top 10 scariest ghost movies on netflix

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The Best Ghost Movies On Netflix Right Now

Are you in the mood to get spooked out by some great ghost and paranormal movies on Netflix? Then all you need to do is fire up your Internet machine and throw on one of these scary movies about ghosts on Netflix right now. All of these pretty good films make their own variations on the idea of what a ghost story is, or how a haunted house movie should play out, and they’re all okay - seriously, not one of them is above or below average. 

Movies about ghosts and haunted houses are always fun to put on when you’re having a movie night with your friends. Not only do you get to see which one of your compadres is the most skittish when it comes to long shots of a darkly lit hallway, but movies about ghosts generally lead to personal ghost stories coming out, and that’s always a special time in a friendship. So whether you’re watching alone or with friends, these pretty okay movies about ghosts that are streaming on Netflix will take your night from boring to boo-oring (sorry). And once you’ve made your way through these tales of spooky splendor you should check out the best pretty okay horror movies on Netflix , unless you’re scared. 

• Released : 2009
• Directed by : Luigi Cecinelli

• Released : 2018
• Directed by : Olaf de Fleur Johannesson

A brother-sister team who fake paranormal encounters for cash get more than they bargained for when a job at a haunted estate turns very, very real.

• Released : 2017
• Directed by : David Bruckner
• # 178 of 383 The Best Horror Movies Of All Time
• # 6 of 10 Fantastically Bizarre Horror Films Now Streaming On Netflix
• # 1 of 19 The Best Movie Monsters Of The 2010s

• Released : 2019
• Directed by : Lars Klevberg

• Directed by : Susanne Bier
• # 6 of 14 14 Movie Villains We Never Actually See
• # 18 of 27 27 Films Stephen King Has Awarded His Personal Stamp Of Approval
• # 29 of 42 The Best Couples in Horror Movies, Ranked

• Released : 2016
• Directed by : William Brent Bell
• # 10 of 13 Twist Endings That Are Better Than The Twist Endings They Ripped Off
• # 7 of 10 Underrated Horror And Thriller Films From The 2010s With Unexpected Twists
• # 13 of 20 20 Horror Movies With Twist Endings Guaranteed To Blow Your Mind

Don't Knock Twice

• Directed by : Caradog W. James

A recovering addict becomes her estranged daughter's only hope after the teen awakens a terrifying child-stealing witch from an urban legend.

Don't Be Afraid of the Dark

• Released : 2010
• Directed by : Troy Nixey
• # 48 of 64 The Best Horror Movie Remakes Of All Time
• # 42 of 57 The Best Horror Movies About Parenting
• # 3 of 20 The Best Movies About Goblins

• Released : 2015
• Directed by : Will Canon

A Ghost Story

• Directed by : David Lowery
• # 18 of 56 The Best A24 Movies Of All Time
• # 8 of 12 12 Movies Where Everything Comes Full Circle By The End
• # 3 of 23 The Most Pretentious Horror Movies Ever Made

• Directed by : Michael Spierig, Peter Spierig

The Open House

• Directed by : Matt Angel, Suzanne Coote
• # 6 of 12 Pretty Solid Home Invasion Movies On Netflix Right Now
• # 208 of 305 The Best Netflix Original Movies
• # 10 of 32 The Best Suspense Movies On Netflix

I Am the Pretty Thing That Lives in the House

• Directed by : Oz Perkins
• # 18 of 18 The Most Unsettling Opening Scenes In Horror Movie History
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• # 16 of 26 25 Great Movies Under 90 Minutes That You Can Watch On Netflix Right Now

A Haunted House

• Released : 2013
• Directed by : Mike Tiddes
• # 28 of 47 The Funniest Movies About Ghosts
• # 13 of 27 The Greatest Horror Parody Movies, Ranked
• # 30 of 40 The Best Comedy Movies of 2013

• Directed by : Rocky Soraya

A toy manufacturer and his wife are terrorized by a demon after their orphaned niece tries to call her late motehr's spirit. 

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• Graveyard Shift

Best Horror Movies on Netflix Right Now (October 2023)

Our monthly update of the scariest movies available on netflix..

Halloween may still be weeks away, but horror movies have no limit on enjoyment. As one of the most prolific and profitable subgenres in cinema, audiences are always in the mood for some spooky scaries. Fortunately, thanks to the accessibility of streaming services, places like Netflix are home to a plethora of chilling choices. Between original offerings and licensed titles, there’s a horror movie for anyone and everyone. To get you started, we’ve tracked down some of the must-see horror titles currently available to stream on Netflix.

Oh, and when you're done here, be sure to also check out our best Halloween movies list, or our Best Horror Movies of All Time .

Best Horror Movies on Netflix

Please note: This list pertains to U.S. Netflix subscribers. Some titles may not currently be available on international platforms. This article is frequently amended to remove films no longer on Netflix and to include more horror movies that are now available on the service.

The Strangers (2008)

“Because you were home,” a line that will live in horror-movie infamy thanks to The Strangers. It’s a home invasion film based purely on coincidence, which is the most frightening predicament. Liv Tyler and Scott Speedman give tremendous performances as victims caught in an unthinkable cat-and-mouse scenario. The Strangers is horrifyingly relevant and needs nothing more than to implode the idea of our houses being safe spaces like few home invasion films have, and ever will, deliver.

47 Meters Down: Uncaged (2019)

I won’t lie and say the 47 Meters Down sequel is better than 47 Meters Down. The original nails the basics of shark cinema like the best have in the past, which this sequel doesn’t try to match. Uncaged instead leans into the more B-Movie nature of fin flicks, turning the movie into an underwater slasher riff where the sharks are the killer. It’s the moment where a Great White sneaks up on a diver like Jason Voorhees lurking behind a counselor that won me over, so if you’re into a campier brand of aquatic horror, Unchanged should be on your list.

The Pope’s Exorcist (2023)

I won’t say The Pope’s Exorcist is a horror masterclass. I will say that The Pope’s Exorcist is more fun than you’d expect. The film understands that the least exciting part of most exorcism films is the exorcism itself, building this zany Vatican demmon-chasing world around Russell Crowe’s Father Gabriele Amorth. Expect more than just memeable moments of Crowe zipping around on his scooter. Like I said in my review, “Those who want something profound will be utterly doomed, while others who love to laugh through questionable pulp that aims to entertain might find more enlightenment than they expect.”

Circle (2015)

Clever indie filmmakers can make something out of nothing. Aaron Hann and Mario Miscione’s Circle is an excellent representation of that idea, about 50 people who wake up in a dark room arranged in a circular formation. The premise is simple: someone has to die every two minutes. That’s it. Hann and Miscione turn social experimentation into a thriller about characters arguing their point about why they should be the one who lives another round, relying on dialogue to sell the existential dread at the script’s core. Minimalism is the film’s secret ingredient: getting straight to the point and keeping a quick pace in a way that never loses our attention.

Lights Out (2016)

Before David F. Sandberg took on Annabelle and joined forces with Shazam, he gained notoriety for his short film Lights Out. The bite-sized thriller was so successful it spawned a feature film that’s filled with Scotophobia (fear of darkness), unleashing a monster that hides in the shadows. It’s filled with jump scares, but that’s alright because Sandberg executes them so well. Teresa Palmer anchors the spooky survival story as someone who must wield light like a weapon against the shadow-dwelling villain, leading to fantastic fear-first scenes where you’ll hold your breath.

I See You (2019)

I See You refuses to play by conventional horror movie rules. Sometimes you’re watching a missing person procedural. Other times, it feels like a found footage home invasion thriller. Helen Hunt leads a cast of characters struggling with frustration in the homestead, there’s a killer on the loose, and you’ll learn what “Phrogging” is, which leads to the more suspenseful elements of I See You. It’s better as a domestic horror story than a dramatic examination of family frustrations, which is why it belongs on this list. The frights are frightful and fears put center stage when storytelling works — credit where credit is due.

Eli can feel like a horror movie Mad Libs as the story keeps evolving, but that becomes the film’s ultimate charm. It’s about a boy suffering from an auto-immune disease trapped in a quarantine environment who begins to ponder his imprisonment. The “Bubble Boy” beginning turns into a haunted house thriller that becomes an even crazier third act that I won’t spoil for you now. I’m not saying every big swing is successful, but I’ll go to bat for Eli as a horror film that loves to prove expectations wrong. Give me weird and wild over conventional any day — especially when you have the freedom of streaming releases over theatrical constraints.

Nobody Sleeps In The Woods Tonight (2020)

In the mood for a 2020s Polish slasher created by lovers of 80s American horror trends? Bartosz M. Kowalski uses the campground massacre template to execute a contemporary slasher that feels as throwback as rereleases of Crystal Pepsi. It's a familiar brand of campers meeting gruesome fates one by one with a massive emphasis on practical effects, the goriest and most obscene of which become an overall saving grace. Kowalski aims to prove that Polish slashers can hack 'em up with the best of them, even if there's not much else to praise with the same enthusiasm. If you want blood, you've got it by the truckload.

Girls With Balls (2018)

It’s killer rednecks versus a championship volleyball squad in Girls With Balls. Expect a horror comedy with exploding heads and a musical cowboy acting as a narrator who sings about the gratuitous violence on screen. Don’t expect a brilliant subversion of gender tropes in slasher movies — Girls With Balls is an effects-heavy slaughter spree that doesn’t try to be anything else. International approaches to comedy make some jokes harder to laugh at stateside, so as long as you can focus on the balls-out aggression on screen, you should find entertainment in another bloody backwoods fight for survival.

The Block Island Sound (2020)

Kevin McManus and Matthew McManus summon a creepy coastal caper from the depths of Rhode Island waters. It’s more eerie than aggressive as multiple subgenres swirl together in this unsettling waterlogged mystery. You can expect psychological horror, eco-horror, aquatic horror, even possession horror as Block Island community members try to understand the unexplainable events washing upon their shores. The Block Island Sound weaponizes the idea of "siren songs," toys with out-of-body nightmares, and mixes a spoonful of grief into the batter as storytelling churns like a storm that won’t pass.

The Invitation (2022)

Is The Invitation worthy of standing alongside the best vampire movies of all time? Nah. Is it still Good Actually™, especially after being unfairly pegged as a pre-release dud due to a marketing campaign that wasn't as aggressive as prior summer horror releases? Absolutely. Ready or Not and a host of erotic vampire thrillers appear to lend influence, and while The Invitation is never as successful as its inspirations, it's still a worthwhile bloodsucker watch with gorgeous production designs primed to entertain as a choice weekend night Netflix pick.

Before I Wake (2016)

It’s the Mike Flanagan movie that gets talked about the least — in my experience — yet deserves the world. Flanagan does what he does best: tell a powerfully emotional story using fear, family, and creatures. Jacob Tremblay plays an adopted child who’s terrified of falling asleep because of a ghoulish figure known as “The Canker Man.” Butterflies and fantasy worlds don’t detail the scariest horror experience, as Flanagan leans on childhood imaginations that turn traumatic memories into inescapable boogeymen. Maybe it’s that softness of scare volumes — coupled with unfortunate studio bankruptcies that forced an unceremonious Netflix dump premiere — that caused such comparatively little fanfare over the years (considering Flanagan’s hype elsewhere). Hopefully my recommendation can help Before I Wake find new streaming life.

Under The Shadow (2016)

Babak Anvari’s Under the Shadow is a phenomenal cross section of national trauma invaded by nightmare demons. A family in war-torn Iran is plagued by visits from djinns as if exploding bombs outside and military threats weren’t enough. Anvari manipulates shadows and creates haunted architectures under Iraq-Iran conflict conditions, highlighting the terrors of both. There are some extremely effective scares and fresh deliveries of otherwise common fright-flick molds because, when in doubt, turn to international flavors for something original.

The Wretched (2019)

Brett Pierce and Drew T. Pierce dive into soilborne folklore horror with a heavy helping of witchcraft. It’s poster with a backward-turned skeleton antler headdress that sells extreme horror imagery, but it’s actually what I’d consider rather feisty gateway horror. It’s like a demonic spinoff of Wife Swap, as a child in a summer vacation town thinks his neighbor is a witchy entity tied to child disappearances in the area. Backstory elements can be a bit scattershot, but when Abbie — played by Zarah Mahler — activates the film’s horror thrills whether that’s Wendigo-esque forms or contortionist body-horror? The Wretched proves why it’s a perfect entry point for young horror fans who get a strong coming-of-age tale that doesn’t hold back when it comes to Friday night frights that will test the whole family.

Read our review of The Wretched .

Incantation (2022)

Kevin Ko’s Taiwanese found footage flick Incantation speaks in clichés, but that doesn’t make them any less frightening. You’ll get a few good jolts as a mother must protect her daughter from evils she called upon by breaking religious taboos. Translation: foolish viral video ghost hunters defy the unknown and pay consequences both then and later. The script is murky on the camera’s rules regarding who is filming from a found footage sense and taboo happenings around the entity’s curse. Nevertheless, there’s an interesting concept around interactive found footage horror that smacks of the Ring franchise in its social media focuses, and you’ll yip a few scared noises — you could do way worse on Netflix.

Read our review of Incantation .

There’s Someone Inside Your House (2021)

Patrick Brice’s slasher adaptation accomplishes two massive feats for modern horror flicks: keeps us guessing and slaughters without restraint. It’s another film about teenagers getting sliced and diced by a masked killer, but it’s stylish and fierce enough to carve its own path. Situational misdirects keep audiences guessing who could be guilty of mass murder as characters point fingers while blood runneth everywhere from church confessional booths to aflame corn mazes. Don’t expect the next Scream or anything, just a solid contemporary slasher that succeeds when it matters most.

Coming Home In The Dark (2021)

Are you in the mood for something insufferably bleak and sweater-gnawing tense (meant as a compliment)? That’s Ozploitation flick Coming Home in the Dark. It’s a vacation tragedy that sees a family on a road trip who encounters the evilest of humans. It’s the epitome of wrong place, wrong time, and captures the ultimate parental horror of mothers and fathers trying to protect their children. There are no further cat-and-mouse complications — people are the real monsters of horror, no demons or supernatural entities needed.

Cargo (2017)

One of Netflix's first original horror films is still one of my favorites. Ben Howling and Yolanda Ramke's Cargo stars Martin Freeman as a father traversing the Australian outback with his daughter — also, there are zombies. Think The Walking Dead as an undead film that's more about its human characters facing survival drama than zombie action, except this one packs sturdy emotional stakes. Freeman's traveler encounters psychos, ferocious walkers, and weather elements that add thrills to Cargo, but what's unexpected is how a baby doesn't weigh the narrative down. Child subplots in horror are a tricky formula to crack that Cargo gets right, as the fears of protective parents translate into a hearty zombie experience.

Read our review of Cargo .

The Babysitter (2017)

Does The Babysitter indulge McG’s tendencies as a director who loves popular needle drops and quotes pop culture like a middle schooler who discovered HBO? Yes. Is it also written by Brian Duffield of Spontaneous fame — a magnificent young adult dark comedy – and does it star modern scream queen in the making, Samara Weaving? Thankfully, these saving graces play into McG’s bounce-about take on horrific humor as a child realizes his babysitter is performing a cult ritual while mom and dad are out for the night. A supporting cast including Robbie Amell, Bella Thorne, Hana Mae Lee, and Andrew Bachelor all have their moments subverting specific “hunted home alone” tropes — still, The Babysitter is Samara Weaving’s showcase. Tune in, share some laughs, soak in a devilish Weaving performance, and check out Netflix’s funniest spooky original so far.

Read our review of The Babysitter .

The Ritual (2017)

Netflix's original horror game rose to another level with The Ritual, David Bruckner's directorial debut outside segments in The Signal, V/H/S, and Southbound. Four friends take a northern Swedish hiking trip in memory of their deceased fifth, only to become victims of a woodland nightmare. Visions begin by layering psychological horror as the characters confront fears or guilt, then cultism adds communal dread, and lastly, Bruckner delivers on creature-feature goods. One source of terror feeds into the next and provokes future traumas, all interconnected as Bruckner weaves in and out of multiple horror subgenres with ease. There's so much to enjoy as Swedish forestation becomes an isolated outdoor prison, and then all hell breaks loose. Bruckner flaunts his filmmaking chops in a significant way.

Blood Red Sky (2021)

Peter Thorwarth’s Blood Red Sky boils down to vampires on a plane — but not like the SYFY channel throwaway such a title suggests. Nadja (Peri Baumeister) is a bloodsucking mother whose only motivation is to keep her son alive from hijackers who want to crash a commercial flight. It’s far tenser and emotionally comprehensive than expected, staying far away from being another Snakes on a Plane knockoff. Performances are substantial, whether gruff terrorists or ferocious mothers, while intensity drives home an action-horror experience like airliner blockbuster Non-Stop but with more sucked blood. It's a solid vampire movie worth your time.

Crimson Peak (2015)

If you can't make it out to a theater to check out Nightmare Alley yet, or are just looking for the perfect follow up after seeing Guillermo del Toro's latest, the impeccable Crimson Peak is the perfect film for you. One of the most gorgeous films in a man whose entire filmography is known for how jaw droppingly stunning, it is features incredible performances from Tom Hiddleston, Mia Wasikowska and Jessica Chastain. This hauntingly human story will keep you guessing as supernatural forces seem to swirl around Edith Cushing and Sir Thomas Sharpe.

Apostle (2018)

Director Gareth Evans did not come to play with the gorgeous and gory Apostle . While the Netflix original is several years old at this point, it still feels like this one never got the attention it quite deserved. Before the era where Netflix original films were super prevalent, Apostle follows Thomas Richardson (played by none other than Dan Stephens) as he seeks out to rescue his sister from a strange, secluded cult.

#Alive (2020)

No one does a zombie movie quite like South Korea, and #Alive is one of the absolute best. A video game streamer decides to lock himself in his apartment while a zombie outbreak destroys the surrounding city of Seoul, but just as he’s losing all hope, he discovers that his neighbor in the apartment across from him is also still alive. The two create a zipline to share food, and share walkie-talkies to communicate with one another, while zombies terrorize the world outside of their walls. It’s a film as much about the human need for interaction as it is about survival, and the constant threat of zombies keeps keeps every moment filled with exhilarating tension.

Creep (2014)

Fans of POV/found footage horror films, rejoice, because Creep is one of the best in this style. In Patrick Brice’s directorial debut, Creep follows a filmmaker named Aaron who answers a strange man named Josef’s online ad to film him for the day, the final request of a man claiming to be dying of cancer hoping to make a video for his unborn child. Upon arrival, Aaron realizes that there’s something super weird about Josef and with the camera constantly rolling, we witness the absurdity and danger in store for Aaron. Come for the wild as hell Mark Duplass performance, stay for the Peachfuzz mask. If you love it, Netflix also has the sequel — Creep 2.

The Fear Street Trilogy

Leigh Janiak was the talk of the summer when Netflix dropped the cinematic trilogy based on the popular book series by “Goosebumps” author R.L. Stine, Fear Street . The Fear Street trilogy brought three separate movies to tell one cohesive story about the cursed town of Shadyside and the inhabitants impacted by generational horror. Each film is predominantly set in a different time period, delivering a little treat for fans of slashers, hauntings, teen horror, queer horror, and folk horror. The three films work best when watched all together, but each film can successfully stand on its own, making it a must-see trilogy.

Gerald’s Game (2017)

Stephen King’s Gerald’s Game was considered to be his “unfilmable” work, but if anyone is capable of proving King wrong, it’s Mike Flanagan. The man behind The Haunting of Hill House, The Haunting of Bly Manor, Midnight Mass, Hush, Doctor Sleep, and others successfully tackled Gerald’s Game and provided one of Netflix’s best original horror releases. Gerald’s Game is a terrifying descent into madness and home to a dynamite leading performance by Carla Gugino.

His House (2020)

Remi Weekes truly made something special with His House , arguably one of the scariest films on the Netflix roster. A haunted house story on the surface, His House centers on a refugee couple escaping war-torn Sudan only to find that the English town they’ve fled to may be just as harrowing as the land they left. The source of the film’s horror lies not just with the supernatural elements, but also with themes of grief, guilt, abandonment, xenophobia, and assimilation. It’s a powerful haunt that will linger with you long after the credits roll.

May The Devil Take You (2018)

If there’s one area where Netflix thrives with their horror offerings, it’s with their international selection of scares. Genre fans have been praising the work of Timo Tjahjanto for years with his standout shorts in The ABCs of Death and V/H/S/2, but his feature film work in Indonesia is arguably his best, and Netflix’ acquisition has brought his work to mainstream Western audiences. In May The Devil Take You, a young woman visits her father’s former home trying to find the answer regarding his mysterious illness, only to discover the horrifying truth about his past.

The Perfection (2018)

Go into The Perfection as clueless as possible (but be aware of some triggering rape stuff), because half the fun of this psychological horror film is trying (and failing) to guess just what happens next. Allison Wiliams plays a former cello prodigy who returns to her prestigious music school to find that she’s been replaced by the new star student, Lizzie played by Logan Browning. The Perfection plays with exploitation film conventions and completely subverts them on their head in absolutely unpredictable ways. It’s a wild thrill ride and truly, perfection.

Vampires Vs. The Bronx (2020)

Vampires have been used as metaphors for a variety of othering, but Vampires Vs. The Bronx highlights humanity’s true villain –gentrification. After a trio of young best friends discover a brood of vampires are preparing to destroy The Bronx, they take matters into their own hands and get the community together to fight back against the monsters invading their home. Calling it The Lost Boys for a new generation feels too easy, but the Frog Brothers would be proud do see how Miguel, Bobby, Luis, Gloria, Lil Mayor, and the rest of the gang tackle the aptly named Murnau real estate film. Leave the stake, take the adobo.

See our list of the best vampire movies for more like this.

Upcoming Netflix Horror Movies for August

Netflix has a near constant churn of movies coming and going from the platform. We've looked ahead at the next August to find the upcoming horror movies coming to the platform.

• It Follows (2014) - October 11
• Deliver Us From Evil (2014) - October 12
• Look Away (2018) - October 15
• Disco Inferno (2023) - October 20

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The 20 Best Horror Movies on Netflix Right Now

This article is updated frequently as movies leave and enter Netflix. *New additions are indicated with an asterisk.

You want to see something really scary this October? Netflix subscribers have commonly made horror films the most-watched on the streaming service, and the original filmmaking factory at the company keeps churning out new ones in time for Halloween — or picking them up at film festivals. The truth is that the horror section of Netflix’s movie library is one of its deepest catalogs, which can make separating the quality from the junk harder than in some other sections. That’s why we’re here. These are the best horror films on Netflix right now.

Year: 2018 Runtime: 2h 10m Director: Gareth Evans

Did you know the director of The Raid (and its awesome sequel) has also directed a kick-ass Netflix Original horror movie? Released in 2018, Apostle stars the great Dan Stevens ( The Guest ) as a man who journeys to a Welsh island in search of his missing sister and finds a community that’s not exactly welcoming. Kind of written off as a riff on The Wicker Man , this is a wicked little movie, elevated greatly by a fantastic performance from Michael Sheen.

Year: 2018 Runtime: 1h 35m Director: Daniel Goldhaber

You haven’t seen a mindbender quite like this one. Madeline Brewer stars as a camgirl who will do whatever it takes to rise the ranks of her online service. As she does so, she discovers that there’s a competitor who has basically taken her place, leading to a Lynchian dissection of how much someone can give of themselves to the internet machine. It’s unforgettably weird.

Year: 2014 Runtime: 1h 22m Director: Patrick Brice

Everyone is a little tired of the found footage genre, but this one is exceptional. Mark Duplass is chilling as a man who hires a videographer (played by co-writer/director Brice) to record his final days as he wrestles with a brain tumor. In a film that was basically put together as they shot it, the protagonist learns that his subject has some truly dark secrets. Note: Creep 2 is also on Netflix.

Crimson Peak

Year: 2015 Runtime: 1h 59m Director: Guillermo del Toro

Everyone seems to love the director of Pan’s Labyrinth and The Shape of Water , but this 2015 gothic romantic horror flick often falls through the cracks when people talk about Guillermo del Toro. It shouldn’t. It’s a masterfully made period piece with sumptuous details and perfectly calibrated storytelling. Mia Wasikowska plays a woman who moves to a remote mansion with her new husband (Tom Hiddleston) and his sister (Jessica Chastain) and discovers the secrets buried in the earth.

Fear Street

Year: 2021 Runtime: 1h 47m Director: Leigh Janiak

Remember how much this took over the horror world in Summer 2021? Based on the books by R.L. Stine, these three films told the story of a curse that had descended on a small town and unfolded across three films set in different eras — 1994, 1978, and 1666. Fans argued over which one was the best (1994), but it’s best to appreciate these now as one piece of sharply-written horror entertainment. And a couple of the most talented Stranger Things stars (Sadie Sink and Maya Hawke) help too.

Gerald’s Game

Year: 2017 Runtime: 1h 43m Director: Mike Flanagan

Before he helmed The Haunting of Hill House , Mike Flanagan co-wrote and directed one of the best Netflix Original horror films in this adaptation of Stephen King’s 1992 novel of the same name. Carla Gugino is phenomenal as a woman who gets handcuffed to her bed by her toxic husband…and then he has a heart attack. As she tries to figure out how she will survive, she accesses the trauma of her past.

Year: 2020 Runtime: 1h 33m Director: Remi Weekes

What if it’s not houses that are haunted but people? That’s the question at the core of this story of an immigrant couple (a fantastic Wunmi Mosaku and Sope Dirisu) from South Sudan who move to an English town and face enemies both outside of their new home and within it. This is a strikingly original horror flick that has been largely underrated. Don’t miss it.

Year: 2016 Runtime: 1h 27m Director: Mike Flanagan

Even before Gerald’s Game , the future creator of The Haunting of Hill House and Midnight Mass helmed this tight little thriller about a deaf-mute woman (played by Flanagan regular and his wife Kate Siegel) who has to survive a home invasion at her remote location. Sharply constructed, this is the kind of old-fashioned horror movie that Hitchcock would have liked.

The Invitation

Year: 2022 Runtime: 1h 45m Director: Jessica M. Thompson

Sony bungled the release of this one, being coy about its plot in ads that didn’t make it seem that appealing. It’s a fun horror movie, a retelling of Dracula from the perspective of a victim bride. It follows a young woman who goes to find her estranged family overseas only to, well, you can imagine. Nathalie Emmanuel goes all in on a film that should have found a bigger audience, and likely will on Netflix.

Year: 2016 Runtime: 1h 21m Director: David F. Sandberg

Teresa Palmer is phenomenal in this thriller that admittedly gets a little problematic in its handling of mental illness. Put that aside and just admire what Palmer is doing here in the story of a supernatural force that lives in darkness and feeds off depression. Also admire the great Maria Bello, who really deserves more flowers in general.

Year: 2023 Runtime: 1h 49m Director: Albert Pinto

More thriller than outright horror, Nowhere is still upsetting enough to qualify for a list like this one. Recently added to Netflix, it’s a Spanish film about a dystopian future with an intense refugee crisis. As women and children are being rounded up into cages, Mia (Anna Castillo) and Nico (Tamar Novas) try to escape, but they get separated and Mia ends up alone in a cargo shipping container adrift in the ocean. Oh, and she happens to be nine months pregnant. This one works largely thanks to Castillo’s committed, thrilling performance.

Ouija: Origin of Evil

Year: 2016 Runtime: 1h 39m Director: Mike Flanagan

Sequels to mediocre horror films aren’t traditionally any good. Every rule has an exception. The director of Gerald’s Game helmed this fantastic prequel about a couple who have a phony séance business. Their lives are turned upside down when they bring a Ouija board into their act, unknowingly unleashing a spirit that possesses their daughter. Smart and tightly made, it was a sign of things to come from the future Hill House creator.

The Perfection

Year: 2019 Runtime: 1h 30m Director: Richard Shepard

Girls and Get Out star Allison Williams stars in this twisting and turning tale of a talented young musician who travels to Shanghai where she meets a competitor named Lizzie, played by Logan Browning. A story that keeps shifting and changing ultimately arrives at a shocking conclusion in this Netflix Original that took the festival scene by storm in 2018 and 2019.

The Platform

Year: 2019 Runtime: 1h 34m Director: Galder Gaztelu-Urrutia

Sometimes the only thing a fun horror movie needs is a clever concept. This one is undeniably that. This Spanish film takes place in a “Vertical Self-Management Center,” a prison with dozens of floors to house its inmates. For sustenance, a platform descends the center of the tower. People near the top get much more than those at the bottom, which is kind of like a symbol for, well, everything. Unpredictable and tense, this is one of the best Netflix Original horror flicks.

The Pope’s Exorcist

Year: 2023 Runtime: 1h 43m Director: Julius Avery

Listen, this is no masterpiece, but there’s something fascinating about seeing an Oscar winner like Russell Crowe commit so completely to a B-movie this ludicrous. Crowe is all-in as the infamous Father Gabriele Amorth, a purported real-life exorcist who tries to save a possessed boy in Spain. This is a defiantly goofy movie, but it’s better than its quick theatrical run would have you believe, and a great fit for the Netflix horror roster of movies you can watch while you do something on your phone.

Year: 2020 Runtime: 1h 28m Director: Dave Franco

AirBnBs are weird, man. The general discomfort of staying in someone else’s house gets the horror treatment in this tense 2020 horror film, the directorial debut of Dave Franco. Two couples head off to a rental house, and sense that something’s not quite right about their chosen location. What starts as a relationship drama becomes something very different in a film that suggests Franco may have a rich life behind the camera.

* The Strangers

Year: 2008 Runtime: 1h 25m Director: Bryan Bertino

Loosely based on a true story, this is one of the best home invasion flicks of the modern era. It’s the terrifyingly relatable story of a couple, played by Liv Tyler and Scott Speedman, who are attacked in their vacation home in the middle of the night. Made for almost nothing, The Strangers was a huge smash, tapping into something we all fear could happen when we hear a strange sound outside in the middle of the night.

Year: 2020 Runtime: 1h 41m Director: Justin Benson, Aaron Moorhead

Anthony Mackie and Jamie Dornan star in this original sci-fi/horror flick from the directors of Spring and The Endless . They play paramedics in New Orleans who discover a drug that, well, allows for time travel. It’s the kind of crazy idea that really shouldn’t work but the talent of Benson and Moorhead hold it together.

They Cloned Tyrone

Year: 2023 Runtime: 1h 59m Director: Juel Taylor

This is one of the best Netflix original films of the year, and almost no one has even heard of it. John Boyega, Teyonah Parris, and especially Jamie Foxx simply rock in this genre hybrid that plays like nothing else on the streaming service. Boyega plays an average dude who gets shot one night in his neighborhood but wakes up the next day, somewhat startling the pimp (Foxx) and prostitute (Parris) who saw him get gunned down. They look into the conundrum and discover a sci-fi premise that’s clever and kind of terrifying. Don’t miss this one.

Under the Shadow

Year: 2016 Runtime: 1h 24m Directors: Babak Anvari

The Iranian-born Anvari wrote and directed this brilliant interplay of horror tropes and commentary on how war and violence can shatter the world more than a ghost could ever consider. A mother and daughter are haunted in 1980s Tehran during the historical War of the Cities. If the falling bombs won’t get them, something more supernatural might.

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The 15 Scariest Horror Movies on Netflix

There’s nothing quite like a good scare, and the best horror movies deliver thrills, chills and spills in equal measure. It can be daunting trying to figure out the right horror movie to watch on your favorite streaming service, but that’s where we come in. We’ve curated a list of some of the best and scariest horror movies on Netflix right now. Films that will rattle you to your bone, give you goosebumps and some that merely excel at giving off extreme spooky vibes. Whatever your pick, you won’t be disappointed.

Here are the best horror movies on Netflix right now.

“Annihilation”

Craving an existential crisis? Alex Garland’s “Annihilation” is the horror movie for you. Starring Natalie Portman, Jennifer Jason Leigh, Tessa Thompson, Gina Rodriguez and Oscar Isaac, the film follows a team of scientists who venture into a dangerous, unknown environmental disaster zone dubbed “The Shimmer.” Once inside, they find a world turned upside down where biology, psychology, philosophy and the very idea of the self begin to collapse and coalesce into new, unknown terrors. It’s not a conventional horror movie by any means, often more puzzling than outright scary, but there’s a sickly, slow-burn discontent that builds to searing horror at the self-destructive nature of the human condition. That, and some wildly unsettling biological mutations, too. Trust, there are sights and sounds in this movie that will stick with you for life. – Haleigh Foutch

An underrated original horror selection on Netflix, “Apostle” sends Dan Stevens to a remote island where he sets out to rescue his sister from a religious cult and discovers, of course, horrors beyond imagination. It’s folk horror homage in the tradition of “The Wicker Man” that veers from act to act into more extreme, unknown and viscera-slinging territory with each new reveal. I’m not sure why “Apostle” flies so far under the radar – perhaps it was too much of a detour from what film fans wanted to see next from “The Raid” director Gareth Evans, but if you’re a fan of creepy, culty folk horror, give this one a try. – Haleigh Foutch

“Crimson Peak”

Guillermo del toro’s “Crimson Peak” is a gorgeous ghost story that packs the filmmaker’s signature emotional punch. Set in 1901, Mia Wasikowska plays a budding author who is wooed by an English baronet who marries her and brings her to his old, decrepit mansion to live with him and his mysterious sister (played by Jessica Chastain). This is one of del Toro’s most ornately designed films, with an enormous and impeccably designed house and some spooky, unique-looking ghosts. It’s a bit light on actual jump scares, but it sure is pretty to look at. – Adam Chitwood

“The Ritual”

The less you know about “The Ritual” going in the better. Directed by David Bruckner (“The Night House”), the film begins with four friends who embark on a hiking trip in Sweden to honor their recently deceased friend. They take a shortcut and stumble upon an abandoned cabin full of cult-like objects. And then… well it’s better if you just experience it yourself, but this movie takes a number of twists and turns that are at turns shocking and horrifying. Plus it’s got Rafe Spall (“The English”), who is a joy. – Adam Chitwood

“Fear Street” Trilogy

When the “Fear Street” trilogy was released on Netflix in 2021, it blurred the line between television and movies. What was meant to be a series of films, each released a month apart, became, thanks to corporate mergers and the ongoing pandemic, a three-week streaming event, with a new movie released each week. Inspired by the R.L. Stine book series of the same name and directed by Leigh Janiak, “Fear Street Part One: 1994” was a supernaturally tinged ‘90’s slasher, and could have been released alongside “Scream” or “I Know What You Did Last Summer” seamlessly. “Part Two: 1978” was a phantasmagoric. fun-as-hell campfire tale, set at a summer camp (think “Sleepaway Camp” and “Friday the 13th”); and “Part Three: 1666” was a full-on historical witch story, which uncovers the curse we were introduced in the first film (with many of the same actors playing different characters). It’s an overwhelming amount of fun, elegantly directed by Janiak and brightly performed by a host of super talented young actors. Quite frankly we should have had a new “Fear Street” movie – or three – each year since. – Drew Taylor

“Lights Out”

If you’re looking for a scary movie that’s quick-moving, straight-to-the-scares and all about those clever, edge-of-your-seat set-pieces, you can’t go wrong with “Lights Out.” Directed by “Shazam!” filmmaker David F. Sandberg and written by Eric Heisserer (“Arrival,” “Bird Box”), “Lights Out” stars Teresa Palmer as Rebbeca, a woman who was plagued by dark as a child and now finds her younger brother facing the same fears all thanks to the demonic presence, Diana, that has attached herself to their mother. It’s got good characters with compelling motivations and Palmer is a pleasure of a horror lead, but most of all, “Lights Out” has a masterful gimmick – Diana can only be seen in the dark – and Sandberg directs the hell out of it, setting up one pulse-pounding sequence after the next. It’s easy to see why the project caught the eye of modern set-piece maestro James Wan, who produced. – Haleigh Foutch

“Gerald’s Game”

By now, horror fans know what to expect from Mike Flanagan – rich, emotional stories of trauma and survival, fused at the root with tales of terror; a first-rate cast and rotating company of familiar faces (and excellent Carla Gugino performances, on that note); tall, skinny, creepy-ass, ghoul-faced men. “Gerald’s Game” has it all, along with the best of what Stephen King is known for, while we’re at it. Long considered one of King’s “unadaptable” works, “Gerald’s Game” follows Jessie (Gugino); a woman left handcuffed to a bed in a remote cabin, with no help on the way, after her husband dies of a heart attack during a disturbing sexual encounter. Stuck with no food or water and only herself to rely on, Jessie has to find her way out and work through some deeply buried childhood grief in the process. Doesn’t that sound scary? This film is responsible for the loudest screams I’ve ever heard from the famously steel-stomached Fantastic Fest crowd. – Haleigh Foutch

“The Pope’s Exorcist”

Just to be clear: the title of this movie refers to the priest the pope depends on to perform tricky exorcisms. The pope doesn’t need an exorcism. Although that would certainly be a pickle. “The Pope’s Exorcist” is, actually, one of the most entertaining and underrated movies of the year, a down-and-dirty, 1980’s-set exorcism movie with a wonderful central Russell Crowe performance that is at once extremely over-the-top and also deeply sincere. Crowe’s Father Gabriele Amorth (who was a real dude and a very prolific exorcist, William Friedkin made a very crummy documentary about him a few years ago) is summoned to a creepy residence in Spain, where a young mother is dealing with the potential exorcism of her son (her daughter on the other hand is content to pout and listen to post-punk music on her Walkman). The movie is genuinely scary and Crowe’s sometimes winking performance never undercuts the horror, especially when the movie takes on the loose contours of an ‘80s buddy movie, with Amorth showing a younger priest (played gamely by Daniel Zovatto) the ropes. A modest hit in the theaters, “The Pope’s Exorcist” will undoubtedly find a second life as a cult classic on home video. It’s scary good. – Drew Taylor

“Day Shift”

In “Day Shift” Jamie Foxx plays a blue-collar vampire slayer hunting for undead ghouls in the San Fernando Valley. Of course, he’s been locked out of the vampire hunter guild (he’s desperate to get back in for the benefits) and is saddled with a dweeby auditor (Dave Franco) who accompanies him on his pursuit. And wouldn’t you know it, he stumbles upon a vast vampire conspiracy? “Day Shift” is a high octane, very R-rated action/horror/comedy hybrid, directed by stuntman and second unit director J.J. Perry and co-written by Shay Hatten, Shane Black’s protégé and a veteran of Zack Snyder’s “Army of the Dead” and the last two “John Wick” chapters. With a winning supporting cast (that includes “Ahsoka” standout Natasha Liu Bordizzo, Snoop Dogg, Meagan Goode and Peter Stormare) and elaborate, inventively staged action set pieces, “Day Shift” offers some much needed fun, harkening back to whatever your favorite 1980’s horror movie was. (You can feel the influence of everything from “Dead Heat” to “The Lost Boys.”) And who doesn’t want to watch Jamie Foxx kill vampires in the San Fernando Valley? – Drew Taylor

“The Perfection”

Just be warned: this movie is insane. Also, the more you know about the movie, the less fun it is to watch. With all of that in mind, “The Perfection” is one of the best Netflix original horror movies (Netflix actually picked it up from Miramax after it premiered at Austin’s genre film festival Fantastic Fest). Here’s what you should know: Allison Williams and Logan Browning are music students and cellists whose rivalry reaches a truly dangerous tenor. And Steven Weber is their tough-as-nails headmaster. “The Perfection” was directed by Richard Shepard, who made “The Matador” and helmed episodes of “Girls.” And the music is from Paul Haslinger, a member of Tangerine Dream. That’s all you need to know. Now go. Watch “The Perfection.” And have the time of your life. You can come back here and thank us afterwards. – Drew Taylor

“Hold the Dark”

“Hold the Dark” might not explicitly be a horror movie but it’s plenty horrific. And it’ll have you on the edge of your seat, no matter where you’re sitting. Riley Keough plays a woman whose child was taken by wolves. She calls on a wolf expert (Jeffrey Wright) to track down the wolves. But in doing so she embroils him in an extremely unnerving mystery. With a supporting cast that also includes James Badge Dale, Alexander Skarsgård and Macon Blair (who also wrote the screenplay), this is a pitch black ride into the heart of darkness. Director Jeremy Saulnier, whose previous film was the similarly sort-of horror movie “Green Room,” knows how to expertly push the tension to an almost unbearable degree and is unafraid to shatter taboos along the way. This feels like the kind of movie that would, if it had been released traditionally, be a certifiable cult classic by now. But since it debuted on Netflix it has been lost in the fog of the algorithm. But it’s never to late to discover the violent, unapologetically bleak “Hold the Dark.” It’s howlingly great. – Drew Taylor

“In the Shadow of the Moon”

“In the Shadow of the Moon” combines many genres into one intoxicating stew. But horror is the genre that is most apparent, at least initially. Again: the more you know about this odd, engaging movie from Jim Mickle, one of the most exciting genre filmmakers working today day, the less effective the magic trick becomes. But it’s safe to say that the movie begins in 1988, with detectives (Boyd Holbrook and Bokeem Woodbine) investigating a series of puzzling deaths. Nine years later they encounter a series of similar murders that seem to be the work of the same serial killer from before. And from there things get really strange. Mickle’s mastery of tone and pacing makes “In the Shadow of the Moon” fly by, with even its most audacious leaps seeming perfectly logical, even necessary. And thanks to the committed cast (which also includes Michael C. Hall, Cleopatra Coleman and Rachel Keller), even the movie’s strangest elements are grounded in a solid emotional bedrock. There’s really nothing else on Netflix like “In the Shadow of the Moon.” There might not be anything like it anywhere, really. – Drew Taylor

A weird, physically unsettling movie that digs deep under the skin, “Vivarium” is a film that chafes upon first watch, but lingers long after like an intrusive thought you just can’t kick. Imogen Poots and Jesse Eisenberg star as a young couple looking for a home to start a life together, but while touring a sickly green estate, they find themselves unable to leave, suddenly stuck in a suburban nightmare they weren’t quite ready to sign up for. It gets more twisted and surreal from there, and while at first, the first seems to be playing at a rather rote rallying cry against the “Little Boxes” lifestyle, it becomes a much more unnerving look at the natural food chain, imagining otherworldly predators that just might lurk in unexpected places. — Haleigh Foutch

“Warm Bodies”

Sweet meets spooky in the zombie rom-com, “Warm Bodies.” Inspired by Isaac Marion’s 2010 novel of the same name, written and directed by “Long Shot” and “Nine Perfect Strangers” director Jonathan Levine, “Warm Bodies” is a re-imagining of “Romeo and Juliet” in the zombie apocalypse. Nicolas Hoult stars as “R,” a zombie who spends his days stumbling around the airport, feeding on human brains so he can get the taste of life that comes with the memories he experiences when he eats them — until he meets Julie (Teresa Palmer), who gives his heart a literal beat for the first time in years and sets in motion a love story that could end the apocalypse. — Haleigh Foutch

“Ouija: Origin of Evil”

Once upon a time, “The Haunting of Hill House” and “Doctor Sleep” filmmaker Mike Flanagan made a prequel to the “Ouija” movie that was actually kind of great. The 2016 release “Ouija: Origin of Evil” takes place in 1967 Los Angeles and follows a young widow (Elizabeth Reaser) who works with her daughters as a medium out of her suburban home. When a Ouija board is introduced to the family, the youngest daughter becomes possessed. The film is chock full of great scares but also has Flanagan’s knack for emotion built into it, resulting in something far scarier, better and more compelling than Blumhouse’s original “Ouija” movie (which you definitely do not have to have watched to enjoy this one). – Adam Chitwood

Netflix Life

Father Esquibel (Daniel Zovatto) and Father Gabriele Amorth (Russell Crowe) in Screen Gems’ THE POPE’S EXORCIST.

30 best horror movies currently streaming on Netflix (updated October 2023)

Storm Reid in Screen Gems MISSING

Halloween is knocking on the door and that means it’s time to start binge-watching horror movies and holiday-centric titles! Luckily for Netflix subscribers, there are plenty of horror movies on Netflix to watch this time of year, though sadly Netflix doesn’t seem to have many new titles on the docket for this year. It doesn’t even look like the streamer is doing their annual “Netflix and Chills” line-up.

On the plus side, there are some classic films available along with at least a couple of new ones coming later this month , like the Mike Flanagan series The Fall of the House of Usher and the Verónica prequel film Sister Death .

Those titles aren’t coming until a bit later this October, but if you’re hankering to start watching now then there are choices for those who want to be scared out of their wits and for families looking for something nice to watch together!

We’ll start our list of the best horror films on Netflix with Casper the Friendly Ghost!

Casper (1995)

• Directed by : Brad Silberling
• Cast : Christina Ricci, Bill Pullman, Cathy Moriarty, Malachi Pearson, and Eric Idle

This feel-good 1995 movie starring a young post- Addams Family Christina Ricci is a family-friendly romp ideal for repeat viewings each Halloween. Netflix recently added the flick to its catalog, so if you’ve been looking for the perfect film to kick off your annual Halloween watch, this is a great choice.

Based on the iconic Harvey Comics character of the same name, Casper follows a specialist (Bill Pullman) who moves into a haunted manor in Maine to communicate with its spectral inhabitants. He brings along his young daughter Kat (Ricci), who immediately forms a bond with Casper.

But her father’s studies are interrupted by Casper’s mischievous uncles who aren’t nearly as kindhearted as their nephew. They get no shortage of pleasure out of causing trouble for the house’s new inhabitants and anyone else who enters the house.

• Published on 10/02/2023 at 5:13 AM EDT
• Last updated on 10/02/2023 at 5:15 AM EDT
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The Best Scary Movies on Netflix

By Tom Philip and Nathaniel Houston

There are, conservatively, fourteen billion terrible horror movies out there. We sorted through them to find the best scary movies on Netflix. Ahead, discover horrors, thrillers, and slashers that we can, in all good conscience, recommend. Go get scared.

1. Creep (2014)

Probably the best addition to the genre of found footage horror in the past fifteen years–excluding the superior Creep 2 of course. Creep wears its concept on its title, telling the story of a truly disturbing serial killer and the man he’s chosen to be his next victim.

2. Creep 2 (2017)

It's essential, obviously, to watch the first Creep before sitting down to Creep 2 . But the sequel builds on and outdoes the original in every possible way, wringing new drama, laughs, and scares from a conceit most reasonably figured had been bled dry. It's a tiny modern masterpiece.

3. Forgotten (2017)

If Squid Games has you fiending for more Korean cinema, add Forgotten to the queue. Mashing mystery, horror, murder, and thriller into one film, this twisting tale of a brother trying to discover what happened to his seemingly amnesic sibling after having been kidnapped for 19 days has a little something for everyone.

4. Hush (2016)

By Jack King

By Gerald Ortiz

By Michella Oré

Mike Flanagan might be the most consistent and prolific horror filmmaker working today. Hush is Flanagan at his most lowkey, but also his most creative. He gives the home-invasion thriller new life with the conceit of our protagonist being a deaf woman played by Kate Siegel. Flanagan puts us in her shoes, removing arguably the most important sense when it comes to horror—and somehow uses it to make things even scarier.

5. Jaws (1975)

The movie that still makes everyone hesitate before running into the ocean, Steven Spielberg’s Jaws remains the scariest PG movie of all time and proves the best movie monsters hunt in the day.

6. Raw (2016)

After a veterinary school freshman is forced to eat meat for the first time in her life she develops a taste for flesh, leaving her meek vegetarian ways behind and indulging in all things carnal. Vibrant visual horror plus coming of age drama creates a French fusion that might just be the best new scare on streaming.

7. Cam (2018)

One of the best and most original horror movies in years, Daniel Goldhaber and Isa Mazzei’s film takes an atypical approach to both scares and sex as they relate to the genre. Madeleine Brewer anchors the film with a multifaceted performance as a beleaguered sex worker, facing off with a demonic entity that's stolen her online identity.

8. The Exorcist III (1990)

Scrapping the trash Exorcist 2 from the canon, original creator William Peter Blatty returns with a vengeance and a new thrilling case of possession. After local Boston cop William Kinderman (George C. Scott) notices a link between an ongoing string of murders and the cases of a serial killer that was executed fifteen years prior he reopens the investigation only to find demons waiting for him on the other side.

9. He Never Died (2015)

Henry Rollins plays an ancient being who requires blood to stay immortal and then this dark, gleefully violent movie takes a hard turn into mythology that you almost certainly weren't expecting. It's a fun, original idea for a vampire movie—only swap out a vampire for something much, much more interesting.

10. The Strangers (2008)

The Strangers reintroduced a concept all-too familiar to the world but absent, at the time, from the genre: people doing evil shit simply because they can. Watching America’s sweetheart Liv Tyler, and Scott Speedman of Felicity fame fight for their lives for no other reason than some sicko’s amusement is so realistic it’s terrifying.

11. Eli (2019)

Eli's a weird one: It hit Netflix after Paramount decided it was unmarketable and dumped it on the streaming service instead of taking it to theaters. Bad sign! And yet, Eli is actually pretty solid. It starts out as something of a staid haunted house story with some decent stylish flairs: Eli is a young boy allergic to the world whose parents take him to an experimental medical facility retrofitted inside a remote mansion, complete with a team of ominous nurses. It's dumb but entertaining enough, but eventually everything gets turned on its head with a clever twist. It's spooky and there's some real ambition here. Don’t sleep on it.

12. May the Devil Take You (2018)

Full of over-the-top gunk, gloriously cheesy dialogue, and South East Asian necromancy, this Indonesian horror conjures comparisons to early Sam Raimi in all the right ways.

13. The Conjuring (2013)

A period paranormal that reinvigorated supernatural horror, The Conjuring follows married couple Ed (Patrick Wilson) and Lorraine (Vera Farmiga), as they check out the strange happenings of an old farmhouse. The blend of creepy 1970s Exorcist vibes with modern techniques has proven so popular with purists and neophytes alike that it spawned a whole universe that totals up to seven sequels, spin-offs, and prequels and counting: Annabelle (2014), The Conjuring 2 (2016), Annabelle Creation (2017), The Nun (2018), The Curse of La Llorona (2019), Annabelle Comes Home (2019), and The Conjuring: The Devil Made Me Do It (2021).

14. The Conjuring 2 (2016)

Based on a real-life case, the Enfield Poltergeist plastered U.K. newspapers between 1977 and 1979 with the story of two pre-teen sisters haunted by evil spirits. These spirits never met paranormal investigators/relationship goals couple Ed (Wilson) and Lorraine Warren (Farmiga) though. Armed with a whole new bag of tricks and ghosts sporting creepy British accents The Conjuring 2 manages to outdo its predecessor in both fun and fright.

15. Sinister 2 (2015)

Courtney Collins and her two children move to a remote farmhouse—which just happens to be next door to a church where violent murders were committed. Now Courtney has to contend with evil forces and the abusive ex-husband that she just escaped.

16. Berlin Syndrome (2017)

A revolting story about a woman taken prisoner by her sick S.O.B. boyfriend in his apartment. There is no humor or fun-loving moments in this one. This is a terrifying dose of reality that is made more frightening by the fact that even while writing this there are thousands of human beings living it.

17. Crimson Peak (2015)

The king of modern horror, Guillermo del Toro, made his most unadulterated foray into the genre yet with this underrated entry. Guillermo’s signature world building talents are lent to gothic mansions, ghosts, and a stacked cast of Tom Hiddleston, Mia Wasikowska, Charlie Hunnam, and Jessica Chastain to creates a chilling tale reminiscent of an old ghost novel. 

18. The Ritual (2017)

A bunch of British blokes travelling through the woods of Sweden is a fitting setup for universally recognized scare tactics. Isolated, lost, hungry, and cold in a foreign dark terrain while being hunted covers near every fear we’ve had ingrained in us as humans going back to caveman days. What we never saw before was a creature as scary as the one in The Ritual.

19. Gerald's Game (2017)

Most actors would be intimidated by a single room psychological horror where they don’t even stand up for the majority of the movie, but not Carla Gugino. She owns this cautionary tale of sexy bondage gone awry with her hands tied behind her back—and to the bed posts.

20. Apostle (2018)

Period pieces always have the upper hand when it comes to horror, because the past just makes everything creepier. Dan Stevens and Michael Sheen bring this slow burn mind game of tweed and past traumas to a scorching boil when Christianity and cult religion clash on a desolate island located off the shores of 1905 England.

21. The Call (2020)

Horror films live and die by their concept, and The Call has one of the best in years. After answering an old landline, Kim Seo-yeon (Park Shin-Hye) discovers the woman on the other end, Young Sook (Jeon Jong-seo), is calling from 20-years earlier. Attempting to meddle with time to improve her own position, Seo-yeon sets off a string of events resulting in the murder of her father and her own imprisonment.

22. Insidious 2 (2013)

Before the Insidious franchise became a tired copy of itself and Blumhouse Productions still meant horror gold, this second installment continued the story of the Lamberts after having freed their son from the evil spirit of the first film. Of course, there wouldn’t be an Insidious 2 if they were out of the woods, and Rose Byrne soon finds herself running from ghouls in nightgowns once again while Tiny Tim’s Tiptoe Through the Tulip s blares on vinyl. 

23. The Guest (2014)

Before Stranger Things premiered in 2016, The Guest pioneered the revival of horror’s greatest decade (yes, the 80s). Chock-full of Carrie homages, badass Roadhouse references, and a killer new wave soundtrack to really set the mood, the referential predictability of this cookie-cutter thriller proves to be its greatest strength.

24. Bird Box (2018)

More of a gimmick than a fully fleshed-out film, this half-baked horror (and surprisingly huge hit ) does manage to stir up some genuine jumps with sharp camera work and snappy use of audio. The biggest thrill comes from the wait for the monster reveal, which makes the viewing experience an overall enjoyable one. Is it worth a watch? Absolutely. Is it worth a re-watch? Maybe not so much.

25. Before I Wake (2016)

There’s nothing creepier than little kids. Pair that with the best child actor out right now and you’re in for one hell of a horror. After Mark (Thomas Jane) and Jessie (Kate Bosworth) adopt 8-year-old Cody (Jacob Tremblay) they’re visited by magical creatures and other creations of Cody’s imagination. Upon further investigation they discover that whatever Cody dreams when he’s asleep comes to life in the real world. Sounds beautiful right? Now think back to your own 8-year-old nightmares and get ready for one of the most bone chilling horrors you’ve seen in years.

26. Vampires Vs. The Bronx (2020)

The Lost Boys with an uptown vibe, Vampires vs. the Bronx brings 80s-style bloodsucking horror to the no nonsense streets of New York. Highly self-aware and packed full of jump-out screams, this supernatural spin on the very real issue of gentrification never loses sight of its message, or its purpose to entertain.

27. Dark Skies (2013)

Tired of ghost stories? Feeling nostalgic for X-Files ? Dark Skies recalls all the classic 90s crees with flashing lights, weird symbols, and odd animal behavior. Phenomenal acting from J.K. Simmons and Keri Russell doesn’t hurt either. Well, maybe it does, but you’ll have to watch to find out exactly how.

28. Velvet Buzzsaw (2019)

Never fully living up to it’s horror potential, Velvet Buzzsaw is still worth the watch . Razor-sharp dialogue and standout performances from Jake Gyllenhaal as a sexually confused art critic, and Rene Russo as a sellout dealer who robs the cursed paintings of a dead man makes this one of Netflix’s most entertaining originals .

29. The Forest of Love (2019)

This new flick from acclaimed director Sion Sono plays like a live-action anime. This Japanese horror film will probably prove too decadent for most, but to put it in terms most western movie fans will understand, it’s like a Kill Bill with four exclamation marks tacked on the end.

30. The Devil All the Time (2020)

Teen heartthrobs be damned; this is officially the second scariest film set in Appalachia (No. 1 is still Deliverance ). Featuring a new oddball accent to add to Robert Pattison’s growing collection and a surprisingly gritty performance from your friendly neighborhood Tom Holland, The Devil All the Time is a hair-raising tale about how men seek out monsters in stories, but often have something much more sinister hiding inside themselves.

31. The Killing of a Scared Deer (2017)

More of a skin crawler than an outright scream machine, this slow burn from the notoriously twisted mind of Yorgos Lanthimos will have you curled up alone in the corner of your room out of disgust rather than fear. This is a hard one to stomach even for fans of Lanthimos’ more popular works, but damn is it worth it.

32. We Summon the Darkness (2019)

Guts, giggles, and girl power make this early 2000s-style teen horror as entertaining as it is frightening. Featuring a performance from Johnny Knoxville as a Bible Belt preacher, this time machine of terror about cult murders during a music festival party transports you back to an era when being terrified with friends was some of the best fun you could have. 

33. It Comes at Night (2017)

Capping off the era of high-quality, low-budget horrors that dotted the 2010s, It Comes at Night tells the now all-too-familiar story of extreme isolation due to a pandemic. The fact this one hit as hard as it did before the world imploded only makes the prospect of a rewatch more terrifying.

34. 1922 (2017)

Written by the horror G.O.A.T. himself, Stephen King, 1922 gets inside your mind and festers. The rotten choices made by the characters, the putrid flesh of their victim, the stench of decay wafting from their souls and sanity…King hasn’t come close to losing his touch.

35. Hold the Dark (2018)

A good enough thrill set in the Alaskan tundra, this man vs. nature turned man vs. man turned man vs. man with the help of nature film relies largely on the cast to carry the story. Good thing this cast is stacked with Jeffrey Wright, Alexander Skarsgård, and James Badge Dale all supplying great performances that make this simple piece better than it has any right to be.

36. Errementari: The Blacksmith and the Devil (2018)

This imaginative Spanish film is one of the current top offerings on Netflix across all genres. Director Paul Urkijo’s visual feast of Basque folklore falls somewhere between Tim Burton and Guillermo Del Toro, and will have you fluttering between tears and fears as you fall in and out of love with its fantastic cast of characters –including the Devil.

37. Veronica (2017)

This major scare from Madrid brings adds contemporary twists to the terror of The Exorcist . When Catholic school girls start playing with Ouija boards, bad things are bound to happen: unleashed demons, soul-hungry blind nuns, and all types of religious guilt. Be forewarned, this one will hit especially hard for those that grew up a member of the Papal faith.

38. Calibre (2018)

Calibre wrings a horrible hunting accident in the Scottish Highlands into something far more sinister. The haunting landscape is a feat of isolation, while the audio-engineering will drive you mad with silence even in the most deafening scenes. If you’ve been wanting something more grounded than a ghost story, but more challenging than a stranger-danger, Netflix has no better than Calibre. 

39. I Am the Pretty Thing that Lives in the House (2016)

Lucy Boyton plays the titular pretty thing. She's a 28-year-old caretaker who takes a new job. Her patient? A retired horror writer whose house holds secrets upon secrets lurking in the shadows. 

40. The Paramedic (2020)

This creepy Netflix original follows the story of Angel, a paramedic (no surprise there) who is on a path to destroy everything in his life. When tragedy strikes, things only get worse. The film just keeps getting darker, and darker, and darker still. Prepare to shiver every time you hear an ambulance wail and think of this disturbing film.

41. Blumhouse's Truth or Dare (2018)

Rounding out our list of the best scary movies on Netflix is Blumhouse's Truth or Dare. The age-old game that we've all been playing since childhood takes an insidious turn. The consequences of a dare are deadly, but opting for truth isn't safe either. And if you choose not to take a turn? You die immediately. Lucy Hale stars in this horror flick that you will not soon forget.

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The Scariest Movies On Netflix Right Now

Unbridled terror streaming now.

For more than a decade, Netflix’s streaming service has been a harbor for the dissemination of horror movies. It’s been host to indie darlings and silver screen legends alike and acted as a distributor for many prominent genre film directors. All this to say, it's accumulated a catalog of truly terrifying original titles. Keep reading to discover the scariest movies on Netflix.

Can't find what you're looking for here? Check out our lists of the best horror movies on Hulu , Prime Video , and HBO or the best movies on Netflix across all genres.

Editor's note: This article was updated October 2023 to include Ouija.

RELATED: The Best Horror Movies on Netflix Right Now

Hush (2016)

Run Time : 1 hr 27 min | Director : Mike Flanagan

Cast: Kate Siegel, John Gallagher Jr., Michael Trucco

A writer takes residence in a house in the middle of the woods. While there, she is stalked by a masked killer. Sounds like a tale that has been told by a dozen movies. Well, in this one, the writer is a deaf-mute, which adds an extra layer of tension to the film. Also, Hush is co-written and directed by horror auteur Mike Flanagan , so you know it's going to be scary. The cat-and-mouse chase adds tension, and seeing Maddie getting sneaked up on because of her deafness is enough to make your skin crawl. The cheers come when Maddie uses some unexpected tools that a hearing person would be unfamiliar with to surprise her attacker. - Alyse Wax

Watch on Netflix

Ouija (2014)

Run Time : 1 hr 29 min | Director : Stiles White

Cast : Olivia Cooke, Ana Coto, Darren Kagasoff

Stiles White ’s directorial debut follows friends Laine ( Olivia Cooke ), Isabelle ( Bianca Santos ), Trevor ( Darren Kagasoff ), and Pete ( Douglas Smith ), who together unleash a powerful demonic entity with the power of a Ouija board. Featuring a powerful host of executive producers, including the likes of Jason Blum and Michael Bay , Ouija speeds through its 90-minute run time, breathlessly drawing scares from almost every scene. Juliet Snowden and Stiles White reproduce the writing magic that found them success with The Possession , creating an eerie, unsettled atmosphere throughout. Described as a mix between The Final Destination and Insidious , Ouija is a creepy thrill that will live long in the nightmares. - Jake Hodges

Vivarium (2019)

Run Time : 1 hr 37 min | Genre : Horror, Sci-fi | Director : Lorcan Finnegan

Cast : Imogen Poots, Jesse Eisenberg, Jonathan Aris, Molly McCann

Lured by Jonathan Aris ’s strange salesman to a suburban housing development called Yonder, youthful couple Tom and Gemma ( Jesse Eisenberg and Imogen Poots ) are trapped in a house and forced to raise a child for their freedom. A sometimes comical first half is beautifully juxtaposed by the horrific unfolding of the second, with Eisenberg and Poots gradually falling into existential crisis. A film with deeper socio-cultural messages, Lorcan Finnegan and Garret Shanley ’s story finds metaphor with almost every line, cutting between the eerily relatable and often Twilight Zone -esque surreal. A critical commentary on 21st-century suburban life, the 2019 Cannes Film Festival-debuting Vivarium manages to cling onto its unsettling atmosphere throughout its 90-minute run time, dragging a terrified but gripped audience with it.

The Pope’s Exorcist (2023)

Run Time : 1 hr 43 min | Genre : Horror | Director : Julius Avery

Cast : Russell Crowe, Daniel Zovatto, Alex Essoe

The Pope’s Exorcist is a fictionalized version of the accounts of the real Father Gabriele Amorth , who was said to have performed over 10,000 exorcisms. The film feels like director Julius Avery ( Overlord ) took elements of The Exorcist , the film that launched a thousand copycats, and combined it with the early 2000s sensation the Davinci Code . The story centers on Russell Crowe ( Gladiator ) as Father Amorth, as his struggle to remove a demon from a young boy leads him to discover a bigger mystery that the Vatican has been covering up for centuries. The visuals are pretty standard fare for the exorcism genre, but the mystery of the demon and Crowe’s performance are the main draw of the film.

Run Rabbit Run (2023)

Run Time : 1 hr 40 min | Director : Daina Reid

Cast : Sarah Snook, Lily LaTorre, Damon Herriman, Greta Scacchi

Sarah Snook ( Succession ) stars in Run Rabbit Run , a terrifying psychological thriller about an ambitious fertility doctor (Snook) forced to confront the very real possibility that the spirit of her dead sister Alice has somehow found a way into the body of her daughter Mia ( Lily LaTorre ) and is now haunting her. Directed by Daina Reid, Run Rabbit Run is a gripping horror film shot and set in the beautiful countryside of Australia. Leaning into mystery elements and classic horror tropes, Run Rabbit Run stands out with stellar performances not only from Snook but also from the young and incredibly talented LaTorre. – Yael Tygiel

The Thing (2011)

Run Time : 1 hr 43 min | Director : Matthijs van Heijningen Jr.

Cast : Mary Elizabeth Winstead, Joel Edgerton, Ulrich Thomsen, Adewale Akinnuoye-Agbaje

The Thing is a haunting prequel to the classic horror film of the same name. Director Matthijs van Heijningen Jr. pays homage to John Carpenter by evoking the same eerie tone throughout the terrifying thriller. Mary Elizabeth Winstead stars as a brilliant scientist with a Norwegian Antarctic research crew that unwittingly discovers a dormant alien ship under the ice. Along with Sam Carter ( Joel Edgerton ), a military vet and helicopter pilot, the isolated Arctic outpost team inadvertently awakes the parasitic creatures, forcing the researchers into an ultimate fight for survival. – Yael Tygiel

Old People (2022)

Run Time : 1 hr 30 min | Director : Andy Fetscher

Cast : Melika Foroutan, Stephan Luca, Anna Unterberger

Perhaps the opposite premise of Children of the Corn , Old People is a gory horror film from director Andy Fetscher . A German thriller, Old People stars Melika Foroutan, Stephan Luca, and Anna Unterberger . The film is set in a small town during a thunderstorm and follows a young mother visiting with her children to attend her sister’s wedding. Taking advantage of the treacherous weather conditions, residents of a local retirement community escape the facility and embark on a violent killing spree. Buried under gruesome visuals and quite a few cliches, Old People sprinkles in themes of aging, love, and societal disregard for humanity, all while a family defends themselves against the elderly. – Yael Tygiel

Malevolent (2018)

Run Time : 1 hr 29 min | Director : Olaf de Fleur Johannesson

Cast : Florence Pugh, Ben Lloyd-Hughes, Scott Chambers, Georgina Bevan

Florence Pugh ( Puss in Boots: The Last Wish ) and Ben Lloyd-Hughes ( Me Before You ) star in Malevolent as a sibling team of ghost-busting scam artists. Directed by Olaf de Fleur Johannesson , Malevolent was written by Ben Ketai and Eva Konstantopoulos , who also wrote the novel on which the film was based. Unsurprisingly, Pugh’s outstanding performance as one of the fake mediums in her paranormal investigator scam is flawless and a highlight of the terrifyingly eerie movie. The ideal film for haunted house fans, Malevolent is a delightfully scary, psychologically rousing horror flick. – Yael Tygiel

Hellhole (2022)

Run Time : 1 hr 31 min | Director : Bartosz M. Kowalski

Cast : Piotr Zurawski, Wojciech Niemczyk, Olaf Lubaszenko, Sebastian Stankiewicz

Directed by Bartosz M. Kowalski , who co-wrote the script with Mirella Zaradkiewicz , Hellhole is a terrifying movie about uncovering the hauntingly dark happenings in a Polish monastery during the late 1980s. Hellhole , which stars Wojciech Niemczyk, Piotr Zurawski , and Olaf Lubaszenko , follows an investigation surrounding unexplained disappearances of residents, leading a young man to infiltrate the remote religious community, intending to explain the strange circumstances. As Hellhole ’s plot unfolds, the inquirer must dive deeper into the tormented residents seeking treatment from the clergy housed within, cut off from society and the outside world. – Yael Tygiel

Death Note (2017)

Run Time : 1 hr 41 min | Director : Adam Wingard

Cast : Nat Wolff, LaKeith Stanfield, Margaret Qualley, Willem Dafoe

Death Note , the live-action film loosely adapted from the popular Manga, follows Light Turner ( Nat Wolff ), a high school boy who discovers a leather-bound notebook called a “Death Note,” which allows him to kill people by inscribing their names and manner of death. Accompanying the notebook is the death god Ryuk, voiced by wonderfully creepy Willem Dafoe , who encourages Light to use the notebook as he pleases. Ultimately, Death Note blends murder mystery with fantastical elements to create a thrilling horror film. While distinctly different from the Manga that inspired it, Death Note is an enjoyable movie with an interesting question about humanity and whether the ends justify the means. – Yael Tygiel

Incantation (2022)

Run Time : 1 hr 51 min | Director : Kevin Ko

Cast : Tsai Hsuan-yen, Huang Sin-ting, Kao Ying-hsuan Sean Lin, RQ

Found footage is a genre staple, and Incantation capitalizes on the format. The highest-grossing horror movie in Taiwan, Incantation is actually based on a case of mass hysteria in the country where a family claimed they were possessed by various Chinese folk religion deities, resulting in the death of the eldest daughter. The fictionalized version follows Li Ronan ( Tsai Hsuan-yen ) who, after breaking a religious taboo, must save her young daughter from a deadly, ancient curse she accidentally unleashed. Creative and well-acted, Incantation offers up chilling supernatural scares. – Taylor Gates

The Platform (2019)

Run Time : 1 hr 34 min | Director : Galder Gaztelu-Urrutia

Cast : Iván Massagué, Antonia San Juan, Zorion Eguileor, Emilio Buale, Alexandra Masangkay

The Platform is one of the most inventive – not to mention disturbing – dystopian thrillers to come out in recent years. The film centers on a group of people living in a concrete tower – some as volunteers, others as punishment for a crime. Here, the people are fed via a platform that starts at the top of the building, with those living closest to the top getting as much food as they want and those at the bottom getting little to no food. The inhabitants are randomly switched every month. The story is tense and often gruesome, with its creative story and excellent performances making it a difficult yet extremely compelling watch. The message and discussions it raises are more relevant than ever. - Taylor Gates

The Perfection

Run Time : 1 hr 30 min | Director : Richard Shepard

Cast: Allison Williams, Steven Weber, Alaina Huffman

The Perfection is a twist-heavy film, but it involves classical musicians struggling to perfect their craft and be the best. Charlotte is a cellist who has returned to a prestigious music conservatory after leaving to care for her dying mother. While there, she befriends a new ingenue, but does so in order to drug her and trick her into cutting her hand off. The twists only get twistier from there, but it is worth the 90-minute journey. - Alyse Wax

Apostle (2018)

Run Time : 2 hr 10 min | Director : Gareth Edwards

Cast: Dan Stevenson, Michael Sheen, Mark Lewis Jones, Paul Higgins, Lucy Boynton

Apostle is a Wicker Man -style slow burn with an explosive final act. Set in an isolated island community, the 2018 folk horror film follows Thomas Richardson ( Dan Stevenson ) as he infiltrates the town seeking his kidnapped sister. He postures as one of the community, observing their peculiar traditions, rituals, and hardships, all while attempting to learn anything about his missing sibling. When chaos finally erupts in the island commune, director Gareth Edwards ’ ( The Raid , The Raid 2 ) eye for action creates some well-choreographed struggles rife with the tension of lethal consequence. The movie is mysterious and fantastical in its narrative, and critical of man’s inkling to control nature in its messaging. It feels long, but the island setting and production design are so striking, it’s still captivating. It’s a rich, colorful, creative movie that would pair well with a Crimson Peak double feature.

Run Time : 1 hr 35 min | Director : Daniel Goldhaber

Cast: Madeline Brewer, Patch Darragh, Melora Walters, Devin Druid, Imani Hakim

For doppelganger and digital age horror, Cam is an exemplary production. The story of a webcam girl whose account, and likeness, have been stolen, is unsettling enough, but the movie succeeds at making her day-to-day terrifying. Stigma, stalkers, and risk of exposure create vulnerability and tension throughout the movie.

Madeline Brewer plays Alice, aka Lola, who races up the leaderboards on her camming website with such sincerity and passion that she entices the viewer to root for her on her quest. It’s after she garners enough attention that her account is hijacked and the appearance of her face, body, home, and accessories are mysteriously replicated. Despite interesting framing around sex work and the online erotic webcam community, Cam 's primary commentary concerns identity and digital presence. It’s a sort of monkey’s paw wish wrapped in a doppelganger narrative, set in a contemporary forum. It’s scary, it’s provocative, and for the best viewing experience, it probably shouldn’t be watched with family present.

The Conjuring 2 (2015)

Run Time : 2 hr 14 min | Director : James Wan

Cast: Vera Farmiga, Patrick Wilson, Madison Wolfe, Frances O’Connor, Lauren Esposito

Fans familiar with James Wan’s work on Insidious will find The Conjuring 2 visually and tonally similar to the PG-13 horror franchise. The washed-out colors of The Conjuring are painted over with blue hues that blanket the screen. Ed and Lorraine Warren return as the endearing investigators attempting to aid a family in England. The possession of Madison Wolfe is frightening thanks to blasphemous and terrifying imagery, as well as an incredible performance by a talented child actress. Based on a true story from the real like Ed and Lorraine’s investigations, the sequel delivers plenty of new terrifying apparitions - including The Nun - while playing with the idea that the couple might be investigating a fake haunting while. It’s an interesting plot device caked in dramatic irony as the viewer watches the torments unfold behind the backs of the skeptic investigators. It’s a little over the top, but its ambition outweighs its shortcomings as it sets the stage for more film under The Conjuring umbrella.

RELATED: How to Watch 'The Conjuring' Movies in Order (Chronologically and by Release Date)

Creep (2014)

Run Time : 1 hr 17 min | Director : Patrick Brice

Cast: Patrick Brice, Mark Duplass

Creep is a quaint, close-quarters mockumentary picture about a videographer hired to film a dying man’s message to his unborn son. Aaron, the videographer played by writer/director Patrick Brice , begins to suspect Josef ( Mark Duplass ) isn’t terminally ill, but possibly dangerously demented. Duplass plays quite the predator with his eerie and disturbing performance. It’s a two-man show with the writers starring as the only characters in this uncomfortable, unnerving picture. The film’s tendency toward intimate terror over large set pieces is what helps make it so distinct, much like fellow docu-style horror film The Blair Witch Project . Since it’s a mockumentary, it is found footage, but it’s so authentic that it just feels like watching someone slowly realize they're in danger, and they’re too deep to get out of it.

Crimson Peak (2015)

Run Time : 1 hr 58 min | Director : Guillermo del Toro

Cast: Mia Wasikowska, Jessica Chastain, Tom Hiddleston, Charlie Hunnam, Jim Beaver

Guillermo del Toro returned to the director’s chair for a scary and colorful ode to gothic romance stories with Crimson Peak . A-List celebrities, decadent production design, and Guillermo’s gothic interpretation create a vivid, scary fever dream of a film. It takes its time fleshing out the lush Victorian setting and era, but the beautiful costumes, dramatic lighting, and hammy performances create an atmosphere unique to the movie that carries the viewer through the opening act.

It’s a film where the audience is scared for the protagonist because they possess the knowledge of her peril. Crimson Peak doesn’t try to trick the audience with the Sharp family’s duplicity. Tom Hiddleston ( Loki ) and Jessica Chastain ( Interstellar ) make a villainous pair as they plot to steal from and kill Mia Wasikowska ( Alice in Wonderland ). The mystery surrounds the main setting, Crimson Peak itself, and whether Edith (Mia Wasikowska) will survive. The only knocks against the film are that as an homage to gothic horror, the film is meant to walk the same beaten path as many stories before it, but also that GDT spoiled the film during his appearance on The Late Show with Stephen Colbert in 2015.

Don’t Listen (2020)

Run Time : 1 hr 38 min | Director : Angel Gomez Hernandez

Cast: Rodolfo Sancho, Ana Fernandez, Ramon Barea, Belen Fabra, Lucas Bias, Nerea Barros

This spooky Spanish haunted house movie starts where most films with a similar premise start getting good. It starts with a boy confessing to a social worker that he’s hearing disembodied voices in his new home—no move-in sequence, no first night in the house heebie-jeebies. The nightly whispers through his walkie-talkie compel and confuse him until his family can no longer ignore that something is wrong. Investigations into the property reveal a grim history that hints at what torments all those who dwell there.

Despite its smart subversion of the typical haunted house opening, the movie plods along with the same beats audiences familiar with the haunted house genre would expect from set-up to the conclusion. It’s the execution that elevates it into a higher status when held up against similar films; its consistent color application, symmetry in the opening and closing shots, and a boldness in character expenditure.

Run Time : 1 hr 38 min | Director : Ciaran Foy

Cast: Charlie Shotwell, Kelly Reilly, Max Martini, Lili Taylor, Sadie Sink, Deneen Tyler

Eli is an excellent haunted house movie that tries hard to subvert the formula in the third act. Charlie Shotwell is Eli, the titular young boy who is allergic to just about everything. His family takes him to a sterile in-patient treatment center where they hope to cure his allergies. Eli suspects the treatments to be anything but aiding him when his condition progressively worsens over his time in the facility. Ghostly encounters complicate his treatment and isolate him from his family, as he attempts to understand what's happening to him. The ghosts are necrotic and menacing, and the way Ciaran Foy ( Sinister 2 ) keeps the viewer in Eli’s shoes for each scare is part of what makes this movie so chilling. A twisty final act is sure to turn off dismissive audiences, but the special effects, imagery, and central familial love story coalesce into a climactic ending with an intriguing setup for a possible sequel.

Screen Rant

20 best halloween movies on netflix.

Netflix has filled its movie library with plenty of horror hits, spooky classics, and family-friendly supernatural films to watch this Halloween.

• Netflix's Halloween movie selection is filled with a variety of options for different moods and ages, from classic box office hits to family-friendly favorites.
• Some notable movies to check out include Casper , a charming nostalgic watch, and Jaws , a thrilling and iconic horror film that remains scary after nearly 50 years.
• Director Mike Flanagan's horror movies, like Ouija: Origin of Evil , are a must-watch, alongside other cult classics like The Strangers and family-friendly animated films like Hotel Transylvania 2 .

Netflix has plenty of horror movies and spooky family favorites to stream this Halloween, from classic box office blockbusters to modern hits. In addition to the streaming service’s exclusive original films, Netflix’s new movies in October 2023 bring numerous titles that fill its hub of Halloween content. While Netflix also boasts numerous horror TV shows fitting for the spooky season, such as Mike Flanagan’s various series and Tim Burton’s Wednesday , the platform is offering a plethora of Halloween-appropriate movie selections that vary in scariness.

With so much variety, the best Halloween movies on Netflix in 2023 appeal to many different moods, ages, and audience preferences. Whether Netflix subscribers are looking for critically acclaimed horror and thrillers movies from directors such as Steven Spielberg and Mike Flanagan or prefer family-friendly spooky ‘90s favorites, there’s something for everyone on the October 2023 catalog. From Casper to The Pope’s Exorcist , Netflix’s selection of supernatural and horror-related movies are perfect for revisiting old favorites or experiencing a story’s thrills and scares for the first time.

Related: 10 Best Horror Movies On Netflix In October

Among the greatest Halloween movies available on Netflix is Casper , the 1995 supernatural coming-of-age dramedy starring The Addams Family ’s Christina Ricci. Based on the Casper the Friendly Ghost cartoons, the 1995 movie follows teenager Kat (Ricci) as she joins her father James (Bill Pullman) to communicate with Casper and his fellow ghosts, who peacefully haunt a mansion in Maine. Casper quickly falls for Kat, but his deceased nature and mischievous ghostly uncles cause trouble for the young pair. The box office hit is still as charming today as it was 28 years ago, making Casper one of the best nostalgia watches this Halloween on Netflix.

Steven Spielberg ushered in a wave of blockbuster filmmaking with Jaws in 1975, which remains one of the scariest and most thrilling movies nearly 50 years later. Jaws , which is based on the same-titled 1974 novel, surrounds the summer resort town of Amity as a man-eating great white shark continues to attack beachgoers, leading the police chief Brody, marine biologist Hooper, and professional shark hunter Quint to team up and hunt down the sea creature. The three-time Oscar winner has been frightening people out of the water for several decades since its debut, with Jaws ’ streaming availability on Netflix being apt to scare new generations of prospective beachgoers.

18 Ouija: Origin Of Evil

A prequel to the 2014 box off hit Ouija , Mike Flanagan’s horror movie follow-up premiered in 2016 to significantly greater critical acclaim than its predecessor. Ouija: Origin of Evil takes the story back to 1967, beginning when a widow working as a spiritual medium introduces a Ouija board into her family’s phony séance business. When the board actually conjures a spirit that possesses her daughter, Ouija: Origin of Evil takes twisted turns that prove to be even scarier and dramatic than the original movie. Mike Flanagan proves to be the king of horror on Netflix, with his Universal-backed Ouija: Origin of Evil being available alongside his Netflix originals this Halloween.

17 The Strangers

The cult classic 2008 horror movie The Strangers stands out among Netflix’s Halloween movie catalog. While it received mixed reviews upon release and became a sleeper hit at the box office, The Strangers ’ cult status turned it into a multi-film franchise with three follow-ups already confirmed. The true story-inspired psychological horror film offers plenty of scares and homages to classic slashers from the 1970s, with The Strangers itself having often been reassessed as a modern horror classic.

16 The Munsters

Rob Zombie’s movie adaptation of the classic 1960s sitcom The Munsters arrived on Netflix in 2022, serving as the origin story of the romance between Herman and Lily Munster. While Rob Zombie’s The Munsters movie wasn’t received very well by critics, the cult approach of the adaptation makes it ripe for better reception upon additional viewing. Zombie may be better known for his gorier horror outings, but Netflix original movie The Munsters provides a charming PG-rated macabre story that the entire family can enjoy.

15 Fear Street Part Two: 1978

The second installment in Netflix 2021 Fear Street movie trilogy, Fear Street Part Two: 1978 takes the story back to a fateful night in the Shadyside and Sunnyvale lore. The two towns are brought together for summer camp only for a killer to gruesomely attack Camp Nightwing’s kids and teens, with plenty of Easter eggs and homages to classic flasher movies like Friday the 13th . Starring Stranger Things ’ Sadie Sink and One Piece ’s Emily Rudd, Fear Street Part Two: 1978 ’s ending features some unexpected twists and that brilliantly lead into the trilogy’s third and final installment.

14 Wendell & Wild

From Coraline and The Nightmare Before Christmas director Henry Selick, Wendell & Wild revives the classic stop-motion animated horror movie trend with a spooky story about two demon brothers who receive help from an orphaned teenage girl. The 2022 Netflix original movie surprisingly boasts a PG-13 rating, making the stop-motion film’s macabre themes more suitable for older audiences. However, the critically-acclaimed movie still provides plenty of spooky humor and striking visuals that make it a perfect Halloween watch.

13 Hotel Transylvania 2

Also streaming on Netflix this Halloween is Hotel Transylvania 2 , the second installment in Todd Durham’s monster franchise. The 2015 animated box office hit brings back voice actors such as Adam Sandler, Andy Samberg, Selena Gomez, Kevin James, and Keegan-Michael Key as Dracula, his classic monster friends and family, and human son-in-law. Coming in at under 90 minutes, the spooky family-friendly monster movie provides a brief and entertaining story to stream on Netflix this Halloween season.

12 Hubie Halloween

Adam Sandler’s 2020 supernatural mystery movie Hubie Halloween may not have landed with critics, but the comedy still boasts a talented ensemble cast and entertaining story to get into the Halloween spirit. The Netflix original follows the titular character (played by Sandler) on Halloween as he monitors the town of Salem, Massachusetts in an attempt to save his fellow residents from a kidnapper. Adam Sandler has produced numerous comedy movies for Netflix over the years, with Hubie Halloween providing annual holiday fun that appeals to kids and adults alike.

The 2008 animated horror-comedy Igor is also available to watch on Netflix this Halloween. While originally receiving mixed reviews from critics, Igor has gained a cult following over the 15 years since its release, with its availability on Netflix’s Halloween hub inevitably introducing it to a new generation of viewers. Igor is inspired by the titular character who has appeared in various forms in supernatural monster movies, typically as an assistant to an evil scientist or villainous monster. However, this animated movie flips the evil scientist assistant trope, as Igor accidentally creates a kind female monster in his attempt to move from assistant to an evil scientist himself.

10 Gerald's Game

In addition to his Ouija prequel, Mike Flanagan’s 2017 psychological horror movie Gerald’s Game is streaming on Netflix in October 2023. The Netflix original movie is based on Stephen King’s 1992 novel of the same name, which had largely been considered unfilmable before Flanagan’s critically acclaimed outing. Starring frequent Mike Flanagan collaborators Carla Gugino, Bruce Greenwood, Kate Siegel, and Henry Thomas, Gerald’s Game is centered around Jessie Burlingame, who is left stranded and handcuffed to her bed without a key after her husband dies of a heart attack. While trying to survive in the isolated cabin, Jessie is confronted with her personal demons in one of Mike Flanagan’s most chilling movies.

John Carpenter’s 1998 neo-Western horror movie Vampires is streaming on Netflix just in time for Halloween viewing. The Halloween director’s film follows a team of vampire hunters who try to prevent a centuries-old cross from falling into the hands of a powerful vampire, which leads to non-stop gory showdowns. While not as critically adored his Carpenter’s classics like Halloween and The Thing , 1998’s Vampires takes him into another horror subgenre that still embodies the filmmaker’s iconic style.

8 Crimson Peak

Guillermo del Toro has proven himself to be a master in the supernatural horror genre, with Crimson Peak ’s gothic romance story being a brilliant execution of his visual style and themes. The 2015 movie stars Mia Wasikowska, Jessica Chastain, and Tom Hiddleston in Edwardian-era England as a newly-married young aspiring author moves into an isolated Gothic mansion with new husband and sister-in-law. However, she soon must solve a twisted mystery as ghosts haunt her new abode. With primarily positive reviews from critics and several award wins in the horror genre, Crimson Peak is a brilliantly spooky movie to watch on Netflix this Halloween.

7 Fear Street Part Three: 1666

The third installment in Netflix’s Fear Street movie trilogy , Fear Street Part Three: 1666 brings the tale back to the titular year while revealing the truth behind Sarah Fier and the “cursed” nature of Shadyside. The twists in the flashbacks lead to a thrilling reckoning in the “present” timeline of 1994, which continues the gory nature of the first two installments. Fear Street Part Three: 1666 received the highest critical acclaim of the three movies, marking a satisfying conclusion to the scary R.L. Stine-inspired Netflix trilogy.

6 The Invitation

The 2022 horror film The Invitation , inspired by the classic story Dracula , depicts the horrifying tale of a young woman who meets her long-lost family members after her mother’s death, leading to her discovery of their dangerous and dark secrets. While a modest success at the box office, The Invitation provides a chilling vampire story with a mesmerizing performance by former Game of Thrones actor Nathalie Emmanuele. Of the modern horror hits available to watch on Netflix this October, The Invitation will satisfy vampire subgenre Halloween viewing.

5 The Wretched

The 2019 supernatural horror movie The Wretched is another relatively recent outing available to steam on Netflix’s Halloween catalog. The creepy horror film follows a teenage boy who vies against an evil witch posing as his next-door neighbor, which satisfies many of the expected supernatural witch-in-the-woods movie tropes. The Wretched also boasts critical acclaim and a significant box office return, as the movie earned back over $4 million against a small budget under $100 thousand. With a teenage ensemble taking it upon themselves to battle a witch, The Wretched also drew frequent comparisons to Netflix’s own Stranger Things .

Creep stands out as one of the most critically acclaimed horror movies within Netflix’s available Halloween content, as the 2014 found footage film received substantial praise from critics upon release. With plenty of thrills and captivating performances by its cast, Creep ’s creepy tale follows a videographer who is tasked with filming an eccentric client at a remote cabin. The success of the Blumhouse-produced horror movie even spawned a critically acclaimed sequel in 2018, which is expected to be followed by the sequel Creep 3 .

3 In The Tall Grass

Netflix has several Stephen King-inspired movies in its library, with 2019’s In the Tall Grass being based on the same-titled novella by King and his son Joe Hill. The Netflix original horror movie follows a brother and sister who are unable to escape a dangerous field of tall grass after entering in the hopes of saving a boy, providing plenty of scares expected of a Stephen King movie adaptation . In the Tall Grass also stars horror veteran Patrick Wilson, who is best known for his roles in The Conjuring and Insidious franchises.

2 The Babysitter

Another Netflix original horror movie to stream this Halloween is The Babysitter , the streaming service’s 2017 black comedy horror film directed by McG. The Babysitter stars Scream Queen Samara Weaving, Judah Lewis, and Bella Thorne, with the film centering on a 12-year-old who learns that his babysitter is involved in a satanic cult that plans to kill him. The positively-reviewed Netflix original even launched a sequel in 2020, which stars Scream and Wednesday actress Jenna Ortega .

1 The Pope's Exorcist

Among the most recent horror movies that is available to stream on Netflix for Halloween is The Pope’s Exorcist , which debuted in theaters in April 2023 to mixed reviews from critics, but proved successful at the box office. Starring Russell Crowe as the real demon-fighting exorcist Father Gabriele Amorth, The Pope’s Exorcist is inspired by the priest’s real claims, adding another creepy layer to the movie’s scares. Crowe’s performance allows Father Amorth’s demon-battling adventures to be a crowd-pleasing horror outing, providing a thrilling possession movie to watch this Halloween on Netflix .

• Entertainment

16 Scary Horror Movies on Netflix to Watch Right Now

Published on 8/26/2023 at 10:30 AM

If you're looking for some nightmare fuel, Netflix has got you covered. The platform is home to countless scary movies. It has psychological horror films that feed into your innermost anxieties, alongside flicks that involve supernatural terror. Meanwhile, gory horror films are pure bloodbaths that don't hold anything back when it comes to violence. They can be so graphic that they'll have you looking away at some points. No matter the subgenre, these horror movies can be equally as scary due to their unpredictable storylines and sudden jump scares.

Whatever you're into, Netflix thankfully has it all, including Netflix originals like "Malevolent" and " Bird Box Barcelona ," as well as box-office hits like "Unfriended" and " Lights Out ." So if you're in need of some thrills, here are 16 of the best scary movies on Netflix you can watch right now.

"Bird Box Barcelona"

"Bird Box Barcelona" serves as a spin-off sequel to the hit 2018 thriller "Bird Box," which is an adaptation of Josh Malerman's 2014 novel of the same name. In the new film, the world continues to be overtaken by mysterious, invisible entities that cause people to die by suicide if they look at them. Although some people are immune, these "seers" become devout followers of the entities and force others to reveal themselves to the creatures. After Barcelona is targeted, Sebastián and his daughter, Anna, try to make it out of the city alive by teaming up with other survivors.

Watch "Bird Box Barcelona" on Netflix now .

"Choose Or Die"

"Choose or Die" follows a college student named Kayla who is struggling to make ends meet along with her mother, Thea. When she discovers an old '80s game that has an unclaimed cash prize, Kayla jumps at the opportunity to play, in hopes that she can win and use the money to help her family. However, Kayla soon realizes the game is cursed, and whatever decisions she makes virtually come with dire consequences in real life.

Watch "Choose Or Die" on Netflix now .

"Unfriended"

"Unfriended" is a found-footage horror film that is told entirely through a computer screen. It centers around a group of high school students who are video chatting online when a mysterious user joins their conversation. They discover the account once belonged to their classmate Laura Barns, who died by suicide after an embarrassing video of hers went viral online. They begin to suspect they're being haunted by Laura's spirit, and as the night goes on, the entity forces the friends to confront their darkest secrets or risk death.

Watch "Unfriended" on Netflix now .

"Umma"

In "Umma," which is the Korean word for "mother," Sandra Oh stars as Amanda, a Korean immigrant who lives on an isolated farm with her teenage daughter, Chrissy. When Amanda receives her mother's cremated ashes, she and Chrissy's seemingly idyllic life begins to unravel as they get haunted by Umma's ghost. Things only get worse once Umma's spirit takes over Amanda, which causes her to become overly protective of Chrissy and not allow her to leave the farm. "There is nothing scarier than becoming your mother," the film's tagline reads.

Watch "Umma" on Netflix now .

"Texas Chainsaw Massacre"

Despite being the ninth film in the franchise, " Texas Chainsaw Massacre " is meant to serve as a direct sequel to the original 1974 film. In this installment, a group of friends travels to an abandoned Texas town with plans to gentrify it. However, they unknowingly find themselves in Leatherface's neighborhood. After 50 years of hiding, the notorious serial killer resurfaces to target the group to punish them for trespassing. When Sally Hardesty — the sole survivor in the original film — hears of his reappearance, she embarks on a mission to put an end to him once and for all.

Watch "Texas Chainsaw Massacre" on Netflix now .

"Ouija: Origin of Evil"

"Ouija: Origin of Evil" is a prequel to the 2014 film "Ouija." The film stars Elizabeth Reaser as a widow named Alice, who makes money by pretending to be a medium. After introducing a Ouija board into her business, Alice tries to use it to contact her late husband. She successfully begins communicating with his spirit, and although she is initially happy, things take a turn when the spirit starts to possess one of her daughters.

Watch "Ouija: Origin of Evil" on Netflix now .

"#Alive"

"#Alive" centers around a zombie apocalypse that has taken over the city of Seoul. A video game streamer named Oh Joon-woo witnesses the outbreak from his apartment above. Since many of his neighbors have turned, he's forced to lock himself inside his room so he won't get infected, too. However, it'll only be a matter of time before Joon-woo runs out of supplies. So will he risk dying of starvation inside his apartment, or take a chance by fighting off the zombies outside?

Watch "#Alive" on Netflix now .

"In the Tall Grass"

" In the Tall Grass " is a movie adaptation of Stephen King and Joe Hill's short story of the same name. It begins with siblings Cal and Becky driving through rural Kansas. They're making their way to San Diego when they hear a young boy named Tobin crying out for help in the grasslands. The pair stop to help, but they end up getting lost. After realizing the tall grass contains an evil entity hiding inside, the siblings desperately try to find a way to escape before it consumes them.

Watch "In the Tall Grass" on Netflix now .

"The Ritual"

"The Ritual" begins with five friends enjoying drinks together while discussing ideas for a group trip. Rob says they should go hiking in Sweden, but the rest of the guys turn the idea down. However, after Rob gets killed in a burglary incident, Phil, Dom, Hutch, and Luke reunite months later to turn the trip into a reality. While traveling through the woods, the group realizes they're not alone and are being stalked by an evil force.

Watch "The Ritual" on Netflix now .

"47 Meters Down: Uncaged"

" 47 Meters Down: Uncaged ," which is a sequel to the 2017 film "47 Meters Down," follows a new group of victims who become targeted by great white sharks. In this movie, four teenage girls scuba dive into a submerged Mayan city. After accidentally knocking over a row of stone columns underwater, the girls attract the attention of several deadly sharks. When they discover the sharks are blind, the girls attempt to outsmart the creatures by luring them away using sounds while they plan their escape to the surface.

Watch "47 Meters Down: Uncaged" on Netflix now .

"No One Gets Out Alive"

"No One Gets Out Alive" is about a Mexican woman named Ambar who moves to Ohio following her mother's death. Due to her undocumented status, she has to work under-the-table jobs and is forced to live in an old boarding house owned by a mysterious man named Red. Shortly after moving in, Ambar begins to hear strange noises around the building and appears to see supernatural figures. She's convinced the house is holding a dark secret and that Red is somehow involved. When she tells him she wants to leave, Red does everything he can to keep her trapped.

Watch "No One Gets Out Alive" on Netflix now .

"Eli"

"Eli" is about a young boy living with a rare disease that causes him to get sick whenever he's outside. In order to help their son live a normal life, Eli's parents take him to a medical facility run by Dr. Horn, who's confident she can cure his condition. The treatments turn out to be very painful, but she insists they're necessary. Although Eli initially trusts Dr. Horn, he starts to question her motives once he has supernatural encounters that warn him of the facility's dark past.

Watch "Eli" on Netflix now .

"Malevolent"

"Malevolent" stars Florence Pugh as a scam artist named Angela who makes a living as a fake medium. She and her brother, Jackson, run a business where they visit people's homes and pretend to get rid of the ghosts lurking inside. It makes them easy money; however, their lies soon catch up with them during their latest assignment, when the siblings encounter real supernatural entities. While Angela is too scared to take on another job, her brother insists they continue so he can pay back the money he owes to loan sharks.

Watch "Malevolent" on Netflix now .

"The Wretched"

"The Wretched" centers around a teenage boy named Ben whose parents are in the middle of a divorce. After moving in with his father, Ben gets a new job at the marina and even befriends his neighbor, Dillon. As he gets closer to him, Ben realizes that Dillon's mother, Abbie, has been demonstrating strange behavior. He soon discovers that she's been possessed by a witch who feeds on people. He tries to warn the townsfolk, but no one believes him, leading him to try to stop the witch all by himself.

Watch "The Wretched" on Netflix now .

"Lights Out"

"Lights Out," which is based on the 2013 short film of the same name by David F. Sandberg, is about a woman named Rebecca who discovers that her mother is being haunted by a ghost named Diana. As a result, she takes on the responsibility of protecting her stepbrother, Martin, from their mother and the mysterious entity. The creature can only be seen in the dark and disappears when the lights are turned on. As Rebecca tries to help her family, she's forced to confront her traumatic past as well.

Watch "Lights Out" on Netflix now .

"Creep"

"Creep" is a found-footage horror film that focuses on a young videographer named Aaron. After accepting a job offer online, Aaron goes to meet his client Josef at a remote cabin in the mountains. Josef claims he's sick and wants to film a video for his unborn child before he dies. Once the pair begin filming, Josef reveals disturbing confessions to the camera that cause Aaron to become uncomfortable. The videographer tries to call off the job but Josef won't let him get away that easy.

Watch "Creep" on Netflix now .

• Netflix Roundup

How-To Geek

The best horror movies on netflix in 2023.

Looking for something scary to watch on Netflix?

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Hush, Piranha, and Sweetheart all left Netflix, so we've replaced them with three new picks.

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Crimson peak, i am the pretty thing that lives in the house, paranormal activity, the perfection, under the shadow.

From beloved classics to Netflix originals, from haunted houses to evil creatures, Netflix has something for every kind of horror fan. Here's a look at the best scary movies streaming on Netflix.

UPDATE: 5/22/23

Alfred Hitchcock made seemingly innocuous, inactive winged creatures terrifying with his horror classic The Birds . The sudden and inexplicable way that birds start to attack humans is what makes the movie so scary, as inhabitants of the tranquil seaside town of Bodega Bay are forced to flee for their lives from swooping, pecking animals.

Hitchcock connects the revolt of nature to the psychological turmoil of socialite Melanie Daniels (Tippi Hedren) as she pursues handsome lawyer Mitch Brenner (Rod Taylor). With no musical score, it's an eerie immersion into an external and internal nightmare.

Watch on Netflix

Guillermo del Toro offers a masterful take on vintage gothic horror with Crimson Peak . Del Toro channels the Brontë sisters and Hammer horror productions in equal measure with this ghostly romance set in the late 19th century. Mia Wasikowska plays a young heiress swept off her feet by an English baronet (Tom Hiddleston). He marries her and brings her to his crumbling mansion, which is full of dangerous secrets, most held by his cruel sister (Jessica Chastain).

A pair of refugees from South Sudan are haunted by traumatic memories as well as an evil spirit from their homeland when they settle into government housing in London. His House blends traditional haunted house spookiness with a meditation on trauma and displacement, putting an engaging (and disturbing) new spin on a familiar kind of story.

Starting with its eerie title, writer-director Oz Perkins' I Am the Pretty Thing That Lives in the House creates a sustained mood of discomfort. Ruth Wilson plays a live-in nurse caring for an elderly writer in a house that may be the site for actual tragic events depicted in the author's most famous novel.

Both the nurse and the ghost of a woman who died in the house drift through the mostly empty rooms, their fates become intertwined as Perkins immerses the audience in an atmosphere of languid dread.

Related: The 10 Best Horror Movies to Stream for Free in 2023

One of the scariest things in horror movies is a danger that is unrelenting and inexplicable, and that's what the characters face in David Robert Mitchell's It Follows . Young people pass along a curse via sexual contact, and whoever is the current recipient is stalked by a silent, slow-moving presence that takes the form of strangers or sometimes familiar faces. Mitchell creates an unsettling, off-kilter atmosphere, with the constant specter of death over his protagonists.

The found-footage horror subgenre had already gotten a bit stale by the time Paranormal Activity was released, but filmmaker Oren Peli revitalized the format with his innovative approach to the haunted house movie.

Peli's film is as much about the breakdown of a relationship as it is about the possible demon infestation of the new house that protagonists Katie (Katie Featherston) and Micah (Micah Sloat) move into. Using just the basic video camera that Micah constantly carries around, Peli creates an immersive, terrifying experience that puts the audience right alongside the tormented main characters.

Related: The Best Horror Movies on Hulu in 2022

Allison Williams and Logan Browning play dueling cellists in Richard Shepard's twisty, over-the-top psychological horror movie The Perfection . Both Charlotte (Williams) and Lizzie (Browning) are students of the same strict and demanding teacher (Steven Weber), who provokes their increasingly violent rivalry. Shepard plays with expectations via multiple plot twists, keeping the audience guessing about the characters' true relationships even as they torment each other mercilessly.

John Carpenter's The Thing is a sci-fi horror masterpiece, which means that any sequel or remake is bound to be judged harshly in comparison. The 2011 version of The Thing is part remake, part prequel, and while it lives in the shadow of Carpenter's version, it's remarkably successful on its own, finding some different ways to explore the same premise.

It's once again set on a remote Antarctic base, where an unearthed ancient killer alien wreaks havoc. Mary Elizabeth Winstead is excellent as the steely scientist who makes a survival plan, bringing a welcome new angle to a familiar story.

Related: The Best Horror Movies on Amazon Prime Video in 2023

Set in the Iranian capital of Tehran during the 1980s, Babak Anvari's Under the Shadow combines the terror of living in a warzone with the terror of a supernatural menace. Navari creates a harrowing drama about warfare that's also an eerie horror movie drawing on Middle Eastern folklore.

While her doctor husband is away serving in the military, Shideh (Narges Rashidi) stays in the city with her young daughter. They endure missile attacks as well as the possible presence of a djinn, an evil spirit that attaches itself to people via personal objects.

Depicting an entire story solely via the images on a computer screen may sound like a ridiculous gimmick, but the clever, intricately designed horror movie Unfriended pulls it off with its basic but effective story about a group of teenagers targeted for revenge from beyond the grave. The movie perfectly captures the online lives of its characters while also delivering a satisfying and scary ghost story.

Best Netflix horror movies: the best scary films you can stream right now

Prepare for frights with the best Netflix horror movies

The best Netflix horror movies are a smorgasbord of scares. As is always the case with the best horror, they might not always be the ones you expect. Non scary movie fans are always surprised by the breadth of the genre. Sure there are slasher villains - more than one below in fact - but there are also slow burn psychological horrors and dread-filled folk nightmares too. The horror genre is expansive and all the more terrifying for it. Whatever you're looking for, we've got it below in our choice of the best Netflix horror movies. 

We've endured all manner of hauntings and jump scares to bring you the ultimate list of the best Netflix Horror movies. They aren't all brand new so there's a chance to find a hidden gem or two lurking on the streaming service just waiting to fuel your nightmares or just sate your lust for gore.  And in case you're looking for even more frights, check out our best Shudder movies for the ultimate scary movies to watch on the horror specific streamer.  

We'll update this list regularly, with a mix of Netflix's own original movies and some from other studios. So, let’s break down the best Netflix horror movies you can watch right now. 

Piranha 

Remember that time New French Extremity director Alexandre Aja made a Piranha movie starring Christopher Lloyd and Kelly Brook? Oh you don’t? Well you better fix that ASAP. This tooth-fest is just as schlocky as it should be and there’s plenty of evidence of its 3D origins as hungry fish hurtle towards the screen, burping up chewed genitalia. The whole movie is an absolute riot but it’s worth a watch alone for the Spring Break sequence where the filmmakers allegedly emptied more than 75 thousand gallons of biodegradable fake blood into a lake. The squeamish need not apply.    

The Texas Chainsaw Massacre 

Let’s get one thing straight. The 2022 Netflix Texas Chainsaw Massacre is nothing like the evil masterpiece that is the original. While we do have the return of OG Final Girl Sally Hardesty - played by Olwen Fouéré - and some nods to some classic shots, this is a far simpler slasher with literal buckets of blood. Mimicking the innocence of youth entering the wilderness in Tobe Hooper’s 1974 classic, this time around we join a hapless Gen Z crew trying to create a brunch-filled utopia. Unsurprisingly, it doesn’t go well because Leatherface happens to live in the ghost town they’ve bought. Oops. It’s big, silly, and violent and sometimes that’s exactly what you need from a scary movie.     

The Ritual 

Imagine a gender switched The Descent as a group of men enter the Swedish woods and you’re absolutely on the right scary track with David Bruckner’s The Ritual. This is a real rollercoaster with some incredible drama as well as downright terrifying moments with an inspired monster design that’s absolutely going to haunt your nightmares. There’s a real sense of dread at work here and an especially excellent performance from Rafe Spall. If you go down to the woods today, you really are in for a big surprise.    

Incantation 

Incantation is a pure hit of found footage horror straight from Taiwan. It’s slightly too long but there’s enough creepy imagery to keep things moving along as a woman makes a video diary documenting a curse that’s following her and her daughter. There’s a real mix of creepy supernatural hauntings in an ordinary home as well as some night vision horror as we discover the cause of the curse from an incident six years before. It turns out that if you’re making a YouTube video about rituals, you shouldn't go into sacred tiny tunnels where horrors might lurk. Who knew?      

When he isn't creating carnage with martial arts masterpieces The Raid and its sequel, British director Gareth Evans is creating carnage of a different kind with this dark horror. Starring Dan Stevens, Lucy Boynton and Michael Sheen, Apostle is set in 1905 and follows Stevens' Thomas Richardson, who travels to a remote Welsh island to rescue his sister, Jennifer, who has been kidnapped and held for ransom by a mysterious cult.

Determined to free his sister, Richardson comes into conflict with Sheen's Malcolm Howe, the leader of the cult. As his journey goes on, things get murkier and murkier, and, bloodier and bloodier...It's a film that wears its influences, namely The Wicker Man, on its sleeves. But it's stylish and pacy, and if you fell in love with Midsommar, you'll find a lot here too. 

This Norwegian horror is a stylish, gruesome, gorefest. Set in the aftermath of a nuclear disaster, a family of three are happy to find themselves invited charitable event at a hotel, which takes a dark turn when other invitees start to disappear. You can guess why...Not for the faint of heart, or the weak of stomach, but, if you're neither of those things, this is another entry in a fine horror tradition. 

Horror has long been a perfect way to process the true horrors of the challenges we face in society. Whether it’s Dawn of the Dead’s approach to consumerism or The Babadook’s stark grief parable, the monsters at work are usually us. His House is the story of Bol and Rial, a refugee couple from South Sudan who have been given a council house in a small English town. 

What they find waiting in the walls is intense and horrifying but director Remi Weekes perfectly balances this with the challenges of acclimatisation to a new culture and the dehumanising nature of the process. It’s searing and it’s issues are real but that doesn’t stop this also from being a terrifying haunted house parable.  

There are only so many saccharine Christmas movies you can watch without wishing that gingerbread men were attempting to murder all of the characters on screen. No? Just us? Regardless, Michael Dougherty’s festive horror is perfect deadly eggnog with Toni Collette in fine form as the matriarch of an ungrateful family who are spectacularly failing to celebrate the season. 

Krampus is firmly in comedy horror territory but there are still some exceptionally fun scares as the family is besieged by festive monstrosities. The best holiday horrors are the darkest ones and Krampus is enjoyably vindictive as it does for Christmas what Dougherty’s previous Trick R Treat did for Halloween. You’ll never see the kids’ letters to Santa in the same way again. 

Creep 

Along with its sequel, the appropriately titled Creep 2, Creep has become a found footage cult classic. It doesn’t quite have the commercial appeal of Paranormal Activity or the raw terror of The Blair Witch Project, but as societal awkwardness descending into horror goes, Creep has it nailed. Following an advert on Craigslist, a videographer called Aaron heads to the home of Josef, played by a truly unnerving Mark Duplass. Josef is eccentric but apparently wants someone to record his final days before he loses his life to an inoperable brain tumor. It might be a wholly inappropriate place to say that’s where the ‘fun’ begins but here we are. 

If you fancy spending the evening pulling at your own face with tension, there’s nothing quite as excruciating as Calibre. Two friends going hunting? What’s the worst that could happen? Yes, take a swig of your Dr Pepper because this trip to the Scottish Highlands isn’t exactly what Nessie’s home country would choose to put on its tourist site. The politics of a small village mix perfectly with some Very Bad Decisions to make this a must watch horror thriller. Even if that entails watching through your fingers and from behind a cushion.  

Haunting of Hill House and Bly Manor creator Mike Flanagan has a lot to answer for. Not only has he made two of arguably the most successful horror TV shows of the last few years as well as directed an excellent sequel to The Shining (Doctor Sleep), back in 2015 he quietly directed an intelligent slasher movie. Co-written with his wife and Hush star Kate Siegel, this is the story of Maddie, a deaf horror writer who lives in a remote cottage with only her cat for company. When a masked man arrives and assumes she is easy pickings, her fight to survive is nail-bitingly brilliant stuff.   

The Perfection

It's important to enter The Perfection with one thing in mind. This is not a societal commentary to be accompanied by chin scratching like a lot of modern horror. This is a scuzzily violent horror thriller with no rules. It won't be to everyone's taste but Alison Williams' excellent turn as a cellist with a passion for revenge makes for an exceptionally twisted thriller. Perhaps not one to watch with your parents, there's also one of the most realistic recreations of being unwell on public transport of all time. Yes, on this list, that's a selling point… 

Under the Shadow

Of all the genres, horror is often one of the bravest to tackle the hardest of topics. On one level Babak Anvari's Persian haunting is a traditional ghost story as a woman is plagued by spirits in her home, on another it's a biting commentary on the oppression facing women in 1980s Tehran. Like the Babadook's manifestation of grief, the monsters here might seem fictional but there's a depressing reality to these specters. Scary and thought provoking, Under the Shadow is a modern classic. 

The Platform

Another societal commentary – this time a skewering of capitalist culture from Spain – The Platform is an uncomfortable watch. High concept doesn't come much higher than this. Literally. A luxurious kitchen furnishes a platform with delectable edibles which then descends through hundreds of two person cells. If everyone would just have a few bites then there would be enough for all but of course, that's not how the world works. Following one man on his journey as he wakes up on new levels, The Platform is an unpredictable nightmare.

• Best Netflix movies: the 30 best films you can stream right now

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Louise Blain is a writer and presenter specialising in tech, games, and horror entertainment. Thanks to the latter, she needs to avoid nightmares and regularly reviews the latest sleep tech for BBC Scotland, TechRadar and T3. Her specialist subjects include mattresses, weighted blankets, and sleep aids.

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The Absolute Best Horror Movies on Netflix

You can say a lot about Netflix -- including that it has a lot of horror movies!

• Best New Journalist 2019 Australian IT Journalism Awards

In maybe an unexpected trend, Netflix is home to a stupendous trove of quality horror movies.

It really does have a lot. So much that not every worthwhile horror movie could make the main recommendations on this list. (You'll find them in another list below.) Crafty originals, Mike Flanagan greats and international entries are in the mix, all rated at least 70 on Metacritic, updated as of Feb. 22. Enjoy getting unnerved to the very core!

Creep (2014)

If you're looking for further proof the Duplass brothers are actually evil, here's an easy sell. Patrick Brice (also the director and co-writer) plays a videographer answering a Craigslist ad for Josef (Mark Duplass), who wants to make a movie for his supposed unborn child. I typically enjoy horror films that rely on performances to unnerve you, because they're incredibly difficult to pull off. And I've got to give it to Mark Duplass. He is, in fact, super creepy.

Gerald's Game (2017)

Before the impeccable The Haunting of Hill House series, Mike Flanagan brought us this deft adaptation of Stephen King novel Gerald's Game. Carla Gugino is immense as Jessie, a woman who goes on holiday with her husband at an isolated lake house in Alabama. When Jessie ends up handcuffed to the bed with no one to help her escape, it becomes a matter of both survival and escape. Another chapter of Flanagan's melancholy-suffused horror that surges into quiet triumph for its haunted characters.

The Call (2020)

Two movies named The Call came out in 2020. Watch the South Korean one, a time travel thriller revolving around, yep, a phone call. Twenty-eight-year-old Seo-yeon finds a phone buried in a closet in her childhood home. It rings -- and the caller, it turns out, is living in the same house  20 years  earlier. Twists right up to the final moment, plus a wild cat-and-mouse chase that alters the past and present make this a must-watch.

Under The Shadow (2016)

Like a few other titles in this list, this superb psychological horror subtly doubles as an allegory for wider social themes, such as oppression. Set in 1980s Tehran, during a series of air raids known as the War of the Cities, it follows a mother and daughter haunted in their home by a mysterious evil. With echoes of The Babadook as well as its own fresh ideas, Under The Shadow is an excellent horror entry.

1922 (2017)

One of the more successful Stephen King adaptations, this horror drama based on the novella 1922 is a slow-burn with a mesmerizing performance at its core. Thomas Jane, who you'll also know from Boogie Nights and 2004's The Punisher, gives one of his career best performances as the ever proud Wilfred James, a farmer who makes the totally wise decision to murder his wife with the help of their teenage son. The consequences are harrowing on multiple levels (if you don't like rats, you really won't like them after this).

Creep 2 (2017)

Finished Creep? Creep 2 does the impossible -- improves on the original. A self-proclaimed serial killer (Mark Duplass, also co-writer) lures videographers to his remote house in a forest and you can guess the rest. With an absurd mixture of laughs and terror, this low-budget found footage psychological horror is a gem.

This smart psychological horror is partially drawn from co-writer Isa Mazzei's experiences as a camgirl (or webcam model). Yet Cam is no documentary, following Alice Ackerman, a young camgirl who one day discovers an exact replica of herself has taken over her show. This unique thriller flashing red with the threat of technology is an excellent feature to hit play on.

Vampires vs. the Bronx (2020)

Vampires vs. the Bronx is a unique comedy-horror in more ways than one. Set in the New York borough of the Bronx, it follows young Miguel Martinez, a big-hearted kid helping to raise money for his struggling local bodega. But it's not just new designer clothing stores threatening to move in: Creepy pale neck-chompers are eating up people and their properties. A commentary on gentrification with goofy charm, twists and thrills, Vampires vs. the Bronx is a fresh, entertaining spin on the genre.

Calibre (2018)

This taut thriller set in the remote Scottish Highlands is far from an idyllic getaway. Prepare for a full-on nerve-wringing nightmare that its protagonists are desperate to wake up from. Vaughn and Marcus set out on a lads' weekend hunting trip, but after a night of drinking, they find themselves facing events they never could have planned for. Calibre lives up to its name, delivering a slick package of grim, gripping drama. Let the full force of this one wallop you.

It Follows (2014)

The expertly-crafted horror film that quietly doubles as an allegory for STDs. You read that correctly: It Follows trains its lens on a supernatural entity that lives in the periphery, constantly pursuing its prey at a slow, zombie-like pace. Our heroine Jay (played by modern Scream Queen Maika Monroe) is trapped at the center of this anxiety pool, faced with a terrifying stalker. A modern classic, with a cracking John Carpenter-inspired original score.

Berlin Syndrome (2017)

Before Black Widow, Cate Shortland made her name directing excellent indie films, including Berlin Syndrome. This psychological horror stars Teresa Palmer as Clare Havel, a young Australian who goes backpacking in Berlin, only to meet a man who holds her captive in his apartment. A cat-and-mouse game between captor and captive ensues. While it's slower-paced at times in its confined setting, Berlin Syndrome assuredly delivers a gripping thriller.

His House (2020)

A horror that hits... close to home. Revealing its supernatural evils through a harrowing human story, His House follows Bol and Rial, a refugee couple from Sudan, who struggle to adapt to their new life in an English town. Don't expect straightforward jump scares -- His House plays into the psychological specters of the past, adding even more corridors of torment. A heartrending, powerful piece.

Vegans, stay far away from \"Raw,\" the French-Belgian horror movie about a vegetarian who turns cannibal. The film's graphic scenes were reportedly so disturbing that some fans fainted at early showings.

Vegans, stay far away from "Raw," the French-Belgian horror movie about a vegetarian who turns cannibal. The film's graphic scenes were reportedly so disturbing that some fans fainted at early showings.

After viewing this film, you might just have a new favorite female director in Julia Ducournau. Raw follows Justine, a vegetarian in her first year of veterinary school, who caves to peer pressure, eats raw meat and winds up with a rash all over her body. The film tackles questions of identity in a viscerally powerful and symbolic way, and is a must-see from Netflix's indie bench.

The Platform (2019)

From Netflix's impressive stash of international films comes Spanish sci-fi horror The Platform. Its high-concept story centers on a tower that delivers food to people on each of its many levels via a platform. Those at the top score the best and most abundant spread, which is devoured as the platform lowers down the levels. Social commentary rings throughout this dystopian thriller, which takes shocking, occasionally gruesome turns all the way to the bottom.

Netflix horror movie honorable mentions

• The Old Ways (2020): Folk horror
• The Trip (2021): Norwegian black comedy horror
• Blood Red Sky (2021): British-German action horror
• Coming Home in the Dark (2021): New Zealand psychological thriller
• The Fear Street Trilogy (2021): Horror film series
• The Block Island Sound (2020): Sci-fi horror thriller
• The Rental (2020): Directed by Dave Franco and starring Alison Brie and Jeremy Allen White
• #Alive (2020): South Korean zombie horror
• Forgotten (2017): South Korean psychological thriller
• The Ritual (2017): British horror
• Veronica (2017): Spanish supernatural horror
• Ouija: Origin of Evil (2016): Supernatural horror directed by Mike Flanagan
• Hush (2016): Slasher directed by Mike Flanagan

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The 13 Scariest Horror Movies on Netflix Right Now

Halloween is nigh. These screamers are bound to get your blood curdling.

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By Noel Murray

Netflix has done a fine job in recent years of stockpiling horror films — from established classics to newer pictures discovered at international film festivals. But which are the scariest? It’s a pleasure to watch a smart, artful and culturally relevant fright flick. But it’s even better when it spooks you into leaving the lights on after bedtime. Looking to be thoroughly terrorized this Halloween season? Here are 13 devilish films that will have even the most stoic souls jumping at shadows.

‘The Blackcoat’s Daughter’ (2017)

Stream it here .

The writer-director Osgood Perkins sets his atmospheric feature filmmaking debut, “The Blackcoat’s Daughter,” at a mostly empty private Catholic girls’ academy, where a worldly senior played by Lucy Boynton reluctantly looks after a timid freshman played by Kiernan Shipka. While the two young ladies wait for their parents to pick them up, they investigate strange noises around the building. In a separate story line, a mysterious woman (Emma Roberts) races toward that same school. Perkins brings these pieces together for a gruesome final act, rooted in the idea that one bad choice in youth can haunt a person forever. ( Read The New York Times review .)

‘Cam’ (2018)

Madeline Brewer gives an outstanding performance in the sexually explicit and disturbing “Cam” — a voyeuristic thriller for the internet age. Brewer plays Alice, an upbeat and unusually creative “cam girl,” who strips online for money, performing shows that appeal to her fans’ love of darkness and danger. When someone usurps Alice’s persona and starts sapping her income, she tries to figure out who’s been messing with her livelihood, and descends into paranoia as she realizes the people she’s been working for may actually own her identity. ( Read The New York Times review .)

‘Creep 2’ (2017)

“Creep” — the first found-footage horror collaboration between the director Patrick Brice and his co-writer and star, Mark Duplass — is also available on Netflix , and is deeply unsettling. But it’s OK to jump straight to the superior “Creep 2,” in which Desiree Akhavan plays a YouTuber named Sara who agrees to spend a day shooting video of a man who claims to be a prolific serial killer. Duplass plays Sara’s subject, who may be lying for the sake of soaking up this young woman’s attention … or who may be luring her to her doom. ( Read The New York Times review .)

‘The Evil Dead’ (1981)

Decades before Sam Raimi directed the first three “Spider-Man” movies, he became a hero to horror fans with his imaginative low-budget 1981 film “The Evil Dead.” What starts as a typical “college kids partying in the woods” picture takes a turn when the youngsters accidentally open a portal to another dimension. Raimi works in elements of slapstick comedy, expertly performed by his leading man, Bruce Campbell. Gags aside, the first “Evil Dead” remains the scariest of the franchise, with a dynamic visual style that lets the audience see the action from the perspective of the demons, as they swoop rapidly in on their prey. ( Read The New York Times review .)

‘The Golem’ (2019)

The Israeli filmmakers Yoav and Doron Paz draw on the myths and traditions of Hebrew mysticism for “The Golem,” an unusual supernatural thriller that recalls both “The Witch” and “Frankenstein.” Hani Furstenberg plays Hanna, who tries to protect her 17th century Lithuanian Jewish village from the neighboring Russian Christians by conjuring a ferocious protector, which just happens to resemble her own deceased son. Inevitably, the plan goes horribly awry. Throughout, the Paz brothers impressively recreate old-world Eastern Europe, making Hanna’s world seem grim and alien, filled with uncontrollable threats.

‘House of 1000 Corpses’ (2003)

The shock-rocker Rob Zombie made his feature-directing debut with this grubby gore-fest, pitched as a knowing throwback to the sleazy drive-in fare of the 1970s. The premise is simple: A group of young friends get captured and tortured by a depraved family named Firefly and … well, that’s pretty much it. Zombie’s obvious enthusiasm for atmospheric grotesquerie and true-crime mythology — later spun into two much more ambitious sequels — gives this splatter flick real personality. “House of 1000 Corpses” is a movie made for horror connoisseurs, who don’t mind being brutalized and disgusted. ( Read The New York Times review .)

‘The Invitation’ (2015)

Though it eventually builds to scenes of terrifying violence, for most of its running time “The Invitation” is just as much about the existential dread of awkward social interactions. Logan Marshall-Green plays Will, a grieving father who reluctantly agrees to attend a dinner party hosted by his ex-wife Eden (Tammy Blanchard). As the night wears on, Will becomes increasingly convinced that his hosts are part of a death cult. His attempts to warn his friends come off more like the erratic behavior of the emotionally wounded, playing out in scenes as riveting and nerve-racking as any slasher film. ( Read The New York Times review .)

‘Poltergeist’ (1982)

The producer and co-writer Steven Spielberg often gets the bulk of the credit for the blockbuster hit “Poltergeist,” a chilling ghost story set in the kind of cozy suburbia Spielberg has often featured in his movies. But the film is also clearly the work of its more acerbic director, Tobe Hooper. Though less gruesome and assaultive than Hooper’s best-known film “The Texas Chain Saw Massacre,” this tale of restless spirits plaguing a pleasant middle-class family has a feeling of queasy anxiety, even before all hell breaks loose. The cast and crew make an ordinary American neighborhood feel like a village of the damned. ( Read The New York Times review .)

‘Session 9’ (2001)

Shot on digital video at a time when cameras weren’t as high-tech as they are today, the supernatural thriller “Session 9” has a stark and hazy look, befitting its story of a down-on-their-luck asbestos-removal crew, who start disappearing under mysterious circumstances while working in an abandoned Massachusetts mental hospital. A terrific cast — led by Peter Mullan and David Caruso — captures the creeping anxiety that overwhelms these men as they work in the shadows, in a building that once housed some very troubled people. The director Brad Anderson and his team crank up the tension with a sound design that makes every creak and whisper sound ominous. ( Read The New York Times review .)

‘Splice’ (2010)

Adrien Brody and Sarah Polley play a mad scientist couple who create life in a lab in “Splice,” a well-acted and energetic science-fiction film that goes to dark places. The writer-director Vincenzo Natali and his co-writers Antoinette Terry Bryant and Doug Taylor spend a lot of time developing the relationship between the two prickly geniuses before introducing the horror they make together: a spry humanoid beast they name Dren, who has a stinging tail, a croaking voice and the torso of a teenage girl. Though Dren is deadly, the horror in “Splice” derives more from the discomfort these “parents” feel about what they’ve spawned. ( Read The New York Times review .)

‘Sweetheart’ (2019)

The writer-director J.D. Dillard and his co-writers Alex Hyner and Alex Theurer find a fresh angle on the giant monster movie in “Sweetheart,” an intense and intimate thriller about a castaway stuck on a remote island patrolled by a human-eating leviathan. Kiersey Clemons gives an excellent performance as the heroine, who has to think her way through the problems of how to keep herself fed — and how to avoid becoming dinner. The filmmakers throw some surprises into this short, tightly plotted picture but never stray too far from the core appeal: the scenes of a clever young woman fighting to keep control of her situation.

‘Unfriended’ (2015)

This innovative take on the found-footage horror subgenre has been designed to look like a laptop screen, filled with face-to-face calls and text messages, playing out in real time. The director Leo Gabriadze, the screenwriter Nelson Greaves and a talented young cast use this gimmick to tell a good story, about high school friends who appear to be haunted by the ghost of a bullied classmate. “Unfriended” has a deftly constructed plot that reveals, gradually and chillingly, how social media makes it easier for kids to be cruel to each other. ( Read The New York Times review .)

‘Would You Rather’ (2013)

A sick spin on a popular party game, “Would You Rather” carries an idle thought experiment to its most wonderfully appalling extreme. When a group of cash-strapped folks accept a dinner invitation from an eccentric millionaire, they find themselves attempting gross, life-threatening dares. Will they slice open their own eyeballs? Hold firecrackers in their hands? Murder their fellow guests? In this provocative and wince-inducing shocker, the director David Guy Levy and the screenwriter Steffen Schlachtenhaufen expose the perversity of the American class system, which allows the decadent rich to buy the complicity of the needy. ( Read The New York Times review .)

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Halloween TV and Streaming Calendar 2023: Horror Movies, Eerie Episodes, Spooky Specials, and More

Watch for new titles like series "the fall of the house of usher" and movie "five nights at freddy's," halloween episodes, holiday specials, and horror movie marathons..

TAGGED AS: halloween , Horror , movies , streaming , TV

Horror film Appendage is now streaming on Hulu (Photo by Hulu)

Spooky season is upon us and streaming services have released their Halloween-themed programming lineup for the entire month of October. You want new horror movies, petrifying TV shows, spooktacular specials, and ravenous reality shows? They’re all here. We bet you’ll find something to scratch that Halloween itch every night of the month.

Below are links to each streaming service’s respective horror hubs, including the new titles added this month. Freeform’s “31 Nights of Halloween” is celebrating its 25th anniversary by delivering a month-long roster of pumpkin-flavored programming to delight the senses. Titles on the docket this year include Hocus Pocus , the 30th anniversary of Tim Burton’s The Nightmare Before Christmas , and the Freeform premieres of Encanto , Zombies , and Zombies 2 . Hulu is striking back with Huluween, a truly scary slate that features titles like Ash vs Evil Dead , Stephen King’s Rose Red, The Boogeyman , and The Mill . Disney+’s Hallowstream offers more family-friendly fare like Haunted Mansion , Marvel’s Werewolf By Night in color, and the premiere of spooky series Goosebumps .

Netflix never skimps on the Halloween goodness. This year, Mike Flanagan’s ode to Edgar Allan Poe, The Fall of the House of Usher , will be a must-watch for horror fans. The streamer’s “Halloween Favorites” collection features subcategories including “This Place is Evil,” “Zombies, Vampires and Ghouls,” “Horror Hidden Gems,” “Teen Screams,” and “High Brow Horror.” Max has season 2 of Spanish horror hit 30 Coins , the shark-themed craziness of Meg 2: The Trench , the Final Destination movies, selections from the Conjuring -verse, fun classics like Beetlejuice , Little Shop of Horrors , and so much more. Let’s not forget Peacock: season 3 of Chucky , the Halloween franchise, classic Universal Monsters movies, and more frightful goods will be available to stream.

Here are quick links to the hubs and a calendar of Halloween programming for 2023. Check back, as we will update the calendar as new titles are confirmed.

Halloween-Themed Streaming Channels and Network Hubs: • Disney+ • Freeform • Max • Hulu • Paramount+ • Peacock • Prime Video • Netflix • Tubi

On an Apple device? Follow Rotten Tomatoes on Apple News .

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The Scariest Movies and Shows on Netflix Right Now

From the creepiest shows for kids to scary movies that will thrill during Netflix and chill, here is the best horror currently on Netflix.

Horror is different for everyone. Some people can't handle monsters, others are afraid of nature, and there are those who are scared of everything. Whatever the fear, there is a film on this list for all who seek a good movie in the dark. So, make sure the doors are locked, grab your safety blanket, and get your Bibles because here is the best scary cinema that Netflix offers as of this writing.

Possibly the scariest movie on Netflix , the 2010 film Insidious chills audiences to the bone with subtle scares and Tiny Tim. The story centers around a boy with the ability to astral-project. In his sleep he explores the spirit world. Unfortunately, he goes too far and gets lost which leads his family to think he is in a coma. Evil entities are drawn to the boy's empty body with the purpose of possessing it. The Mother of the family, played by Rose Byrne, is the most victimized, as she witnesses the most as the ghosts gather to her catatonic son. with the help of a jovial psychic played perfectly by Lin Shaye, the family must work together to rescue their child who is being held captive in The Further. Beware of the scene when the grandmother, played by Barbara Hershey, is telling the story about how she knows Elise the psychic. Enjoy this fantastic, chilling movie... and then the other 4 with installment 5 on the horizon ! Most of all, remember to tip-toe through the tulips with me.

Warwick Davis belongs in a museum for the most precious people in the world. In Star Wars: Return of the Jedi we connected to him, in Willow we cheered for him, and in Leprechaun we are scared as hell of him. He will bite off your nose! Leprechaun is a unique creature feature about a leprechaun determined to retrieve his lost gold. This movie is unique because it gives audience their only film depiction of an evil leprechaun. Before 1993 people only had the happy, kind, and mischievous images of leprechauns; like Lucky the Lucky Charms representation. Then this movie came out and horrified people with a perverted and more realistic version of the fabled creatures. The cast of this film makes it special. Jennifer Aniston makes her feature film debut in this movie and introduced audiences everywhere to her lovability. Mark Holton is the unsung hero of this movie. As the mentally disabled character, Ozzie, Holton injects a lot of heart into a somewhat silly premise which elevates the piece entirely. Leprechaun is fun and reminds audiences that not all folklore is fairy dust and rainbows. Don't touch this leprechaun's gold if you want to live!

Army of the Dead

Las Vegas is run by zombies who have a hierarchy, a group of mercenaries and specialists are tasked to infiltrate the overrun city in order to retrieve 200 million dollars, and it's all directed by Zack Snyder, what is not to like? Army of the Dead , released in 2021, has innovative ideas and good zombie horror. The walking dead look great and the tiger was surprisingly cool. Dave Bautista gives a great performance as the good-natured leader of the infiltration team. For anybody who has the fear of corpses, this movie will scratch that itch. The alpha zombies are particularly terrifying as they are fast, agile, and intelligent. The concept of a zombie fashioning a helmet for itself is terrifying. Army of the Dead opens a Pandora's Box of ideas when it comes to the genre. I would not mind revisiting this world in the future. Viva Lost Vegas!

Gerald's Game

You can't go wrong with the King, Stephen that is. the 2017 film Gerald's Game is a mature psychological horror story centered a woman who has been left stranded and tied to a bed after a sex game goes wrong. The horror of this movie is sexual in nature. Themes of molestation and dominance are explored. Carla Cugino does an excellent job expressing fear and desperation as she struggles to free herself from the bindings and the ghosts of her past. Complete with a stray dog and a mysterious figure in the moonlight, Gerald's Game  challenges audiences to reflect on trauma and never give up.

A creature from the sea is at the heart of this sweet 2019 film. A shipwreck survivor must stay alive as she battles nightly with the monster. The creature from the sea is very well done and would make Abe Sapien proud. It is a simple premise done masterfully. It is Cast Away meets The Creature from the Black Lagoon  and unlike The Shape of Water , she doesn't try to bang it. Sweetheart is a harmless hidden-gem on Netflix that is perfect to put on when you're ready to chill.

The Green Inferno

A plane of activists crashes in the very jungle that they are there to save. The survivors are then captured by the local indigenous tribe who also happen to be ferocious cannibals. The Green Inferno , released in 2013 is violent, bloody, and perverse. Disturbing imagery like children wearing tattooed skin as costumes, eyes being gouged out and eaten, and survival masturbation are featured in this film. The Green Inferno challenges audiences to accept the culture and customs of a jungle tribe to whom the eating of people is the norm and social standard. The juxtaposition between activist and appetizer is fascinating and is the lynchpin for the end of the film. Do not watch this movie unless you have a strong stomach because there are scenes that could make the strongest of gullets queasy.

Pan's Labyrinth

This 2006 film is magical, beautiful, and horrific. The characters are done as only Guillermo Del Toro could do them; impressively. Pan's Labyrinth is a period piece about a girl who may or may not be a fairy princess. Fairy creatures come to Pan and set her forth on adventures of an eerie nature. Told parallel to the Spanish Civil War, Pan's Labyrinth projects child-like awe against the backdrop of war. The mistrust in this movie is horrifying. The Faun sent to Pan is mischievous and offers some creepy dialogue and gestures. All of the fairy creatures are alien in feeling which adds the uneasiness of the young girl's journey. Don't be mistaken, this movie is not a children's movie. Pan's Labyrinth is full of death, violence, and consequences. The end is heart-wrenching. Nonetheless, The Pale Man is the stuff of nightmares and will keep you awake long after your viewing.

The Ring is a foreign 2002 remake about a cursed video tape. Anyone who watches the tape will die seven days later at the hands of a vengeful spirit. The ghost that attacks is a girl named Samara who breaks the fourth wall and will crawl out of screens in order to get to her victims. Like The Grudge before it, The Ring is based on a Japanese import and is based off of a real-life Japanese ghost story from the 16th century. It is easy to get the two movies confused as both feature a girl with long black hair draped over their face. However, it is easy to tell them apart based on their titles. After watching The Ring the viewer will understand why the film is titled so as it is a huge part of the mystery of the story. Japan does it better. This movie is best watched all alone after midnight and will satisfy the true horror fans.

The Haunting of Bly Manor

This 2020 movie is not a sequel to The Haunting of Hill House , but many of the same cast return. It is enjoyable to see many of the same actors return as we miss them from Hill House. Henry Thomas turns up his performance in The Haunting of Bly Manor and it is remarkable. Make no mistake though, the story is different and follows the nanny, chef, and groundskeeper of Bly Manor who take care of two orphaned children. The child actors in this show are adorable and carry the season with their phenomenal skills. Strangeness is in the air as the mysteries of Bly Manor are unraveled. Like The Haunting of Hill House , this movie has plenty of hidden ghosts and it is enjoyable to try and spot the creative ways in which they are hidden within scenes. Make no mistake that this show is not a ghost story, but a love story. Set aside time to binge this show as there are hours of episodes to watch. The ending will have anyone in tears.

The Conjuring

This 2013 film is based on the actual investigations of Ed and Lorraine Warren. It depicts their experiences with the Perron family who in 1970 had a real paranormal problem on their hands. The benign family had just moved into a home in Rhode Island when strange occurrences began to happen. This inaugural film started a franchise based on the work of the Warrens as well as the Annabelle and The Nun spin-offs. This film is scary because it is rooted in actual accounts, testimony, and evidence. Much like Insidious , The Conjuring has that James Wan touch that makes everything creepier and more tense. Watch this movie with your Bible close by.

Two Sentence Horror Stories

Though not a movie, Two Sentence Horror Stories , 2019, is worth mentioning on this list. It is geared for a younger audience, so get the kids together. The show is full of variety and fun. The stories range from an angry ghost who can't move on to the shape-shifting demon next door to a serial killer looking for single mothers. The series has two seasons available on Netflix. Season one has eight episodes and season two has ten. The series is inspired by the internet trend of posting two sentence stories most notably on the website Reddit. There are some great concepts and mythology explored in these short stories and are definitely binge worthy. With hours of horror stories, Two Sentence Horror Stories is worth checking out.

Ghost Stories

Ghost Stories is a 2020 horror anthology film that comes to us from India. The stories are unique and all end leaving the viewer asking themselves what they just watched. Maybe it's Indian story-telling but I found the conclusion to every story quite bizarre in a good way. Nonetheless, there are some great creatures as well as intriguing social commentary. The most enjoyable story being about a town that has been transformed into cannibal monsters and the two kids who must survive hidden among them. It is fascinating to see how Indian cinema contributes to the horror genre.

The Lovely Bones

This 2009 movie is not your conventional horror movie. In fact, some may classify it as a family movie, but it is not. The story follows the life and death of a young girl named Susie Salmon. She is sweet as can be as she enjoys the springtime of her adolescence. Her life is innocent and beautiful until her neighbor lures her into a room under the ground and kills her. The rest of movie shows the audience the aftermath of a child abduction. It puts emphasis on the pain and helplessness felt by parents and family members. We also follow Susie through the afterlife as she comes to terms with her tragic demise. Stanley Tucci is terrifying as Mr. Harvey the neighbor who is secretly a serial killer. Disturbing images of him in the bathtub after the kill seem eerily accurate. The act of child abduction and murder is every family member's worst fear. The horror in The Lovely Bones is not enjoyable, it is not meant to make us laugh or jump out of our seats. The horror of The lovely Bones is the actual horror people in the real world live with every day. It is the horror of pain that doesn't end. It is the worry of never seeing a child again. It is the rage that comes with revenge. It is the evil that lives in the hearts of those would hurt a child in anyway. This movie is a teaching tool and a beautiful glimpse into the afterlife, not unlike What Dreams May Come . Be prepared not to scream but to cry upon viewing The Lovely Bones .

The Conjuring 2

Ed and Lorraine Warren embark once again to investigate the paranormal in this 2016 film. This time the Warrens go across the pond to the United Kingdom where they must help a family who is experiencing poltergeist activity. This investigation later became known as The Enfield Poltergeist. Patrick Wilson and Vera Farmiga as Ed and Lorraine and they won the roles. Their chemistry and attitudes help balance the negative and positive vibrations of the film. The Conjuring 2 does not disappoint, but is a typical sequel, meaning they're hardly ever better than the original. However, The Conjuring 2 is a fine middle installment as to what, as of this writing, is a trilogy as The Conjuring: The Devil Made Me Do It is currently in theaters .

Holidays is a 2016 horror anthology film that makes a scary story around a famous holiday. Not every story is a home run, but there is enough in Holidays to make it worth watching. One story in particular has never left my mind. The Easter story puts Holidays on this list. A little girl walks up on a giant, humanoid, Christ-bunny. It is grotesque, sacrilegious, and appalling. This one story is so weird and taboo. This movie should be watched with drinks and the boys. It is creative and I appreciate how it gives up and coming filmmakers a chance to contribute to the horror genre.

A group of college buddies undergo a traumatic experience and later take a trip to the woods of Eastern Europe in order to heal. They get lost in the woods and become prey to a cryptic forest deity. The film done in 2018, The Ritual is a slow-burn. Being lost in the woods is nothing new , but the cast does such a great job at conveying fear and mania that The Ritual stands out. The creature design of The Ritual is uniquely beautiful and grotesque. It is worth a watch just to see it take out the men.

This 2021 Thai film explores the experiments of two doctors who are investigating the afterlife. The themes are heavy as they go further and further to prove the existence of ghosts. Suicide plays a big part of this film and is really emotionally heavy at times. Nonetheless, the ghost horror is there and is damn scary. Ghost Lab pushes the boundaries of science into areas where it perhaps does not belong. Watch this movie with subtitles on as to get the full linguistic effect of the Thai language and not miss any emotion or inflection.

The Haunting of Hill House

This 2018 {TAJwmRrVc5lhMRNetflix series has some of the best scares of the whole platform. A family must confront the ghosts of their past in order to understand their present. Their memories as children in Hill House are terrifying. Much like {66}, the most fun to be had is trying to find the hidden ghosts within the scenes. Get the family together and find them all if you dare.

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51 Top Ghost Movies to Watch in 2023

You'll want to sleep with one eye open after watching these spooky films.

Thankfully, in this list of the best ghost movies ever made, not all of these apparitions are out for vengeance, some are nice like Casper , maybe even worth falling in love with, like Patrick Swayze in the infamous pottery wheel scene from Ghost. We also included plenty of the kind of ghosts you wish you'd rather not have met like the kind in The Grudge or the classic horror film, Poltergeist . Any way you spin it, our movie marathon is great for your next Halloween movie night, or any night you're feeling a little extra brave. You'll soon discover that specters are not to be messed with, and don't even think about trying to renovate their former home! Otherwise your home will be yet another listing on the Most Haunted Places .

And if ghosts really aren't your speed, but you're on the hunt for a Halloween flick , check out our favorite vampire films .

If you haven’t seen this classic supernatural whodunnit, you’re likely familiar with its famous (and steamy) pottery wheel scene between stars Patrick Swayze and Demi Moore. Whoopi Goldberg steals the show as a psychic who acts as the translator between the natural and spirit worlds. All three work together to find the ghosts' killer and put their soul to rest.

Ghostbusters: Afterlife

This 2022 addition to the Ghostbusters series follows the grandchildren of one of the OG Ghostbusters, Egon Spangler. Moving to his remote farm, his family encounters the same ghosts and ghouls he spent years trying to capture, but will they put these monsters to bed for good and save the world in the process?

Just Like Heaven

A young doctor is sent into a coma after a bad car accident. As her soul waits in between this life and the next, she haunts the tenant of her old apartment. While they continually butt heads, they work together to uncover what has happened to her and hopefully wake her up.

Last Christmas

The famous Wham! song comes to life in this holiday romantic comedy about a young woman who works at a year-round Christmas store who breaks a string of bad luck when she meets a charming and handsome man, Tom. As their relationship blossoms, life and the city around her comes to life until she finds out the true source of her connection to Tom.

The House With a Clock In Its Walls

A young boy goes to live with his eccentric aunt and uncle. Hearing a mysterious ticking sound, his curiosity leads him to the unfortunate release of the undead. As the dark forces threaten his town, his uncle, aunt, and crazy neighbor go to work fighting evil.

A young cello prodigy finds herself caught between this life and the next after an almost fatal car accident. She must make an important decision in order to make it back to the land of the living.

In this hilarious comedy, Ricky Gervais plays a dentist who finds himself seeing ghosts after a near-death experience at a routine medical procedure. Driven to distraction by all the ghosts trying to get his attention and help, he decides to assist an old friend in making peace with the past.

The ghost of a former pilot mentors a young pilot and witnesses the young man fall in love with the woman he left behind.

Field Of Dreams

In this classic Kevin Costner film, a young family man begins hearing a voice telling him, “If you build it, they will come.” Despite appearances, he feels called to create a ball field in his cornfield. His completed ball field draws out the ghosts of famous baseball players who play games in his cornfield.

In this modern comedic take on the classic holiday tale A Christmas Carol, Bill Murray takes on the role of Ebenezer Scrooge in the character Frank Cross. Frank is a successful albeit shrewd and selfish executive who is visited by three ghosts on the eve of Christmas Day. His night seeing himself in a new light through his ghostly guests changes him forever.

SHOUT! FACTORY Blithe Spirit [Blu ray] [Blu-ray]

A seance goes haywire when a medium accidentally summons a writers deceased first wife instead of helping him with his writer’s block. Whether dead or alive, getting stuck in the middle of a love triangle is never a good thing!

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Scooby and the gang work together to solve a case that involves an ghost dog that could cause a worldwide dog apocalypse. Will Scooby Doo save the day again and discover his ultimate destiny?

Boo! A Madea Halloween

Tyler Perry does it again in this hilarious Halloween comedy featuring the lovable and sassy Madea. A night of ghouls, zombies, and other terrors is in store for Madea and her friends when they bust a Halloween frat party.

Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Men Tell No Tales

In the fifth installment of the Pirates of the Caribbean franchise, Jack Sparrow (Johnny Depp) is pursued by a rival pirate captain and crew of ghosts.

Ghosts of Girlfriends Past

On the eve of his brother’s wedding, a womanizing serial bachelor is visited by ghosts of his past girlfriends that help him discover where he went wrong and if there might be hope for a healthy relationship in the future.

A mother, haunted by her traumatic memories of slavery, is also physically haunted by a ghost which drives away her family for more than 10 years. An old friend comes to help rid her home of the poltergeist only to invite a strange visitor named Beloved.

Personal Shopper

A young woman, determined to stay in Paris and a personal shopper to a model, uses a medium to contact her late brother. While she’s unable to make direct contact she begins to receive mysterious texts on her phone.

Blackbeard's Ghost

In this hilarious Disney classic, the ghost of Blackbeard is conjured up in modern day and the spirit begins to haunt a local college track coach until he completes a good deed. The unlikely duo manage to crack the case on a local crime gang and create an unlikely friendship in the process.

Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets

We could probably call every Harry Potter movie a ghost film, considering how many ghosts roam the calls of Hogwarts. But in the second installment of this epic series, we meet the pouty (yet endearing) Moaning Myrtle, who haunts the bathroom where Harry, Ron, and Hermione brew their Polyjuice Potion. With the help of Myrtle and a host of other characters, the trio descends in the Chamber of Secrets to save the students of Hogwarts.

A young boy named Miguel’s dream to become a musician goes against his families wishes. Despite their rules, the boy embarks on an epic journey into the Land of the Dead to discover the truth behind his family’s past and the reality behind his personal idol.

Leah Hall is currently a digital producer and writer for Country Living. She is based in Huntsville, Alabama. 

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The 7 best movies new to streaming in October 2023

Keep your eyes peeled for these great films to stream this month

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The Halloween season is finally here, and that means we’ve got a whole slew of new movies and television to watch — spooktacular or otherwise. Whether you’re following along with our yearly countdown calendar or looking for the best horror movies on Netflix or other streaming services , we’ve got you covered. Aside from those, there’s a ton of exciting new films arriving on streaming this month.

Disappointed about the delay of Dune: Part Two ? Yeah, us too. At the very least, we can still watch the first installment of Denis Villeneuve’s sci-fi epic now that it’s streaming on Netflix . Jordan Peele’s Get Out is on Netflix, too, just in time for the holiday, along with the first three Scream movies now streaming on Max.

Let’s dive in and see what this month has in store!

Editor’s pick

Year: 2021 Genre: Sci-fi epic Run time: 2h 35m Director: Denis Villeneuve Cast: Timothée Chalamet, Rebecca Ferguson, Oscar Isaac

Denis Villeneuve’s adaptation of Frank Herbert’s epic sci-fi opera about clashing noble houses vying for control of the universe’s most coveted resource is an extraordinary cinematic spectacle and the best adaptation of the series to date.

Set in the distant future, the film follows Paul Atreides (Timothée Chalamet), the scion of a powerful empire who, along with his father, Duke Leto (Oscar Isaac), and his mother, Lady Jessica (Rebecca Ferguson), is sent to live on the desert planet Arrakis to oversee the production and distribution of rare psychoactive spice. When the Atreides’ lifelong nemeses, the Harkonnens, led by the vicious Baron Vladimir Harkonnen (Stellan Skarsgård), ambush the family and lay siege to their army, Paul and his mother must flee the carnage and take refuge in the desert, where he discovers his role in a far grander destiny.

A massive critical and commercial success upon its release, the sequel to Dune was one of the most anticipated releases of 2023 before it was pushed back to next year due to the WGA strike and the ongoing SAG-AFTRA strike . If you’re as bummed about the delay of Dune: Part Two as I am, now’s the perfect opportunity to rewatch the first film in anticipation for the sequel’s premiere in March. —Toussaint Egan

New on Netflix

Year: 2017 Genre: Psychological horror Run time: 1h 44m Director: Jordan Peele Cast: Daniel Kaluuya, Allison Williams, Bradley Whitford

What could possibly be said about Jordan Peele’s acclaimed directorial debut that hasn’t been said already? Get Out was a revelation when it was released in 2017, reinventing Peele’s reputation from a successful comedian into a modern maestro of horror and delivering Daniel Kaluuya his breakthrough role into stardom.

The film follows the story of Chris (Kaluuya), a young Black man and talented photographer who drives with his white girlfriend, Rose (Allison Williams), to visit her parents at their home in upstate New York. Upon arriving, Chris realizes there’s more to this visit than meets the eye, as he’s thrust into a deadly situation that has him fighting not only for his freedom, but his very life. A horrifying twist on Guess Who’s Coming to Dinner by way of The Stepford Wives , Get Out feels just as witty, inventive, and revelatory in 2023 as it did when it first premiered. It’s easily one of the best horror movies of the 2010s, and an auspicious debut for one of the most talented filmmakers of his generation. —TE

New on Hulu

Year: 2013 Genre: Horror thriller Run time: 1h 39m Director: Park Chan-wook Cast: Mia Wasikowska, Matthew Goode, Nicole Kidman

Park Chan-wook is in the top tier of living filmmakers for me, so of course I’m fond of even the “minor” works in his catalog. Stoker , his only English-language movie to date, is an eerie, atmospheric psychological thriller that’s a perfect fit for people who want to participate in spooky season without getting too scared.

It’s India Stoker’s (Mia Wasikowska) 18th birthday. Her father (Dermot Mulroney) has died, and her mother (Nicole Kidman) has welcomed his younger brother (Matthew Goode) into their home. What follows is a Hitchcockian gothic fairy tale filled with sensory delight. The score is pitch-perfect in the eerie atmosphere it provides, and Park never fails to deliver memorable images.

Oh, and fun fact: The movie was written by Wentworth Miller, of Prison Break /CW-verse fame, under a pseudonym. — Pete Volk

Year: 1996 ( Scream ); 1997 ( Scream 2 ); 2000 ( Scream 3 ) Genre: Slasher horror Run time: 1h 51m (Scream); 2h ( Scream 2 ); 1h 56m ( Scream 3 ) Director: Wes Craven Cast: Neve Campbell, David Arquette, Courteney Cox

The Scream franchise is one of the most consistent, especially for horror. The first three are must-watches (the fourth, streaming on Peacock, also rules), and whether it’s for the first time or the 15th, they’re essential October viewing.

Even if you haven’t watched the franchise, you’re likely familiar with Scream’s meta nature, engaging directly with the tropes and expectations of the horror genre. It’s frankly remarkable that all that works without being cloying or annoying, but it’s a testament to the genius of Wes Craven, who went from directing some of the scariest movies of the 1970s and ’80s to interrogating the genre from within this series.

It takes a master of a genre to be able to parody it effectively. It’s true diegetically and metatextually in Scream: The call is coming from inside the house. — PV

New on Prime Video

Year: 2019 Genre: Horror thriller Run time: 1h 27m Director: Alexandre Aja Cast: Kaya Scodelario, Barry Pepper, Morfydd Clark

Crawl is a perfectly constructed slice of sub-90-minute thrills. A collegiate swimmer (Kaya Scodelario) goes home to check on her dad (Barry Pepper) after hearing that a big hurricane is coming their way. When she gets there, she finds her dad unconscious, the house floods, and she is surrounded by alligators. She must use her athletic skills, her wits, and every ounce of courage possible to get her, her dad, and the family dog out of there alive.

A master class in tension from director Alexandre Aja ( Piranha 3D ), Crawl is the kind of economical thriller we don’t get as often anymore. Scodelario shines as the determined swimmer Haley Keller, and the movie’s combination of practical effects and convincing VFX makes this one an immersive, taut, fun time at the movies. — PV

The Halloween Countdown: 31 days of horror to watch

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