10 Military Horror Movies You Can Stream Right Now
Mandatory Halloween viewing.
The Halloween season isn’t made for playing it safe. While you could cycle through the classics, dip into found footage territory, and generally get your fright night on any way you want, we thought we’d do you a solid by identifying 10 horror flicks with a military edge.
Happy haunting, America.
10.
THE KEEP (1983)
STREAM ON: PLUTO TV
Look, you’re either down with Michael Mann as a director or you’re not. Personally, I think Heat and Collateral are two of the greatest films of the last half-century, and I still vibe heavily with his Miami Vice adaptation.
THE KEEP, is an early entry into his filmography, and in typical Mann-fashion, proved divisive upon release. Evolving into a Cold War cult classic, the film centers around a sect of Nazis who unleash a supernatural force buried deep within the bowels of a Romanian Fortress.
The flick leans a little too heavily into arthouse territory, but strong performances from the legendary Sir Ian McKellen and supreme badass Scott Glenn make sure this one hits all the right notes.
9.
OVERLORD (2018)
STREAM ON: PARAMOUT+, HULU, TUBI
Fair warning, Nazis dabbling in the supernatural arts are going to be a bit of an early theme here.
OVERLORD takes the fear into overdrive, as on the eve of D-Day, a squad of U.S. Army paratroopers go deep behind enemy lines and discover that no mission brief could prepare them for the evil that lies ahead.
Let’s just say that Captain America may no longer be the first character that comes to mind when you hear the words “super soldier".
8.
28 WEEKS LATER (2007)
STREAM ON: PLUTO TV, HULU, AMAZON PRIME, PARAMOUNT+
Under normal circumstances, we’d never promote a film that portrays the U.S. military in a questionable light. But 28 WEEKS LATER absolutely rips, as did its predecessor, and we’re willing to bet the in-production next installment will too.
This follow-up deals with the global ramifications of the Rage virus outbreak in the United Kingdom, as the United States attempts to facilitate a mass re-population of the island. Things go south fast.
7.
BELOW (2002)
STREAM ON: PLUTO TV, AMAZON PRIME, PARAMOUNT+
I’ve always fancied the kind of flicks that have a psychological slant to them. Is this really happening? Is it all in their head? What’s the twist?
BELOW is a criminally unseen deep sea mindf*ck based on an idea from acclaimed director Darren Aronofsky (THE WRESTLER, REQUIEM FOR A DREAM).
Here, a group of World War II sailors head into the abyss to retrieve a missing submarine. In the darkness and isolation, the men begin to go slowly mad as a series of bizarre mechanical mishaps contribute to the eeriness of the ocean floor.
6.
RED SANDS (2009)
STREAM ON: TUBI
When immense boredom is involved, trouble usually follows. RED SANDS takes this premise and runs with it, as a unit of Afghanistan-stationed U.S. soldiers make the unwise decision to destroy a local statue for a laugh.
Unknowingly releasing a supernatural evil into the world, the grunts soon realize that peace in the Middle East is on a permanent hold.
5.
JACOB'S LADDER (1990)
STREAM ON: MGM+. AMAZON PRIME
When I was a youth, my parents were too cheap to subscribe to any of the premium movie channels, but about twice a year HBO and Showtime would offer a weekend of free viewing to entice new subscribers. I’d take full advantage of this and watch as many movies as I could from start to finish before it was back to school on Monday.
Thinking it was some kind of children’s programming, I mistakenly watched this Tim Robbins horror vehicle at way too young of an age. Portraying a PTSD-stricken Vietnam veteran, Robbins undergoes a haunting journey of visions and ghost sightings as he attempts to find the root of his mental misfortunes. Stay locked in for one hell of an ending.
4.
SPECTRAL (2016)
STREAM ON: NETFLIX
Everybody loves a good ghost story – and a good war story. Set in crime-ridden Moldova, SPECTRAL sees a team of elite Special Ops soldiers attempt to extinguish an army of fast-moving spirits.
A commentary on the over reliance of advanced technology, this movie is nothing short of a rush from start to finish. Hit the lights and fire up the Netflix machine, folks.
3.
ARMY OF THE UNDEAD (2021)
STREAM ON: NETFLIX
When Zack Snyder really puts his heart and soul into a project, it works. See 300 or the Snyder Cut of JUSTICE LEAGUE. Army of the Undead is no different, as the filmmaker uses his signature visual style to tell the story of a Las Vegas-set zombie outbreak as the result of a failed military experiment at Area 51.
A plausible scenario if you ask this writer. Hoping to pull off a heist for the ages, a group of mercenaries lead by Dave Bautista head into the Quarantine Zone with found fortune on their mind.
2.
DEAD SNOW (2009)
STREAM ON: PLEX
An underrated Norwegian cult classic, a group of tourists camp out at a remote cabin and deal with all the common horror movie tropes you’d come to expect. Suddenly, the formula goes out the window as it’s revealed that these holiday enjoyers are battling it out with zombified Nazis for bunk space.
A little lighter in tone than your average jump scare, this flick gets major points for creativity. Machine guns on a snowmobile, anyone?
1.
PREDATOR (1987)
STREAM ON: HULU, FUBOTV
Get to the choppa! If there ever was a movie that defined 80s action flicks, this would be it. Arnold, sick handshakes, epic one-liners, explosions, and one iconic extraterrestrial bounty hunter. Enough said.