‘Tis the season for scary movies and if you’re planning to watch any haunting horror films, you may recognize a few North Carolina spots on screen.
The state has been a popular destination for dozens of films for decades, including several thrillers and cult classics.
So if you want to set the scene for a scary movie night with hometown ties ahead of Halloween, here’s a list of popular films compiled by the state’s travel and tourism website, VisitNC, that you want want to check out:
Filming locations in NC: Asheville, Boone, Bryson City, Foscoe
Starring: Katherine Sigismund, Corey Eid, Riley Polanski
Synopsis: “A vacationing family encounters an alien threat in this thriller based on the real-life Brown Mountain Lights phenomenon in North Carolina.”
How to watch: Stream on Roku Channel, Tubi and Prime Video.
Filming locations in NC: Mocksville, Mount Airy and Winston-Salem
Starring: Jordan Ladd, Rider Strong, James DeBello
Synopsis: “Five college graduates rent a cabin in the woods and begin to fall victim to a horrifying flesh-eating virus, which attracts the unwanted attention of the homicidal locals.”
How to watch: Stream on AMC+ and Prime Video.
Filming locations in NC: Wilmington
Starring: Rider Strong, Noah Segan, Alexi Wasser
Synopsis: “A high school prom faces a deadly threat: a flesh-eating virus that spreads via a popular brand of bottled water.”
How to watch: Stream on Prime Video.
Filming locations in NC: Wilmington
Starring: Drew Barrymore, James Woods, Alan King
Synopsis: “A stray cat is the linking element of three tales of suspense and horror.”
How to watch: Stream on Prime Video.
Filming locations in NC: Currie, Wilmington
Starring: Patrick Wilson, Vera Farmiga, Ron Livingston
Synopsis: “Paranormal investigators Ed and Lorraine Warren work to help a family terrorized by a dark presence in their farmhouse.”
How to watch: Stream on Max and Prime Video.
Filming locations in NC: Wadesboro, Wilmington
Starring: Bruce Campbell, Sarah Berry, Dan Hicks
Synopsis: “Ash Williams, the lone survivor of an earlier onslaught of flesh-possessing spirits, holes up in a cabin with a group of strangers while the demons continue their attack.”
How to watch: Stream on AMC+, Plex, Pluto TV, MovieSphere and Prime Video.
Filming locations in NC: Wilmington
Starring: Jamie Lee Curtis, Judy Greer, Andi Matichak
Synopsis: “Surviving victims of Michael Myers form a vigilante mob and vow to end his reign of terror.”
How to watch: Stream on Bravo Now, E!Now, NBC, Peacock, Syfy Now, Telemundo Now and Prime Video.
Filming locations in NC: Asheville
Starring: Anthony Hopkins, Julianne Moore, Gary Oldman
Synopsis: “Living in exile, Dr. Hannibal Lecter tries to reconnect with now disgraced F.B.I. Agent Clarice Starling, and finds himself a target of revenge from a powerful victim.”
How to watch: Stream on Prime Video and Roku Channel.
Filming locations in NC: Hendersonville
Starring: Rose Leslie, Harry Treadaway, Ben Huber
Synopsis: “A newlywed couple finds their lake-country honeymoon descend into chaos after Paul finds Bea wandering and disoriented in the middle of the night.”
How to watch: Stream on Peacock, Roku Channel, Tubi and Prime Video.
Filming locations in NC: Durham, Southport
Starring: Jennifer Love Hewitt, Sarah Michelle Gellar, Anne Heche
Synopsis: “Four young friends bound by a tragic accident are reunited when they find themselves being stalked by a hook-wielding maniac in their small seaside town.”
How to watch: Stream on AMC+, Peacock, Tubi and Prime Video.
Filming locations in NC: Wilmington
Starring: Neve Campbell, Courteney Cox, David Arquette
Synopsis: “25 years after a streak of brutal murders shocked the quiet town of Woodsboro, Calif., a new killer dons the Ghostface mask and begins targeting a group of teenagers to resurrect secrets from the town’s deadly past.”
How to watch: Stream on Netflix, Paramount+ and Prime Video.
Filming locations in NC: Burgaw, Wilmington
Starring: Gary Busey, Everette McGill, Corey Haim
Synopsis: “In a small town, brutal killings start to plague the close knit community. Marty Coslaw, a paraplegic boy, is convinced the murders are the doings of a werewolf.”
How to watch: Stream on AMC+, Paramount+ and Prime Video.
In addition to the the 12 movies mentioned above, we figured we’d make it 13 with this horror film that was filmed in Charlotte:
Filming locations in NC: Charlotte, Cramerton
Starring: Justin Long, Michael Parks, Haley Joel Osment
Synopsis: “A brash and arrogant podcaster gets more than he bargained for when he travels to Canada to interview a mysterious recluse ... who has a rather disturbing fondness for walruses.”
How to watch: Stream on Prime Video.
The Charlotte Observer
Chyna Blackmon is a service journalism reporter for The Charlotte Observer. A native of the Carolinas, she grew up in Columbia, SC, and graduated from Queens University of Charlotte. She’s also worked in local television news in Charlotte, NC, and Richmond, VA.