Netflix has become one of my go-to destinations for Horror fans looking to get their scare fix, with the streaming service boasting an impressive library of spine-tingling films (right behind Shudder). When I just want to dive into something spine-tingling, the streaming service has never let me down, and it is easy to see why, with so many series and movies ready for horror lovers everywhere. Whether you’re in the mood for a jump scare-filled slasher, a slow-burn psychological thriller, or an elevated horror that blurs genre lines, Netflix has you covered.
In this list, we’ll help shine the light on the best horror movies currently available on Netflix for your viewing pleasure. From recent critical darlings to new hidden gems to bonafide classics, these films range across eras, styles, and subgenres to showcase the diversity of frights the service offers.
Leading up to Halloween, horror buffs will find no shortage of options for a movie marathon on Netflix. And while the ranking focuses on the cream of the crop, the streamer’s horror bench runs deep with additional titles worth checking out when you’ve made your way through the top options. Just don’t blame us when you can’t sleep after watching these selections—consider yourself warned!
So turn down the lights, lock the doors, and get ready to scream.
Cam
Starting things off with something a little different, Cam is a chilling psychological horror film that tells just how twisted technology can be in a world where people only know the small pieces you show to the world. The film follows Alice (Madeline Brewer), an ambitious camgirl obsessed with rising to the top of her profession. However, her lucrative camming account is taken over by a mysterious doppelgänger who impersonates Alice on her channel. As the doppelgänger rapidly outperforms her, the desperate Alice struggles to regain control of her online identity and expose the identity of her impersonator before losing everything.
Tapping into modern anxieties about privacy and identity in our digital age, Cam utilizes classic horror tropes to deliver an unsettling, thought-provoking thriller. With its haunting electronic score and Brewer’s captivating dual performance, first-time director Daniel Goldhaber’s film lingers in the mind long after the credits roll. For horror fans looking for a fresh, female-driven take on technophobia and duality, Cam delivers a uniquely disturbing viewing experience.
Crimson Peak
Crimson Peak is a lavish gothic romance directed by the master of horror himself, Guillermo del Toro. Set in the late 19th century, it stars Mia Wasikowska as Edith Cushing, a young author who marries the brooding aristocrat Thomas Sharpe, played by Tom Hiddleston. After moving into Sharpe’s decaying ancestral mansion known as Crimson Peak, Edith finds herself haunted by ghosts and embroiled in a dark mystery surrounding the sinister Sharpe family.
Jessica Chastain co-stars as Lucille, Thomas’ intense sister who exerts a powerful influence over him. With its ominous setting shrouded in blood-red clay, Crimson Peak envelops the viewer in an atmosphere thick with dread. Del Toro masterfully combines sumptuous visuals, chilling supernatural elements, and romantic melodrama for a lush Gothic tale that evokes classic horror films. Hiddleston and Chastain deliver deliciously unhinged performances, while Wasikowska brings emotional depth to anchor this story of love and terror.
Fear Street Trilogy
Directed by Leigh Janiak, the Fear Street Trilogy adapts R.L. Stine’s popular teen horror book series into a thrilling three-part film event that manages to stand on its own, even if you have never read the classic teen novels. Set in the cursed town of Shadyside, the story jumps between different time periods as a group of teenagers try to break the sinister curse that has plagued their community for over 300 years.
The first installment, Fear Street Part One: 1994, kicks off the trilogy with a traditional slasher flick set in the ’90s starring Kiana Madeira and Olivia Welch. Part Two: 1978 and Part Three: 1666 go back in time to reveal the full origin of Shadyside’s dark history, with an ensemble cast including Gillian Jacobs, Sadie Sink, and Maya Hawke. Blending nostalgia, humour, diverse characters, and copious amounts of gore, the Fear Street Trilogy puts a fresh spin on the teen horror genre. Janiak ambitiously connects the films into one epic supernatural tale, subverting expectations with clever twists across multiple eras.
It (2017)
It is a 2017 horror film adapted from Stephen King’s chilling 1986 novel, bringing the terrifying clown Pennywise to life on the big screen. Set in the small town of Derry, Maine, the story follows a group of adolescents who witness their friends being hunted by a shape-shifting monster that takes the form of an unnerving clown named Pennywise. As Pennywise lurks in the sewers, preying on the town’s children and causing them to disappear mysteriously, the group of teens tries to overcome their own fears and put a stop to the evil clown’s murderous rampage.
Picking up the mantle from the great Tim Curry, Bill Skarsgård delivers a nightmarish performance as the iconic villain Pennywise, ensuring It delivers a suspenseful horror tale filled with thrilling scares, dark humour, and poignant coming-of-age themes. Director Andy Muschietti brings King’s acclaimed novel to the screen through vivid visuals and relatable characters, making It one of the most memorable Stephen King adaptations in recent years.
It Follows
It Follows is a 2015 horror film directed by David Robert Mitchell that has gained a cult following for its original and emotionally resonant premise. The story follows a young woman who is cursed after a sexual encounter with a man, causing her to be stalked relentlessly by a supernatural entity. The curse can only be passed on through further sexual contact, leading her to spread the curse to others in desperation. Set in suburban Detroit after the Great Recession, the film uses its post-industrial backdrop to reflect the aimlessness of youth and the trauma left behind by economic decline.
With its slow-burning suspense, distinctive synth score, and timeless themes of guilt and mortality, It Follows subverts both horror and coming-of-age conventions to deliver a genre film that lingers with viewers long after. Using familiar tropes in novel ways, David Robert Mitchell heightens the fears of adolescence into a haunting depiction of inescapable horrors that follow us from past regrets into the uncertain future.
Midnight Mass
Midnight Mass is a 7-episode supernatural horror series created by Mike Flanagan that explores complex questions of belief, redemption, and community. Set on the isolated Crockett Island, the show centers around the arrival of a mysterious new priest who appears to perform miracles, sparking fervent religious mania among the town’s Catholic residents. Under its genre trappings, Midnight Mass tackles thoughtful themes like addiction, grief, and the danger of group psychology gone awry.
Flanagan delivers suspense through slow-burning character drama rather than jump scares. The show accurately depicts Catholic traditions and ideology while also incorporating perspectives from atheism to Islam. By season’s end, Midnight Mass transforms into a moving reflection on guilt, forgiveness, and faith. With its excellent performances, emotional resonance, and thought-provoking exploration of what we choose to believe in, Midnight Mass lingers with viewers long after its mysteries are revealed.
Scream
Scream is a sleeper hit that reinvigorated the horror genre in the late 1990s, so clearly, we had to include it in our list. Directly inspired by classics like Halloween and other slasher films from the 1970s and 80s, Scream injected new life into horror by combining the DNA of teen dramas and murder mysteries into one addictive, meta experience. By having its characters openly reference horror tropes and conventions, Scream allowed audiences to feel in on the fun.
Beyond its clever, intertextual script, Scream also benefited from the charisma of its young cast, including Neve Campbell as the franchise’s heroic final girl, Sidney Prescott. Scream would launch multiple sequels and a TV spinoff series, cementing its status as a hugely influential horror film. Its winning formula of jump scares, whodunit plotting, comedic winks to the audience, and addictive teen drama ensured a whole new generation would fall in love with horror.
Raw
Raw is a visceral horror film from French director Julia Ducournau that puts an electrifying feminist spin on body and cannibal horror subgenres and is one of the most shocking films you can find on the streaming platform. The story follows Justine, a devout vegetarian beginning her first year at veterinary school. As part of ruthless hazing rituals, she is forced to eat raw meat for the first time and develops a dangerous new hunger. Justine’s sexual awakening and uncontrollable cravings for flesh become intertwined as she explores her primal instincts.
Rather than sensationalize violence, Raw uses its grisly premise to tell an earnest coming-of-age story about the complexity of female relationships and sexuality. Anchored by Garance Marillier’s captivating lead performance, Raw announces Ducournau as an exciting new directorial voice. It subverts expectations at every turn, delivering a poignant take on becoming an adult while confronting the darker parts of oneself. Raw has raw emotional depth to match its visceral impact.
The Haunting of Bly Manor
Based loosely on The Turn of the Screw, The Haunting of Bly Manor is a Gothic romance ghost story that follows Dani, an American au pair who is hired to care for two orphaned children in the English countryside. Upon arriving at the sprawling Bly Manor estate, Dani begins experiencing paranormal occurrences and bearing witness to dark secrets tied to the manor’s troubled past. As she cares for the children, Flora and Miles, Dani tries to unravel the mysteries surrounding Bly Manor, which seem connected to the estate’s deceased previous au pair and groundskeeper.
Through flashbacks, the show slowly interweaves the backstories of the manor’s ghostly inhabitants. While delivering enough chilling scenes to satisfy horror fans, The Haunting of Bly Manor ultimately focuses more on interpersonal relationships and hidden trauma. Showrunner Mike Flanagan elevates the series beyond familiar haunted house tropes by emphasizing that the true horror stems from the living rather than the dead.
The Haunting of Hill House
Honestly, despite having a few horror series on the streaming platform, Mike Flanagan’s The Haunting of Hill House still manages to be my favourite. This series is a masterful adaptation of Shirley Jackson’s iconic 1959 gothic horror novel. Though taking liberties with the source material, Flanagan expands the story into a moving multi-generational family drama. It follows the fractured Crain family, flitting between past and present to chart the tragic events that transpired within the titular haunted mansion. Outstanding performances from Victoria Pedretti and Kate Siegel anchor the show, conveying raw emotion through subtle expressions.
Flanagan’s meticulous direction fills every frame with unease through slow tracking shots and off-kilter angles. The deft camerawork transforms Hill House into a character itself – a twisting, labyrinthine entity with hidden secrets. Though brimming with ghostly scares, at its core The Haunting of Hill House is an intimate portrait of trauma and grief. This character-focused approach honours the spirit of Jackson’s novel, translating its palpable melancholy to the screen.
The Mist
It is crazy to think Frank Darabont created one of the most heart-wrenching horror films I have ever watched, but that is just what you get with The Mist. This movie is a gripping adaptation of Stephen King’s novella that works as both an intense monster movie and a thoughtful social commentary. Set in a small Maine town, the story follows a group of locals trapped inside a supermarket by an eerie mist concealing violent extraterrestrial creatures. As panic and paranoia set in, the terrified survivors descend into chaos and turn against one another.
Darabont elicits powerful performances from an ensemble cast including Thomas Jane, Marcia Gay Harden, Andre Braugher, Toby Jones, and Frances Sternhagen. Their interactions highlight how easily human decency unravels when faced with fear of the unknown. With its claustrophobic setting and nightmarish creatures lurking in the fog, The Mist delivers chilling scares while exploring complex moral questions. Though filled with shocking gore, the film’s deepest horror stems from the darkness lurking within human nature. Darabont transforms King’s story into a harrowing allegory for society’s collapse in catastrophic times.
The Ritual
The Ritual is a 2017 folk horror film directed by David Bruckner about four friends who embark on a hiking trip in Sweden to honour their deceased companion. After taking a shortcut through remote forests, the group decides to spend the night in an abandoned cabin filled with pagan-like symbols and artifacts. It soon becomes apparent that a sinister, supernatural force dwelling in the woods is stalking them. What began as a tribute trip descends into a fight for survival against a terrifying evil.
Bruckner builds tension through the characters’ isolation and the gnarled, maze-like setting of the woods. The Ritual’s strongest asset is its creature design, which takes inspiration from Norse mythology to create a freakish monster that induces sheer terror. It’s an atmospheric slow-burn horror that values dread over gore. Using foreboding cinematography and the relatable dynamics of the four friends, The Ritual succeeds as an eerie thriller about the darkness that lurks within the depths of the human psyche.
Creep
Creep is a 2014 found footage horror film that exemplifies the “mumblegore” genre, which relies on naturalistic performances and everyday awkwardness to generate unease. Directed by Patrick Brice, who also stars, Creep follows a videographer named Aaron (Brice) who takes a cryptic job from Josef (Mark Duplass), an eccentric man with a brain tumour who wants to film a diary for his unborn son. As Josef’s behaviour grows increasingly unsettling and bizarre, Aaron struggles to extract himself from the uncomfortable situation.
Blurring the line between horror and cringe comedy, Creep thrives on the awkwardness of casual male relationships. Duplass delivers an unnerving and unpredictable performance, swinging from goofy to sinister at the drop of a hat. With its barebones style, improvisational dialogue, and clever deconstruction of politeness, Creep puts a novel spin on found footage horror. The film ultimately serves as a disquieting character study of two men trapped by social contracts and masculine expectations.
Annihilation
Alex Garland’s Annihilation is a riveting sci-fi thriller that deserves recognition as one of the best horror films in recent years. It follows a group of scientists who venture into a quarantined zone called Area X, where the laws of nature no longer apply. Once inside, they encounter mutated creatures and a spreading alien landscape that defies explanation. Annihilation succeeds through an eerie atmosphere thick with dread, achieved through foreboding visuals and an unsettling score by Ben Salisbury and Geoff Barrow.
Garland’s inventive, often horrifying creature designs tap into existential fears, transforming the human form in surreal, disturbing ways. Anchored by Natalie Portman’s nuanced lead performance, Annihilation explores thought-provoking themes of trauma and self-destruction through the lens of cosmic horror. The film refuses to provide easy answers, instead culminating in an ambiguous, chilling finale that leaves audiences to ponder the unknowable. For these reasons, Annihilation is a must-watch that shows sci-fi and horror genres can be blended to profoundly unsettling effect.
The Rental
The Rental is a 2020 horror film directed by Dave Franco, revolving around two couples who rent a remote house for a weekend getaway. They soon discover hidden cameras around the house, raising suspicions about the voyeuristic property owner. The film combines elements of Brian De Palma’s stylistic approach with David Fincher’s cool detachment, though it lacks consistency in execution. The Rental builds tension through a sense of isolation and paranoia as the couples turn against each other.
However, the characters lack depth, and their questionable decisions frustrate more than thrill. While ambitious and atmospheric at times, The Rental fails to deliver a satisfying payoff for its slow-burning build-up. The hidden camera trope never reaches its full creepy potential. Despite its shortcomings, The Rental shows promise for first-time director Dave Franco and offers some effectively tense moments. But the film ultimately falls short of genre greatness due to an uneven script.
Sinister
Sinister is a 2012 supernatural horror film directed by Scott Derrickson that delivers chilling scares. It follows true-crime writer Ellison Oswalt (Ethan Hawke), who discovers a box of disturbing home movies depicting grisly murders while moving into a new house. Ellison becomes obsessed with the mysterious footage, hoping it will lead to his next bestseller. However, he soon realizes the murders are the work of an ancient pagan demon who consumes children’s souls.
As Ellison continues to watch the sinister home movies, he places his own family in grave danger. Sinister succeeds thanks to Derrickson’s masterful building of tension, Ethan Hawke’s committed performance, and the unsettling Super 8 footage depicting ritualistic killings. The pagan demon Bughuul makes for a frightening antagonist as the threat to Ellison’s family grows. With its frightening imagery, atmosphere of dread, and themes of ambition leading to ruin, Sinister is a terrifying horror film that stays with you long after watching.
Veronica
Veronica is a 2017 Spanish horror film directed by Paco Plaza, known for the [REC] series. Loosely based on a true story, the movie is set in 1991 Madrid and follows Veronica, a teenage girl who begins experiencing supernatural occurrences after she and her friends use a Ouija board during a solar eclipse. Veronica had only intended to contact her deceased father, but instead, she unknowingly summoned a dark, evil spirit. As the demonic entity starts violently haunting Veronica and her family, she desperately tries to find a way to banish it.
Mixing classic horror tropes like demonic possession with the relatable story of a young girl coming of age, Veronica crafts an unsettling atmosphere through slow-building dread. Carried by Sandra Escacena’s compelling lead performance, the film succeeds as an earnest foray into the consequences of meddling with forces beyond our comprehension.
The Fall of the House of Usher
With it just released, it makes sense we had to include Mike Flanagan’s The Fall of the House of Usher, a series that masterfully adapts Edgar Allan Poe to the streaming platform. The show crafts an ominous eight-episode saga chronicling the downfall of the lavish but rotten Usher pharmaceutical empire. Flanagan’s talent for slow-burn dread and macabre spectacle is on full display through the gruesome demises of the corrupt heirs.
Bruce Greenwood exudes cold billionaire menace as patriarch Roderick Usher, while Carl Lumbly buries anger as his confessor. Carla Gugino’s fury-filled spectre and newcomer Kyleigh Curran’s moral center provide emotional ballast against the gory carnage. For all its decadent depravity, Usher finds poignancy in the human toll of sin and is a must-watch for horror fans, especially those who enjoy the words of Edgar Allan Poe.
Guillermo del Toro’s Cabinet of Curiosities
Guillermo del Toro is a master of horror, crafting unique tales that are as interesting as they are spine-chilling, and his series, Guillermo del Toro’s Cabinet of Curiosities, is no expectation. The show is an unparalleled anthology horror series on Netflix that takes viewers on a spine-chilling journey curated by the master of the macabre himself. With its star-studded casts and terrifying tales, this series is a must-watch for horror enthusiasts.
Del Toro brings together eight talented directors who expertly bring his imaginative and unsettling visions to life. Each episode is a self-contained story, showcasing the unique storytelling prowess of these directors and offering a fresh and terrifying experience with every installment.
One standout aspect of Cabinet of Curiosities is its impressive visuals and production design. Del Toro’s signature style is evident in every frame, immersing viewers in a world where supernatural forces collide with the mundane. The attention to detail and the cinematic craftsmanship displayed in each episode are breathtaking, heightening the suspense and unease.
Whether it’s exploring the dark corners of the human psyche or delving into the horrors that lurk in the shadows, Guillermo del Toro’s Cabinet of Curiosities delivers frights that will leave you haunted long after your binge-watching session. Don’t miss out on this anthology horror series that showcases the best that the genre has to offer.
In the Tall Grass
In the Tall Grass is a thrilling horror movie available on Netflix that is sure to keep you on the edge of your seat. Released back in 2019, this spine-chilling film is based on a novella written by the legendary father-son duo Stephen King and Joe Hill and is a horror treat.
The story follows two siblings, Becky and Cal, who embark on a road trip and suddenly hear cries for help coming from a vast field of grass. With good intentions, they venture into the field, only to discover that something sinister lurks within. As they soon realize, escaping the maze-like foliage becomes an impossibility, trapping them in a nightmarish loop of terror.
In the Tall Grass, directed by Vincenzo Natali, masterfully blends elements of psychological thriller and supernatural horror. The eerie atmosphere and suspenseful plot will keep you guessing throughout the entire movie as the siblings find themselves confronting the unknown and fighting their own desperation.
With its captivating storyline and expertly crafted scares, In the Tall Grass is a must-watch for horror enthusiasts. So, if you’re ready to delve into the twisted minds of Stephen King and Joe Hill, be prepared to get lost and terrified in the unnerving field of grass.
Get Out
A film that demonstrated just how masterful Jordan Peele is as a director Get Out is a film that masterfully tackles complex subjects while never losing focus of telling a riveting story. Tackling the concept of race in a Stepford Wives-type scenario, Get Out emerged as a groundbreaking horror film that not only terrified audiences but
