'Friday the 13th' 2009 reboot filmed in Texas. State is 2nd most popular for horror films. (2024)

When you think of iconic horror films a lot of Texas based films might come to mind.

Texas was ranked the second most popular state to film a horror movie in the United States, according to new study by InsureMyTrip.

There have been roughly 1089 horror films set in the state.

Missouri City, Texas was the third most popular city to film a horror film with approximately 92 horror movies. Films made in Missouri City include “They Wait in the Dark” (2022) and “The Cursed Tomb” (2009).

One of the most notable and recognizable horror films set in the state is the 1974 classic “The Texas Chainsaw Massacre”. It was filmed around Austin, notably Leander, Kingsland and Bastrop.

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“Visiting the location of your favorite horror film is always a fun vacation to take around Halloween,” said Sarah Webber, Director of Marketing at InsureMyTrip. “This study will help narrow things down for scary movie lovers so they can secure a trip early and maybe save some money.”

Ultimate guide to Halloween in Austin:Movies, haunted houses, events and more in Texas

California was the top state with over 2400 horror films including classics like “Halloween,” “The Shining,” and “Psycho.” Florida was third with 749 horror films.

Find a full list of the most popular filming locations at InsureMyTrip.

A few horror films set or filmed in Texas and how to watch them

"Manos: Hands of Fate" (1966)

This film was named the worst movie ever made and was filmed in El Paso, Texas.

Where to watch: It is available to stream for free on YouTube.

"The Texas Chain Saw Massacre" (all of them)

Before it became the horror franchise that's terrified generations of viewers, the original was made by an Austin native and University of Texas alumnus in his backyard.

'Friday the 13th' 2009 reboot filmed in Texas. State is 2nd most popular for horror films. (1)

Where to watch: For free on Pluto TV, Tubi, Peacock, The Roku Channel, Amazon Prime Video, and PLEX.

"The Legend of Boggy Creek" (1972)

This cult classic is a sort of docudrama about a Sasquatch-like creature.

Where to watch: Available to rent or purchase.

"Phantom of the Paradise" (1974)

This strange cult horror musical from 1974 is by Brian De Palma and stars Paul Williams. Williams also wrote the score for the film.

Where to watch: Available to stream on Hulu with live TV.

"Race with the Devil" (1975)

The film stars Peter Fond and Warren Oats as they go up against Satanists.

Where to watch: Available to rent or purchase.

"The Town That Dreaded Sundown" (1976)

In this film that is loosely based on a true story, a Texas Ranger hunts for a hooded serial killer terrorizing the residents of Texarkana.

Where to watch: This film can be streamed free on Amazon Prime Video.

"The Swarm" (1978)

A scientist and a general join forces to fight killer bees that have deadly venom and attack without reason.

Where to watch: This film can be streamed for free on YouTube.

"Piranha" (1978)

In this film a school of the eponymous stars escape a military experiment gone wrong, then gorge on lake-swimmers.

Where to watch: For free on YouTube, Pluto TV, Tubi, Peacock, Sling TV, The Roku Channel, Vudu, Crackle, Amazon Prime Video, and PLEX.

"Student Bodies" (1981)

A serial killer hacks his way through the students and faculty in this film.

Where to watch: This film can be streamed for free on Pluto TV.

"Deadly Blessing" (1981)

This film comes frim the mind of Wes Craven. The slasher film stars Sharon Stone, Maren Jensen, Jeff East and Lisa Hartman.

Where to watch: Available to rent or purchase.

"Near Dark" (1987)

A Midwestern farm boy reluctantly becomes a member of the undead when a girl he meets turns out to be part of a band of Southern vampires who roam the highways in stolen cars.

Where to watch: Unfortunately, the film is not available on streaming services or to rent at the moment.

"My Best Friend Is a Vampire" (1987)

This American comedy horror film is directed by Jimmy Huston and stars Robert Sean Leonard.

Where to watch: This movie is available to stream with a MovieSphere subscription with Amazon Prime.

"My Boyfriend's Back" (1993)

In this zombie film nothings going to stop one boy from getting the girl, not even death.

Where to watch: Available to rent or purchase.

"The Faculty" (1998)

The movie from hometown hero Robert Rodriguez is about a group of students who suspect that their schoolteachers are actually aliens.

Where to watch: This is available to stream with a Peacock subscription or on Paramount Plus.

"Bats" (1999)

Genetically mutated bats are on the loose, and it's up to a bat expert and a local sheriff to stop them before they kill the entire town of Gallup, Texas.

Where to watch: Watch for free on YouTube, Tubi, The Roku Channel, and PLEX.

"Frailty" (2001)

A man arrives at the offices of an FBI agent and recounts from his childhood how his religious fanatic father received visions telling him to kill people who were demons.

Where to watch: Available to rent or purchase.

"Bubba Ho-Tep" (2002)

Elvis Presley didn't die; rather, he switched identities with an Elvis impersonator years before and is now an elderly resident in a East Texas rest home. Now, he must team up with a man claiming to be John F. Kennedy and fight an ancient Egyptian mummy to save the souls of their fellow residents.

Where to watch: Watch for free on Pluto TV and Redbox.

"House of 1000 Corpses" (2003)

Two teenage couples are traveling across the backwoods of Texas to search for urban legends of serial killers. On their journey, they end up as prisoners of a bizarre and sadistic family.

Where to watch: Watch for free on Pluto TV.

"The Devil's Rejects" (2005)

The Firefly family are ambushed at their home by the town's sheriff and a squad of armed men, but Baby and Otis are able to escape unharmed. Hiding in a motel, the siblings meet up with their father, Captain Spaulding, and kill whoever stands in their way of freedom.

Where to watch: Available to rent or purchase.

"All the Boys Love Mandy Lane" (2006)

"All the boys love Mandy Lane" and all the girls want to be her. There’s at least one person, though, that wants Mandy and her friends dead.

Where to watch: Unfortunately, the film is not available on streaming services or to rent at the moment.

"The Mist" 2007

How do you make a Stephen King novella even more bleak? Put it in the hands of director Frank Darabont, who adapts the story of small-town Maine folks stuck in a supermarket thanks to a mysterious mist and monstrous hidden creatures.

Where to watch: Available to rent or purchase.

We ranked century's best scary films:Looking for a good horror movie to creep you out?

"Grindhouse" and "Planet Terror" (2007)

This double feature comes from horror legend Robert Rodriguez.

Where to watch: "Grindhouse" is available for free on Sling TV and The Roku Channel. "Planet Terror" is available for rent or purchase.

"Death Proof" (2007)

Part of the “Grindhouse” double feature (with Robert Rodriguez’s “Planet Terror"), "Proof"goes to some intriguing places in mashing up genres, from slasher tropes to feminist empowerment. And “Proof” also gives us the rare Kurt Russell supervillain: Stuntman Mike is a serial killer who chases women and murders them using his “death-proof” car. That isuntil he messes with a trio of female friends (Zoe Bell, Rosario Dawson, Tracie Thoms) who fight back in an equally vicious manner.

Where to watch: Watch for free on Sling TV.

"Teeth" (2007)

Dawn, an active member of her high school's abstinence club, meets Tobey at a group session. On a date, Tobey becomes aggressive and forces himself upon Dawn. They suddenly learn she is a living example of a dentata myth when the encounter takes a gruesome turn.

Where to watch: Watch for free on Amazon Prime Video.

'Friday the 13th' 2009 reboot filmed in Texas. State is 2nd most popular for horror films. (2)

"Friday the 13th" (2009)

There is one more chance in 2023 for an authentic viewing of "Friday the 13th" – on Friday, Oct. 13.

There are twelve "Friday the 13th" movies in total, including the reboot in 2009 and the 2003 Freddy Krueger and Jason Voorhees crossover film.

The franchise returns with a fresh cast to reimagine the first four movies in one story. Starring Austinite Jared Padalecki, Amanda Righetti, Julianna Guill, Danielle Panabaker and more, the 2009 film follows a group of young adults camping atCrystal Lake where they encounter Jason.

Filming locations in Central Texas include Austin, Bastrop, Round Rock, Marshall, La Grange, and Wimberley, according to IMDB.

Where to watch: Available to watch with a Max subscription.

“The Tomb” (2009)

The film is also known as "The Cursed Tomb." It was directed by Michael Staininger and stars Wes Bentley, Kaitlin Doubleday, Eric Roberts, Sofya Skya, Michael Madsen and Cary-Hiroyuki Tagawa.

Where to watch: Watch for free on The Roku Channel.

"I Spit on Your Grave" (2010)

This 2010 horror film was directed by Steven R. Monroe and stars Sarah Butler, Daniel Franzese, Jeff Branson, Rodney Eastman and Chad Lindberg.

Where to watch: Watch for free on The Roku Channel, Vudu, and PLEX.

"The Wicker Tree" (2011)

Robin Hardy directed and wrote the screen play for "The Wicker Tree". It stars Brittania Nicol, Henry Garrett, Christopher Lee, Graham McTavish and Jacqueline Leonard.

Where to watch: Watch for free on Vudu and PLEX.

"The Houses October Built" (2014)

A group of friends find weird things on a road trip to find underground haunts in the horror film.

Where to watch: Watch for free on Tubi.

"Exists" (2014)

The horror film is directed by Eduardo Sánchez (“The Blair Witch Project”) and stars Chris Osborn, Dora Madison Burge and Roger Edwards.

It focuses on a five friends who try to fight off Bigfoot during a camping trip in Texas. It was shot in Bastrop.

Where to watch: Watch for free on Pluto TV, The Roku Channel, Amazon Prime Video, and PLEX.

"The Devil's Candy" (2015)

Satanic forces occupy the house of a struggling Austin painter (Ethan Embry) and his wife and daughter. Directed by Sean Byrne (“The Loved Ones”), “The Devil’s Candy” is described as a new take on “The Amityville Horror.”

Where to watch: Watch for free on Tubi.

"A Ghost Story" (2017)

Recently deceased, a white-sheeted ghost returns to his suburban home to console his wife, only to find he has become unstuck in time. He is forced to watch passively as the life he knew and the woman he loves slowly slip away.

Where to watch: Available to rent or purchase.

"Bird Box" (2018)

In "Bird Box" (2018), wearing a mask (in this case,a blindfold) is the only weapon against mysterious creatures that provokelethal madness with a single glimpse.

Where to watch: Watch with a Netflix subscription.

"Satanic Panic" (2019)

The first day on the job for cash-poor pizza delivery girl Sam (Hayley Griffith) ends with delivering pies to a bunch of really rich Satanists, whose leader Danica (Rebecca Romijn) decides the young woman is perfect to be the group’s next virgin sacrifice.

Where to watch: Watch for free on Tubi.

"The Dark and the Wicked" (2020)

Things get extraordinarilydreary down on the farm where an old man (Michael Zagst) is near death, a supernatural darkness has infected his wife (Julie Oliver-Touchstone), and their grown-up daughter (Marin Ireland) and son (Michael Abbott Jr.) show up right in time for things to get really bad courtesy of an evil, shapeshifting figure.

Where to watch: Available to rent or purchase.

"X" (2022)

In 1979, a group of young filmmakers set out to make an adult film in rural Texas. When their reclusive, elderly hosts catch them in the act, the cast and crew find themselves fighting for their lives.

Where to watch: Available to rent or purchase.

"A Town Full of Ghosts" (2022)

The film is directed by Isaac Rodriguez and follows a young couple as they attempt to restore a ghost town and the evil behind it.

Where to watch: Watch free on Tubi, Amazon Prime Video, and PLEX.

“They Wait in the Dark” (2022)

This film was directed by Patrick Rea. It stars Sarah McGuire, John Thomson, Laurie Catherine Winkel and Meagan Flynn.

Where to watch: Available to rent or purchase.

"Satanic Hispanics" (2023)

Just in time for Hispanic Heritage Month comes an anthology of shorts by five different Latino filmmakers. Police raid a house in El Paso, Texas, and find a bunch of dead Latinos and one survivor (Efren Ramirez). During questioning, he tells tales of demons, terrifying creatures, the undead and legends from Latin American folklore.

Where to watch: Find movie times near you.

'Friday the 13th' 2009 reboot filmed in Texas. State is 2nd most popular for horror films. (2024)
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