Halloween may be over, 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 90s Horror Movies list, or our Best 25 Horror Movies of All Time.
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.
Thir13en Ghosts
Thir13en Ghosts unleashes a roster of imprisoned ghouls inside a glass house that keeps shifting its walls into labyrinthian mazes. Tony Shalhoub and Matthew Lillard dash away from vengeful spirits like “The Hammer” with steel railroad spikes piercing his muscles to a straight-jacketed psychopath known as “The Jackal.” It’s a special brand of 2000s horror that overspends on gruesome ghost cosmetics, the translucent house etched with binding spells, paranormal finder glasses — every detail is so extravagantly and freakishly outrageous. They don’t make horror like they used to, especially considering the extraness of early aughts releases.
The Lost Boys
What do you get when the sparkles of Twilight meet the viciousness of Stake Land? Joel Schumacher’s The Lost Boys doesn’t let a sexy sax man detract from the ferocity of Kiefer Sutherland’s Santa Carla vampire crew. It’s a throwback that’s so quintessentially 80s, from glam-punk costume signatures to unlimited hijinx chuckles. Glittery blood drenches heroes who dare explode the Californian neck biters riding dirt bikes down boardwalks after dark. The Lost Boys is a vampiric classic that’s gaudy, indulges stylistic excess, and still engages audiences decades later.
Gremlins
Puppetry in horror reached its pinnacle with movies like Child’s Play, Critters, and one of the undisputed Christmas Horror masterpieces, Joe Dante’s Gremlins. Zach Galligan plays the world’s worst pet owner when his character’s Mogwai, a fuzzball named Gizmo, births mini-muppets who eventually morph into mean, green gremlins. The town of Kingston Falls attempts to fend off a multiplying horde of monsters that guzzle pub beers and crash movie theaters, as puppeteers bring the mischievous invaders to life with cackles, wavy arms, and movie magic. Shout out to Phoebe Cates’ devastating holiday monolog, a memorably macabre story in an otherwise enjoyably looney creature feature for the whole family.
Crimson Peak
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
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
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
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.
Final Destination 3-5
Sometimes watching a bunch of people die in increasingly grotesque and Rube Goldberg-esque ways are just what the doctor ordered. Netflix currently has Final Destination 3, 4, and 5, the three with arguably the most creative and memorable deaths in the franchise. Tanning beds, laser eye surgery, gymnastics, nail guns, 3-D movies, and acupuncture will all become new irrational fears in your life, the same way logging trucks and airplanes were completely ruined for us all by the first two films. A lot of people gave up on the franchise after the incorrectly titled The Final Destination, but Final Destination 5 is absolutely one of the best, so do yourself a favor and enjoy the later installments.
Gerald’s Game
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
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.
It Follows
If you’re looking for a film to make you feel even more paranoid and fearful of strangers around you than a pandemic has already made you, It Follows is the film for you. Based on the simple yet soul-stirring concept that no matter what, something is constantly coming toward you, It Follows is filled with creeping dread, effective jump scares, and a score guaranteed to raise your blood pressure.
May The Devil Take You
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.
Raw
French director Julia Ducournau has recently made waves with her Palme d’Or win for her film Titane, but Netflix is the home to her incredible debut feature, the coming-of-age cannibal film, Raw. A young vegetarian named Justine goes away to veterinary school and consumes meat for the first time in an attempt to fit in with her peers. Unfortunately, this taste of meat ignites the truth about Justine’s nature that had been hiding within her all along, and sends her on a path of destruction, violence, and flesh eating mayhem.
The Perfection
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
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.
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