HBO Max's Horror Comes Home Collection: What's Streaming and How to Get HBO Max on DIRECTV
HBO Max is going all in on spooky season. On October 1 the streamer launched "Horror Comes Home," a Halloween hub that collects its horror movies and series in one place for all of October. It's anchored by A24's Backrooms, the new Evil Dead Burn and a new HBO documentary series, The Pet Cemetery Murders: A Ghost Story, and there's also a new virtual channel called "Essential Horror" that plays horror films and series back to back.
If you have DIRECTV, you may already have HBO Max. Here's what's in the collection, which DIRECTV packages include HBO Max and how to start streaming.
What's new in HBO Max's Horror Comes Home collection
These are the season's headline titles, with dates from HBO Max and HBO. Times are Eastern.
| Title | What it is | When to watch |
|---|---|---|
| Backrooms | A24 horror film, the studio's highest-grossing release ever | Streaming on HBO Max since Sept. 25 |
| Evil Dead Burn | New chapter in the Evil Dead franchise from New Line and Warner Bros. | Streams exclusively on HBO Max from Fri., Oct. 2; HBO channel premiere Sat., Oct. 3, at 8 p.m. |
| The Pet Cemetery Murders: A Ghost Story | Three-part HBO Original documentary series | Sundays at 9 p.m. ET/PT on HBO, Oct. 11, 18 and 25, and on HBO Max |
| Strange: Junji Ito's Tales for Sleepless Nights | Season 1 of the horror anthology | On HBO Max from Oct. 2 |
| Lee Cronin's The Mummy, The Strangers: Chapter 2, Undertone | Recent horror films | Streaming now |
Evil Dead Burn follows a grieving widow who visits her late husband's family at their remote home, only to watch her in-laws turn into Deadites one by one. HBO is building a Saturday-night marathon around its channel premiere on October 3: Evil Dead (2013) at 4:45 p.m., Evil Dead Rise at 6:20 p.m. and Evil Dead Burn at 8 p.m. ET.
The Pet Cemetery Murders revisits a 1985 cold case in the bayou outside New Orleans involving the owner of a pet cemetery built on land rumored to be cursed.
The themed collections inside the hub
HBO Max sorts the hub into themed rows. A sample of each:
- Must-Scream Horror: A Nightmare on Elm Street (1984), Weapons, Hereditary, Midsommar, Talk to Me, Companion, Us, The Lighthouse, The Exorcist (1973) and It: Welcome to Derry
- A Killer Movie Marathon: the Final Destination films, including Final Destination Bloodlines, plus Freddy vs. Jason, X and MaXXXine
- Haunted Hall of Fame: The Conjuring films, Annabelle, The Nun, It and It Chapter Two, Evil Dead 2 and Evil Dead Rise
- Creature Features: Gremlins and Gremlins 2: The New Batch, Interview with the Vampire, Salem's Lot (2024), Zombieland, The Wolfman and The Cabin in the Woods
- What's Around the Corner (added Oct. 2): Backrooms, Insidious: The Red Door, Night of the Living Dead, Thanksgiving, The Strangers: Prey at Night and The Last of Us
Other rows include "Trick or Treat" and "Horror Comes Home," with hits like Sinners, Trap and Bring Her Back and classics like Carrie, Poltergeist (1982) and The Shining.
Halloween picks for the whole family
Not everyone in the house wants Deadites. Titles added to HBO Max on October 1 include Coraline, ParaNorman, Tim Burton's Corpse Bride, The Boxtrolls, Kubo and the Two Strings, Scooby-Doo and Little Shop of Horrors. For grown-ups, October 1 also brought House on Haunted Hill (1959) and Trick 'r Treat.
How DIRECTV customers get HBO Max
The way you get HBO Max depends on your DIRECTV plan:
| Your DIRECTV plan | HBO Max option | What you get |
|---|---|---|
| PREMIER (or LO MAXIMO) | Included | HBO Max Standard (no ads): HBO channels in your guide from channel 501, HBO On Demand and the HBO Max app |
| ENTERTAINMENT, CHOICE or ULTIMATE | Add-on, regularly $18.49/mo. | Same HBO Max Standard access: channels, On Demand and the app |
| MyEntertainment Genre Pack | Included | HBO Max Basic With Ads in the HBO Max app, along with Disney+ and Hulu |
DIRECTV's $18.49 HBO Max add-on is the same price as HBO Max Standard when you buy it directly. On its own, HBO Max costs $10.99 a month for Basic with Ads, $18.49 for Standard and $22.99 for Premium, which adds 4K and more streams at once. Through DIRECTV you also get the HBO channels on your receiver, all on one bill. DIRECTV doesn't sell HBO Max Basic With Ads as a separate add-on. New customers are sometimes offered premium channels free for the first few months, so ask about current offers.
Not sure what your package includes? Call 1-855-690-9884 and we'll check for you.
How to add HBO Max to your DIRECTV account
- Sign in to your account at directv.com or in the DIRECTV app.
- Go to Manage My TV Package, find HBO Max under premium channels and select Add.
- Follow the prompts. The charge renews monthly on your DIRECTV bill, and you can cancel anytime.
You can also tune to an HBO channel in your on-screen guide and follow the prompts to subscribe from your TV, or just call DIRECTV.
How to activate HBO Max with your DIRECTV login
To use the HBO Max app, which is where the Horror Comes Home hub and the Essential Horror channel live, connect your DIRECTV account once:
- Open the HBO Max app (or go to HBOMax.com on a computer) and choose Sign In.
- Choose to create an HBO Max account, then pick DIRECTV as the company you get HBO Max through.
- Sign in with your DIRECTV user ID and password.
- Enter an email address and finish creating your HBO Max account.
On a TV, the app shows a six-digit code. Go to HBOMax.com/providers on your phone or computer and enter it, or scan the QR code. After that, sign in anywhere with your HBO Max email and password. MyEntertainment customers activate through the link in DIRECTV's activation email. If you already pay HBO Max directly, cancel that subscription so you don't pay twice.
Watching on your DIRECTV receiver vs. the HBO Max app
With HBO Max Standard through DIRECTV, your receiver gets the HBO channels starting at channel 501 plus HBO On Demand. That covers the Evil Dead marathon on October 3 and the Sunday-night premieres of The Pet Cemetery Murders. Set a series recording, and your DVR will pick up all three episodes.
The Horror Comes Home hub, the Essential Horror channel and HBO Max-only titles are in the HBO Max app. On a DIRECTV Gemini device, you can install HBO Max from the Google Play Store under Apps. The app also works on smart TVs, streaming sticks, phones and computers.
More horror on DIRECTV this October
Freeform's annual marathon has a new movie every night through Halloween. See our Freeform 31 Nights of Halloween 2026 schedule for the full lineup. If you want even more scares, our guide to Screambox on DIRECTV covers that horror streaming service. For HBO channel details, see what channel HBO Max is on DIRECTV.
Paramount's purchase of HBO parent Warner Bros. Discovery is expected to close October 6. HBO Max and Paramount+ are slated to combine eventually, but no name, price or date has been announced. Our Paramount-WBD merger guide has the details.
Want HBO Max set up before your next movie night? Compare DIRECTV packages at your address or call 1-855-690-9884.
Frequently asked questions
What is HBO Max's Horror Comes Home collection?
It's HBO Max's Halloween 2026 hub, live October 1 through the end of October. It groups the service's horror movies and series into themed rows like Must-Scream Horror and Haunted Hall of Fame and adds a new virtual channel called Essential Horror.
Is HBO Max included with DIRECTV?
HBO Max Standard is included with the PREMIER package, and HBO Max Basic With Ads comes with the MyEntertainment Genre Pack. Customers with ENTERTAINMENT, CHOICE or ULTIMATE can add HBO Max Standard for $18.49 a month.
When does Evil Dead Burn come to HBO Max?
Evil Dead Burn starts streaming exclusively on HBO Max on Friday, October 2, 2026. Its HBO channel premiere is Saturday, October 3, at 8 p.m. ET.
Can I watch the horror collection on my DIRECTV receiver?
Partly. Your receiver shows the HBO channels (from 501) and HBO On Demand, which air many of these movies. The full hub and the Essential Horror channel are in the HBO Max app, which you can use on a DIRECTV Gemini device or any supported streaming device.
How do I sign in to HBO Max with DIRECTV?
In the HBO Max app, choose to create an account, select DIRECTV as your provider, sign in with your DIRECTV user ID and password, then add an email address. On a TV, you can enter the on-screen code at HBOMax.com/providers.
Questions about adding HBO Max to your plan? Call 1-855-690-9884.
Details reviewed October 2, 2026. Titles, air times and streaming availability are set by HBO and HBO Max and may change. DIRECTV packages, add-ons and prices vary by account and may change; taxes are extra. HBO, HBO Max, DIRECTV and related marks belong to their respective owners. American TV is an independent dealer and resource site.