Netflix has a great variety of horror films, but choosing the best one depends on what kind of horror you’re in the mood for—psychological, supernatural, or something with a bit of dark humor. Here are some of the best Netflix horror movies across different sub-genres:
1. The Haunting of Hill House (2018) – Series
Genre: Supernatural, Psychological Horror This is a Netflix original series, not a movie, but it’s widely regarded as one of the best horror stories on the platform. Based on Shirley Jackson’s classic novel, it blends family drama with terrifying supernatural elements. The narrative shifts between two timelines—one with the family in the past and one where they are adults, haunted by the house’s past.
2. Gerald’s Game (2017)
Genre: Psychological Horror, Thriller Adapted from Stephen King’s novel, this movie tells the story of a woman who is left handcuffed to a bed in a remote cabin after a sex game goes wrong. It’s an intense, claustrophobic psychological horror that explores themes of trauma and survival.
3. The Witch (2015)
Genre: Folk Horror, Psychological Horror Set in 1630s New England, The Witch is a slow-burn, atmospheric horror film that explores the disintegration of a family due to religious fanaticism and fear of witchcraft. It’s unsettling and deeply eerie, with a creeping sense of dread and isolation.
4. His House (2020)
Genre: Supernatural Horror, Drama A fresh take on the haunted house genre, His House follows a refugee couple who have fled South Sudan and are trying to adjust to life in the UK. However, their new home harbors dark secrets that seem to be tied to their past trauma. It’s a chilling commentary on immigration, trauma, and the supernatural.
5. Cam (2018)
Genre: Psychological Thriller, Horror This film blends psychological horror with tech-driven themes. It’s about a camgirl whose online identity is hijacked by a mysterious doppelgänger, spiraling her into a nightmare of identity theft and digital horror. It’s unnerving and thought-provoking, with a lot of tension.
6. Hush (2016)
Genre: Home Invasion, Thriller, Horror This thriller follows a deaf woman who lives in a remote house and becomes the target of a masked killer. It’s tense, suspenseful, and full of high stakes, with a unique perspective due to the protagonist’s hearing impairment.
7. A Quiet Place (2018)
Genre: Sci-Fi Horror, Thriller While not a Netflix original, this film is available on the platform in some regions. Directed by and starring John Krasinski, it takes place in a world where making noise can get you killed by alien creatures with super-sensitive hearing. It’s a suspenseful, emotionally-driven film with a lot of heart.
8. Train to Busan (2016)
Genre: Zombie Horror, Thriller A standout in the zombie genre, Train to Busan is a South Korean film that focuses on a group of passengers trapped on a train during a zombie outbreak. It’s emotionally gripping, full of action, and offers a fresh take on the zombie apocalypse genre.
9. The Platform (2019)
Genre: Psychological Thriller, Social Horror A unique blend of horror and social commentary, The Platform is a Spanish film that takes place in a vertical prison where food is delivered to the upper levels and only trickles down to the lower levels. The prisoners must decide whether to survive by taking more than their fair share, or face starvation.
10. Midsommar (2019)
Genre: Folk Horror, Psychological Horror Directed by Ari Aster (Hereditary), Midsommar is a daylight horror film that delves into the horrors of a rural Swedish pagan cult. It’s visually stunning and deeply unsettling, with a focus on emotional trauma and the breakdown of relationships.
11.The Menu (2022)
Genre: Dark Comedy, Psychological Horror, Thriller This film is a darkly comedic horror-thriller about a young couple who attend an exclusive, high-end restaurant on a remote island, where the chef (played by Ralph Fiennes) has prepared a very unusual and disturbing tasting menu. It combines horror with satire, exploring class, privilege, and the extreme lengths to which a chef will go for their art.
12. Texas Chainsaw Massacre (2022)
Genre: Slasher, Horror A direct sequel to the 1974 classic, Texas Chainsaw Massacre brings back Leatherface and introduces a new generation of characters who find themselves facing off against the terrifying chainsaw-wielding killer. It’s a brutal, gory re-imagining of the iconic slasher that combines nostalgia with modern horror.
13. The Fear Street Trilogy (2021)
Genre: Slasher, Supernatural Horror This trilogy, based on R.L. Stine’s Fear Street books, is a throwback to 90s and early 2000s slasher films. Set in a small town with a dark history, the trilogy spans multiple time periods—1978, 1994, and 1666—connecting the dots between a series of gruesome murders tied to a curse. It’s campy, fun, and full of nostalgia for fans of teen horror.
14. The Dark and the Wicked (2020)
Genre: Supernatural Horror A slow-burn horror film about two siblings who return to their family farm to care for their dying father, only to find themselves plagued by dark, terrifying events. The atmosphere is oppressive, and the film’s sense of dread builds steadily as something sinister takes hold of the family.
15. We Have a Ghost (2023)
Genre: Supernatural Comedy, Horror A supernatural horror-comedy, We Have a Ghost follows a family who discovers their house is haunted by a ghost named Ernest. However, the ghost becomes a media sensation, and the family’s new life becomes a mixture of fame and danger. It’s lighter on scares but still offers some chilling moments mixed with humor and heart.
16. Choose or Die (2022)
Genre: Psychological Horror, Thriller In Choose or Die, a young woman plays a strange, retro video game that starts to have dangerous, real-life consequences. As she progresses through the game, her decisions lead to increasingly horrific situations. It’s a tense and bloody thriller with a unique concept that merges horror and gaming culture.
17. Hatching (2022)
Genre: Body Horror, Psychological Horror Hatching is a Finnish psychological horror film that tells the story of a young girl who finds a mysterious egg in the forest and decides to bring it home. When it hatches, she must deal with the horrifying creature that emerges and its connection to her strained family dynamics. It’s a bizarre, body-horror take on familial and personal transformation.
18. The Pale Blue Eye (2022)
Genre: Mystery, Gothic Horror While more of a gothic horror mystery than outright terrifying, The Pale Blue Eye follows a young Edgar Allan Poe (played by Harry Melling) as he investigates a series of murders at West Point in 1830s New York. It’s atmospheric, eerie, and steeped in historical mystery, with elements of horror and suspense.
19. Incantation (2022)
Genre: Found Footage, Supernatural Horror A Taiwanese horror film that mixes found-footage with supernatural terror, Incantation follows a woman who must confront a curse tied to an incident from her past. It’s intense, and the scares build progressively as the woman unravels the dark forces that have haunted her family.
20. They Cloned Tyrone (2023)
Genre: Sci-Fi Horror, Comedy This film blends horror, science fiction, and dark comedy in a story about a trio of unlikely heroes (played by Jamie Foxx, John Boyega, and Teyonah Parris) who discover a government cloning conspiracy. It’s more satirical and surreal, but still carries eerie and unsettling vibes throughout.
Honorable Mentions:
- No One Gets Out Alive (2021): A dark, supernatural horror about an immigrant woman trapped in a mysterious boarding house.
- The Ruins (2023): A claustrophobic and chilling film about a group of friends trapped on an ancient Mayan temple, where nature turns into a deadly force.
- Eli (2019): Though a little earlier, Eli is an atmospheric supernatural thriller about a boy with a mysterious illness that requires him to live in a sterile, isolated environment.
These films offer a range of horror experiences, from supernatural chills to psychological terror, blending both classic and fresh approaches to the genre.