The 10 Best Horror Movies on Netflix Right Now

Annabelle

Year: 2014
Runtime: 1h 38m
Director: John R. Leonetti

The universe of The Conjuring got its first spin-off in this unpacking of the tale of Annabelle, a doll being held in the haunted objects chamber of Ed and Lorraine Warren in those films. The origin story of the haunted doll stars Annabelle Wallis, Ward Horton, and Alfre Woodard. It’s not great — the sequels are actually better — but it’s essential to the overall story of this wildly successful horror universe.

Annabelle      watch on netflix 

The Babadook

Year: 2014
Runtime: 1h 33m
Director: Jennifer Kent

One of the best horror films of the 2010s has not always been widely available for streaming subscribers so take the chance to watch it again while it’s on Netflix. Jennifer Kent’s directorial debut centers on a mother (Essie Davis) who struggles to raise her problem child alone after the death of her husband. Oh, and there’s also a real monster in the boy’s room.

The Babadook  watch on netflix 

American Psycho

Year: 2000
Runtime: 1h 41m
Director: Mary Harron

Mary Harron’s adaptation of the Bret Easton Ellis novel was instantly controversial but also instantly iconic. Christian Bale stepped into the role of the serial killer that had caused an uproar in the literary world and redefined the way we see psychopaths in cinema. His performance has been mimicked so many times just in the two decades since this unforgettable film was released.

American Psycho    watch on netflix


 Evil Dead Rise

Year: 2023
Runtime: 1h 36m
Director: Lee Cronin

Rebooting the Evil Dead series for the second time (after the successful 2013 iteration), Lee Cronin’s film moves the action to an L.A. apartment building where a single mother (the phenomenal Alyssa Sutherland) gets taken over by the same evil force that once terrorized poor Ash. Twisted and clever, Evil Dead Rise is a gruesome horror flick that was so successful that it feels like a sixth film in the series won’t take a decade to rise from the dead.

Evil Dead Rise   watch on netflix 

Fear Street

Year: 2021
Runtime: 1h 47m
Director: Leigh Janiak

Remember how much this took over the horror world in Summer 2021? Based on the books by R.L. Stine, these three films told the story of a curse that had descended on a small town and unfolded across three films set in different eras — 1994, 1978, and 1666. Fans argued over which one was the best (1994), but it’s best to appreciate these now as one piece of sharply-written horror entertainment. And a couple of the most talented Stranger Things stars (Sadie Sink and Maya Hawke) help too.

Fear Street   Watch on Netflix 

His House

Year: 2020
Runtime: 1h 33m
Director: Remi Weekes

What if it’s not houses that are haunted but people? That’s the question at the core of this story of an immigrant couple (a fantastic Wunmi Mosaku and Sope Dirisu) from South Sudan who move to an English town and face enemies both outside of their new home and within it. This is a strikingly original horror flick that has been largely underrated. Don’t miss it.

His House  watch on netflix 

Pearl

Year: 2022
Runtime: 1h 42m
Director: Ti West

Mia Goth has now appeared in three films with Ti West, 2021’s X, 2024’s MaXXXine, and this middle chapter, the origin story for the character she plays in the first film in this makeshift trilogy. It’s the best acting work to date from the fascinating performer, a fearless display of sociopathic behavior delivered with an unforgettable smile.

Pearl   watch on netflix 

The Platform

Year: 2019
Runtime: 1h 34m
Director: Galder Gaztelu-Urrutia

Sometimes the only thing a fun horror movie needs is a clever concept. This one is undeniably that. This Spanish film takes place in a “Vertical Self-Management Center,” a prison with dozens of floors to house its inmates. For sustenance, a platform descends the center of the tower. People near the top get much more than those at the bottom, which is kind of like a symbol for, well, everything. Unpredictable and tense, this is one of the best Netflix Original horror flicks.

The Platform  watch on netflix 

The Pope’s Exorcist

Year: 2023
Runtime: 1h 43m
Director: Julius Avery

Listen, this is no masterpiece, but there’s something fascinating about seeing an Oscar winner like Russell Crowe commit so completely to a B-movie this ludicrous. Crowe is all-in as the infamous Father Gabriele Amorth, a purported real-life exorcist who tries to save a possessed boy in Spain. This is a defiantly goofy movie, but it’s better than its quick theatrical run would have you believe, and a great fit for the Netflix horror roster of movies you can watch while you do something on your phone.

The Pope’s Exorcist    watch on netflix 

Thanksgiving

Year: 2023
Runtime: 1h 46m
Director: Eli Roth

The famous horror director went full slasher with this adaptation of his trailer from the 2007 film Grindhouse into a full, grisly feature. It starts with a Black Friday sale that becomes a bloodbath, leading to a series of violent murders on the one-year anniversary of the chaos, committed by a man in a John Carver mask. Obviously inspired by grindhouse horror of the ‘70s and ‘80s, it’s a reminder that sometimes horror is better when it’s more fun than “elevated.”

Thanksgiving   watch on netflix 

The 10 Best Horror Movies on Netflix Right Now


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