12 spooktacular horror movies that are set in Texas

When you’re in need of a good scare during the Halloween season, all you have to do is put on one of these spooky horror movies set in Texas.

Last year, we covered some of our favorite horror movies set in Texas. From names alone, it’s apparent that films like “The Texas Chainsaw Massacre” are Texas-based; something like “X” or “House of 1,000 Corpses,” perhaps a bit less so.

Yet, you might be out looking for even more frights. Good news: The Lone Star State is big and varied enough that there are still many scares and screams to be had. Here are 12 more spooky horror movies that use Texas environments, in reverse chronological order. We’ll do our best to avoid spoilers.

1. “Crazy Texas” (2025)

The newest film on this list, “Crazy Texas,” pairs Halloween with Christmas, as the movie takes place across the holiday season in a small Texas town. Follow Avery (Anna Pena) and Lilly (Bella Fawn Crow) as they face a man who threatens their money and religious beliefs, in a truly terrifying performance from Wes Gillum. With ample twists and turns, “Crazy Texas” evokes shades of classic psychological thrillers like “The Sixth Sense” or “Heretic.”

2. “Texas Cult House” (2024)

Astute “Friday Night Lights” fans will recognize Adrianne Palicki as Tyra Collette. She displayed maternal instincts in that show, and she’s a fantastic mama bear in “Texas Cult House” as her teenagers discover a mysterious house full of intrigue (and horrors, because of course it would). Julia Barnett does a terrific job pairing dark and eerie moments with clever storytelling. Spooky flashbacks rule the day here over jump scares, but you’ll still be on the edge of your seat throughout.

3. “The Sawyer Massacre” (2022)

If you’re a fan of the original “Texas Chainsaw Massacre” movies, this prequel about the events is a worthy addition to the collection. When Jimmy (Jordan O’Neal) experiences a tragedy, his friends take him for a relaxing getaway to a cabin deep in the Texas woods. What could possibly go wrong? Quite a bit, as it turns out, but you’re probably expecting that. This is low-budget horror at its finest, and as a result, you’ll see quite a bit of gore along the way.

4. “Bubba’s Chili Parlor” (2008)

If we were rating these movies based on name alone, “Bubba’s Chili Parlor” would easily be top of the list. Alas, it’s a bit of an inconsistent story, though there are still lots of gruesome moments and special effects to enjoy here. Writer and director Joey Evans also adds some tributes to the drive-in movie theater horror experiences of the ’70s, such as commercials and technical difficulties. It’s a lovely homage to a relic from the past.

5. “All the Boys Love Mandy Lane” (2006)

The circumstances around the U.S. release of this teen slasher flick had almost as many twists and turns as the plot. The movie was released in September 2006 to some international acclaim. However, its distributor, Senator Entertainment, declared bankruptcy soon after purchasing it from The Weinstein Company, which reacquired the movie seven years later. The company released the movie to video-on-demand and then gave it a limited theater release in October 2013. Filming took place in Austin and Bastrop, with lead actress Amber Heard, playing the titular Mandy Lane, remaining physically distanced from her supporting cast to help build her character’s personality.

6. “Hoboken Hollow” (2006)

Loosely based on the Texas Slave Ranch of Mountain Home, “Hoboken Hollow” has a jam-packed cast, including C. Thomas Howell, Michael Madsen, and Dennis Hopper. The film has a bit of a gory and exploitative feel, but the setting of a West Texas ranch is appropriately eerie. It’s also a good horror movie for dentists—some of the villains’ teeth make Austin Powers look like a mouth model.

7. “The Devil’s Rejects” (2005)

Director Rob Zombie set his 2003 movie “House of 1,000 Corpses” in Texas. That turned out so well that he decided to put the sequel in the state, too. He wanted to make this one “more horrific” and realistic than the predecessor, aiming for a “horror Western” sort of vibe. Mission accomplished. “The Devil’s Rejects” was the final film that 7’6” actor Matthew McCrory shot. And aside from leading man Sid Haig, the movie also features both tough guy Danny Trejo and E.G. Daily, the voice of Tommy Pickles in “Rugrats” and Buttercup from “The Powerpuff Girls.” Truly spectacular.

8. “Serial Rabbit” (2005)

The poster for “Serial Rabbit” reads “A different kind of hip-hop ‘tail.’” How you react to that wordplay might be how you feel about watching “Serial Rabbit.” The film explores a serial killer who moves around Texas, looking for victims to slay every Easter. In this movie, he stumbles upon an Austin rave, an exquisite environment for his next crimes. It’s low-budget horror in solid form. And if you dig this first one, you’ve got several additional movies in the franchise, including “Serial Rabbit 3: Splitting Hares” from 2009 and 2023’s “Serial Rabbit 7: Critical Rabbit Theory.”

9. “From Dusk till Dawn” (1996)

Robert Rodriguez was born and raised in San Antonio and went to the University of Texas, so perhaps it’s no surprise that he often features the state in his movies. “From Dusk till Dawn” spends a good chunk of time in Mexico via a tense kidnapping, but the action kicks off at a Texas roadside liquor store. George Clooney has a nice turn as a bank robber on the lam, Seth Gecko. The movie’s main cast is full of Hollywood stars, including Harvey Keitel, Juliette Lewis, Salma Hayek, and Quentin Tarantino, who plays Clooney’s brother, Richie Gecko.

10. “Bloodsuckers from Outer Space” (1984)

When you need to inject a little comedy into your horror, “Bloodsuckers from Outer Space” is a ghoulishly good choice. It’s a zombie B-movie (a zom-B movie!) from the middle of the ’80s, so yes, there will be some camp, but there’s also plenty to enjoy. Without giving away too much of the plot, an energy field from outer space brings a mist into a rural Texas town, turning farmers into zombies. The movie is also notable for being the debut performance of Dennis Letts, a college professor turned actor. Letts was 50 when “Bloodsuckers” was released, proving it’s never too late to follow your dreams.

11. “Junior” (1985)

Do not confuse this movie with the 1994 film “Junior,” though we suppose a pregnant Arnold Schwarzenegger could be a scary sight for certain theatergoers. Additionally, don’t mix up K.C. and Jo, the main characters in 1985’s “Junior,” with K-Ci and JoJo, the group who gave us one of the best R&B love ballads ever. Suzanne DeLaurentiis and Linda Singer star as a pair of ex-convicts building a marina in rural Texas. The titular Junior, played by Jeremy Ratchford, gets swayed by his deranged mother to kill them due to a territorial dispute. It’ll make anyone think twice before arguing with their neighbor about fences and property lines.

12. “Don’t Look in the Basement” (1973)

You might also discover this film as “The Forgotten” or “Death Ward #13,” but they’re all the same movie directed by S.F. Brownrigg. You probably won’t recognize a ton of the actors here. Bill McGhee, Annabelle Weenick, and former Playboy model Rosie Holotik lead the cast. But the acting is surprisingly strong for a low-budget film—the entire movie only cost $100,000 to make. Over four decades later, Brownrigg’s son, Anthony, directed a sequel shot in Texas. He reused many of the same locations as the original. That sequel, “Id: Don’t Look in the Basement 2,” came out in 2015. And if you ever get too scared watching this or any of these horror adventures, borrow the advice from the movie poster for “Don’t Look in the Basement”: “To avoid fainting, keep repeating, it’s only a movie…only a movie…only a movie…”

This article first appeared on Good Info News Wire and is republished here under a Creative Commons license.

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