The Best Horror Movies on Netflix
Take your pick: sharks, birds, zombies, demonic babysitters.
Halloween might be months away yet, but it's always a good time to get a little spooky. If you're looking for a new horror movie to watch and Netflix is your streaming service of choice, you've come to the right place. Below, you will find 21 scary movies you can stream right now. We've got classics from Alfred Hitchcock and Steven Spielberg, sequels to beloved horror movie franchises like Halloween and Scream, and newer films like Pearl and Thanksgiving. Whether you want to be frightened by birds, sharks, mysterious creatures, or preppy men from the 1980s, there's something for you.
Jaws
Let's start off with a classic. Steven Spielberg's 1975 film Jaws will keep you on the edge of your seat. This one's better if you prefer suspense and thrills to jump scares and spooky stuff. But, obvs, it will be extra terrifying if you're afraid of sharks.
The Babadook
The Babadook is about a single mother and her son, who begin being tormented by The Babadook, a monster who they first come across in a very disturbing children's book. Btw, the Babadook is also an accidental gay icon!
Psycho
From the character of Norman Bates to the famous shower scene, Alfred Hitchcock's Psycho is one of the most iconic and influential horror movies of all time.
Pearl
Pearl is the second movie in Ti West's X trilogy. It's a prequel to the first movie, X, and again features Mia Goth as Pearl. (While Goth also plays Maxine in the first and third movies, that character is not included in this story.) It's essentially an origin story for the villain set decades before X and the third movie, MaXXXine.
Vampires vs. the Bronx
This one is exactly what it sounds like. A group of teens turn themselves into vampire hunters when the bloodsuckers suddenly appear in New York City borough the Bronx.
It Chapter Two
The first It movie isn't currently on Netflix, but if you've already seen it or read Stephen King's book, It Chapter Two is waiting for you to stream. The sequel is set nearly 30 years after the first movie and follows the kids from the original in their adult lives.
Halloween
Need a movie for Halloween? What's better than Halloween? Don't be confused, though: Currently streaming on Netflix is the 2018 movie Halloween, which is a sequel to the 1978 original, also titled Halloween. (This film ignores all of the many other Halloween movies.) Jamie Lee Curtis stars as Laurie Strode once again.
Thanksgiving
Or you can watch a movie called Thanksgiving on Halloween. This 2023 slasher film is about a town that is terrorized by a killer dressed as a pilgrim. I mean, what else would a horror movie titled Thanksgiving be?
Bird Box
Sandra Bullock stars in Bird Box as a woman trying to protect herself and two children from creatures who cause people to kill themselves by looking at them. So, they have to wear blindfolds as they attempt to navigate and survive in their highly dangerous world.
A Quiet Place Part II
Speaking of creatures who hunt humans using one of the five senses... A Quiet Place Part II continues the story of the Abbott family, who fight to stay alive amongst creatures who attack based on sound.
Evil Dead Rise
Evil Dead Rise is the fifth movie in the Evil Dead franchise, which began in 1981. If you haven't seen the other movies, that's okay. This one is a standalone story that's—like the others—about demonic possession.
The Birds
Another Hitchcock classic, The Birds is about birds—like, regular old birds you see out and about—suddenly banding together to attack people. It's silly and scary—especially if you have ornithophobia.
Gerald's Game
Based on a Stephen King story, Gerald's Game is about a woman who has to figure out how to survive after her husband dies from a heart attack after handcuffing her to a bed during a sexual experience. She begins suffering from hallucinations and struggles to determine what is reality and what isn't.
47 Meters Down: Uncaged
47 Meters Down: Uncaged is a standalone sequel to 47 Meters Down. Both films are about people who go scuba diving only to face the threats of sharks and dwindling oxygen tanks. As you can tell from the title, though, in the second movie, the divers aren't even in a cage. That seems smart!
World War Z
Are zombies your fave horror movie villains? Brad Pitt faces off against a zombie apocalypse in World War Z. He plays a United Nations investigator who travels around the world to figure out what the heck you do when the undead start attacking.
Zombieland
If you want your zombies with a side of comedy, check out Zombieland. Emma Stone, Woody Harrelson, Jesse Eisenberg, and Abigail Breslin star as an unlikely group who join up while traveling across the country to safety.
Scream
As with Halloween, Scream made things confusing by having a sequel that is also just called Scream. The 2022 movie is the fifth one in the franchise, and is about a group of teens who are targeted by the killer Ghostface due to their links to the murders featured the 1996 film.
The Ritual
The Ritual is about a group of friends who go on a hiking trip in Sweden only for things to go really wrong. Like, an ancient creature who requires human sacrifice levels of wrong.
Fear Street
Netflix released three movies based on the R.L. Stine book series Fear Street: Fear Street Part One: 1994, Fear Street Part Two: 1978, and Fear Street Part Three: 1666. Each of the films are about teens and their battle against a curse on their town that has lasted for centuries.
American Psycho
Christian Bale stars in American Psycho as the infamous character Patrick Bateman, an investment banker/serial killer. While the film is gory and disturbing, it's also a satirical take on banker bros of the 1980s.
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