From the otherworldly and supernatural to the vicious and macabre, the horror genre can be many shades and flavors … and they all bite. Whether you prefer the black-and-white silent-film creeps, creature features, or something more modern and close to home, there’s a horror movie for everyone — no matter what corner of the globe you turn to. For Netflix subscribers, a near-limitless trove of sinister flicks is right at your fingertips. With hundreds of genre offerings to choose from, the one difficult part is weeding through the layers of murk to find the gems. That’s where we come in. As experts on all things Netflix and horror, we’ve scoured the many pages of scary cinema to bring you this roundup of the best horror movies on Netflix this month. Settle in, turn the lights low, and prepare for terror.
Looking to get your scares elsewhere? We’ve curated guides to the best horror movies on Amazon Prime Video and the best horror movies on Hulu.
The Strangers (2008)
After a failed marriage proposal, Kristen (Liv Tyler) and James (Scott Speedman) attempt to make the best of their remote cabin getaway, a stay that comes with plenty of horrific interruptions after a knock at the door at 4 a.m. A mysterious woman asks for a friend who doesn’t live there, so James turns her away. But it was all a ruse to make sure someone was home, as soon after a trio of masked killers descends on the homestead. The Strangers leaves plenty to be imagined, as there’s never a clear motive for the murdering trope, making their deeds all the more dastardly. Featuring top-notch cinematography and a moody atmosphere that erupts from relationship quarrels into an all-out nightmare, The Strangers is a home invasion film done right.
Rotten Tomatoes: 48%
Stars: Liv Tyler, Scott Speedman, Gemma Ward
Director: Bryan Bertino
Rating: R
Runtime: 85 minutes
Underworld (2003)
It’s a war of vampires against werewolves in Len Wiseman’s Underworld. Starring Kate Beckinsale as Selene, a vampire and trained killer, the movie follows the huntress on her quest to protect a mortal doctor named Corvin (Scott Speedman) from Lucian, the merciless leader of the Lycans. When Corvin is bitten by a werewolf, it’s only a matter of time before he turns, forcing Selene to choose between her friendly connection with the physician and her duties as a Death Dealer. While not perfect by any means, Underworld delivers a gut-punching blend of night-laden action and horror that still kicks all these years later.
Rotten Tomatoes: 31%
Stars: Kate Beckinsale, Scott Speedman, Michael Sheen
Director: Len Wiseman
Rating: R
Runtime: 121 minutes
We Summon the Darkness (2019)
On their way to a heavy metal show, Alexis Butler (Alexandra Daddario) and her friends Val (Maddie Hasson) and Bev (Amy Forsyth) are harassed by a gang of mischievous boys. After a series of pranks, both parties become amicable, with the girls even suggesting that the pack of rascals follow them to an abandoned mansion. Well, in true horror fashion, things quickly go awry when it’s revealed that the girls are actually part of a Satanic cult known as the Daughters of the Dawn, and they’re looking for fresh sacrifices. An homage to ’80s slashers and cult films, We Summon the Darkness throws a number of genre tropes at the wall, with most sticking.
Rotten Tomatoes: 69%
Stars: Alexandra Daddario, Keean Johnson, Johnny Knoxville
Director: Marc Meyers
Rating: R
Runtime: 83 minutes
Army of the Dead (2020)
Zack Synder’s Army of the Dead finds the DC Comics auteur back in his horror stomping grounds (Synder’s breakout hit was 2004’s Dawn of the Dead remake). Set in a zombie-ravaged present day, the film follows Scott Ward (Dave Bautista), an ex-pat living on the fringes of a desolate Las Vegas. When handed the opportunity of a lifetime by casino magnate Bly Tanaka (Hiroyuki Sanada) — break into the quarantine zone to make off with a large surplus of cash before the city is nuked — the anti-hero assembles a wrecking team of hardened warriors and experts to carry out the heist with. A massively staged amalgamation of action and horror, the carnage is abundant and the story is rich for Synder’s return to the world of the undead.
Rotten Tomatoes: 70%
Stars: Dave Bautista, Ella Purnell, Omari Hardwick
Director: Zack Snyder
Rating: R
Runtime: 148 minutes
1BR (2019)
In writer-director David Marmor’s 1BR, Nicole Brydon Bloom stars as Sarah, a costume designer looking for solace. Securing a new residence in a peaceful apartment complex, Sarah’s new home is everything she dreamed of. That is until dreams become nightmares when the residents of the regal domicile reveal a sinister underbelly beneath the dotted lines of the lease. A gripping film with shades of the home invasion and siege sub-genres, 1BR is a smart and well-executed satirizing of cultish communities and the lengths folks will go to achieve a living paradise.
Rotten Tomatoes: 87%
Stars: Nicole Brydon Bloom, Giles Matthey, Taylor Nichols
Director: David Marmor
Rating: TV-MA
Runtime: 90 minutes
#Alive (2020)
When hordes of the undead have taken over, sometimes the only thing left to do is hole up and pray for better days. In #Alive, Yoo Ah-in stars as Oh Joon-woo, a stranded survivor of a zombie overtaking. Sanctioned off in his apartment and cut off from any kind of communication, all hope seems lost when Joon-woo discovers his family is gone. That is until a red dot from a laser pointer lands in his apartment. With the promise of another survivor nearby, Joon-woo picks himself up and attempts to find a way out of his hell-infested residence. Fast-paced, packed with gore, and gripping performances, #Alive unearths terrors in big and surprising ways through its hour-plus runtime.
Rotten Tomatoes: 88%
Stars: Yoo Ah-in, Park Shin-hye
Director: II Cho
Rating: TV-MA
Runtime: 98 minutes
The Clovehitch Killer (2018)
For 16-year-old Tyler Burnside (Charlie Plummer), life is all about finding a sense of belonging as a high school student in a town plagued by horrific memories of a relentless killer. Referred to as “The Clovehitch Killer,” the slasher murdered 10 women before disappearing without a trace. That is until Tyler discovers a series of photographs in his father’s possession that suggest the patriarch and The Clovehitch Killer may be one and the same. Featuring a haunting lead performance from Dylan McDermott as the father in question, The Clovehitch Killer takes a patient approach to its scares, weaving a portrait of unsettling scenes that slowly bleed into one another.
Rotten Tomatoes: 77%
Stars: Dylan McDermott, Charlie Plummer, Samantha Mathis
Director: Duncan Skiles
Rating: PG-13
Runtime: 110 minutes
Crimson Peak (2015)
Edith (Mia Wasikowska), the American heiress to a mighty family fortune, agrees to marry the elusive but charming Sir Thomas Sharpe (Tom Hiddleston). Whipped away to England, the bride spends her days roaming the ruinous halls of Allerdale Hall, her lofty husband’s decaying residence. After a series of horrific apparitions make themselves known to Edith, the young woman learns that her dashing groom may have a closet packed to the brim with skeletons and other horrific revelations. An exciting addition to the haunted house sub-genre, packed with exquisite visuals and terrifying ghosts, Crimson Peak is an unforgettable foray into a nightmarish mansion that only Guillermo del Toro could imagine.
Rotten Tomatoes: 73%
Stars: Mia Wasikowska, Jessica Chastain, Tom Hiddleston
Director: Guillermo del Toro
Rating: R
Runtime: 119 minutes
The Block Island Sound (2020)
When unexplained phenomena begin plaguing the island and surrounding waters of Block Island, Harry (Chris Sheffield), the son of a fisherman, and Audry (Michaela McManus), an Environmental Protection agent and Harry’s sister, are put on the trail of a mysterious and malevolent force. Premiering at the Fantasia International Film Festival, The Block Island Sound spends its time building a lush atmosphere of dread, a moody tone buttressed by believable performances from the main ensemble and tactful directing on the part of Kevin and Matthew McManus.
Rotten Tomatoes: 90%
Stars: Chris Sheffield, Michaela McManus, Matilda Lawler
Director: Kevin McManus, Matthew McManus
Rating: R
Runtime: 97 minutes
Insidious (2010)
When Dalton Lambert (Ty Simpkins) falls into a coma, his father Josh (Patrick Wilson) and mother Renai (Rose Byrne) seek medical care. Three months later, the couple brings Dalton home, only to be treated to a series of increasingly disturbing paranormal events. As it turns out, Dalton isn’t actually comatose but a victim of astral projection, trapped in a nether realm known as “The Further.” A fun stab at the haunted house sub-genre, Insidious is content with getting under your skin and making you jump. Formulaic as it may be at times, it’s a quality horror flick from the maestro of the macabre, James Wan (Saw, The Conjuring).
Rotten Tomatoes: 66%
Stars: Patrick Wilson, Rose Byrne, Lin Shaye
Director: James Wan
Rating: PG-13
Runtime: 101 minutes
Leprechaun (1993)
When Dan O’ Grady (Shay Duffin) gets his hands on a pot of leprechaun gold, little does the man know that the angry creature would follow him home. Using the power of a four-leaf clover to keep the three-foot terror at bay, O’ Grady falls victim to a stroke. Ten years later, J.D. Redding (John Sanderford) rents the O’ Grady farmstead. Spending the summer with his daughter Tory (Jennifer Aniston), hired hands of the family accidentally awaken the evil leprechaun from its clover-bound cell. It’s not Oscar fare by any means, but if you’re willing to unplug your mind, Leprechaun is a perfect film to disconnect with — if you’re into camp-cinema, that is.
Rotten Tomatoes: 27%
Stars: Warwick Davis, Jennifer Aniston, Ken Olandt
Director: Mark Jones
Rating: R
Runtime: 92 minutes
The Possession (2012)
Every family has its keepsakes. But when yours is a wooden box inscribed with horrific incantations and a whispering entity contained inside, it’s best to skip the next-gen and shoot straight for the incinerator. If only the Brenek family would have heeded this wisdom. In Ole Bornedal’s The Possession, Clyde Brenek (Jeffrey Dean Morgan) purchases an antique chest from a yard sale, an item his daughter Emily (Natasha Calis) becomes obsessed with. As supernatural events transpire, the mythic origins of the box are unearthed. A brooding piece of cinema, The Possession is no The Exorcist, but what it lacks in originality it more than makes up for with tone and atmosphere.
Rotten Tomatoes: 39%
Stars: Jeffrey Dean Morgan, Kyra Sedgwick, Natasha Calis
Director: Ole Bornedal
Rating: PG-13
Runtime: 91 minutes
The Conjuring (2013)
From Saw co-creator James Wan comes The Conjuring, an unnerving dive into supernatural territory. Based on a paranormal case study from real-life mediums Ed and Lorraine Warren (both deceased), The Conjuring begins when the Perron family moves into an antiquated Rhode Island farmhouse in 1971. As a series of disturbing events starts unfolding, the family turns to the Warrens (portrayed by Patrick Wilson and Vera Farmiga) for psychic assistance. When the duo arrives to quell the Perrons’ fears, their best efforts are soon challenged by the malevolent forces reigning over the ancient residence. John R. Leonetti’s cinematography is a full player here, creating a visual haunted house chiller like no other. Shadows loom, rooms feel too large, and one never feels safe. That’s grade-A horror photography.
Rotten Tomatoes: 86%
Stars: Patrick Wilson, Vera Farmiga, Ron Livingston
Director: James Wan
Rating: R
Runtime: 112 minutes
Before I Wake (2016)
Reeling from the death of their young son, Mark and Jessie (Thomas Jane and Kate Bosworth) decide to take in a foster child named Cody (Jacob Tremblay). When Cody tells his adoptees of his nighttime fears, the parents dismiss his terrors as nothing more than childlike wonder at play. But when Cody’s dreams start coming to life before the family’s eyes, what begins as a benign series of projections quickly devolves into horrific nightmare creatures that Mark and Jessie are forced to contend with. We’ve all seen horror flicks about kids dealing with their fears. What sets Before I Wake apart from the flock is its focus on the paternal point of view and emotional complexities of welcoming new love while stomaching grief.
Rotten Tomatoes: 64%
Stars: Thomas Jane, Kate Bosworth, Jacob Tremblay
Director: Mike Flanagan
Rating: PG-13
Runtime: 97 minutes
His House (2020)
A powerful debut from director Remi Weekes, His House follows Bol (Sope Dirisu) and Rial (Wunmi Mosaku), a South-Sudan couple fleeing their war-torn confines across the English Channel. Suffering a hardship on their way across the water, the pair are granted probational asylum in Britain. Settling into a shanty tenement unit, Bol does what he can to acclimate to U.K. culture as Rial clings to her Sudanian roots. When a series of haunting entities make themselves known to the couple, Bol and Rial begin to question their own sanity as they grapple with the torments and stigma of refugees. A well-balanced amalgamation of social commentary meets unsettling horror film, His House is an absolute must-see.
Rotten Tomatoes: 100%
Stars: Wunmi Mosaku, Sope Dirisu, Matt Smith, Cornell John
Director: Remi Weekes
Rating: R
Runtime: 93 minutes
Apostle (2018)
It’s 1905, and Thomas Richardson (Dan Stevens) is on a search-and-rescue mission for his own sister, Jennifer. Imprisoned and held for ransom by a religious cult on a remote Welsh island, Thomas journeys to the isle under the guise of a convert. After meeting with several cult members and learning of their less-than-lovely intentions, Thomas is plunged headfirst into a mad world of blood sacrifice and a dark mythos brought to life. Filled with nightmarish imagery, impressive acting, and a hearty story, Apostle is a breathtaking addition to the folk horror sub-genre.
Rotten Tomatoes: 78%
Stars: Dan Stevens, Lucy Boynton, Michael Sheen, Kristine Froseth
Director: Gareth Evans
Rating: R
Runtime: 129 minutes
Piercing (2018)
From writer/director Nicholas Pesce (The Eyes of My Mother), Piercing is an adaptation of the Ryü Murikami novel of the same name. Reed (Christopher Abbot) has been having a tough time at home. A husband and father with an urge to do something sinister, the family man hires a call girl so he can do the unthinkable to her. What Reed didn’t expect was Jackie, a cunning and unpredictable sex worker, a woman just as twisted and violent as her wannabe-murderer. What unravels is a wicked game of cat and mouse, with hard bets as to who will come out on top.
Rotten Tomatoes: 72%
Stars: Christopher Abbot, Mia Wasikowska, Laia Costa
Director: Nicholas Pesce
Rating: R
Runtime: 81 minutes
The Babysitter (2017)
Bee (Samara Weaving), the babysitter, and Cole (Judah Lewis), the preteen, are the ideal babysitting setup. The two get along great and really trust each other. That is until Cole, at the urging of a close friend, decides to stay up late to see what Bee does when the boy goes to bed. What Cole discovers is beyond anything he could ever imagine, as it turns out that Bee is part of a satanic cult that’s out for blood, and Cole is one of their next victims. A solid genre pic with homages to several camp classics of the ’80s, The Babysitter doesn’t break any horror boundaries, but fans of the genre will love the many hat-tips.
Rotten Tomatoes: 72%
Stars: Bella Thorne, Judah Lewis, Samara Weaving
Director: McG
Rating: R
Runtime: 85 minutes
The Bad Batch (2016)
In a mysterious potentially post-apocalyptic Texas wasteland, Arlen (Suki Waterhouse) finds herself completely alone and severed from civilization. As she fights for her survival, Arlen is captured by a band of cannibals led by Miami Man (Jason Momoa). Suddenly in more danger than she was before, Arlen must use every ounce of cunning to survive among the cannibals as she tries to make her way to someone she believes can save her, The Dream (Keanu Reeves). But goodness or badness is really all relative.
Rotten Tomatoes: 47%
Stars: Suki Waterhouse, Keanu Reeves, Jason Momoa
Director: Ana Lily Amirpour
Rating: R
Runtime: 118 minutes
Cam (2018)
Alice Ackerman (Madeline Brewer) works for FreeGirlsLive as a cam model, a job she’s quite attached to. Alice hides her employment from her mother and is obsessed with being a top-ranking performer on the site. After a date with one of her loyal cam followers, Alice attempts to log into her FreeGirls account, only to discover that her account is being used by a disturbed doppelganger of herself. As Alice attempts to unravel the mystery around her new foe, her own life and celebrity begin crashing down around her. Director Daniel Goldhaber’s electric erotica horror show is a macabre exploration of identity and exactly how much power we give to our digital selves and spaces.
Rotten Tomatoes: 93%
Stars: Madeline Brewer, Patch Darragh, Melora Walters
Director: Daniel Goldhaber
Rating: TV-MA
Runtime: 94 minutes
In the Tall Grass (2019)
Stephen King aficionados are sure to be thrilled by this 2019 adaptation of a 2012 novella he co-wrote with his son, Joe Hill. When siblings Becky and Cal (Laysla De Oliveira and Avery Whitted) make a pit stop on their road trip to their aunt’s house, the pair hears a boy named Tobin calling for help in a field of tall grass. The duo dips into the crop themselves, but soon find themselves at the center of a wicked plot involving Tobin, his parents, a grim time loop, and an ancient stone with potentially mystical properties, all within the never-ending rows of grass. A bit of a head-spinner, In the Tall Grass feels like an elongated (and much gorier) Twilight Zone episode. While some have argued that the film overstays its welcome, those in search of a King-flavored fable about literally losing against nature will be more than pleased with director Vincenzo Natali’s novella adaptation.
Rotten Tomatoes: 36%
Stars: Patrick Wilson, Laysla De Oliveira, Avery Whitted
Director: Vincenzo Natali
Rating: TV-MA
Runtime: 90 minutes
The Killing of a Sacred Deer (2017)
Heart surgeon Steven Murphy (Colin Farrell) has it all: A perfect family, a mansion, a luxury car, bourgeois friends, and an unpredictable, mentally imbalanced teenage protege. Martin (Barry Keoghan), the aforementioned troubled youth, is the estranged son of a man who died while under the knife of Dr. Murphy. We’re not sure exactly how Steven and Martin’s relationship began, but after a series of increasingly odd gestures from Martin, Steven tells him they should start meeting less. The next day, Steven’s son is suddenly paralyzed. After rushing him to the hospital, Steven is summoned by Martin once more, where over lunch, the teenage boy tells Steven he is responsible for his son’s condition, and that if Steven doesn’t kill a member of his own family, a sprawl of ailments will befall the rest of his clan.
From the dark, off-color, idiosyncratic mind of writer/director Yorgos Lanthimos (The Lobster, Dogtooth), The Killing of a Sacred Deer is a slow, hypnotic descent into a never-ending hell of bizarre tragedy, with knock-out performances from Farrell, Keoghan, and Nicole Kidman. Sacred Deer also keeps no secrets from us. We know who is causing the evil. We even know why. But the thrill and dread come from watching Martin’s plan slowly come to fruition.
Rotten Tomatoes: 80%
Stars: Colin Farrell, Nicole Kidman, Barry Keoghan
Director: Yorgos Lanthimos
Rating: R
Runtime: 119 minutes
Shutter (2004)
2004’s Shutter is a classic entry in the annals of Thai horror, a creeping ghost story with well-placed scares and a plot about karmic retribution. The film opens with Jane (Natthaweeranuch Thongmee) and her boyfriend, a photographer named Tun (Ananda Everingham), enjoying a night of drinking with Tun’s friends, but on their drive home the night takes a turn to tragedy when they hit a woman crossing a road in the dark. They drive off without checking on her, and Tun begins to notice strange distortions in the photos he takes, while Jane has ghastly visions of the woman they killed. For much of the film, Shutter is a straightforward ghost story, but its carefully executed scares and a few neat twists help it stand out from the crowd.
Rotten Tomatoes: 59%
Stars: Ananda Everingham, Natthaweeranuch Thongmee, Achita Sikamana
Director: Banjong Pisanthanakun, Parkpoom Wongpoom
Rating: R
Runtime: 95 minutes
I Am the Pretty Thing That Lives in the House (2016)
Writer/director Osgood Perkins’ I Am the Pretty Thing That Lives in the House is a chilling ghost story about a live-in nurse named Lily (Ruth Wilson) who is hired to care for an ailing horror author, Iris (Paula Prentiss). Taking residence in Iris’s historic New England manor, Lily starts experiencing paranormal events, leading her to question the elder Iris about the history of the house. Denying any kind of phenomena, Lily begins investigating the domicile herself, leading to a series of shocking discoveries and grim truths about the manor’s past. This is a fantastic piece of horror cinema that really drives home the “less-is-more” mindset of filmmaking. A big slow burn of a movie, I Am the Pretty Thing… relies on eerie sound design, lingering camera-work, and a moody score to effectively sell its scares.
Rotten Tomatoes: 58%
Stars: Ruth Wilson, Paula Prentiss, Bob Balaban
Director: Osgood Perkins
Rating: R
Runtime: 87 minutes
Gerald’s Game (2017)
Based on Stephen King’s 1992 thriller of the same name, Gerald’s Game was one of Netflix’s earliest successes in the original film game. This profound, provocative story follows a married couple, Jessie (Carla Gugino) and Gerald (Bruce Greenwood), on a weekend vacation to their lakeside cabin in hopes of reigniting their stagnating relationship. They decide to spice it up with some bondage but Gerald suffers a heart attack in the midst of passion, leaving Jessie handcuffed to the bed with nobody to free her. Bound and plagued by hallucinations of Gerald and of people from her past, Jessie struggles to free herself and suffers a psychological breakdown. Another fine output from director Mike Flanagan, of Hush (which is next up on our list) and Oculus fame, Gerald’s Game will get the blood pumping despite the story’s bottled setting.
Rotten Tomatoes: 91%
Stars: Carla Gugino, Bruce Greenwood, Henry Thomas
Director: Mike Flanagan
Rating: R
Runtime: 103 minutes
Hush (2016)
Mike Flanagan strikes again with the nail-biting Hush, a smart horror film that feels extra uncomfortable because the terror of the film seems like it could easily happen to anyone. Author Maddie Young (Kate Siegel) lives a quiet life in the wilderness with her cat — that is until a masked killer (John Gallagher Jr.) murders Maddie’s closest neighbor, and plans to knife Maddie next. What ensues is a uniquely horrific game of cat-and-mouse, as Maddie must fight for her life against the mysterious madman, a feat made 10 times more difficult because Maddie is deaf. Something the masked invader eventually learns. With Hush, Flanagan flips the killer sub-genre on its head, delivering a film filled with rapid-fire terrors both big and small, and a third act that will have you bound to the edge of your couch.
Rotten Tomatoes: 93%
Stars: John Gallagher Jr., Kate Siegel, Michael Trucco
Director: Mike Flanagan
Rating: R
Runtime: 87 minutes
Eli (2019)
Ciarán Foy, who brought us Citadel and Sinister II, directs Eli, a slow-burn creeper about an adolescent boy with a rare disease that makes him fall ill when exposed to the outdoors without protection (an ailment similar to the family and children from The Others). When his parents (Kelly Reilly and Max Martini) decide to take him to a remote medical facility, a converted mansion run by the outwardly pleasant Dr. Isabella Horn (Lili Taylor), all is well for some time. The boy, Eli (Charlie Shotwell), is glad to be rid of his intense protective gear, reveling in his newfound freedom. However, outside of his disease shield, supernatural events begin to mount, and Eli tries desperately to convince those around him that things within the house are quite amiss. Performances and atmosphere are top-notch in this Netflix original, which features shades of both The Others and The Omen.
Rotten Tomatoes: 48%
Stars: Charlie Shotwell, Lili Taylor, Max Martini
Director: Mike Flanagan
Rating: R
Runtime: 98 minutes
Under the Shadow (2016)
The Persian film Under the Shadow drew a lot of comparison to the 2014 film The Babadook, and it’s easy to see why. Both films follow mothers caring for troubled children while supernatural forces torment them. Under the Shadow begins during the war between Iran and Iraq in the ’80s. Shideh (Narges Rashidi), a former medical student who had to abandon her career after the theocratic government took power in the Iranian revolution, became a housewife, living with her husband, Iraj (Bobby Naderi), and their daughter Dorsa (Avin Manshadi) in an apartment in Tehran. When Iraj, a doctor, is sent to the field as part of the war effort, Shideh must care for Dorsa alone. After a missile strikes their building, Dorsa begins behaving strangely, convinced that a spirit is haunting the building, and as strange events unfold, Shideh must confront the possibility that something supernatural is happening. Under the Shadow is a moody movie, as much a study of Rashidi’s disenchanted housewife as it is an exercise in terror.
Rotten Tomatoes: 99%
Stars: Narges Rashidi, Avin Manshadi, Bobby Naderi
Director: Babak Anvari
Rating: PG-13
Runtime: 84 minutes
Creep (2014)
Found-footage horror may be a dying art form, yet one of the very few iterations of the genre is a Netflix must-see. Starring Mark Duplass as Josef and the film’s director, Patrick Brice, as its cameraman Aaron Franklin, Creep is a rare breed of horror filmography. Much like The Invitation, Creep takes a while to build momentum, yet still elicits many a cringeworthy experience throughout its entire runtime. Duplass is phenomenal as the oddball neighbor, evoking the perfect blend of comic relief and terror upon his every portrayal. Creep keeps viewers guessing from start to finish, and it’s not until the very end where the real story is brought to life in its most provocative and unsettling dimension. If the first just wasn’t enough, Netflix likewise has its terrifying sequel to get lost within.
Rotten Tomatoes: 89%
Stars: Mark Duplass, Patrick Brice
Director: Patrick Brice
Rating: R
Runtime: 80 minutes
Get In (2019)
The French horror-thriller Furie (Get In) may not feature any well-known Hollywood stars nor English-speaking dialogue, yet its chilling tale recreated from a Japanese short story is a must-see for every terror junkie. After arriving home from a cleansing family vacation, the Diallos are met by an out-of-place group of residents, whose way of life strays far too close to the disturbing. With an unseen clause written into their lease, which basically bars the police from assisting, the family must learn to live with their new house guests no matter how challenging their newly shared lives may become. Loosely based upon Kobo Abe’s Intruders, a short story in his compilation Beyond the Curve, Get In portrays an experience that is all too real and horrifying: Losing not only one’s living quarters, but also privacy and freedom.
Rotten Tomatoes: N/A
Stars: Adama Niane, Stéphanie Caillard, Paul Hamy
Director: Olivier Abbou
Rating: TV-MA
Runtime: 97 minutes
Pan’s Labyrinth (2006)
Despite not being explicitly horror, Guillermo del Toro’s dark fantasy classic still embodies the scare-tastic trope with relative ease. The Spanish storybook lookalike follows a young Ofelia (Ivana Baquero) in the process of moving with her pregnant mother into a large countryside mansion owned and operated by Captain Vidal (Sergi Lopez). The story uses real-world concepts, like the Falange political ideology and Spanish unrest, to evoke the burgeoning terror of its underlying narrative. In the process of unveiling the rebirth of Princess Moanna, Ofelia likewise challenges the tropes of belief and the mystical. Lost in the labyrinth of everyday life, Ofelia must come to grips with her destiny as the Underworld itself reaches out to bind her.
Rotten Tomatoes: 95%
Stars: Sergi López, Maribel Verdú, Ivana Baquero
Director: Guillermo del Toro
Rating: R
Runtime: 115 minutes
It Comes at Night (2017)
An unexpected hit that was projected to make anywhere between $7 million and $12 million upon its release, It Comes at Night captured viewers with intense fear, acquiring a global $19 million at the box office. It garnered immediate acclaim through the writing and directing of Trey Edward Shults, alongside spellbinding acting from Joel Edgerton and Kelvin Harrison Jr., whose role in the film earned him a nomination for Breakthrough Actor in the 2017 Gotham Independent Film Awards. It Comes at Night is not your average horror movie, escaping from jump scares and meaningless deaths to convey the nail-biting and heartbreaking reality of survival. It portrays the shared experiences of a family living deep in the woods following a zombie-like outbreak.
Rotten Tomatoes: 87%
Stars: Joel Edgerton, Christopher Abbott, Carmen Ejogo
Director: Trey Edward Shults
Rating: R
Runtime: 91 minutes
The Ritual (2017)
After the death of a close friend mere months before leaving on an expedition together, a group of four decide to make a ritual of the event by way of a hiking trip in Sweden. The getaway seems to serve its purpose with the four, Phil (Arsher Ali), Dom (Sam Troughton), Hutch (Robert James-Collier), and Luke (Rafe Spall), all coming together to mourn the loss of their dear friend. Things start to take a turn for the worse when Dom injures his leg and the four must then embark through an eerie forest that reeks of malcontent and evils unnamed. As the cyclical woodlands draw each party member further and further apart, the reality of their being followed becomes ever-more blatant. Can the expedition escape unharmed, or were they doomed from the very moment of their friend’s untimely demise?
Rotten Tomatoes: 73%
Stars: Rafe Spall, Robert James-Collier, Arsher Ali
Director: David Bruckner
Rating: TV-MA
Runtime: 94 minutes
Vampires vs. the Bronx (2020)
Have you ever realized that your neighborhood is no longer yours? Gentrification rears its ugly head in Vampires vs. the Bronx. And, as the title suggests, some literal bloodsuckers are literally killing the neighborhood while cleaning up on real estate prices. Miguel (Jaden Michael) already took up the call to save his neighborhood before learning that the undead were moving in. Once he knows the truth, Miguel aka “Lil Mayor” needs some help from his friends, Bobby Carter (Gerald W. Jones III) and Luis Acosta (Gregory Diaz IV), to take on the vamps. The film deftly mixes its horror with genuinely hilarious moments of comedy. The pop culture references are all very timely, and it’s one of the most enjoyable horror movies of the year.
Rotten Tomatoes: 95%
Stars: Jaden Michael, Gerald W. Jones III, Gregory Diaz IV
Director: Oz Rodriguez
Rating: PG-13
Runtime: 86 minutes
Wildling (2018)
A teenage girl named Anna (Bel Powley) spends most of her life trapped in an attic, put there by her “father,” Gabriel Hanson (Brad Dourif). But the real terror of Wildling begins once Anna is freed by Sheriff Ellen Cooper (Liv Tyler), who gives her a chance to live a normal life. Anna is far from normal, and she doesn’t exactly fit in with other kids her age. High school can be its own kind of horror story, but Anna’s physical and mental ordeals are on another level. There are secrets in her past that Anna simply can’t escape. And once the truth is out, Anna’s options rapidly dwindle. But this film’s twists are better left discovered by the viewer.
Rotten Tomatoes: 70%
Stars: Bel Powley, Brad Dourif, Liv Tyler
Director: Fritz Böhm
Rating: R
Runtime: 92 minutes
Sweetheart (2019)
J.D. Dillard directed and co-wrote Sweetheart, one of the best films to come out of Blumhouse. Kiersey Clemons gives a very strong performance as Jennifer “Jenn” Remming, a young woman who finds herself shipwrecked and alone on a seemingly deserted island. Unfortunately for Jenn, there’s something else with her on the island. Something monstrous. But is Jenn truly contending with a monster or is the real monster within her mind? In this tale of terror, Jenn’s past calls her credibility into question, but the chills and the scares are very rewarding. Clemons carries the movie from start to finish.
Rotten Tomatoes: 95%
Stars: Kiersey Clemons, Emory Cohen. Hanna Mangan-Lawrence
Director: J. D. Dillard
Rating: PG-13
Runtime: 82 minutes
Await Further Instructions (2018)
Await Further Instructions has proven to be a divisive film for critics and audiences, but it’s still an unsettling body horror story that unfolds on Christmas. It was already a tense occasion for the Milgram family. However, things take a turn for the worse when their entire house is surrounded by a black substance. The only guidance the family has is the instructions on the television telling them what to do next. Paranoia and fear take over as the Milgrams rely on the TV for any word as they unravel their family bonds one at a time.
Rotten Tomatoes: 80%
Stars: Sam Gittins, Neerja Naik, Abigail Cruttenden
Director: Johnny Kevorkian
Rating: TV-MA
Runtime: 82 minutes
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