The Scariest Horror Movies on Netflix

“The Witch”

What’s scarier than a board game? Witchcraft. Robert Eggers, who would go on to direct hits like “Nosferatu” and “The Lighthouse,” first burst onto the scene with the 2015 indie “The Witch.” The film also marked the big debut of Anya Taylor-Joy, who plays a young woman living in 1630s New England whose family is plagued by misfortune, seemingly at the hands of an actual witch. The extreme realism of the film — this is a period piece that looks and feels like it was shot in the 17th Century — only adds to the terror, as it makes the scares that much more tangible. – Adam Chitwood

“The Ring”

“The Ring” terrified an entire generation when it was released in 2002, but if you’ve somehow never seen Gore Verbinski’s excellent supernatural horror film, do yourself a favor and check it out — just maybe keep the lights on. A remake of a Japanese horror film, the film revolves around a VHS tape (remember those) that, if you watch it, you will die in seven days. Naomi Watts plays a journalist trying to track down the origins of the tape while time is of the essence. It’s atmospheric, creepy and features several all-timer jump scares. – Adam Chitwood

“Ouija: Origin of Evil”

Once upon a time, “The Haunting of Hill House” and “Doctor Sleep” filmmaker Mike Flanagan made a prequel to the “Ouija” movie that was actually kind of great. The 2016 release “Ouija: Origin of Evil” takes place in 1967 Los Angeles and follows a young widow (Elizabeth Reaser) who works with her daughters as a medium out of her suburban home. When a Ouija board is introduced to the family, the youngest daughter becomes possessed. The film is chock full of great scares but also has Flanagan’s knack for emotion built into it, resulting in something far scarier, better and more compelling than Blumhouse’s original “Ouija” movie (which you definitely do not have to have watched to enjoy this one). – Adam Chitwood

“Psycho”

If you’re looking to watch a scary movie for Halloween, why not pick a classic? Alfred Hitchcok’s “Psycho” still holds up 60 years later, as the tale of Norman Bates and his murderous goings-on at the Bates Motel works not just because of its story, but how its told. Hitchcock wasn’t deemed the “Master of Suspense” for nothing, and if you cozy up with a blanket and bowl of popcorn this makes for a terrific night in. – Adam Chitwood

“The Texas Chain Saw Massacre”

An OG of screen horror, 1974’s “Texas Chain Saw Massacre” is a macabre portrait of depraved humanity. A bus full of travelers ends up running afoul of an inbred family in the middle of nowhere Texas, and chaos ensues. Tobe Hooper’s independent film came out at a time of intense turmoil in the U.S. and reflected the fears and anxieties of many, as well as the pessimistic outlook on humanity itself. It’s a classic for a reason. – Adam Chitwood

“The Black Phone” and “Black Phone 2”

Both “Black Phone” movies are streaming on Netflix right now, and they’re both pretty scary! The first one takes place in 1978 and follows a young boy who is abducted by a serial killer known as The Grabber (Ethan Hawke). The boy attempts to work his way out of the killer’s basement, using a phone that allows him to speak with other boys who were abducted and killed. The sequel… well I can’t say much without spoiling the first film, but it’s a snow-set follow-up that expands on the story of the first film in a unique way. Both movies are directed by “Sinister” filmmaker Scott Derrickson. – Adam Chitwood

“Apostle”

An underrated original horror selection on Netflix, “Apostle” sends Dan Stevens to a remote island where he sets out to rescue his sister from a religious cult and discovers, of course, horrors beyond imagination. It’s folk horror homage in the tradition of “The Wicker Man” that veers from act to act into more extreme, unknown and viscera-slinging territory with each new reveal. I’m not sure why “Apostle” flies so far under the radar – perhaps it was too much of a detour from what film fans wanted to see next from “The Raid” director Gareth Evans, but if you’re a fan of creepy, culty folk horror, give this one a try. – Haleigh Foutch

“The Ritual”

The less you know about “The Ritual” going in the better. Directed by David Bruckner (“The Night House”), the film begins with four friends who embark on a hiking trip in Sweden to honor their recently deceased friend. They take a shortcut and stumble upon an abandoned cabin full of cult-like objects. And then… well it’s better if you just experience it yourself, but this movie takes a number of twists and turns that are at turns shocking and horrifying. Plus it’s got Rafe Spall (“The English”), who is a joy. – Adam Chitwood

“Fear Street” Trilogy

When the “Fear Street” trilogy was released on Netflix in 2021, it blurred the line between television and movies. What was meant to be a series of films, each released a month apart, became, thanks to corporate mergers and the ongoing pandemic, a three-week streaming event, with a new movie released each week. Inspired by the R.L. Stine book series of the same name and directed by Leigh Janiak, “Fear Street Part One: 1994” was a supernaturally tinged ‘90’s slasher, and could have been released alongside “Scream” or “I Know What You Did Last Summer” seamlessly. “Part Two: 1978” was a phantasmagoric. fun-as-hell campfire tale, set at a summer camp (think “Sleepaway Camp” and “Friday the 13th”); and “Part Three: 1666” was a full-on historical witch story, which uncovers the curse we were introduced in the first film (with many of the same actors playing different characters). It’s an overwhelming amount of fun, elegantly directed by Janiak and brightly performed by a host of super talented young actors. Quite frankly we should have had a new “Fear Street” movie – or three – each year since. – Drew Taylor

“Gerald’s Game”

By now, horror fans know what to expect from Mike Flanagan – rich, emotional stories of trauma and survival, fused at the root with tales of terror; a first-rate cast and rotating company of familiar faces (and excellent Carla Gugino performances, on that note); tall, skinny, creepy-ass, ghoul-faced men. “Gerald’s Game” has it all, along with the best of what Stephen King is known for, while we’re at it. Long considered one of King’s “unadaptable” works, “Gerald’s Game” follows Jessie (Gugino); a woman left handcuffed to a bed in a remote cabin, with no help on the way, after her husband dies of a heart attack during a disturbing sexual encounter. Stuck with no food or water and only herself to rely on, Jessie has to find her way out and work through some deeply buried childhood grief in the process. Doesn’t that sound scary? This film is responsible for the loudest screams I’ve ever heard from the famously steel-stomached Fantastic Fest crowd. – Haleigh Foutch

“Day Shift”

In “Day Shift” Jamie Foxx plays a blue-collar vampire slayer hunting for undead ghouls in the San Fernando Valley. Of course, he’s been locked out of the vampire hunter guild (he’s desperate to get back in for the benefits) and is saddled with a dweeby auditor (Dave Franco) who accompanies him on his pursuit. And wouldn’t you know it, he stumbles upon a vast vampire conspiracy? “Day Shift” is a high octane, very R-rated action/horror/comedy hybrid, directed by stuntman and second unit director J.J. Perry and co-written by Shay Hatten, Shane Black’s protégé and a veteran of Zack Snyder’s “Army of the Dead” and the last two “John Wick” chapters. With a winning supporting cast (that includes “Ahsoka” standout Natasha Liu Bordizzo, Snoop Dogg, Meagan Goode and Peter Stormare) and elaborate, inventively staged action set pieces, “Day Shift” offers some much needed fun, harkening back to whatever your favorite 1980’s horror movie was. (You can feel the influence of everything from “Dead Heat” to “The Lost Boys.”) And who doesn’t want to watch Jamie Foxx kill vampires in the San Fernando Valley? – Drew Taylor

“The Perfection”

Just be warned: this movie is insane. Also, the more you know about the movie, the less fun it is to watch. With all of that in mind, “The Perfection” is one of the best Netflix original horror movies (Netflix actually picked it up from Miramax after it premiered at Austin’s genre film festival Fantastic Fest). Here’s what you should know: Allison Williams and Logan Browning are music students and cellists whose rivalry reaches a truly dangerous tenor. And Steven Weber is their tough-as-nails headmaster. “The Perfection” was directed by Richard Shepard, who made “The Matador” and helmed episodes of “Girls.” And the music is from Paul Haslinger, a member of Tangerine Dream. That’s all you need to know. Now go. Watch “The Perfection.” And have the time of your life. You can come back here and thank us afterwards. – Drew Taylor

“Hold the Dark”

“Hold the Dark” might not explicitly be a horror movie but it’s plenty horrific. And it’ll have you on the edge of your seat, no matter where you’re sitting. Riley Keough plays a woman whose child was taken by wolves. She calls on a wolf expert (Jeffrey Wright) to track down the wolves. But in doing so she embroils him in an extremely unnerving mystery. With a supporting cast that also includes James Badge Dale, Alexander Skarsgård and Macon Blair (who also wrote the screenplay), this is a pitch black ride into the heart of darkness. Director Jeremy Saulnier, whose previous film was the similarly sort-of horror movie “Green Room,” knows how to expertly push the tension to an almost unbearable degree and is unafraid to shatter taboos along the way. This feels like the kind of movie that would, if it had been released traditionally, be a certifiable cult classic by now. But since it debuted on Netflix it has been lost in the fog of the algorithm. But it’s never to late to discover the violent, unapologetically bleak “Hold the Dark.” It’s howlingly great. – Drew Taylor

“In the Shadow of the Moon”

“In the Shadow of the Moon” combines many genres into one intoxicating stew. But horror is the genre that is most apparent, at least initially. Again: the more you know about this odd, engaging movie from Jim Mickle, one of the most exciting genre filmmakers working today day, the less effective the magic trick becomes. But it’s safe to say that the movie begins in 1988, with detectives (Boyd Holbrook and Bokeem Woodbine) investigating a series of puzzling deaths. Nine years later they encounter a series of similar murders that seem to be the work of the same serial killer from before. And from there things get really strange. Mickle’s mastery of tone and pacing makes “In the Shadow of the Moon” fly by, with even its most audacious leaps seeming perfectly logical, even necessary. And thanks to the committed cast (which also includes Michael C. Hall, Cleopatra Coleman and Rachel Keller), even the movie’s strangest elements are grounded in a solid emotional bedrock. There’s really nothing else on Netflix like “In the Shadow of the Moon.” There might not be anything like it anywhere, really. – Drew Taylor