Among all the horror streaming platforms, Screambox has the best sleeper picks. The real out-there films, the ones you didn’t even know existed, and the ones you had long forgotten but are compelled to rewatch. From originals to horror classics to more modern films than you can shake a stick at, they’ve always got us covered.
That being said, choosing what to dive into with a library as large and varied as this one is tough. If you need help with what to watch on Screambox, allow us here at Horror Press to share five recent favorites that have captivated us. From stories of wives trying to hold their house together while plagued by a deranged stalker, to soldiers fighting for their lives against cybernetic terrors, Screambox has a little bit of everything for you this month.
And no, we will not be including Terrifier 2, because even though it is great, that’s just giving recommendations on easy mode. Let’s get into it.
WHAT TO STREAM ON SCREAMBOX IN DECEMBER
DOOR (1988)
When Yasuko’s husband leaves for a three-day stay at his workplace, a housewife is forced to try and survive the increasingly violent advances of her stalker while protecting her son.
I reviewed Door earlier last month after editor James-Michael discovered it and shared its wonderfully bizarre style with me. Door really encapsulates how the cleverest of movies can be made with the smallest sets and budgets while retaining titanic amounts of talent. Regardless if you need a more unique take on the more conventional erotic psychological thrillers of the 80s and 90s, or if you’re just a fan of smaller Japanese cinema, Banmei Takahashi’s 1988 feature is just what the doctor ordered.
If evocative camerawork and great acting matter a lot in the thrillers you watch (and you also like climaxes that involve tiny chainsaws), watch it.
LIVING WITH CHUCKY (2022)
Delve into the history and the making of the Childs Play series with the voices and memories of Don Mancini, Brad Dourif, Jennifer Tilly, and many more.
When I have trouble deciding what to watch on Screambox, I can always count on its myriad documentaries. One of my favorite things about their horror documentaries is the number of special guests discussing the films they’re dissecting. Living With Chucky not only gives a ton of them, but it also gives some very sweet stories about how the Chucky movies intersected with the lives of the many people they touched, in and out of their productions. Fans of the documentaries Sharksploitation (which we also covered here!) and RoboDoc: The Creation of Robocop will have fun with this one.
If seeing how the movies you love were made is just as important as seeing a Good Guy doll slice, dice, and beat the life out of people with a yardstick, watch it.
ONYX THE FORTUITOUS AND THE TALISMAN OF SOULS (2023)
A loser amateur occultist’s life is changed forever when he wins a weekend getaway to meet his idol and gets dragged into a world of demons and witchery.
We’re a long way from Andrew Bowser’s early days of internet virality, being best known for his character Onyx: A Luciferian weeaboo weirdo and all-around dorkbag who constantly lets out a stressed “Idon’tknow!” as his catchphrase. Now he’s a full-fledged filmmaker, and his first feature that stars Onyx is actually pretty great. It’s not quite camp that carries it, but rather the sheer visible heart it has. Bowser and company succeeded in what they set out to do: making an off-the-wall horror comedy of pure absurdist humor.
If you’ve been waiting for something along the lines of Pee Wee’s Big Adventure Into Hell, or just a passion project that’s packed to the brim with fun character actors, watch it.
FRANKENSTEIN’S ARMY (2013)
A Soviet squadron at the end of World War 2 finds German supersoldier projects gone wrong: zombie robots running rampant, made courtesy of one of Victor Frankenstein’s own descendants.
A found footage film that I love for the dedication that went into its production, Frankenstein’s Army is an insane walk through a mad scientist’s workshop, packed to the brim with machinations of steel and rotted flesh; that is to say, it’s evocative as hell and twice as fun thanks to its monsters. Director Richard Raaphorst made a practical effects extravaganza that is hard not to get immersed in, utilizing its found footage aspect perfectly and delivering a thrilling creature feature ride.
If Phil Tippet’s Mad God left a longing for dieselpunk horror madness in your heart, craving crazy cyborg creature designs, watch it.
DEVILS (2023)
A detective hot on the trail of murders ends up trapped in the body of the serial killer responsible for the murders and is forced to use the criminal’s body to hunt him down.
My personal most anticipated movie coming to Screambox in December. The streaming platform’s foreign picks never miss the mark for me. Thanks to them, Project Wolf Hunting became an all-time favorite, and I expect much of the same for Devils. While its concept has been done more than a few times, the look of Devils is extremely polished, and I trust the crew around it to deliver something absolutely wild. It was produced by Il-hyung Cho, who worked on both possession mockumentary The Medium and I Saw The Devil, so I trust his track record and expect this to be a cerebral thriller with plenty of twists and turns.
If Suitable Flesh left you wanting even more body-swapping weirdness, with some crime thriller elements instead of Lovecraftian ones added to the mix, watch it.
Devils is heading to Screambox on December 5th!
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Hopefully, you’ve found more than one answer for what to watch on Screambox this month, and you best believe there will be another one of these in the future. For more of the best recommendations of horror movies and television, streaming, and beyond, stay tuned to Horror Press!