We have now officially entered the sacred month of Nerdoween, a.k.a. Halloween, a.k.a. October, which means it’s the perfect time to fill your crisp days and chilly nights with classic horror movies. Some of our favorites come from the often maligned, definitely underrated, and undeniably brilliant slasher genre, so we’ve picked 10 of the most iconic films from the spectacular subgenre that you can stream right now!

Halloween (1978)

The original and still the best! Though there are other movies that predate Carpenter’s brutally brilliant classic that helped to shape the slasher genre as we know it, it’s hard to argue that Halloween wasn’t the film that sparked the slasher boom of the ’80s. Jamie Lee Curtis cemented herself as a complete badass–and, of course, one of the original scream queens–in this terrifying, tense, and tormented entry which sees a local babysitter terrorized by a mysterious masked man on the titular holiday.

Halloween is currently streaming on Shudder

Scream (1996)

From the O.G., we’re going straight to the film that uppended our expectations of what a slasher could be whilst reigniting what was seen as a long dead genre. Wes Craven’s meta masterpiece is still one of the best horror films ever made. Witty, hilarious, and at times genuinely scary, this reinvention of the genre is also one of its best examples as a masked maniac kills off a wily, self-aware cast who break down the rules established in slasher films of yore whilst being hacked and slashed by “ghostface.”

Scream is currently on Starz

Black Christmas (1974)

Arguably the first recognizable slasher flick, this legitimately fear-inducing cult classic is an atmospheric fright fest focused on the sisters of a college sorority getting ready for Christmas break. Creepy prank calls have got them on edge, but when they start disappearing, things get really scary. There’s a rawness to this film that makes it get under your skin. The cast, including a young Margot Kidder, are brilliant and don’t easily fit into the often misogynistic slasher movie stereotypes that we’re so used to seeing.

Black Christmas is currently streaming on Showtime

Scream 4 (2015)

The only sequel on our list, Wes Craven’s return to the series and the meta motif he created is honestly one of the better horror films of the last decade. Turning the satirical spotlight onto celebrity serial killer culture, true crime, and torture porn, this late stage entry is not only a great reunion for the original cast–and incredible new additions–but it’s as smart, funny, and scary as the original.

Scream 4 is currently streaming on Netflix

The Texas Chain Saw Massacre (1974)

This is the film that launched a thousand bannings. Easily one of the most controversial horror hits of all time, Tobe Hooper’s The Texas Chain Saw Massacre is an undeniable horror classic. The rawness and framing of the film left many wondering if they’d watched a snuff movie, which led the British Board of Film Classification to rain censorship and terror down on so-called exploitation movies for decades. In fact, the introduction of the Sawyer family and Leatherface was so controversial that the 1974 film was banned in Britain until 1999.

The Texas Chain Saw Massacre is currently streaming on Shudder

Chopping Mall (1986)

Definitely one of the weirder and more fantastical choices on our list, this B-movie fave is a brilliant subversion of the slasher trope in that the killers are actually maniacal security robots gone wrong! Yep, this high concept ’80s horror pits promiscuous teen mallrats against some very high tech killers, and the results are absolutely amazing.

Chopping Mall is currently streaming on Amazon

The House on Sorority Row (1983)

This awesomely scary and genuinely gorgeous chiller is a stone cold slasher classic that has stylistic hints of the trippy, technicolor Italian giallo movement. Starting with the classic “an innocent prank gone horribly wrong” setup, we follow a house of sorority sisters as they celebrate their graduation whilst trying not to be killed by a mysterious witness to their earlier crime. Stylish and atmospheric, The House on Sorority Row is an oft forgotten masterpiece in fear.

The House on Sorority Row is currently streaming on Showtime

Child’s Play (1988)

Luckily for us all, the original Child’s Play is currently streaming, which is a rarity! So grab your fave stuffed pal, pick up something sharp and get ready to enjoy this raucous romp about a young boy who gets the birthday gift of his dreams…only to find out it’s actually possessed by a serial killer. Surprisingly scary for a film about a doll, Child’s Play is a classic for a reason: it’s funny, frightening and filled to the brim with brilliant practical effects. Get ready to fall in love with Chucky all over again.

Child’s Play is currently streaming on Amazon

High Tension a.k.a. Switchblade Romance (2003)

This movie is so so so so good. Alexandre Aja’s brutal breakthrough is a spiritual successor to classic grindhouse movies like The Texas Chain Saw Massacre, though it was unique enough to also play a huge part in the rise of the burgeoning New French Extremity movement. Though it does fall into a couple of unfortunate tropes, it’s still vibrantly violent and ultimately refreshing to see a film centered around two strong women. But don’t get too attached, because when the killings start, they don’t stop till the film’s shocking final twist!

High Tension is currently streaming on Shudder

Prom Night (1980)

If you enjoy a very classic style of slasher, then this 1980 offering starring Jamie Lee Curtis is a great start. Four teens have to pay for a childhood mistake that led to the death of a young girl and, of course, their creepy comeuppance comes in the form of a masked menace haunting the halls of their high school as they get ready for prom. This solid slasher is a perfect entryway into the subgenre for those just taking their first steps.

Prom Night is currently streaming on Crackle

Which slasher selection will you be streaming? Got some suggestions we missed? Hate being scared? Run up the stairs in your heels into our comments section and let us know!

Images: Compass Productions, Dimension, Warner Bros., Bryanston, Concorde Pictures, Artists Releasing Corporation, Universal, EuropaCorp, AVCO Embassy Pictures