Turn out the lights and grab a pillow because you're about to soak up the best horror movies on Netflix. Whether you're keen to frighten yourself, looking to catch up on some classics or just need to get your Letterboxd entry numbers up, we've scoured the streaming platform to pick out some of our favourite flicks to watch in the dark.
So get ready to scare yourself stupid with the best horror movies streaming on Netflix right now.
Scream
There are a few horror movies that are as perfect as Scream. Released back in 1996, not only is it just an all-around great movie, but it was responsible for giving the slasher genre a much-needed shot in the arm (or maybe a stab in the heart). Directed by horror master Wes Craven (A Nightmare on Elm Street), it follows a group of high-school students who have become the targets of a cloaked killer, who is brutally picking people off.
What makes Scream stand out from a regular slasher movie is that it's imbued with a self-awareness of the horror genre. These are teens who have grown up watching classic horror movies, so there's a meta element of the genre's 'rules' at play—don't have sex, don't drink alcohol, don't do drugs, never say "I'll be right back" when leaving a room. It's equal parts clever and scary, so it feels both classic and fresh.
American Psycho
Yes, we've all seen the memes and the iconic Huey Lewis and the News scene, but American Psycho is truly a great piece of horror. It follows Patrick Bateman, a wealthy investment banker who spends the film equally concerned about business cards, his morning skincare routine and letting off some steam with a couple of murders.
Based on Bret Easton Ellis' novel of the same name, director Mary Harron has taken the source material's satire of the superficial world of 1980s yuppie culture and refined it into a classic cult film. Christian Bale is perfectly cast as Bateman, a narcissistic alpha male who is struggling to keep himself together as he tries to feed his selfish ego and feel something.
Talk To Me
Released by A24 in 2023 and created by Australian directing duo Danny and Michael Philippou, Talk To Me is an absolutely awful time. I don't mean that in terms of quality—this was one of the best horror movies of the year and an intense watch that you should start streaming on Netflix sooner rather than later. I mean, that's how you'll feel when the end credits hit.
A group of teens learn they can talk to ghosts through a strange, severed hand—as long as they don't hold it for more than 90 seconds. What starts are a bit of harmless, if not morbid, fun goes awry when one of the participants holds the hands for a bit too long, accidentally bringing something across the veil. Something terrifying that won't go away.
Ready or Not
Her wedding day was meant to be the happiest day of Grace's (Samara Weaving) life. There's just one catch: her husband's wealthy family have a special tradition. Every time someone marries into the family, they need to play a special game. Now, all Grace needs to do is not be found until morning in a game of hide-and-seek. What starts as a fun time takes a turn when she realises her new in-laws are out for blood.
Tense and darkly comic at times, Ready or Not is one of the most entertaining horror films of the past decade. It makes a strong argument for Samara Weaving being one of the best modern scream queens as well. It's a great horror movie if you're looking to stream something scary, but not the kind of scary that'll make you turn on every light in your house.
The Blair Witch Project
While it wasn't the first found footage movie, The Blair Witch Project firmly established the format as a key horror sub-genre. Released back in 1999, this low-budget film caused a huge stir, as it was presented as a "real" documentary depicting the grim fates of three college students at the hands of a local Maryland myth: the Blair Witch.
Having some awareness of its production might dull its impact—nobody actually died, but the tension between the three cast members was very real. Lost in the forest and constantly harassed by an unseen force in the dead of the night, it taps into your primal fear of the dark. If you're willing to meet the movie on its own terms, it's a terrifying experience that feels like lightning in a bottle.
Cuckoo
Cuckoo follows Gretchen (Hunter Schafer), a teenager struggling with the death of her mother, who is forced to live with her father's new family in the Bavarian Alps. Feeling bereft and unwanted by her family, she takes a job at the local hotel while trying to figure out how she can escape her situation. But things go from bad to worse when a mysterious figure attacks her and she discovers there's something much more sinister she needs to escape from.
While some might find Cuckoo a bit too weird, there is a solid horror movie under its B-movie silliness, with creative direction by Tilman Singer. Schafer knocks it out of the park as the beleaguered, angsty, but tenacious teen. At the very least, it's worth a watch just to hear Dan Stevens' German accent and the way he pronounces "Gretchen".
Abigail
What is it about horrors with kids and dolls that always makes things all the more chilling? When 12-year-old Abigail, daughter of a big shot underworld boss, gets kidnapped, things get seriously bitey when her captors begin to realise they're now the ones in a world of trouble. Locked in an isolated mansion, things get deadly with vampire vibes that no Twilight fan would ever be ready for. Perfect for those who love a supernatural spin, this one's worth a Friday night watch for those who aren't too squirmish.
Sister Death
If you got around the sinister Spanish horror Veronica back in 2017, you'll want to make sure you schedule in Sister Death. Brought to you by the same director, this Netflix horror is set in post-war Spain.
Narcisa (Aria Bedmar), a young one with supernatural powers, arrives at a former convent, now a school for girls, to become a teacher. As the days go by, strange events and increasingly disturbing situations lead her to unravel the terrible skein of secrets that surround the convent and even haunt its residents.
Hereditary
Real horror fanatics know that anything directed by Ari Aster is guaranteed to leave you with nightmares for weeks. Easily one of the most messed-up horror movies of 2019, Hereditary is basically your worst nightmare brought to life. When Ellen, the matriarch of the Graham family, passes away, her daughter's family begins to unravel cryptic and increasingly terrifying secrets about their ancestry. The more they discover, the more they find themselves trying to outrun what they've inherited.
Incantation
If you're looking for the type of movie filled with suspense and jump scares—Incantation is it. This Taiwanese horror film has been popping off on TikTok as one of the "scariest films of the year", so if you can cop guerrilla-style filming and get a kick out of Paranormal Activity-like editing, then you'll be set to have the ride of your life.
No One Gets Out Alive
No One Gets Out Alive follows Ambar, who arrives in Cleveland illegally from Mexico, in search of a better life. After finding work at a local factory, she rents the cheapest room available in a derelict boarding house. Kept awake by the other tenants’ sobbing, disturbing nightmares and strange unearthly noises echoing from the basement, Ambar begins to wonder exactly who—or what—lives inside the house with them.
Soon, it becomes clear that Ambar has walked into a trap, one where she will soon be introduced to the evil that has been lurking in the basement.
The Conjuring 2
The Conjuring 2 will keep you awake at night, so strap yourself in. In this sequel, we once again meet husband and wife demonologists Ed and Lorraine Warren (Patrick Wilson and Vera Farmiga). This time around, the duo travels to London, where they’re hired by Peggy, a single mum whose daughter unwittingly releases a paranormal presence in the house. Dark, twisted and seriously evil, it looks like Ed and Lorraine may have finally met their match.
Things Heard & Seen
Based on the acclaimed novel, All Things Cease to Appear, this Netflix movie will straight-up terrify you. It follows Catherine (Amanda Seyfried), an artist, and her husband George (James Norton), who move from their Manhattan digs to a sprawling old house in the picturesque Hudson Valley. But behind closed doors, cracks begin to appear in not only Catherine and George’s relationship but the house itself. Throw in creepy neighbours who drop hints about a grisly murder from the past and supernatural happenings, and you’ve got yourself a seriously scary movie.
Sweet River
This Aussie flick is one of the best horror flicks on Netflix right now. It goes like this: Hanna returns to the sleepy town of Billins, where her son Joey was abducted by notorious serial killer Simpkins and is presumed dead. On hearing the news that Simpkins has died and her son’s DNA was found on his property, Hanna mounts her own investigation. But the town has another dark secret: several years earlier, a school bus mysteriously ran off the road and into a river, with all the children on board perishing.
Hanna starts to see mysterious children in the town’s rolling fields and her obsession to uncover the truth also starts to reveal the town’s darkest secrets...secrets that both the living and the dead will fight to protect.
In The Tall Grass
Based on the novella by Stephen King and Joe Hill, In The Tall Grass follows siblings Becky and Cal, who, upon hearing the cries of a young boy lost within a field of tall grass, venture in to rescue him. Their only problem? In doing so, they become ensnared by a sinister force that quickly disorients and separates them. Cut off from the world and unable to escape the field’s tightening grip, they soon discover that the only thing worse than getting lost is being found.
Creep
While it had its heyday in the early noughties, the ‘found footage’ genre is still very much alive thanks to indie flicks like Creep. The story plays out through the lens of an amateur filmmaker, who responds to a classified ad for a one-off job to film the final messages of a terminally-ill man—it stars the king of independent films, Mark Duplass, who nails the terrifyingly elusive oddball schtick in almost every role he plays.
Cargo
Zombies but make it Australian. Set in the outback, Cargo follows Andy (Martin Freeman) as he attempts to protect his daughter from the evils that be in a largely desolate landscape; there’s plenty of everything you’d expect from a good zombie flick in this one—like blood, guts and rabid undead—but those willing to pay attention will spot the surprisingly nuanced Australianisms throughout the film. Hands down, one of the best horror movies to come out of our Great Southern Land in the last five years or so.
The Babysitter: Killer Queen
Sometimes, you just need to throw something on that won’t take up too much brain capacity, and the follow-up to 2017’s horror comedy The Babysitter is exactly that. The Babysitter: Killer Queen revisits teenager Cole (played by Judah Lewis), who, after surviving a cult, is now haunted by the demons of his past while trying to navigate high school. Sort of a coming-of-age flick, sort of a comedy, and definitely a horror, chuck this on for a mindless midweek watch.
Eli
Eli is the story of a young boy plagued with an unknown, debilitating illness that requires him to live completely sealed off from the outside world. After exhausting every option, his parents (Kelly Reilly and Max Martini) put their trust—and his life—in the hands of a doctor whose experimental, cutting-edge treatments at her clean house facility may hold Eli’s last hope. As Eli undergoes the tremendously intense process that could potentially cure him, he begins to be haunted by experiences that make him question who he can trust and what is lurking inside the house.
The Platform
In this futuristic prison, inmates are kept on various concrete platforms, where each day a slab, laden with decadent food, descends floor by floor. The only problem is that prisoners on the top floors are greedy, eating everything they want and leaving those below them starved and desperate. Brutal, gory and terrifying, The Platform isn’t your typical horror film, but it’s absolutely worth a watch.
Run
Sarah Paulson's psychological thriller Run is an absolute must-watch. The plot goes like this: After Diane Sherman (Paulson) gives birth to her daughter Chloe prematurely, she’s devastated to learn about her potential medical issues and decides to raise her in total isolation. Controlling her life since she was born, Chloe (Kiera Allen), now a teenager, begins to suspect that the person she should trust most in this world—her mother—might actually be harbouring sinister secrets. Yep, the tension in this one will have you on the edge of your seat.
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Image credit: Lions Gate Films