The 25 best horror movies on Netflix are a deliciously dark and varied bunch, spanning subgenres, cultures, and filmmakers to bring streaming audiences enough nightmares to fill a haunted sleep clinic.
Whatever you’re looking for, we have something for you. Amongst our picks of the best Netflix movies for horror hounds - all currently available on US and UK Netflix - are ghost stories like I Am the Pretty Thing That Lives in the House, monster movies like Jaws, folk horrors like Apostle, zombie flicks like Ravenous, and chilling social commentaries like His House.
Not only are these the best horror movies to watch from the comfort of your couch, but they tell scary stories from around the world, taking in twisted tales hailing from as far afield as Taiwan and Iran. So, if you’re looking to turn your streaming experience into a screaming experience, below are the best horror movies on Netflix, currently available to watch right now.
25. I Am the Pretty Thing That Lives in the House
Year: 2016
Director: Osgood Perkins
Available on: Netflix US/UK
Before he was on the tips of everyone's tongues as the director of the 2024 smash-hit horror movie Longlegs, Osgood Perkins was creating more subtle fare with films like 2015’s The Blackcoat's Daughter, and this haunted house chiller from 2016. I Am the Pretty Thing That Lives in the House is a gothic period piece that follows Lily, a nervous nurse who finds herself caring for an ailing horror novelist while living in a house with hidden secrets.
Also starring Paula Prentiss and Bob Balaban, this is a very creepy ghost story that works well as a companion piece to classic movies like Jack Clayton's The Innocents (1961) and Alejandro Amenábar's The Others (2001).
Ready for more haunts? Check out our list of the best ghost movies.
24. The Babysitter
Year: 2017
Director: McG
Available on: Netflix US/UK
Babysitters in horror tend to get the short shrift. Whether they're being stalked, stabbed, or taunted over the phone, it's seldom what you'd dub a "fun gig" for them. McG's The Babysitter twists this expectation, in perhaps its sole subversion that we shan't spoil here, to elevate this Netflix Original from what could easily have been a so-so slasher. From the neon-drenched palette of its marketing, it’s clear that this isn’t your typical blood-soaked trip to suburbia.
Nope, this horror works at being hip. That's in part to the breezy cool exuded by Ready or Not's Samara Weaving. In the lead as the world's best babysitter, it's her turn that cements the pic as a playful riff on horrors past; whether she's debating the merits of horror icons with tween scamp Cole or figuring out how to achieve the life she truly desires. While its overly-stylized screen pop-ups might appear needy, they're not enough to detract from the popcorn frivolousness.
23. 1922
Year: 2017
Director: Zak Hilditch
Available on: Netflix US/UK
Is there such a thing as the perfect murder? While 1922 doesn't strictly dabble with that query, it does dive into the next best thing: what guilt does to a man after committing one. Another King adaptation, this Netflix original hails from director Zak Hilditch, who opts for the long, steady-paced tale. Things open on farmer Wilf James (Thomas Jane) as he struggles to deal with his wife Arlette's (Molly Parker) aspirations. After inheriting a large plot of land, her plan is to sell it so they can move to the city with their son.
Wilf is revealed by her plans, so he opts for the only remaining choice: he plots to kill her. Unlike other King adaptations, that boast flashy villains and shocking twists, this is old-school horror. If you like your scares with a hint of the gothic to them and are more intrigued by the darkness that lingers inside of people rather than the boogeyman, this is for you.
Chills and thrills await in our list of the best thriller movies on Netflix.
22. Incantation
Year: 2022
Director: Kevin Ko
Available on: Netflix US/UK
Found footage flick Incantation simply had to make it onto our list. It follows Li Ronan (Tsai Hsuan-yen) as she tries to protect her daughter Dodo (Huang Sin-ting) from the ancient curse she unleashed by breaking a religious taboo. Dripping with dread and chock-full of jumpscares, it's best enjoyed if you don't question the characters' head-scratching choices too much... Switch off your logic for a second and it's sure to keep you on the edge of your seat.
A lot of genre nuts have claimed that it's the first film in a way that genuinely frightened them, so it's safe to say this one isn't for the faint of heart. Taiwanese terror at its finest.
21. The Ritual
Year: 2017
Director: David Bruckner
Available on: Netflix US/UK
Now, it wouldn't be a best horror list without a ‘if you go down to the woods tonight’ cautionary tale. And no, it's not The Blair Witch Project. Sorry to ruin your next hiking trip, but The Ritual takes everything scary about woodland horror movies and multiplies it by 10. Mixing the harsh reality of grief and losing a loved one mixed with strange folklore, The Ritual follows a group of four friends who decide to take a trip to commemorate their late friend who was killed during an armed robbery. But the picturesque trip to the Swedish wilderness soon turns murky when the four stained friends realize they are not alone.
For more folklore horror, read our list of the best witch movies of all time.
20. Gerald's Game
Year: 2017
Director: Mike Flanagan
Available on: Netflix US/UK
Stephen King's hot streak brings with it an adaptation many said was unfilmable. This recent stab from Mike Flanagan proves those naysayers wrong. This is perhaps the most loyal King adaptation, bringing a tome shuddering to life that consists mostly of a woman chained to a bed, alone, in the middle of nowhere. That woman is Jesse (Carla Gugino), whose husband, Gerald (Bruce Greenwood), drives her to a peaceful retreat for a weekend of nookie and $200 steak.
His ticker gives up and she's left handcuffed to the bedposts with a strange dog for company... oh, and a creeping demon with red eyes that lurks in the shadows when night falls. Carla Gugino's stunning performance piles on the layers of horror from throughout Jesse's past until the sting in the tail you won't see coming.
Want more heart-racing recommendations? Check out our list of the best action movies on Netflix.
19. Ravenous (Les Affamés)
Year: 2017
Director: Robin Aubert
Available on: Netflix US/UK
Both funny and scary, this low-key French horror taps into an area of the zombie genre previously unexplored. The rural, foreign area, that is. Ravenous plays out in the surrounding areas of Quebec, as residents slowly succumb to a zombie-like illness, leaving their loved ones to fend them off and seek shelter.
Bored of the usual undead flesh-eaters cluttering up your screen? Not only does this effective little horror boast a unique element in that it's not performed in the English language, it also packs in some neat amendments to zombie lore. Similar to more recent zombie fare like Maggie, Ravenous pares things down and keeps it simple. You're gonna get no flashy CGI, big-budgeted action here, folks. But what it does offer, rather bleakly, is a sense of real, confounding sadness at the loss of life, that's typically overlooked in favor of blood and guts.
18. The Platform
Year: 2019
Director: Galder Gaztelu-Urrutia
Available on: Netflix US/UK
The notion that horror isn't political is a poor argument, with each era in the genre's history ripe with titles seeking to dismantle particular rhetorics. The Platform is one of Netflix's first original horrors and wields its opinion boldly. The premise interrogates the concept of communism through a brutal futuristic prison system, which is where we first meet our protagonist Goreng, who awakens one day on Floor 48 of a Virtual Self-Management Center. Essentially, an installation where a mouthwatering feast is placed on a platform and lowered down through the tower, stopping for a moment at each floor so the inmates may eat.
The point made rather explicitly involves the equal distribution of wealth. But when you've suffered as a result of others' greed, what do you do when gluttony presents itself? The movie chronicles Goreng's experiences as he's switched every 30 days to a new floor, with the lowest levels demonstrating the savagery humans resort to when their fellow man won't even throw 'em a bone.
17. Apostle
Year: 2018
Director: Gareth Evans
Available on: Netflix US/UK
Gareth Evans might seem an unusual choice to lens a slow-burn period horror, but somehow? Apostle works. Fans of The Witch will get a kick out of this Netflix Original horror that stars Dan Stevens as Thomas Richardson, a man who returns home to learn his sister has fallen afoul of a cult. Desperate to rescue her, he ventures to the secluded isle, willingly embracing cult leader and his flock under the guise of a recent convert in order to locate his missing sibling.
Evans puts a pause to kinetic flourishes brought to life in his signature efforts, The Raid and The Raid 2. Here, he opts for a slower pace to the hidden horrors of the hazy, misty Welsh town. A slew of subplots steer Stevens' wanderer all over the map in his dogged pursuit, showcasing Evans' eye for making the bleak beautiful, and the horrific truly mesmerizing.
16. The Perfection
Year: 2018
Director: Richard Shepard
Available on: Netflix US/UK
Good at guessing twists? The Perfection acknowledges your arrogance and ceremoniously barfs all over it. This body horror supreme rages and twists, a schlock-filled delight that barely lets up until you've regurgitated your lunch, that is. There's a reason everyone couldn't stop talking about this campy Netflix Original at time of release: it's a dizzying trip into the terrifying world of… classical musicianship.
Get Out's Allison Williams channels that same energy to play cellist Charlotte whose rivalry with Logan Browning's similarly-talented string plucker Lizzie spirals out of control. While that might sound like a '90s thriller, this is pure modern horror. It admittedly ventures into some rather over-the-top scenarios, but that's where most of its deliciously deranged entertainment lies. This is a bizarre yarn of revenge that unspools through a number of interesting themes.
15. CAM
Year: 2018
Director: Daniel Goldhaber
Available on: Netflix US/UK
The horror of having your digital presence stolen strikes at the heart of this truly creepy 2018 pic. Orange is the New Black's Madeline Brewer stars as Lola, a camgirl who works as a webcam model on a popular kink website. She earns tokens and likes from her followers in the hopes of leaping up to the site's top ten, where true stardom awaits. That dream falls apart when Lola awakes one morning to discover her profile has been taken over... by an exact copy of herself.
What's most unsettling, guaranteed to send shivers up your spine, is the uncanny valley conundrum at the center of CAM. Having your identity hijacked is one thing, sure. But being confronted by a sinister simulacrum, a dangerous doppelganger, a cunning cop- alright, that's enough, you get the point; that concept is most chilling. Penned by a former real-life cam girl, the story dives into the dark past of the website, revealing the true horror of Lola's predicament.
14. Scary Stories to Tell In the Dark
Year: 2019
Director: André Øvredal
Available on: Netflix US/UK
Based on the book series of the same name by Alvin Schwartz, Scary Stories to Tell in the Dark is a beautifully realized adaptation that brings Schwartz's incredible creature designs to life. In a small Pennsylvania town on Halloween night in 1968, Stella and her friends play a prank on a school bully and then sneak into a supposedly haunted house that once belonged to the powerful Bellows family, unleashing dark forces that they’re unable to control.
In the spirit of family favorites like Hocus Pocus, Goosebumps, and Stranger Things, this is darker and genuinely creepy in places and has become a modern Halloween go-to for horror fans of all ages. André Øvredal (The Autopsy of Jane Doe, Trollhunter, The Last Voyage of the Demeter) directs.
Dive into more stories with our list of the best fantasy movies on Netflix.
13. Under the Shadow
Year: 2016
Director: Babak Anvari
Available on: Netflix US/UK
A film with a PG rating can't be really scary... can it? Under the Shadow, dubbed Iran's version of The Babadook, aims to dismantle that theory in the most terrifying way possible. Taking place during the Iran-Iraq war, tensions are already high for the residents of Tehran, and especially for one unlucky family. Married couple Iraj and Shideh, find themselves split up over the course of an evening, when Iraj is called away, leaving his wife and their daughter Dorsa to wait out the night in their apartment. Thing is, there might be something worse than a missile attack awaiting them...
A genuinely scary horror, with a ripe, tense atmosphere that's largely absent of violence and gore, Under the Shadow channels some deep-rooted fears about Iran's cultural climate, twisting them into a living, breathing terror. Shideh is also a much welcome addition to the horror canon, refusing to idly sit by while evil is at work, and instead taking action to protect her child.
12. Bird Box
Year: 2018
Director: Susanne Bier
Available on: Netflix US/UK
Also known as the Sandra Bullock Netflix movie everyone watched that one Christmas. Six years on and Bird Box remains a solid horror that packs a novel premise; unless you cover your eyes a supernatural entity will show you something that drives you insane. The kicker is that everyone is apparently shown a specific, bespoke image that causes them to take their own life immediately.
Strange that this was a "holiday must-see," but it nevertheless scored big for Netflix. Bullock's dedicated performance as Malorie serves as the backbone of the movie, which leaps back and forth between the present-day, where she leads two children downriver on a boat, and five years earlier, when the apocalypse begins. It's those earlier scenes that stuff in the real gasp-inducing moments as the regular world is beset by otherworldly nasties.
11. Fear Street Trilogy
Year: 2021
Director: Leigh Janiak
Available on: Netflix US/UK
We're cheating a bit here. The Fear Street trilogy is, well, a trilogy of horror movies, so we're cramming three into this one entry, but they work as a singular whole piece incredibly well. There's almost no chance of you finishing the first entry and stopping there, such is this gripping neon-colored slasher.
Taking more than a pinch of inspiration from Scream, Fear Street: Part One introduces us to Kiana Madeira's Deena, a teenager from Shadyside whose lover, Olivia Scott Welch's Samantha Fraser, has moved to the neighboring Sunnyside. However, the pair get mixed up in a curse that's haunted Shadyside for hundreds of years, and now they must work with friends and family to rid the town of the horror once and for all. The first movie takes place in the '90s, while the sequels go back to the '70s and 1660s, revealing more and more about the curse of Shadyside. This is one trilogy not to be missed, and is absolutely one of the best horrors on Netflix.
For more infromation on this trilogy, read our Fear Street Part 1: 1994 review for more details.
10. The Autopsy of Jane Doe
Year: 2016
Director: André Øvredal
Available on: Netflix US/UK
A very different vibe from the other André Øvredal film on our list, Scary Stories to Tell in the Dark, this film has the capacity to truly terrify. Starring the brilliant Brian Cox as Tommy and Emile Hirsch as Austin, they are father and son, both coroners, who are pulled into a complex mystery while attempting to identify the cause of death of a young woman who was apparently harboring dark secrets.
The Autopsy of Jane Doe plays like a petrifying puzzle to piece together as Tommy and Austin investigate this stranger’s body and uncover some disturbing truths while spine-chilling supernatural events swirl around them.
9. His House
Year: 2020
Director: Remi Weekes
Available on: Netflix US/UK
Last but not least, this one is probably the most unique movie on this list and deals with some very human and real-world issues, but with a paranormal twist. His House follows a refugee couple who harrowingly escape their home in war-torn South Sudan, and make their way to safety in the UK.
But upon arrival, the pair struggle to adjust to their new life in a quaint English town, which is only made worse when they find that there is an evil presence lurking in their new home. This British scary movie stars Wunmi Mosaku, Sope Dirisu, and Matt Smith, and offers a different perspective to the horrors of culture shock.
Bump in the night. Read our picks for the best monster movies of all time.
8. El Conde
Year: 2023
Director: Pablo Larraín
Available on: Netflix US/UK
From the Chilean filmmaker behind Jackie and Spencer, El Conde is a black-and-white horror comedy about fascist dictator Augusto Pinochet, only it reimagines him as a two-hundred-and-fifty-year-old vampire who's grown tired of his life.
Unhappy with how he's remembered in the world and the attitude of his leeching family, he decides it's time to finally die once and for all – that is, until he "finds new inspiration to continue living a life of vital and counterrevolutionary passion through an unexpected relationship," per the official synopsis.
7. Veronica
Year: 2017
Director: Paco Plaza
Available on: Netflix US/UK
In 2007, Spanish director Paco Plaza burst onto the horror scene with his game-changing found footage zombie movie REC, going on to helm its two sequels. A decade later, Plaza turned his hand from the undead to the occult, bringing his uncanny knack for creating white-knuckle scares to the story of the titular Veronica, a teenage girl who finds herself besieged by an evil supernatural force after she and her classmates play with an Ouija board (never a good idea, kids).
And if you enjoy this one, Netflix is also home to Sister Death, Plaza’s 2023 prequel to Veronica that follows a novice nun who, after a childhood marked by a miracle, becomes a teacher at a school for girls. As strange events and increasingly disturbing situations torment her, she unravels the terrible secrets that surround the former convent and haunts its inhabitants.
6. Ouija: Origin of Evil
Year: 2016
Director: Mike Flanagan
Available on: Netflix US/UK
Mike Flanagan had a hugely successful run at Netflix with his beautifully crafted horror series such as The Haunting of Hill House, and The Fall of the House of Usher (aka two of the best Netflix shows ever made), but before any of that, he directed the sequel to 2014’s little known occult horror movie Ouija.
Showcasing Flanagan’s talents as a modern master of the genre and featuring excellent performances from its stars, Elizabeth Reaser and Lulu Wilson, Ouija: Origin of Evil is a far superior film to the original. It follows a widowed mother and her daughters in 1967 Los Angeles, who introduce the titular board into their phony seance business and unwittingly unleash a malevolent spirit that possesses the youngest girl. The Parker Brothers really have a lot to answer for.
5. The Babadook
Year: 2014
Director: Jennifer Kent
Available on: Netflix US/UK
Amelia's husband was killed in a car crash while driving to the hospital during her labor. Now, six years later, she is an exhausted, grief-stricken, and struggling single mother to Samuel. The child’s behavior is erratic and destructive, which creates an unhappy and very tense atmosphere between mother and son. It is in this dark pit of despair that the Babadook comes to visit.
The Babadook is a horrible experience, which is a compliment of the highest order for any psychological horror movie. It's an expertly crafted, claustrophobic, and chaotic affair where the audience feels just as trapped and helpless as Amelia, and the titular demon is truly nightmare-inducing once he’s introduced. It's no surprise Jennifer Kent has gone on to great things since.
Read our five-star The Babadook review for more infromation!
4. Annihilation
Year released: 2018
Director: Alex Garland
Available on: Netflix US/UK
Based on the novel by the same name written by author Jeff VanderMeer, Annihilation centers on Lena (Natalie Portman), a biologist and former soldier, who agrees to lead a team of female scientists into Area X, a mysterious and sinister phenomenon that is spreading across the US coastline, and in which the laws of nature don't seem to apply. Her reasons for signing up to the mission turn out to be personal, involving her husband (Oscar Isaac), though we won't go into that here.
It's trippy, weird, and existential, and while it disappointingly doesn't delve into the infecting tensions between the women as the book does, it's fronted by the magnetic quartet of Portman, Jennifer Jason Leigh, Gina Rodriguez, and Tessa Thompson.
This film also ranks on our list of the best sci-fi movies on Netflix if you want more space spooks.
3. #Alive
Year released: 2020
Director: Il Cho
Available on: Netflix US/UK
Directed by Il Cho, #Alive is a Netflix movie from South Korea that follows a live-streamer as he attempts to survive a zombie apocalypse. Oddly enough, a guy who spends most of his time playing video games is actually fairly suited to live in a zombie apocalypse... Yoo Ah-in plays the gamer, Oh Joon-woo, and is joined by Park Shin-hye, who plays the mysterious Kim. The pair make a great central duo in this intense, bloody undead flick.
The undead are coming! Read our list of the best zombie movies ever made.
2. American Psycho
Year: 2000
Director: Mary Harron
Available on: Netflix US/UK
Patrick Bateman is a different sort of serial killer; a New York City investment banker who leads a double life as a psychopathic murderer when he’s not eating at expensive restaurants, following a meticulous self-care routine, or returning video tapes.
Adapted from Bret Easton Ellis’ 1991 novel of the same name, Mary Harron’s American Psycho is a pitch-black satire with some truly horrifying moments as Christian Bale’s Bateman loses any grip he had on his sanity, and brutally kills his way through colleagues, sex workers, and homeless people. Willem Dafoe, Reese Witherspoon, and Chloe Sevigny star alongside Bale (in perhaps his most iconic role to date) in this violent and bloody satire of 1980s yuppie culture.
Check out our American Psycho review to learn more about this classic.
1. Jaws
Year: 1975
Director: Steven Spielberg
Available on: Netflix US/UK
In 1975, 27-year-old Steven Spielberg unleashed Jaws on the world and changed the face of the horror genre - and cinema - forever. A marvel of innovative filmmaking that terrified audiences who queued around the block to dive into the blood-filled waters off Long Island, Jaws was the first real summer blockbuster and spawned an entire subgenre of horror: the killer shark movie.
When an enormous great white creates chaos amongst the tight-knit community of Amity Island, it's up to the local sheriff (Roy Scheider), a marine biologist (Richard Dreyfus), and an old seafarer (Robert Shaw) to hunt the beast down. If you’ve never seen Jaws, or even if you have, this is the best horror movie currently on Netflix and should be top of your toothy watchlist.
Read our five-star Jaws review if you are curious to find out more about our top pick.
If scares aren't your bag, check out our list of the best anime on Netflix or best Netflix comedies for some viewing inspiration. Or look ahead with our guide to all the upcoming horror movies on the near horizon.
