If you're looking for good horror movies on Netflix, look no further. For those seeking a scare, there's no shortage of blood-curdling films on the streaming giant. From small-screen adaptations of Stephen King's famed novels, to cult classics directed by Mike Flanagan, you'll find your fix with some of the scariest horror out there. Whether you get your thrillers—excuse us, thrills—from found-footage camerawork, slashers, zombie movies, jump scares, horror-comedy, low-budget, or prestigious Oscar winners, there's something on Netflix for every scary movie stan out there. Already binged all of Stranger Things and The Haunting of Hill House? Why not try one of the top horror movies on Netflix on for size? Recent favorites like Green Room and The Conjuring are available, and so are classics like Poltergeist. So if you're more of a horror movie fan than a lover of romance movies or dramas, keep reading. Here are the latest and greatest horror films the genre has to offer, guaranteed to leave you yearning for more.
These are the best horror movies on Netflix in 2021.
The Conjuring (2013)
The Conjuring
Image via Warner Bros.
Director: James Wan
Cast: Vera Farmiga, Patrick Wilson, Lili Taylor, Ron Livingston
Genre: Horror
Rating: R
Runtime: 1h 51m
Rotten Tomatoes: 86% (Critics) 83% (Audience)
Loosely based on the real life reports of paranormal investigators Ed and Lorraine Warren, The Conjuring is one of the scariest and most successful horror movies of this decade. It follows the married Warrens (Patrick Wilson and Vera Farmiga) as they investigate a family being terrorized by a presence in their farmhouse and find themselves face to face with a dark entity. The Conjuring solidifies James Wan as a horror director for the ages; the film easily stands among the best recent horror films, alongside Saw and Insidious, two of his other films. Packed from top to bottom with inventive scares, The Conjuring was both critically and commercially acclaimed, spawning a whole cinematic universe which includes a sequel and spin-offs, including Annabelle and The Nun. If you’re looking for a good scare on Netflix, you can’t do much better than The Conjuring.
Unfriended (2014)
Unfriended
Image via Blumhouse Productions
Director: Leo Gabriadze
Cast: Shelley Hennig, Moses Storm, Renee Olstead, Will Peltz
Genre: Horror
Rating: R
Runtime: 1h 23m
Rotten Tomatoes: 62% (Critics) 36% (Audience)
Just like The Blair Witch Project in 1999 before it, 2014’s Unfriended ushered in a new type of film genre: the computer screen film. Reminiscent of the found footage genre, the computer screen film takes place entirely on smartphones or desktop computers, has camerawork that matches the device’s camera, and unfolds in real time. While not the first computer screen film, Unfriended is one of the most popular films of the genre, thanks to a wide release from Universal. The film follows several high school students in a Skype conversation as they begin to suspect that they’re being haunted by a student that was bullied and committed suicide. While staring at a computer for close to two hours may seem boring, Unfriended cooks up some inventive scares that feel all too familiar to anyone who spends a lot of time on social media. The use of real computer apps only heightens the realism, as does the tendency for the main character to type something out and then delete before sending a completely different message. Unfriended is as inventive as it is unnerving, and showcases an exciting step forward for horror cinema.
Creep 2 (2017)
Creep 2
Image via Blumhouse Productions
Director: Patrick Brice
Cast: Mark Duplass, Desiree Akhaven, Karan Soni
Genre: Horror
Rating: NR
Runtime: 1h 18m
Rotten Tomatoes: 100% (Critics) 71% (Audience)
There are way too many horror films that get bad sequels so that the studio can coast off of name recognition and make a quick buck. What’s interesting about the indie horror film Creep is that a) it’s the last film that anyone (even fans of the film) would expect to get a sequel and b) it’s actually a very well done horror sequel. Creep 2 centers on serial killer Josef (Mark Duplass) from the original Creep, as he undergoes a midlife crisis. Videographer Sara (Desiree Akhaven), wanting to create a truly shocking work of art and fully aware he claims to be a serial killer, decides to film him for a day, soon realizing she may be in a dangerous position. Creep 2 effectively ramps up both the horror and the comedy from the original film, digging deeper into Josef’s psyche, in ways both interesting and terrifying. Desiree Akhaven proves to be a great foil to Mark Duplass, her overconfidence contrasting with his strange awkwardness. Twisty, funny, and well-acted, Creep 2 is an effective horror sequel that makes the first Creep look even better by association.
I Am The Pretty Thing That Lives In The House (2016)
I Am The Pretty Thing That Lives In The House
Image via Netflix
Director: Oz Perkins
Cast: Ruth Wilson, Paula Prentiss, Bob Balaban, Lucy Boynton
Genre: Horror
Rating: TV-14
Runtime: 1h 27m
Rotten Tomatoes: 58% (Critics) 24% (Audience)
Director Oz Perkins has made a name for himself with his eerie horror films such as The Blackcoat’s Daughter and Gretel and Hansel. I Am The Pretty Thing That Lives In The House treads similar territory, but with a decidedly more gothic flavor. The film follows nurse Lily (Ruth Wilson) as she takes care of elderly author Iris (Paula Prentiss) in a house that’s seemingly haunted. Perkins slowly builds dread throughout the film with deft direction and haunting apparitions that appear in the corner of your eye. Ruth Wilson’s icy performance perfectly fits the tone of the film, where scares come quickly and quietly, resulting more in quiet gasps than screams. While not for everyone, Perkins’ sense of atmospheric horror will appeal to fans of more cerebral horror, as well as classical horror such as The Turn of the Screw. Stylistically impressive and very chilling, I Am The Pretty Thing That Lives In The House is another successful horror film from Oz Perkins.
Vampires vs. The Bronx (2020)
Vampires vs. The Bronx
Image via Netflix
Director: Oz Rodriguez
Cast: Jaden Michael, Gerald W. Jones III, Gregory Diaz IV
Genre: Horror
Rating: PG-13
Runtime: 1h 25m
Rotten Tomatoes: 92% (Critics), 45% (Audience)
The Spielbergian child adventure comedy has had a long, storied history informally starting with Spielberg’s own E.T. and continuing with films such as The Goonies, Home Alone, and Jumanji. The genre even spawned a wildly popular TV series in Stranger Things, which deliberately plays into its tropes. One thing the highly successful genre hasn’t done until now is focus on kids of color, something that Vampires vs. The Bronx does with wit and charm. The horror comedy follows three young kids from the Bronx as they fight to save their neighborhood from impending gentrification, which, naturally, is caused by literal vampires moving in. The film wears its lower budget on its sleeve, focusing more on the charisma of its child leads and a stacked supporting cast including Method Man, SNL’s Chris Redd, and one of the Bodega Boys himself, Desus and Mero’s The Kid Mero, as, of course, a bodega owner. Radiating with adventurous charm and playful sociopolitical commentary, Vampires vs. The Bronx is a blast for all ages.
Cam (2018)
cam
Image via Netflix
Director: Daniel Goldhaber
Cast: Madeline Brewer, Patch Darragh, Melora Walters
Genre: Horror
Rating: TV-MA
Runtime: 1h 34m
Rotten Tomatoes: 93% (Critics), 54% (Audience)
One of the most critically acclaimed Netflix original horror titles, Cam is an impressive debut from new filmmaker Daniel Goldhaber. Camgirl Alice (Madeline Brewer) is horrified when she learns that she’s been replaced on her own site with someone who appears to be an exact replica of her. Writer Isa Mazzei drew from her own experiences as a camgirl, creating a movie that’s both respectful of sex workers and highlights their unique experiences. The result of Mazzei’s writing and Goldhaber’s careful direction is a tight and surreal thriller with a great lead performance by Madeline Brewer. Cam is a great horror movie that feels apiece of a new genre of horror that gives its scares via computer screens, like the recent Searching and Unfriended: Dark Web.
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Sweetheart (2019)
sweetheart premiere
Image via Getty/ Michael Loccisano / Staff
Director: J.D. Dillard
Cast: Kiersey Clemons, Emory Cohen, Hanna Mangan Lawrence
Genre: Horror
Rating: PG-13
Runtime: 1h 22m
Rotten Tomatoes: 95% (Critics), 51% (Audience)
A lean, mean, and spookily effective horror film, Sweetheart is an underrated Blumhouse release that deserves more love. It follows Jenn (Kiersey Clemons) as she washes ashore on a tropical island and soon discovers she’s alone. As she attempts to survive the elements, she soon discovers that there’s a malevolent force on the island that’s also after her. Neat practical effects and a great lead performance from Kiersey Clemons elevate the pleasingly simple plot, as well as an incredibly unsettling creature reveal and some tense sequences. The tropical setting is used to great effect, too, juxtaposing the creeping horror with its idyllic background. J.D. Dillard’s direction works well towards quickly ratcheting the film’s tension until it’s almost unbearable: it makes the less than 90-minute runtime seem more like a relief than a downside. Smart and effective, Sweetheart is one of the most underappreciated horror movies of the past couple of years.
Hush (2016)
Hush Trailer
Image via Netflix
Director: Mike Flanagan
Starring: Kate Siegel, John Gallagher Jr., Michael Trucco
Genre: Horror
Rating: R
Runtime: 1h 27m
Rotten Tomatoes: 93% (Critics), 73% (Audience)
With Haunting of Hill House: Bly Manor debuting last week on Netflix and Doctor Sleep only recently terrifying moviegoers, director Mike Flanagan’s flex for this generation's throne of terror only seems to be growing. Stepping away from his usual supernatural edge for more of a stranger-danger test of nerves, Hush tells the story of deaf and mute writer Maddie Young (Kate Siegel) on one moonless night at her cabin in the woods. When a masked man with a crossbow shows up at her house and sets off a torturous game of cat and mouse, Maddie is forced to find ways to work around her disability and survive. The noticeable lack of noise or audio warning creates a terrifying symbiosis between the viewer and Maddie, while the inability to scream or call for help imparts an overwhelming sense of vulnerability other horror films often strive to create but seldom achieve. As simple as it is scary, Hush is proof that all you really need to make terrific horror is an understanding of the world and a seventh sense for the twisted, both of which Flanagan continues to prove he has in spades.
Apostle (2018)
'Apostle' director Gareth Evans
Image via Getty/Robert Marquardt
Director: Gareth Evans
Cast: Dan Stevens, Lucy Boynton, Mark Lewis Jones
Genre: Horror
Rating: TV-MA
Runtime: 2h 9m
Rotten Tomatoes: 78% (Critics), 54% (Audience)
A headier horror than most, Apostle relies largely on its fire and brimstone to deliver a slow burn of dread. The year is 1905 and former priest Thomas Richardson (Dan Stevens) has set out to rescue his sister Jennifer (Elen Rhys) from a remote island and its cult inhabitants. Taking up the disguise of a devotee, Thomas is forced to confront his own repressed religious traumas while unraveling the putrefying faith permeating from beneath the very floorboards of his new home. Flashbacks take the place of the usual jump-thrill, and outright scares are replaced by an undeniable tension that builds in the pit of your stomach with every passing scene. Fear not (or maybe do), as the mystery of this strange religion unfolds, the horrors of creature and man alike reveal themselves in a payoff that makes the build not only worth it, but all the more disturbing.
Errementari: The Blacksmith and the Devil (2017)
paul urkijo
Image via Getty/ NurPhoto / Contributor
Director: Paul Urkijo
Cast: Uma Bracaglia, Eneko Sagardoy, Kandido Uranga, Ramón Agirre
Genre: Horror
Rating: TV-MA
Runtime: 1h 38m
Rotten Tomatoes: 78% (Critics), 71% (Audience)
Based on Basque folklore, this Spanish-language film takes you back to an age when fairytales were as real as the shadows on your walls. In the Spain of 1843, a little orphan girl by the name of Usue (Uma Bracaglia) runs away from town after being bullied. While wandering through the woods, she comes across a boy named Sartael (Eneko Sagardoy) caged inside the old metal forge, and his captor, the murderous blacksmith Francisco Patxi (Kandido Uranga). But, as with all good fairytales, we soon learn things aren’t exactly as they seem. Twists and turns weave Guillermo del Toro-like creations and classic Disney-style sentimental storytelling together to create an encapsulating tale of adventure, devils, betrayal, and redemption as good as any that filled your childhood, and dark enough to scare any adult.
Verónica (2017)
veronica premiere
Image via Getty/Eduardo Parra
Director: Paco Plaza
Cast: Sandra Escacea, Bruna González, Claudia Placer
Genre: Horror
Rating: TV-MA
Runtime: 1h 45m
Rotten Tomatoes: 90% (Critics), 49% (Audience)
A sleeper hit when released by Netflix in early 2018, Verónica quickly received plenty of praise, with some critics even calling it “the scariest movie ever.” Hyperbole aside, Verónica is an eerily effective thriller. Taking place in Madrid in 1991, Verónica follows a teenage girl as she finds herself terrorized by supernatural forces after playing Ouija with her classmates. Chillingly, the movie is loosely based on a real life event in which a teenager suffered hallucinations and seizures, and later died, after performing a seance at school with friends. Though Verónica doesn’t have the most original premise, its great atmosphere and convincing performances make it a standout. It’s also stylish and slick, with plenty of tense scenes that will have you nervous with anticipation of the inevitable scare. Netflix might not have the best track record with original horror movies, but Verónica is an unexpected gem.
Under The Shadow (2016)
under the shadows
Image via Getty/ David M. Benett
Director: Babak Anvari
Cast: Devon Sawa, Ali Larter, Kerr Smith
Genre: Horror
Rating: PG-13
Runtime: 1h 24m
Rotten Tomatoes: 99% (Critics), 73% (Audience)
Iranian film Under The Shadow drew raves in 2016, with many comparing it to The Babadook. Taking place in Tehran in the 1980s, Under The Shadow follows mother Shideh (Narges Rashidi) as she begins to believe a malevolent spirit is trying to possess her daughter, all while the Iraqi Air Force launches air raids outside, during the infamous War of the Cities. Selected as the British entry for Best Foreign Language Film at the Academy Awards that year, Under The Shadow earned critical raves for its beguiling mix of genres. The movie is part domestic drama, part period drama, and part horror film, with each style working together to raise the stakes and tension throughout the film. The film takes a nuanced, complex look at the social, cultural, and economic issues present in Tehran at the time, and also manages to be pretty terrifying. There are few horror movies as unique and innovative as Under The Shadow.
Before I Wake (2017)
Kate Bosworth
Image via Getty/Mike Coppola/VF19
Director: Mike Flanagan
Cast: Kate Bosworth, Thomas Jane, Jacob Tremblay
Genre: Horror
Rating: PG-13
Runtime: 1h 27m
Rotten Tomatoes: 63% (Critics), 47% (Audience)
Mike Flanagan appears on this list frequently, and for good reason. The critically beloved horror director has made several hits with Netflix, including the series The Haunting of Hill House. Netflix even assisted with distribution of Before I Wake, which languished in limbo for two years when its original distribution company filed for bankruptcy. The long-delayed flick follows foster parents Mark (Thomas Jane) and Jessie (Kate Bosworth) as they welcome their new son Cody (Jacob Tremblay) home. When their dead biological son appears in their house, however, they discover that Cody has a horrifying ability: his dreams and nightmares come true. Before I Wake feels like a dark fantasy as well as a horror movie, and is bolstered by an appropriately creepy (and very early) performance from Tremblay. Before I Wake is another knock out of the park from one of our best horror auteurs.
Gerald’s Game (2017)
geralds game
Image via Netflix
Director: Mike Flanagan
Cast: Carla Gugino, Bruce Greenwood
Genre: Horror
Rating: TV-MA
Runtime: 1h 43m
Rotten Tomatoes: 91% (Critics), 71% (Audience)
Mike Flanagan’s third collaboration with Netflix, Gerald’s Game is part of the recent lucrative wave of Stephen King adaptations. Based on what was once considered an unfilmable novel, Gerald’s Game concerns husband and wife Jessie (Carla Gugino) and Gerald (Bruce Greenwood) as they go on a couple’s vacation. While playing a sex game, Gerald dies of a heart attack leaving Jessie tied to the bed, with no way of escape. Her visions and various hallucinations that come from her entrapment may seem better suited for the page, but Flanagan found a way to not only make the manifestation of one character’s thoughts filmable, but also terrifying. Gugino gives an incredible performance as Jessie, making you feel just how hopeless and dire her situation really is. Gerald’s Game is not only a great Stephen King adaptation, but one of the most inventive and surprising horror movies in recent years.
Creep (2014)
Creep
Image via Sony
Director: Patrick Brice
Cast: Mark Duplass, Patrick Brice
Genre: Horror
Rating: R
Runtime: 1h 20
Rotten Tomatoes: 89% (Critics), 65% (Audience)
In a horror story tailor-made for the gig economy, a cameraman, Aaron (Brice), accepts a craigslist offer from a man, Josef (Duplass), who says he has terminal brain cancer and wants to record some footage for his unborn son. All good—except Josef is a real weirdo, who routinely jumps out and scares Aaron, under the guise of having a quirky sense of humor. But following the discovery of a frightening wolf mask and a revelatory call from Josef’s pregnant “wife,” Aaron realizes that his skills behind the camera probably isn’t the reason that Josef asked for him. Duplass, who is usually very charming, goes completely against type, disappearing into his character with short bangs, wild eyes and a skin-crawlingly sweet tone of voice. The low-budget, innovative take on the found footage genre more than lives up to its title.
Little Evil (2017)
little evil
Image via Popsugar
Director: Eli Craig
Starring: Adam Scott, Evangeline Lilly, Bridget Everett, Owen Atlas, Chris D’Elia, Donald Faison
Genre: Horor
Rating: TV-MA
Runtime: 1h 34m
Rotten Tomatoes: 92% (Critics), 47% (Audience)
Gary (Scott) just married the woman of his dreams, Samantha (Lilly). The only problem is that before they got hitched, Samantha conceived a child while in a doomsday cult that sorta turned out to be the son of Satan. Already a poor fit as a stepparent, Gary must decide whether to raise the child, who Samantha refuses to acknowledge is anything but lovable, or kill it for the sake of mankind. From the director who made the cult classic Tucker and Dale vs. Evil, this film operates in the same in-between of horror and comedy, albeit a little less successfully. Even still, it takes a fairly familiar trope and executes it in a fresh way for the majority of the movie. And frankly, anytime Adam Scott plays a tightly wound dude in over his head is a good time.
The Ritual (2017)
the ritual
Image via Getty/ Brian de Rivera Simon / Contributor
Director: David Bruckner
Cast: Rob James-Collier, Rafe Spall, Arsher Ali, Sam Troughton
Genre: Horror
Rating:
Runtime: 1h 34m
Rotten Tomatoes: 73% (Critics), 60% (Audience)
The Ritual follows four college friends on a camping trip in a remote forest— on their journey, one of their friends sprains his ankle, forcing them to take a shortcut into the ominous woods, where these friends encounter a threatening presence that stalks them and picks them off one by one. Say goodbye to camping after watching this film.
SOURCE Complex
