The Best Halloween Movies on Netflix Are These 3 Alfred Hitchcock Classics: ‘Psycho,’ ‘The Birds,’ and ‘Marnie’

If you’re looking for scary movies to watch on Netflix in October 2024, then you should know that there are currently three Alfred Hitchcock movies available on the streaming service. While it’s not unheard for Netflix to host classic films, the streamer is notorious for its limited selection of films from before the 21st century. But in a pleasant surprise for subscribers this month, the streamer added not one, not two, but three Hitchcock movies to its library— Psycho , The Birds , and Marnie —which make for the perfect spooky season movie marathon. It’s a Halloween miracle!

Hitchcock movies are not quite horror movies—more like thrillers—but they are very scary, and very good. That’s especially true for Psycho , Hitchcock’s 1960 psychological thriller that is widely regarded as one of the greatest films of all time Anthony Perkins delivers an all-time great performance as Norman Bates, the seemingly mild-mannered hotel clerk with a dark, twisted interior. Janet Leigh plays Marion, a woman who chooses the wrong hotel to stay at for the night. Leigh’s iconic shower death scene scarred a generation of women, now terrified of showering, and the unforgettable soundtrack is now a ubiquitous noise used to indicate psychos everywhere. If you haven’t yet seen this iconic masterpiece, now is the perfect time to rectify that oversight.

Bob Newhart’s Movies, Remembered: His Unique Hilarity Was Not Just Limited To TV

Stream It Or Skip It: ‘Eileen’ on Hulu, a Dark, Sexy Noir-Thriller Starring Anne Hathaway and Thomasin McKenzie

Then there’s The Birds , aka the 1963 movie about killer birds, loosely inspired by the 1952 short story of the same name by Daphne du Maurier. It was the first collaboration between Hitchcock and Tippi Hedren, who stars as Melanie Daniels, a young woman whose love story with leading man Rod Taylor is interrupted by a series of sudden and inexplicable bird attacks. The genius of this movie—which truly scared the pants off me when I saw it as a kid—is the way Hitchcock makes you question the previously-overlooked natural world around you. How many times a day do you see birds in your neighborhood, and what would happen if they suddenly all tried to kill you? It’s a chilling thought. As you’re watching, don’t forget this was decades before the era of computer graphics—every bird attack was done via practical special effects.

CLICK HERE TO GET EMAILS FROM DECIDER

Marnie , while less famous than Psycho and The Birds , is still certainly a worthwhile watch for spooky season. It marks the second Hedren-Hitchcock team-up. This time, Hedren played the title role of Marnie, a troubled young woman who falls into a romantic entanglement with a wealthy businessman (played by a young Sean Connery). At the time, critics considered the 1964 film to be a disappointing follow-up to Hitchcock’s run of veritable bangers— Vertigo (1958), North by Northwest (1959), Psycho (1960), The Birds (1963)—but over the years, it’s come to be respected as one of Hitchcock’s underrated gems. Marnie deals with darker themes than the previous two films, including rape and sexual trauma, so just make sure you’re in the right headspace for that before you hit “play.”

Once you’ve finished watching the Hitchcock movies on Netflix, there are plenty of other horror movies on Netflix you can stream , too. But it’s so rare to see classic films on Netflix, so why not start with these golden oldies? Take advantage of this spooky season blessing.

For more entertainment news and streaming recommendations, visit decider.com