulu
Hulu is the only premium-only subscription site on this list, but it’s well worth including due to the low cost of just $6.99/month for the limited ads plan or $12.99/month for ad-free. Or, bundle with Disney+ and ESPN+ for $13.99/month with ad-supported Hulu. Surprisingly, Hulu has a vast horror catalog, including some cheesy goodness, such as The Gillymuck and Willy’s Wonderland.
What makes Hulu even better is the cheesy original horror movies, such as Pooka Lives! and Little Monsters.
8. Pluto TV
Pluto TV is well-known for the numerous free live channels, but there’s actually wealth of content on demand as well. Everything is free to watch and ad-supported. Thanks to being supported by Paramount, you’ll also find Paramount movies and CBS content. Of course, cheesy horror is also available. If you want to watch an endless stream of horror movies, try the Terror and Horror stations.
Prefer on-demand? Check out the Halloween section. You’ll find cheesy flicks like Invaders from Mars and Once Bitten. Selections change frequently on Pluto, so if you find something you like, don’t wait too long to watch.
9. Kanopy
If you have a library card, see if your library supports streaming with Kanopy. Everything’s free as long as you have a current library card from a participating library. Some universities also participate. The site actually has a surprisingly large horror and thriller section.
Check out cheesy goodness with films like The Man From Planet X or I Bought a Vampire Motorcycle.
10. The Roku Channel
Don’t worry, you don’t need a Roku device to enjoy the free ad-supported Roku Channel. It’s similar to sites like Tubi and Pluto. Watch live TV, including some horror stations, or catch cheesy horror movies on-demand. Titles do switch out regularly, though.
While they don’t have as big of a selection of horror movies as some sites on this list, it’s still worth checking out. Catch the classic Ernest Scared Stupid or Abraham Lincoln: Vampire Hunter. The only problem is it’s difficult to find categories on Roku Channel, so it may take some scrolling and searching to uncover the best movies.
11. Vudu
While Vudu is better known for rentals and buying movies, they also have a large variety of free content, including cheesy horror. All you have to do is go to the Free category and select Horror and you’re ready to start streaming.
At the time of writing, Vudu had almost 2,000 horror movies for free. Of course, they’re ad-supported, which is expected. But, you can also sit back and enjoy movies like Zombie Isle, Snake Outta Compton, and Little Dead Rotting Hood.
Love everything horror and not just cheesy flicks? Then check out the best folk horror movies and best J-horror and K-horror movies. Or, if you’re a NOW TV subscriber, check out their horror offerings. You could even try out some smart horror.
Image credit: Ahmadreza89 via Pixabay
