The best horror movies on Netflix New Zealand

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)

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The 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.

The Babadook (2014)

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Few films have quite managed to balance visceral terror and nuanced storytelling like Aussie chiller The Babadook. A single mother, at her wits’ end caring for her difficult young son, makes the mistake of reading him a sinister storybook that mysteriously appears on the shelf. Soon both are consumed with fear and paranoia that the book’s goulish protagonist is very real—and drawing closer. Deceptively simple and truly frightening, Jennifer Kent’s debut film is already a cult horror classic.

Bird Box (2018)

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In 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)

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As 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.

The Conjuring (2013)

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The Conjuring films are perhaps the most critically and commercially successful modern horror franchise—and all are currently available on Netflix. The first in the series follows paranormal investigators Ed and Lorraine Warren (Patrick Wilson and Vera Farmiga) as they assist a family who’s newly acquired farmhouse appears to be haunted. Directed by horror maestro James Wan, The Conjuring is a masterclass in old-school scares and pure entertainment.

The Conjuring 2 (2016)

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2016’s sequel to The Conjuring sees Ed and Lorraine head to merry old England, to investigate more ghostly goings-on. With Wan again at the helm, the film surprised everyone by being just as scary as the original. Following a family grappling with a poltergeist—or is it all a hoax?—The Conjuring 2 puts a fresh spin on its haunted subject matter and keeps the scares coming in droves.

Creep (2014)

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Camera 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)

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The 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)

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Remember 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)

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Mike 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.

His House (2020)

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Following 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)

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Ok, 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)

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Stephen 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 Perfection (2018)

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What 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.

The Ritual (2017)

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A 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)

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Set 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)

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Edgar 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)

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Boasting 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.