While horror movies always see a revival around Halloween, for many, the genre is a year-round staple. After all, what's better than curling up under a blanket, plopping in front of the TV, and immersing yourself in a movie loaded with thrills and chills? When it comes to streamers, Netflix has one of the most expansive horror libraries out there. Not only has it produced a number of successful Netflix original movies, but it also frequently adds well-loved classics and new horror hits to its catalog.
With a plethora of films to sort through, here are the 10 best horror movies on Netflix right now. With less time dedicated to endless searching, you can get right down to business and kick off your night of "Netflix and Spine-tingling Chills" now.
The Texas Chain Saw Massacre (1974)
Best for Slasher
While the similarly titled Texas Chainsaw Massacre (2022) lives in the library as a Netflix original, your best entry into the iconic franchise is the beginning. The Texas Chain Saw Massacre introduces Leatherface and his demented family via the unlucky group of twenty-somethings that cross paths with them in the isolated backwoods of Texas. Grisly, chilling, and, at times, even darkly funny, The Texas Chain Saw Massacre is a must-watch for horror connoisseurs looking to devour all the well-loved classics that have defined the genre.
Without TCM, there would be no Wrong Turn (2003) or House of 1000 Corpses (2003). Rural horror owes its enduring popularity to The Texas Chain Saw Massacre and director Tobe Hooper's low-budget brilliance. As disturbing as it is beautiful, it remains a must-watch for anyone who labels themselves a horror fan.
The Ritual (2017)
Best for Folk Horror
Based on Adam Nevill's novel, The Ritual conjures plenty of atmospheric tension as a group of friends embark on a hiking trip. What starts as a pretty standard hiking-gone-wrong movie like Backcountry (2015) or The Blair Witch Project (1999) differentiates itself as a unique creature feature. Seriously, if you want to see one of the most original monster designs in recent horror, press "play" on The Ritual right now.
The movie's Scandinavian setting offers a satisfyingly creepy backdrop to horror that is both otherworldly and human. If you like folk horror like Midsommar (2019) or The Wicker Man (1973), The Ritual delivers something similar, albeit with a darker, more claustrophobic sense of danger.
Veronica (2017)
Best for Possession Horror
If you dabble with the possession subgenre, you'll feel right at home with Veronica. Truthfully, it starts like a standard Ouija board movie when the titular character utilizes a Ouija board to contact her deceased father. What follows, though, is a stylish possession story loaded with spin-tingling imagery.
Often touted as Netflix's scariest movie, those looking for sufficient scares will undoubtedly find that here. While veterans of the genre might find it too predictable, perhaps the real horror lies in Veronica's true story origins. If "based on real event" films like The Conjuring (2013) or The Exorcism of Emily Rose (2005) pull you in, then Veronica should have a similar intrigue.
Gerald's Game (2017)
Best for Psychological Horror
If you like horror, then you probably already know the name Mike Flanagan. From movies like Doctor Sleep (2019) and Hush (2016) to series like The Haunting of Hill House (2018) and Midnight Mass (2021), Flanagan and horror go together like cookies and milk. If you're asking me, Gerald's Game is one of his standout movies. Based on the Stephen King novel, it chronicles one woman's fight for survival after her husband dies from a heart attack during sexual foreplay and leaves her handcuffed to a bed in a remote lake house.
Infusing horror into such a limited setting isn't easy. However, Flanagan manages to translate the psychological terror from King's book to the screen. Carla Gugino delivers one heck of a performance as the said handcuff woman, while the plot, although slow-moving in the beginning, keeps you dedicated to the outcome. Gerald's Game is very much a psychological horror movie, but it will also appeal to fans of survival horror in its own way.
The Babysitter (2017)
Best for Horror Comedy
While it sounds strange, true horror comedies are hard to come by. Often, the label gets slapped on any low-budget horror movie that steers a little too campy. However, The Babysitter remains an exception in more ways than one. With a $2,000,000 production budget, it very much hovers in the low to mid-budget range, but its sleek practical effects and strong performances give it a high-quality feel. Still, its biggest selling point is the comedy.
Packed with a certain sense of meta-humor that feels akin to Scream (1996) or The Cabin in the Woods (2011), The Babysitter knows the genre and has fun with it. Following a young boy who discovers his hot babysitter is actually the leader of a satanic cult, the movie also doubles as a coming-of-age story. If you want something with heart and laughs, you really can't go wrong with The Babysitter.
His House (2020)
Best for Horror Thriller
Putting His House into just one category is tricky. Really, it's a little supernatural, a little psychological, and very much a symbolic think piece. The movie centers on Rial (Wunmi Mosaku) and Bol (Sope Dirisu), a South Sudan refugee couple, as they struggle to adjust to their new life in England. While that lays the foundation for a compelling drama, the horror comes in when they begin to see strange figures in their house.
If you're looking for something different, His House fits the bill. The horror is both supernatural and personal, as Rial and Bol experience racism, othering, and a divide when it comes to how they approach assimilation. I watched this when it first hit Netflix, and it truly surpassed my expectations. His House is worth the watch at least once, and its twist ending hits hard.
Deadstream (2022)
Best for Found Footage
Take it seriously when someone like me, who adamantly dislikes found-footage films, tells you to watch Deadstream. Written, directed, and edited by husband-wife duo Vanessa and Joseph Winter, the movie chronicles a content creator's ploy to win back followers by spending the night in a haunted house and livestreaming the whole thing. While the found-footage format offers similarities to Hell House LLC (2015) and The Blair Witch Project (1999), Deadstream embraces comedy.
If you like B-horror movies that have you yelling things like, "What are you doing? Just run!" at your screen, then Deadstream was meant for you. It's silly and fun, but it also has decent scares sprinkled throughout its 88-minute runtime. Joseph Winter, who also stars in the film as Shawn, delivers a strong performance that will leave you hungry to see what he and his wife whip up next.
Cobweb (2023)
Best for Supernatural
Labeling Cobweb a supernatural movie isn't entirely accurate. However, its spooky setup hits all the expected trappings of a haunted house story until its big twist—and, even then, I'd argue the supernatural aspect doesn't entirely vanish. Really, the best way to decide is to watch Cobweb yourself, which follows Peter (Woody Norman), a young boy whose life changes forever when a strange knocking comes from behind the walls of his bedroom.
Perhaps Cobweb's biggest selling point is the slow-creeping, atmospheric tension laid out right from the start. Those craving rock-solid answers to the movie's central mystery might be disappointed. Cobweb favors ambiguity that doesn't quite have the satisfying payoff you hope. Still, it's a unique, creepy little movie that delivers a compelling story in a crisp 88 minutes.
Godzilla Minus One (2023)
Best for Monsters
Ask me what the best Godzilla movie is, and as of 2023, I will always tell you Godzilla Minus One. If you like the action-packed, CGI-heavy bombast of the Monsterverse, then Minus One might seem like a hard departure. However, for the right kind of audience, it's an immersive anti-war movie with an emotional character-driven narrative. Yes, you'll see Godzilla, but the real stars here are Kōichi (Ryunosuke Kamiki) and Noriko (Minami Hamabe), two strangers brought together after the bombing of Tokyo.
More in line with Shin Godzilla (2016), Minus One is a chillingly beautiful story about people coming together in the aftermath of disaster and uncertainty. Tense, tear-jerking, and thoroughly gripping, this movie was tailor-made for Godzilla fans who appreciate the symbolism behind the 1954 original. However, even non-Godzilla fans will find a competent movie here if they give it a shot.
28 Years Later (2025)
Best for Zombies
Since 28 Years Later's streaming release, the sequel movie has remained a Netflix favorite and consistently topped JustWatch's streaming charts, too. While it may seem strange to recommend the third movie in a franchise, the good news is that 28 Years Later is (mostly) newcomer-friendly, although, if you like it, you'll probably want to watch 28 Days Later (2002) and 28 Weeks Later (2007) anyway.
Picking up 28 years after the Rage virus outbreak in the first movie, 28 Years Later features a new group of survivors, whose island community involves a coming-of-age hunting ritual on the mainland, and what occurs there is equally tense and harrowing. Don't expect the slow-moving zombies of The Walking Dead (2010); these zombies are fast and seriously deadly. If zombie movies carry any appeal to you, then 28 Years Later (and the entire franchise, really) isn't to be missed.
