The 14 Best Horror Movies on Netflix
Here is a list of essential horror movies, and we’ve made sure that each film passes the Rotten Tomatoes test. Pick one or binge them all. Just be sure to leave on.
1) Hush
4/5 on Netflix | 100 percent on Rotten Tomatoes
When a deaf writer decides to live alone in the woods, you can bet something terrifying is bound to happen. A psychological horror flick that made its debut at South by Southwest in 2016, Hush has garnered accolades from critics and horror fans alike, including ones we may consider an expert on the genre.
2) Sinister
3½ stars on Netflix | 63 percent on Rotten Tomatoes
In this spooky ghost story, Ellison Oswalt, a true-crime author in need of a hit, moves his family into a house to work on his next book. There he discovers a box of reel-to-reel home movies, each depicting the brutal murder of a different family. As he tries to unravel the mystery behind the murders it becomes clear something supernatural is involved, and it has designs on his family. Despite the macabre subject matter, Sinister’s horrific violence is more often implied than shown, leaving you to fill in the nightmare blanks for yourself. You’ll never want to watch home movies again.
3) The Babadook
3/5 on Netflix, 98 percent on Rotten Tomatoes
Be careful about the books that you read to your kids—you never know when you might unintentionally set a malevolent spirit free from them. In case you were wondering what it feels like to be a parent whose hyperactive child is constantly disturbed by an evil spirit, The Babadook will certainly give you a taste of the helplessness as well as the fear that’s expected from a really good supernatural story.
4) Creep
1.5/5 on Netflix | 96 on Rotten Tomatoes
If you’re a fan of found-footage horror, Creep does it exceptionally well. Featuring a cash-desperate man who answers a vague Craigslist ad, this movie shows you exactly why you should be a little bit more discerning when it comes to responding to opportunities online.
5) A Girl Walks Home Alone at Night
3/5 on Netflix | 95 percent on Rotten Tomatoes
Filmed entirely in black and white, A Girl Walks Home Alone at Night follows the titular character around Bad City, a place teeming with crime, drugs, and prostitution. This scenario can most certainly pass off as a type of horror most of the womankind faces on the regular, but what makes this Persian-language flick unique is the girl in question just happens to be a vampire.
6) The Invitation
4½ on Netflix | 89 percent on Rotten Tomatoes
First off, don’t watch the trailer for this movie. Just go to Netflix and watch the film. The plot follows a man as he and his girlfriend go to dinner at his ex-wife’s house for the first time since they split due to a sudden tragedy. This exercise in slow-building dread leaves you constantly questioning the motives of everyone involved up to the last jarring frame. There’s nothing else quite like The Invitation on Netflix. Take our word for it and go in blind.
7) We Are Still Here
2/5 on Netflix | 95 percent on Rotten Tomatoes
This horror movie—which premiered at South by Southwest in 2015—centers on a grieving couple trying to get over the tragic death of their son by moving to rural New England. There, they find an old house that seemed like the perfect place to forget… until they discover that it houses evil spirits. While the premise may seem like a common horror plot, watch for several unexpected twists.
