It doesn’t matter if it’s Halloween or any season on the calendar for that matter: when the hunger for horror hits, it must be heeded. And as it just so happens that we here at CinemaBlend have our fingers on the pulse of that blood-soaked genre.
However, if you want something past our rundown of the 50 best horror movies of all time, and you’re into the gory details, you’re in luck. Here, without further interruption, is 12 of the goriest horror movies and how to watch them, no matter when the mood arises.
Dead Alive (1992)
Oh, Peter Jackson. Before he was running around with Hobbits or making documentary history with The Beatles, the man was indulging in some extreme tastes in horror. Dead Alive, or Braindead, as it’s sometimes known, is one of his most notable classics in such a realm, as the blood and body parts fly after a zombie plague hits a small town. You’ll never look at lawnmowers the same way again.
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Evil Dead (2013)
Among the various points of order in Evil Dead 2013’s history and legacy, one of the things that always comes up is the blood. As poor Mia (Jane Levy) fights for her life through a particularly massive crimson rain with chainsaw in hand, director Fede Alvarez’s legacy-quel to Sam Raimi’s classic horror series comes to a heart-stopping conclusion. According to reports from Bloody-Disgusting before its release, 50,000 gallons of fake blood were used on that scene alone, so revisiting this one from time to time makes those efforts worth the mess.
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Buy Evil Dead (2013) on 4K UHD on Amazon
Terrifier 2 (2022)
Our own Eric Eisenberg's Terrifier 2 review mentions the fact that when writer/director Damian Leone’s sequel hit theaters, people were vomiting and/or passing out during early screenings. The mega-sized return of Art the Clown (David Howard Thornton) goes big when it comes to running time, as well as pure gory horror. With kills as visceral as they are absolutely painful to watch, you won’t be disappointed if you’re looking for a bloody good time.
Stream Terrifier 2 on Screambox
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Buy Terrifier 2 on 4K UHD on Amazon
Saw (2004)
Hey readers, want to play a game? For almost two decades, the Saw series has been doing just that, using audiences as its guinea pigs to see how far it can take things when it comes to the cinematic loss of blood and other vital organs. Director James Wan and writer/star Leigh Whannell created an anti-hero for the ages with John Kramer (Tobin Bell), as his potentially deadly traps test every victim’s drive for survival. The original still cuts pretty deep after all this time.
Stream Saw on Pluto TV
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Buy Saw on 4K UHD on Amazon
Society (1989)
It’s not easy to talk about director Brian Yuzna’s Society without ruining the big surprise. Though it’s a decades-old horror-thriller about a young man (Billy Warlock) who senses a sinister conspiracy in his ritzy Beverly Hills community, it’s a film that’s obscure enough that many haven’t seen it yet. If you’re in that group, I suggest going in as cold as possible. However, I’ll give you this small bit of food for thought: not all gore has to involve blood, especially when there are plenty of fresh bodies to... perhaps I’ve said too much.
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Rent/Buy Society on Vudu
Buy Society on Blu-ray on Amazon
Hellraiser (1987)
Clive Barker’s Hellraiser is the epitome of horror films that earn qualifiers like “exquisite,” “meticulous” and, yes, “bloody.” Originating the story of everyone’s favorite pain dealer Pinhead (Doug Bradley), the very first entry in this iconic saga doesn’t skimp out on the blood and guts. At the same time, the way this literally bloody hell is exacted upon its victims is so exacting that this picture should be considered the gold standard of gore with a purpose.
Stream Hellraiser (1987) on Prime Video
Rent/Buy Hellraiser (1987) on Amazon
Buy Hellraiser (1987) on Blu-ray on Amazon
Evil Dead Rise (2023)
Is it cheating to have two different installments of the same loosely bound anthology on the same list? Who can really tell? All I know is that Evil Dead Rise earned its title as one of 2023’s best horror movies, and it did so with a horrific amount of possessed red sauce. Director Lee Cronin claimed 1,700 gallons of fake blood were used in the film. While that doesn’t eclipse Evil Dead (2013)’s potentially record setting amount, that’s still a pretty huge drop in this frightfully bleak, but fun bucket.
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Stream Evil Dead Rise on Prime Video
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Buy Evil Dead Rise on 4K UHD on Amazon
Hostel (2005)
One of our own writers, Alexandra Ramos, once provided her thoughts after watching Hostel for the first time. Without spoiling too much, her assessment of the gore being “on another level of disgusting” is a pretty neat summary of what to expect in Eli Roth’s torture porn opus. Just beware, although it takes a little while for the bloodletting and dismemberment to start, it gets pretty intense once it does.
Stream Hostel on Prime Video
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Stream Hostel on Plex
Rent/Buy Hostel on Amazon
Buy Hostel on Blu-ray on Amazon
The Fly (1986)
The words “body horror” almost automatically conjure two images: bloody transformations beyond the laws of nature and director David Cronenberg. As the Canadian auteur is a mythic purveyor of all things grisly, yet thought provoking, his 1986 remake of The Fly sits square at the crossroads of those thoughts. Watching the tragic metamorphosis of the brilliant, but cocky Dr. Seth Brindle (Jeff Goldblum) from man into beast is assuredly terrifying, but it’s also a study in sadness as he loses his humanity and the woman he loves (Geena Davis).
Rent/Buy The Fly (1986) on Amazon
Buy The Fly (1986) on Blu-ray on Amazon
Possessor (2020)
Much like his father, writer/director Brandon Cronenberg has a habit of making the human body a thoughtfully playground of destruction and mutilation. That’s just the beginning of what to expect from his film Possessor, which starts with a concept that feels more at home in an espionage thriller. Following assassin Tasya (Andrea Riseborough) and her jobs that require hijacking another person’s body as a cover, what starts as a novel concept becomes a nightmarish experience with plenty of blood and flexible skin to spare.
Stream Possessor on Hulu
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Buy Possessor on 4K UHD on Amazon
Tokyo Gore Police (2008)
Here’s another movie that feels like an automatic home run when it comes to the subject of “goriest horror movies.” The operative word is right in the title for co-writer/director Yoshihiro Nishimura’s Tokyo Gore Police, and that’s not all you should expect. Blood, mutations and apparently a killer sense of humor fill this horrific tale of a world where viral terror has caused people’s bodies to spontaneously change. Again, with the word “gore” prominently displayed in the title, potentially squeamish audiences have been fully warned.
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Demons (1985)
Let’s close out our rundown of the goriest horror movies with a subgenre that’s an old favorite: demonic possessions! Lamberto Bava’s Demons takes that phenomenon and puts a lot more blood and body horror into it, as a random infection at a movie screening turns into a full on apocalypse. Also, the movie being shown within Demons is a flick that mirrors the events of the film, so you’re kind of getting a “2 for 1” deal here on gory wonders.
Stream Demons on AMC+
Stream Demons on Plex
Rent/Buy Demons on Amazon
Buy Demons + Demons II on Blu-ray on Amazon
And there you have it, dear readers! If you're in the mood for vicious, horrific delights that'll make your skin crawl, you have your orders. So be sure to stock up on the essentials, like popcorn, soft drinks and barf bags, before diving into these shocking cinematic offerings. Don't say we didn't warn you though!
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