The 10 Scary Movies That Offer a Surprisingly Snug Viewing Experience

Wes Craven’s 1996 slasher satire Scream, which follows a fairly standard slasher plot but comments on the genre’s history as it does so, is by far the most agreed upon comfort horror movie that fans find “a cozy one for sure.” Multiple people say they love the movie so much that they can put it on and have a great time, no matter their mood.

Tremors centers on a small town that comes under attack from giant worms. It’s a high concept with some fantastic creature design, but the fantastic ensemble cast makes it such an enduring comfort watch for so many people. The townspeople, led by Kevin Bacon and Burt Ward, are all somewhat ridiculous but very loveable characters.

The Thing is a movie about not knowing who you can trust and finding yourself isolated from everyone around you because they might just be a deadly alien disguised as a person. And yet, many horror fans consider it a cozy and comforting watch. One even says they watch the movie every year at the first snowfall to get in the mood for winter.

Fans have differing opinions on their favorite comfort film in the Evil Dead franchise. Some prefer the original 1980 film, others like the ultra-gory remake from 2013.

But most fans pick the delightfully manic Evil Dead 2 as the most comforting movie in the franchise. The mix of silly humor and ridiculous gore almost seems tailor-made to function as comfort for horror lovers.

Another film from the screenwriter of Scream, Kevin Williamson, The Faculty is less meta than Scream but still culturally literate and full of quotable jokes. It’s a teen-centered riff on Invasion of the Body Snatchers that features a fantastic cast in both the roles of the titular faculty who are becoming alien hosts and the teens trying to stop them.

That cast and Williamson’s ability to sprinkle humor in with horror without undercutting scares and tension make it a beloved comfort movie for many horror fans.

Based on the video game of the same name, Silent Hill tells the story of a woman searching for her missing daughter in the mysterious town of Silent Hill.

But the town is more than just spooky; it’s also a portal to a different dimension filled with demonic creatures. More than those creatures, the movie builds its horror on an incredible atmosphere meant to unnerve but makes some horror lovers “feel oddly at home.”

Vincent Price starred in over a hundred movies over his decades-long career; almost a third were horror movies. So unsurprising that many of the films Price led are held near and dear to horror fans’ hearts.

But one stands above the rest: House on Haunted Hill. The William Castle film centers on an eccentric millionaire (Price) who invites a variety of curious and financially desperate people to spend a night in a house he claims is haunted.

The film certainly offers some scares, but more than that, it’s a lovely small-scale ensemble piece led by one of the most fabulous leading men ever to grace the screen.

Alien and the other films in the franchise it spawned are beloved by many, so it’s no wonder several people highlight the series, especially the first film, as their comfort horror watch. The movie tracks a space crew who respond to a mysterious distress signal only to discover, that’s right, an alien.

Despite being a creature feature, it’s a movie that develops horror just as much, if not more, from its atmosphere than the titular monster, making it another film that’s easy to get enveloped in.

There’s a broad spectrum of feelings about Rob Zombie’s movies in the horror community. But those who love his work say that House of 1000 Corpses is both his masterpiece and a perfect comfort movie.

The film follows a group of travelers stranded at the home of the strange and scary Firefly family, who delight in psychologically and physically torturing their guests. But that freaky family is exactly what makes the movie so watchable and oddly cozy.

Final Destination is a franchise where fans agree that every entry is just as excellent as the last, leading several to agree that “any” or even “all” of these movies are cozy movies to watch.

The silly tone of these movies and the high concept of death itself tracking down people who have escaped it make them easy to throw on whenever and enjoy a bloody good time.