The world’s still a terrifying place, but hopefully you haven’t lost your appetite for horror movies (or maybe you wouldn’t be reading this?). Katie Parker selects the best now playing on Netflix.
See also
* Best new movies & TV series on Netflix
* All new streaming movies & series
Annihilation (2018)
Watch on NetflixThe story of all-female military scientists on an expedition to the mysterious Area X, Annihilation isn’t your typical horror—but with its unnerving imagery and amazing ensemble cast (Natalie Portman, Oscar Isaac and Jennifer Jason Leigh all star), Alex Garland’s sophomore outing as a director is a chilling addition to the genre. Based on the novel of the same name by Jeff VanderMeer and with strong similarities to Andrej Tarkovsky’s Stalker, Annihilation is one of Garland’s best.
Bird Box (2018)
Watch on NetflixIn some ways the quintessential Netflix movie, Bird Box’s silly but diverting tale of monsters that make you see suicide-provoking visions is occasionally genuinely thrilling. Starring Sandra Bullock as a woman who must hole up in a house of strangers and wear a blindfold at all times to protect herself, Bird Box is reportedly one of Netflix’s most successful ever films—and the perfect combination of corny, creepy and completely, fabulously stupid.
Cam (2018)
Watch on NetflixAs horror tropes go, doppelgängers are one of the most inexplicably chilling—and Cam is a great entry to the canon. Drawing from writer Isa Mazzei’s own experience, we join budding camgirl Alice as her online alter ego Lola_Lola begins to climb in popularity. But then Alice’s video persona seems to be taking on a life of its own—and crossing lines that she herself had firmly drawn. Reminiscent of Perfect Blue, Cam is a provocative look at what it means to lose your online identity.
Creep (2014)
Watch on NetflixCamera op Aaron meets Josef (co-writer Mark Duplass), a total weirdo who says he wants Aaron to spend the day filming him for a video that can be shown to his unborn child after he dies from an apparent terminal illness. But as Josef’s on-camera confessions become more and more disturbing, Aaron’s hopes that his host is just a harmless eccentric slowly slip away. Found-footage gold and an instant cult classic, Creep is followed by an equally chilling sequel, also available on Netflix.
Eli (2019)
Watch on NetflixThe story of a young boy trapped in a seemingly haunted house while being treated for a rare and mysterious illness that makes him allergic to basically everything, on the surface Eli seems more or less like The Boy in the Plastic Bubble with ghosts. Yet there is more going on than meets the eye, and a somewhat slow buildup is paid off in full with a fabulous twist ending. Fun, spooky and, best of all, satisfying, Eli is a underrated gem.
Fear Street Trilogy (2021)
Watch on NetflixRemember RL Stine? For a certain generation, the author of more than 300 YA horror novels was all but ubiquitous, and now this same generation is one of Netflix’s most lucrative demographics, leading to the release of not one, not two, but three movies based on Stine’s much loved Fear Street series. Following three generations of teens tormented by a seemingly inescapable curse, the trilogy’s chapters are actually pretty frightening for a series based on kids’ books.
Gerald’s Game (2017)
Watch on NetflixMike Flanagan: so hot right now! Based on the Steven King novel of the same name, Gerald’s Game is one of the few near-perfect Netflix Originals. Following married couple Jesse (Carla Gugino) and Gerald (Bruce Greenwood) on a romantic yet isolated getaway, things turn sour when Gerald dies suddenly of a heart attack, leaving Jessie handcuffed to the bed with little hope of escape. Gugino carries the suspense all the way to the deliciously gruesome end.
Get Out (2017)
Watch on NetflixAn instant modern classic on its 2017 release, Jordan Peele’s directorial debut was a critical and commercial sensation, and remains one of the best horrors of modern cinema. Turning the universally chilling experience of a weekend spent with one’s in-laws into a terrifyingly astute critique of an insincere and cynical brand of white liberalism, Peele’s film changed the game for the genre—and is as potent today as ever.
His House (2020)
WATCH ON NETFLIXFollowing young couple Bol (Sope Dirisu) and Rial (Wunmi Mosaku) as they struggle to adjust to life in a small English town after escaping South Sudan, the claustrophobic conditions of their probational asylum are matched only by the dread lurking within their government assigned housing. Haunting and harrowing in equal measure, Remi Weekes’ debut feature fearlessly evokes the horrors of the refugee experience with the tropes of haunted house movies.
In the Tall Grass (2019)
Watch on NetflixOk, hear me out: A bunch of people get lured into some very tall grass and can’t find their way out. But it’s not just any tall grass. It’s mysterious, time-bending tall grass with something evil lurking within! Based on Stephen King and Joe Hill’s novella of the same name, In the Tall Grass may have a silly premise, but it’s one that director Vincenzo Natali (Cube) commits to admirably, turning it into a wonderfully weird little horror.
It (2017)
WATCH ON NETFLIXStephen King’s story of a malevolent clown snatching children from a small, cursed town is a classic for a reason. 2017’s version nailed exactly why It remains so chilling. Following a group of pre-teens already struggling to fit into the all-American town of Derry, Bill Skarsgard’s Pennywise is an apt—and very scary—manifestation of the horrors of childhood. With an incredibly talented and likable young cast, Andrés Muschietti’s film is deliciously dread-filled.
The Mist (2007)
Watch on NetflixFeaturing perhaps one of the most brilliantly bleak endings of any film ever, Frank Darabont’s 2007 adaptation of Stephen King’s 1980 novella imagines a deliciously dark vision of the end of the world. Set in a supermarket where nervous locals stock up for a storm, when the titular mist rolls it brings with it unimaginable horrors. Trapped together, a Lord of the Flies situation unfolds amongst the shoppers that raises the question of whether things are safer inside or out.
Nope (2022)
Watch on NetflixJordan Peele is fast becoming one of the most interesting and unpredictable horror auteurs of modern cinema, and his latest outing, Nope, confirms that he remains unafraid to experiment with the genre. A sci-fi film crossed with a western, the 2022 film has all the humour Peele is known for while taking its subject matter seriously—resulting in a complex, compelling and completely entertaining foray into the UFO genre.
The Perfection (2018)
Watch on NetflixWhat is there to say about The Perfection that won’t give away the absolutely bonkers, bloody, and trashily brilliant joy that it contains? Very little—but suffice to say, this story of a musical prodigy (Alison Williams) and her rival (Logan Browning) does NOT go in the direction you think it will. With more twists than Wild Things and no particular concern for taste or propriety, The Perfection is a wild ride better left unspoiled.
Resident Evil (2002)
Watch on NetflixBased on the video game franchise, 2002’s film adaptation spawned one of its own—and with all six films in the series available to stream on Neon, the best place to start is the beginning. Starring Milla Jovovich as amnesiac heroine Alice who, along with a team of commandos, must attempt to contain the outbreak of the genetically engineered T-virus at a secret underground facility. Packed with violence and zombies, Resident Evil is full of big, dumb blockbuster fun.
The Ritual (2017)
Watch on NetflixA beautifully melancholy, mysterious British horror reminiscent of The Blair Witch Project and Midsommar, The Ritual follows a group of lads who travel to the Swedish wilderness to scatter the ashes of a friend lost in tragic circumstances. They decide to take a shortcut through the extremely creepy Scandinavian forest: never a good idea! With an excellent cast led by Rafe Spall, The Ritual is a criminally underrated horror gem.
Roh (2019)
Watch on NetflixSet amidst the eerie, isolated Malaysian rainforest, Roh is an atmospheric folk horror whose simple story belies a complex examination of what it means to keep to your own. Bad things begin to happen to a widow and her children after they help a girl who appears at their door, all alone and caked in clay—but if an outsider brought the curse, can an outsider solve it? Roh is a delightfully dark and stylishly effective little chiller.
The Shallows (2016)
Clocking in at just 86 minutes, The Shallows leaves not a second to spare in its nail-biting story of a young surfer Nancy (Blake Lively) facing off against a giant, angry shark. Spending the bulk of its runtime in a single location, as Nancy clings to a rock, trapped just metres from the shore by the kind of creature that makes Jaws look like a playful kitten, The Shallows plays its pared-back premise for maximum tension.
Shaun of the Dead (2004)
WATCH ON NETFLIXEdgar Wright’s cult classic zombie film mastered the art of the horror-comedy, hilariously satirising the sub-genre and perfectly crystalising what’s so unsettling about it. Simon Pegg plays an unambitious electronics salesman who, so used to his own malaise and wrapped up in his own minor problems, barely notices when a zombie apocalypse begins. All the more effective in the wake of COVID, Wright’s film perfectly captures the absurdity that accompanies disaster.
Spree (2020)
WATCH ON NETFLIXBoasting Drake as an executive-producer and featuring cameos from the likes of Mischa Barton, Franke Grande and Lala Kent, Spree skewers the pitfalls of influencer culture with acidity and gleeful abandon. Following social media obsessed ride-share driver Kurt Kunkle as he attempts to go viral by murdering his passengers, Eugene Kotlyarenko’s film is a scathing and incredibly buzzy satire, elevated by an electric performance from Stranger Things‘ Joe Keery.
Titles are added and removed from his page to reflect changes to Netflix’s catalogue. The reviews no longer available on this page can be read here.
