The Netflix top 10 list is no stranger to bad movies. In fact, I’m regularly surprised by how many skippable flicks manage to find their way into the streaming service’s rotating ranking of its most-watched movies. But even with that said, I still can’t quite believe “Afraid” has managed to earn itself a spot in the current Netflix top 10.
As of Tuesday, December 3, this AI-themed sci-fi horror ranks at No. 7, and it’s got me despairing for humanity (or at least, despairing for the Netflix subscriber base). I was unfortunate enough to see this Chris Weitz-directed movie in theaters over the summer, and it’s one of the worst movies I’ve seen all year. And for the record, I've seen more than 100 movies on the big screen in 2024, and it ranks second from bottom (only above “Megalopolis”).
I hate the thought that even more Netflix viewers are going to waste their potentially precious movie-watching time on a pick that really doesn’t deserve their attention. So, if you’ll indulge me, let me rant about why “Afraid” is such a terrible excuse for horror, and I’ll also point you to some alternatives as I’ve found three Netflix movies you should watch instead.
'Afraid' doesn’t deserve to be in the Netflix top 10
“Afraid” feels sort of like the result of asking an AI chatbot to write you a horror movie, which is somewhat ironic as the movie itself is about a virtual assistant named AIA terrorizing a young family. The central plot seems ripped straight out of “Black Mirror”, but the final result is worse than even the weakest episode of Charlie Brooker’s popular sci-fi anthology show.
Some of the dialogue in “Afraid” had me physically cringing in my cinema seat, and the plot plays out in such a predictable way that each twist is clearly telegraphed. Well, that is apart from the ending, where things go off-the-wall ridiculous, but not in a good way. I get that "Afraid” is not supposed to be taken entirely seriously, it attempts to add some comedy to the proceedings, but it’s so generic that it bores more than entertains.
I’ll give stars John Cho and Katherine Waterston some credit for trying really hard to make something at least vaguely watchable here. Sadly the pair, talented as they are, cannot elevate such poor material, and by the end, even the small spark they bring to the early moments has been extinguished by the sheer awfulness of everything else around them.
I’m not alone in finding this horror pretty hard to sit through (and it's only 84 minutes long). On Rotten Tomatoes, “Afraid” has a poor 22% from almost 55 reviews. Its audience score is a bit better at 51%, but viewers' ratings tend to skew higher, so this really isn’t a strong endorsement.
Watch these Netflix movies instead of “Afraid”
'Thanksgiving' (2023)
If you’re looking for something that blends scares with a sense of spooky fun (something “Afraid” tries to do and fails), Eli Roth’s “Thanksgiving” is a great pick. Yes, with the holiday having just passed it’s now a little out of season, but this slasher is such a blast you won’t want to wait a whole year to circle back. Set in the town of Plymouth, Massachusetts, a year after a Black Friday shopping riot ended in tragedy, it centers on a masked murderer waging a campaign of terror against the local resident. With brutally enjoyable kills, surprisingly sharp writing, and an enjoyable sense of mystery, “Thanksgiving” is a feast for horror fans. Plus, now is a great time to watch as a sequel is in the works and is due to start shooting next year.
Watch "Thanksgiving" on Netflix now
'Cam' (2018)
“Cam” definilty has the same cautionary tale aspect as “Afraid”. Both movies explore our relationship with technology, it’s just that “Cam” does it in a way that feels thoughtful rather than merely surface level. Directed by Daniel Goldhaber, the psychological horror-thriller stars Madeline Brewer as Alice, a “cam girl” working as an erotic performer online. Obsessed with her online ranking, her world is thrown into turmoil when a doppelganger steals her profile and begins pushing explicit boundaries destroying Alice’s carefully curated reputation. But unmasking this identity thief could lead to a sinister truth being revealed. Anchored by a stunning performance from Brewer, “Cam” is provocative and intense. It’s also wonderfully constructed with some clever framing and a fitting techno-driven score.
Watch "Cam" on Netflix now
'The Babadook' (2014)
“Afraid” comes up comically short in the scares department. The only thing I found frightening about it was how much of my time it had wasted. So, if you’re looking for a horror that will have you sleeping with the lights on for weeks afterward, meet “The Babadook”. A titan of the “elevated horror” genre, this 2014 chiller centers on a single mother, Amelia (Essie Davis), who is struggling to cope with her difficult and unruly child, Samuel (Noah Wiseman). Samuel believes that a creature known as the Babadook is lurking in the shadows, and while Amelia dismisses these claims as childish nonsense when she catches sight of the sinister entity herself, she is forced to accept that her son’s nightmares may be real.
Watch "The Babadook" on Netflix now
