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The best Netflix horror movies can be difficult to find. The streamer is just absolutely packed with spooky films bound to give you a fright. But, we’ve done the hard part for you and sifted through the hours of scares to find the very best that Netflix has to offer. Whatever you’re in the mood for in your next horror movie marathon, you’re bound to find something on our list.
If you’re after some zombie carnage, look no further than Army of the Dead, or if more kid-friendly fare is your thing, try Nightbooks. Then there’s the vampire flick Blood Red Sky, the new Texas Chainsaw Massacre, or Stephen King adaptation Gerald’s Game… and many more besides. One film that hasn’t quite made the cut this month, though, is the Asa Butterfield-starring Choose or Die. So, to find the very best Netflix horror movies to get you hiding behind the cushions and biting at your fingernails, scroll on and explore our ultimate guide to the streamer’s greatest terrors.
- The best horror movies of all time
- The upcoming horror movies to look out for
The best Netflix horror movies out now
Fear Street Trilogy
Year released: 2021
Director: Leigh Janiak
We’re cheating a bit here. The Fear Street trilogy is, well, a trilogy of horror movies, so we’re cramming three into this one entry, but they work as a singular whole piece incredibly well. There’s almost no chance of you finishing the first entry and stopping there, such is this gripping neon-colored slasher.
Taking more than a pinch of inspiration from Scream, Fear Street: Part One introduces us to Kiana Madeira’s Deena, a teenager from Shadyside whose lover, Olivia Scott Welch’s Samantha Fraser, has moved to the neighboring Sunnyside. However, the pair get mixed up in a curse that’s haunted Shadyside for hundreds of years, and now they must work with friends and family to rid the town of the horror once and for all. The first movie takes place in the ’90s, while the sequels go back to the ’70s and 1660s, revealing more and more about the curse of Shadyside. This is one trilogy not to be missed, and is absolutely one of the best horrors on Netflix.
The Texas Chainsaw Massacre
Year released: 2022
Director: David Blue Garcia
This Netflix movie is the ninth installment in the Texas Chainsaw Massacre franchise and serves as a direct sequel to the original film, which was released in 1974. The character of Sally Hardesty, the only survivor of Leatherface’s killing spree in the ’70s movie, returns, while John Larroquette reprises his role as the story’s narrator. Add in some more blood, guts, and Gen Z-ers, and that’s pretty much the Netflix slasher in a nutshell. At a brisk 81 minutes in length, it’s well worth a watch.
Blood Red Sky
Year released: 2021
Director: Peter Thorwarth
Not one for fearful flyers, Blood Red Sky sees a plane hijacked while a mother suffering from a strange illness and her son are onboard. But, the twist (or bite?) comes when it turns out there’s a vampire on the plane – and it’s the hijackers who should fear for their lives.
Peri Baumeister stars as Nadja, the afflicted mother, while Carl Anton Koch plays her son. Expect a surprisingly emotional film with some high-altitude scares, pulse-pounding thrills – and, of course, lots of blood…
Nightbooks
Year released: 2021
Director: David Yarovesky
Starring Krysten Ritter as a witch named Natacha, Nightbooks follows a young boy named Alex (Winslow Fegley) who has a talent for writing spooky stories. When his apartment block’s elevator takes him to a mysterious floor, Natacha traps him, and demands a new scary story each night. With his new friend Yasmin (Lidya Jewett), Alex must try to survive the ordeal – and eventually escape from the witch’s clutches.
Based on J.A. White’s novel of the same name, Nightbooks is scary but in a kid-friendly way – more implications than showing gore. How did the director achieve that balance? Well, you can find out, in our interview with David Yarovesky.
Army of the Dead
Year released: 2021
Director: Zack Snyder
Zack Snyder returns to the zombie genre with Army of the Dead. While Dawn of the Dead gave us ultra-fast undead sprinters, Army of the Dead introduces super smart and strong Alpha zombies, who rule over a decimated Las Vegas. A group of mercenaries heads into the city to try and crack a near-impenetrable safe before a nuke wipes Vegas off the map, but, as you might expect from a zombie movie, things go south pretty fast.
Prepare for all the classic hallmarks of the genre, like shambling hordes that just want to eat, as well as some intriguing twists – like a potential extra-terrestrial connection, and a zombie tiger. The undead tiger alone has to qualify it for the best horror movies on Netflix list.
The cast includes Dave Bautista, Ella Purnell, Ana de la Reguera, Omari Hardwick, Tig Notaro, and Hiroyuki Sanada.
The Babysitter
Year released: 2017
Director: McG
Babysitters in horror tend to get the short shrift. Whether they’re being stalked, stabbed, or taunted over the phone, it’s seldom what you’d dub a “fun gig” for them. McG’s The Babysitter twists this expectation, in perhaps its sole subversion that we shan’t spoil here, to elevate this Netflix Original from what could easily have been a so-so slasher. From the neon-drenched palette of its marketing, it’s clear that this isn’t your typical blood-soaked trip to suburbia.
Nope, this horror works at being hip. That’s in part to the breezy cool exuded by Ready or Not’s Samara Weaving. In the lead as the world’s best babysitter, it’s her turn that cements the pic as a playful riff on horrors past; whether she’s debating the merits of horror icons with tween scamp Cole or figuring out how to achieve the life she truly desires. While its overly-stylized screen pop-ups might appear needy, they’re not enough to detract from the popcorn frivolousness.
Little Evil
Year released: 2017
Director: Eli Craig
Films like The Omen and Orphan have taught us that having a kid in a horror movie typically doesn’t end well. The nightmarish concept of raising a hell-spawn receives a much-needed shakeup in Eli Craig’s horror-comedy Little Evil. Parenthood gets utterly skewered as Adam Scott’s everyman Gary meets and marries the woman of his dreams, Samantha (Evangeline Lilly), only to discover he’s stepdad to the antichrist.
It makes it onto the best horror movies on Netflix list because it’s a great riff on the exhausted supernatural child subgenre, that mixes up the typical “devil incarnate” trope with some fresher, less tired ideas (queer representation that’s not derivative). With a slew of recognisable horror moments nabbed and skewered (Dr. Farrow being a brazen nod to Rosemary’s Baby for one) on the meta altar, there’s plenty of genre winks to score Little Evil points with fans. Need further convincing? Craig also directed the stellar slasher comedy Tucker and Dale Vs. Evil.
The Perfection
Year released: 2018
Director: Richard Shepard
Good at guessing twists? The Perfection acknowledges your arrogance and ceremoniously barfs all over it. This body horror supreme rages and twists, a schlock-filled delight that barely lets up until you’ve regurgitated your lunch, that is. There’s a reason everyone couldn’t stop talking about this campy Netflix Original at time of release: it’s a dizzying trip into the terrifying world of… classical musicianship.
You heard. Get Out’s Allison Williams channels that same energy to play cellist Charlotte whose rivalry with Logan Browning’s similarly-talented string plucker Lizzie spirals out of control. While that might sound like a ‘90s thriller, this is pure modern horror. It admittedly ventures into some rather over-the-top scenarios, but that’s where most of its deliciously deranged entertainment lies. This is a bizarre yarn of revenge that unspools through a number of interesting themes.
His House
Year released: 2020
Director: Remi Weekes
His House is an excellent horror that’s best watched on Halloween, though can be enjoyed any time of the year. The story revolves around two immigrants who flee their war-torn country for a better life in England. However, they are given a new home that’s invaded by a certain… presence.
This one’s a timely tale that’s anchored by two superb central performances by Wunmi Mosaku and Sope Dirisu. We’ll leave the rest for you to discover, but this is one haunted house horror that had to be on the best horror movies on Netflix list.
Apostle
Year released: 2018
Director: Gareth Evans
Gareth Evans might seem an unusual choice to lens a slow-burn period horror, but somehow? Apostle works. Fans of The Witch will get a kick out of this Netflix Original horror that stars Dan Stevens as Thomas Richardson, a man who returns home to learn his sister has fallen afoul of a cult. Desperate to rescue her, he ventures to the secluded isle, willingly embracing cult leader (Michael Sheen) and his flock under the guise of a recent convert in order to locate his missing sibling.
Evans puts a pause to kinetic flourishes brought to life in his signature efforts, The Raid and The Raid 2. Here, he opts for a slower pace to the hidden horrors of the hazy, misty Welsh town. A slew of subplots steer Stevens’ wanderer all over the map in his dogged pursuit, showcasing Evans’ eye for making the bleak beautiful, and the horrific truly mesmerizing.
1922
Year released: 2017
Director: Zak Hilditch
Is there such a thing as the perfect murder? While 1922 doesn’t strictly dabble with that query, it does dive into the next best thing: what guilt does to a man after committing one. Another King adaptation, this Netflix Original hails from director Zak Hilditch, who opts for the long, steady-paced tale. Things open on farmer Wilf James (Thomas Jane) as he struggles to deal with his wife Arlette’s (Molly Parker) aspirations. After inheriting a large plot of land, her plan is to sell it so they can move to the city with their son.
Wilf, a rancher at heart, is reviled by her plans, so opts for the only remaining choice: he plots to kill her. Unlike other King adaptations, that boast flashy villains and shocking twists, this is old-school horror. If you like your scares with a hint of the gothic to them and are more intrigued by the darkness that lingers inside of people rather than the boogeyman, this is for you.
Creep 2
Year released: 2017
Director: Patrick Brice
Patrick Brice and Mark Duplass’ Creep (see below) blasted onto the horror scene leading the mumblegore pack with its quiet, simple aspirations that proved utterly terrifying. How do you follow up a trendsetter like that? Easy. Push the concept further. For the sequel, Duplass returns as the titular creep, emboldened by his past murderous exploits to embrace his ego even more. This time around he hires a videographer to chronicle a day in his life, wherein he unveils his true villainous self, with the promise that he won’t kill her over the next 24 hours.
Following Duplass into a facsimile spate of killings would have been the swiftest route to a second chapter in the Creep franchise. Yet Creep 2 steers deeper into its psychopath’s neuroses, to explore topics such as: what happens when serial murderers feel disillusioned with their “work”? What’s the cure for a melancholic killer? Found footage horror receives a genuine facelift in this thoroughly unnerving and jump scare-ridden sequel. Bring on Creep 3, which will probably also make it onto the best horror movies on Netflix lists.
Calibre
Year released: 2018
Director: Matt Palmer
Picture the scene. You’re having a great time with an old friend, and then all of a sudden, you’re struck by that sinking feeling in the pit of your stomach when the absolute worst thing imaginable happens. The moodscape of Calibre preys on that very sensation for its entire runtime, venturing down some decidedly murky ethical holes to tell the tale of two lifelong friends who journey to the Scottish highlands for a hunting weekend. While Vaughn and Marcus’ getaway is a boozy fun time at the start, the real thrills kick in when they hit the outdoors to bag themselves a deer.
Well, we say watch, but you’ll likely experience most of the film from behind a cushion while you clutch the armrest, sweat pouring down your back. Writer-director Matt Palmer’s debut doesn’t adhere to traditional horror tropes per se, more an experience in sheer pulse-pounding what-the-fuckery. While most of its punchiest moments are snagged from elsewhere, that doesn’t matter: you’ll be holding your breath the whole time.
Ravenous (Les Affamés)
Year released: 2017
Director: Robin Aubert
Both funny and scary, this low-key French horror taps into an area of the zombie genre previously unexplored. The rural, foreign area, that is. Ravenous plays out in the surrounding areas of Quebec, as residents slowly succumb to a zombie-like illness, leaving their loved ones to fend them off and seek shelter.
Bored of the usual undead flesh-eaters cluttering up your screen? Not only does this effective little horror boast a unique element in that it’s not performed in the English language, it also packs in some neat amendments to zombie lore. Similar to more recent zombie fare like Maggie, Ravenous pares things down and keeps it simple. You’re gonna get no flashy CGI, big-budgeted action here, folks. But what it does offer, rather bleakly, is a sense of real, confounding sadness at the loss of life, that’s typically overlooked in favor of blood and guts.
The Platform
Year released: 2019
Director: Galder Gaztelu-Urrutia
The notion that horror isn’t political is a poor argument, with each era in the genre’s history ripe with titles seeking to dismantle particular rhetorics. The Platform is one of Netflix’s first world language original horrors, and wields its opinion boldly from the offset. The premise interrogates the concept of communism through a brutal futuristic prison system, which is where we first meet our protagonist Goreng, who awakens one day on Floor 48 of a Virtual Self-Management Center. Essentially, an installation where a mouthwatering feast is placed on a platform and lowered down through the tower, stopping for a moment at each floor so the inmates may eat.
The point made rather explicitly involves the equal distribution of wealth. But when you’ve suffered as a result of others’ greed, what do you do when gluttony presents itself? The movie chronicles Goreng’s experiences as he’s switched every 30 days to a new floor, with the lowest levels demonstrating the savagery humans resort to when their fellow man won’t even throw ‘em a bone.
The Ritual
Year released: 2017
Director: David Bruckner
Hiking trips never seem to end well in films, and for the four friends in The Ritual that tradition unfortunately continues. Following the death of another friend, whose tragic demise flashes back constantly throughout, the quartet decides that a hike into the Scandinavian woods is the best way to honor his memory. As we know, long treks into dark, scary forests rarely make for fun times, unless you quite like encountering centuries-old evil that wants to murder you horribly.
We’ve had twenty years of Blair Witch knock-offs, but this pic proves that there’s still plenty to be afraid of in the woods. The stale ‘lost in nature’ trope gets a much-needed shakeup here, blitzing its characters with hallucinogenic trips and mind-boggling visual effects which add to their unease with the steadily unraveling situation. This is a genuinely scary entry into the horror canon, piecing parts of folk horror together with creature feature tropes.
Cargo
Year released: 2017
Director: Ben Howling and Yolanda Ramke
In a similar fashion to Ravenous, Cargo upends the racy, blistering zombie traditions of recent years to tell a quieter, character-driven story. Opening on an infectious pandemic well underway, Martin Freeman leads the pic as Andy, a man keen to figure his way through the apocalypse with his wife and baby girl by his side. Almost immediately Andy’s circumstance spirals out of control, forcing him to confront his worst nightmares while ensuring his family’s ultimate survival.
This isn’t your typical undead yarn, however. First off, it’s situated not in a bustling cityscape but instead, the Australian outback, lovingly photographed as both a sight to behold and fear. Elsewhere, the movie pilfers new themes from the end of days predicament, such as the scramble over rations as commentary on the wasteful nature of modern-day living. It examines a parent’s love for their child, and how that takes precedence when time winds down. Freeman’s dedicated performance is what sells the core message; the deep reserve of unconditional love we each possess is the only true tool we need for survival.
Hush
Year released: 2016
Director: Mike Flanagan
A secluded house in the middle of nowhere. A family terrorized by an outsider trying to drive them slowly mad before off-ing them one by one. You’ve probably seen this premise unravel a thousand times before, but you probably haven’t seen it delivered through such a unique twist. For Mike Flanagan’s follow-up to the superb Oculus, he and his wife Kate Siegel (who also stars) decided to pen a screenplay using the bare bones of that idea with a deaf woman as the lone character singled out by a masked madman.
Without access to that one sense, which most horror films rely on to convey fear, things have to get inventive. Watching events unfold via her point-of-view, a soundless space, somehow makes the film more terrifying. And even though the killer has multiple opportunities to finish her off, the fact that he chooses to draw things out even more so just adds to the whole bloody affair.
Creep
Year released: 2014
Director: Patrick Brice
Mark Duplass normally plays nice guys. If the title didn’t give it away, his turn in Creep isn’t remotely nice. Both he and the hideous wolf mask he dons are the new faces of horror. Duplass co-stars opposite writer-director Patrick Brice, for the latest in a long line of mumblegore movies that’s inventive, bold and unnerving as hell. Albeit, scant on actual guts.
Except the story of a freelance videographer who accepts work from Duplass’ loon isn’t really a bloody affair but an intense study in how little privacy we’re afforded in the modern digital age. Everything shuffles along without too much cause for concern until the midway point, when you’ll be shouting at the screen from behind your cushion. But make sure you don’t miss the final encounter between the two. Haunting stuff that leads nicely into the sequel, which you probably already spotted on this best horror movies on Netflix list.
Before I Wake
Year released: 2016
Director: Mike Flanagan
Stuck in distribution hell for years after completion, Mike Flanagan’s atmospheric horror is nevertheless worth seeking out. On the surface, and judging by its premise, it appears to be your standard creepy kid pic. But this is Flanagan we’re talking about. The mastery in which he muddles the line between good and evil, to rebrand both as something entirely essential to the human experience is outstanding. That’s the core tenet of Before I Wake, which follows the story of young orphan Cody (Jacob Tremblay, several years before Flanagan tore him apart in Doctor Sleep) who secures a new adoptive home with grieving parents Jessie (Kate Bosworth) and Mark (Thomas Jane).
Their situation is equally as complex as Cody’s, and their tragic backstories become entwined. Scares abound as Cody’s unique skills come to the fore with some genuinely unnerving resultant visuals serving as nightmare fodder. Those familiar with Flanagan’s work will recognize his trademark flourishes, but it’s unlikely you’ll guess the film’s final suckerpunch tear-jerk that doesn’t undermine the earlier scares, instead drilling that creeping sorrow deeper into your bones.
Velvet Buzzsaw
Year released: 2019
Director: Dan Gilroy
Sadly, the velvet buzzsaw of the title isn’t a dastardly device wielded by a maniac hellbent on mowing down teens. Alas, this Netflix Original is no slasher but a flat-out bonkers satirical horror. Jake Gyllenhaal reunites with his Nightcrawler director Dan Gilroy for an art world expose. Velvet Buzzsaw carries none of the precision or bite as that earlier pic, instead preferring to tell a more frivolous story about the art vs. commerce debate.
Bitter, icy, and replete with backstabbing – and that’s just Gyllenhaal’s gonzo critic Mort Vandewalf – the movie oozes camp from the start. Mort’s friend Josephina discovers a repository of phenomenal art in the apartment of her deceased neighbour. The pieces take the Miami art world by storm, only increasing in value when a series of murders become bizarrely connected to them. Come for the wacky premise and stay for the terrific ensemble cast (Rene Russo, Toni Collette, Daveed Diggs, and John Malkovich) who appear to be having a bloody good time.
CAM
Year released: 2018
Director: Daniel Goldhaber
The horror of having your digital presence stolen strikes at the heart of this truly creepy 2018 pic. Orange is the New Black’s Madeline Brewer stars as Lola, a camgirl who works as a webcam model on a popular live girls website. She earns tokens and likes from her followers in the hopes of leaping up to the site’s top ten where true stardom awaits. That dream falls apart when Lola awakes one morning to discover her profile has been taken over… by an exact copy of herself.
What’s most unsettling, guaranteed to send shivers up your spine, is the uncanny valley conundrum at the center of CAM. Having your identity hijacked is one thing, sure. But being confronted by a sinister simulacrum, a dangerous doppelganger, a cunning cop- alright, that’s enough, you get the point. That concept is most chilling. Penned by a former real-life cam girl, the story dives into the dark past of the website, revealing the true horror of Lola’s predicament.
#Alive
Year released: 2020
Director: Il Cho
Directed by Il Cho, #Alive is a Netflix movie from South Korea that follows a live-streamer as he attempts to survive a zombie apocalypse. Oddly enough, a guy who spends most of his time playing video games is actually fairly suited to live in a zombie apocalypse… Yoo Ah-in plays the gamer, Oh Joon-woo, and is joined by Park Shin-hye, who plays the mysterious Kim. The pair make a great central duo in this intense, bloody undead flick.
Under the Shadow
Non-Netflix original available in UK and US
Year released: 2016
Director: Babak Anvari
A film with a PG rating can’t be really scary… can it? Under the Shadow, dubbed Iran’s version of The Babadook, aims to dismantle that theory in the most terrifying way possible. Taking place during the Iran-Iraq war, tensions are already high for the residents of Tehran, and especially for one unlucky family. Married couple Iraj and Shideh, find themselves split up over the course of an evening, when Iraj is called away, leaving his wife and their daughter Dorsa to wait out the night in their apartment. Thing is, there might be something worse than a missile attack awaiting them…
A genuinely scary horror, with a ripe, tense atmosphere that’s largely absent of violence and gore, Under the Shadow channels some deep-rooted fears about Iran’s cultural climate, twisting them into a living, breathing terror. Shideh is also a much welcome addition to the horror canon, refusing to idly sit by while evil is at work, and instead taking action to protect her child.
Gerald’s Game
Year released: 2017
Director: Mike Flanagan
Stephen King’s hot streak brings with it an adaptation many said was unfilmable. This recent stab, another Mike Flanagan film, proves those naysayers wrong. This is perhaps the most loyal King adaptation, bringing a tome shuddering to life that consists mostly of a woman chained to a bed, alone, in the middle of nowhere. That woman is Jesse (Carla Gugino), whose husband, Gerald (Bruce Greenwood), drives her to a peaceful retreat for a weekend of nookie and $200 steak.
His ticker gives up and she’s left handcuffed to the bedposts with a strange dog for company… oh, and a creeping demon with red eyes that lurks in the shadows when night falls. Carla Gugino’s stunning performance piles on the layers of horror from throughout Jesse’s past, until the sting in the tail you won’t see coming.
