The 14 Scariest Movies on Netflix Right Now
For more than a decade, Netflix’s streaming service has been a harbor for the dissemination of horror movies. It’s been host to indie darlings and silver screen legends alike and acted as a distributor for many prominent genre film directors. All this to say, it’s accumulated a catalog of truly terrifying original titles. Keep reading to discover the scariest movies on Netflix.
Can’t find what you’re looking for here? Check out our lists of the best horror movies on Hulu, Prime Video, and HBO or the best movies on Netflix across all genres.
Editor’s note: This article was updated April 2025 to include Talk to Me and Psycho.
Disclaimer: These titles are available on US Netflix.
‘Talk to Me’ (2022)
Rotten Tomatoes: 94% | IMDb: 7.1/10
- Release Date
-
July 28, 2023
- Runtime
-
94 minutes
- Director
-
Danny Philippou, Michael Philippou
- Writers
-
Danny Philippou, Bill Hinzman, Daley Pearson
Cast
This breakout horror hit from Danny and Michael Philippou follows a group of friends who meet up, drink, and — as teenagers do — conjure spirits with an embalmed hand. However, with the pressure of her peers affecting her, Mia (Sophie Wilde) takes things too far and unleashes hell on Earth. A visually gripping, nightmare-inducing horror movie with all the trimmings, Talk to Me landed its directors and stars with plenty of well-deserved newfound acclaim. From its first moment to its last, this is a film guaranteed to keep you gripped to the edge of your seat. – Jake Hodges
‘Psycho’ (1960)
Rotten Tomatoes: 97% | IMDb: 8.5/10
- Release Date
-
September 8, 1960
- Runtime
-
109 minutes
- Writers
-
Joseph Stefano, Robert Bloch
- Sequel(s)
-
Psycho 2
One of the best horror movies of all time, Alfred Hitchcock’s iconic Psycho follows Marion Crane (Janet Leigh), a secretary fleeing from her life after stealing $40,000. Sadly for her, she checks into the motel of one Norman Bates (Anthony Perkins), with her life immediately in danger. A shocking, violent horror that is unafraid of pulling the rug out from underneath its audience, Psycho is a rare early example of the genre that hasn’t missed a beat to this day. From Perkins’ chilling performance to the endlessly quotable dialogue, Psycho is a film everyone should watch once. – Jake Hodges
‘Malevolent’ (2018)
Rotten Tomatoes: 58% | IMDb: 4.8/10
Florence Pugh (Puss in Boots: The Last Wish) and Ben Lloyd-Hughes (Me Before You) star in Malevolent as a sibling team of ghost-busting scam artists. Directed by Olaf de Fleur Johannesson, Malevolent was written by Ben Ketai and Eva Konstantopoulos, who also wrote the novel on which the film is based. The movie follows these fake ghostbusters on an assignment that quickly spirals out of their control.
With mixed to positive reviews from critics, Malevolent may not be an instant horror classic, but it’s got some solid scares in store. Unsurprisingly, Pugh’s outstanding performance as one of the fake mediums in her paranormal investigator scam is flawless and a highlight of the terrifyingly eerie movie. The ideal film for haunted house fans, Malevolent is a delightfully scary, psychologically rousing horror flick.
‘Hellhole’ (2020)
Rotten Tomatoes: 57% | IMDb: 5.8/10
Hellhole
- Release Date
-
October 26, 2020
- Runtime
-
88 mins
- Director
-
Bartosz M. Kowalski
Cast
Directed by Bartosz M. Kowalski, who co-wrote the script with Mirella Zaradkiewicz, Hellhole is a terrifying Polish horror movie about uncovering the hauntingly dark secrets of a monastery. Set in 1987, the film stars Wojciech Niemczyk, Piotr Zurawski, and Olaf Lubaszenko and follows an investigation surrounding unexplained disappearances of residents, leading a young man to infiltrate the remote religious community and intending to explain the strange circumstances. As Hellhole’s plot unfolds, the inquirer must dive deeper into the tormented residents seeking treatment from the clergy housed within, cut off from society and the outside world.
Though it received mixed reviews from critics, Hellhole is an engaging, atmospheric movie with some good performances and a creepy narrative style. The film starts like a traditional possession film and then shifts gears as it enters progressively darker terrain. With a well-crafted story packed with terror, Hellhole is a great pick for fans of cult and religious horror.
‘Incantation’ (2022)
Rotten Tomatoes: 75% | IMDb: 6.2/10
- Release Date
-
July 8, 2022
- Runtime
-
110 Minutes
- Director
-
Kevin Ko
- Writers
-
Che-Wei Chang, Kevin Ko
-
Hsuan-yen Tsai
Li Ruo-nan
-
-
Ying-Hsuan Kao
Hsieh Chi-ming
-
Incantation is a found-footage film based on a real case of mass hysteria reported in Taiwan, where a family claimed they were possessed by various Chinese folk religion deities, resulting in the death of the eldest daughter. The fictionalized version follows Li Ronan (Tsai Hsuan-yen), who, after breaking a religious taboo, must save her young daughter from a deadly, ancient curse she accidentally unleashed. The film was directed by Kevin Ko, who also co-wrote the screenplay with Chang Che-wei.
Found footage is a genre staple, and Incantation capitalizes on the format to great effect. The highest-grossing horror movie in Taiwan when it came out, the film received positive reviews from critics and a number of awards. Creative and well-acted, Incantation offers up chilling supernatural scares.
‘The Platform’ (2020)
Rotten Tomatoes: 80% | IMDb: 7.0/10
The Platform is a Spanish sociological horror film directed by Galder Gaztelu-Urrutia. The film centers on a group of people living in a concrete tower – some as volunteers, others as punishment for a crime. Here, the people are fed via a platform that starts at the top of the building, with those living closest to the top getting as much food as they want and those at the bottom getting little to no food. The inhabitants are randomly switched every month, and the film explores the conflicts that arise within this system.
The Platform is one of the most inventive – not to mention disturbing – dystopian thrillers to come out in recent years. The story is tense and often gruesome, with its creative story and excellent performances making it a difficult yet extremely compelling watch. The film won the People’s Choice Award for Midnight Madness at the 2019 Toronto International Film Festival (where it had its premiere) and has received widespread acclaim from critics and viewers.
‘The Perfection’ (2018)
Rotten Tomatoes: 71% | IMDb: 6.2/10
- Release Date
-
May 24, 2019
- Runtime
-
90 minutes
- Director
-
Richard Shepard
- Writers
-
Eric C. Charmelo, Richard Shepard, Nicole Snyder
The Perfection is a twist-heavy horror film about classical musicians struggling to perfect their craft and be the best. Charlotte (Allison Williams) is a cellist who has returned to a prestigious music conservatory after leaving to care for her dying mother. While there, she befriends a new ingenue but does so in order to drug her and trick her into cutting her hand off, and things only get more twisted from there. Directed by Richard Shepard, who also co-wrote the screenplay with Nicole Snyder and Eric C. Charmelo, The Perfection stars Allison Williams, Logan Browning, and Steven Weber.
Anchored by its compelling performances, The Perfection received generally favorable reviews from critics. The film is bold and gory, though it can, at times, veer into silliness. But above all else, the movie is a gripping watch that’s well-acted,well-crafted, and thoroughly discomforting.
‘Apostle’ (2018)
Rotten Tomatoes: 78% | IMDb: 6.3/10
- Release Date
-
September 21, 2018
- Runtime
-
130 Minutes
- Director
-
Gareth Evans
- Writers
-
Gareth Evans
Set in an isolated island community, Gareth Evans’ folk horror film Apostle follows Thomas Richardson (Dan Stevenson) as he infiltrates the town seeking his kidnapped sister. He poses as one of the community, observing their peculiar traditions, rituals, and hardships, all while attempting to learn anything about his missing sibling.
Apostle is a Wicker Man-style slow burn with an explosive final act. Having received largely positive reviews from critics, it’s a well-crafted film that terrifies without succumbing to cliché. Evans’ eye for action creates some well-choreographed struggles rife with the tension of lethal consequences. Apostle is mysterious and fantastical in its narrative, critical of man’s attempts to control nature in its messaging. The film feels long, but the island setting and production design are so striking that it’s still captivating. It’s a rich, creative movie that would pair well with Crimson Peak as a double feature.
‘Cam’ (2018)
Rotten Tomatoes: 93% | IMDb: 5.9/10
- Release Date
-
November 10, 2018
- Runtime
-
94 minutes
- Director
-
Daniel Goldhaber
- Writers
-
Isa Mazzei, Daniel Goldhaber, Isabelle Link-Levy
Cam is a digital-age horror film directed by Daniel Goldhaber and written by Isa Mazzei. The movie stars Madeline Brewer as Alice, aka Lola, a camgirl trying to make her way up the leaderboards. However, she soon finds that her account has been hijacked, with the appearance of her face, body, home, and accessories mysteriously replicated. The story is partly inspired by Mazzei’s own experiences with camming and features Patch Darragh, Melora Walters, Devin Druid, and Michael Dempsey in supporting roles.
Cam premiered at the 2018 Fantasia International Film Festival and has received rave reviews from critics. While its thriller narrative is unsettling enough, the movie succeeds at making Alice’s day-to-day life terrifying as well. Stigma, stalkers, and the risk of exposure create vulnerability and tension throughout the movie. Despite framing itself around sex work and the online erotic webcam community, Cam‘s primary commentary concerns identity and digital presence. It’s a sort of monkey’s paw story wrapped in a doppelganger narrative and set in a contemporary forum. It’s scary, it’s provocative, and for the best viewing experience, it probably shouldn’t be watched with family present.
‘Creep’ (2014)
Rotten Tomatoes: 91% | IMDb: 6.3/10
Creep is a found-footage film about a videographer hired to film a dying man’s message to his unborn son. Aaron, the videographer played by director and co-writer Patrick Brice, begins to suspect Josef (Mark Duplass) isn’t terminally ill but possibly dangerously demented. Brice and Duplass also co-wrote the story, and the film was Brice’s directorial debut.
A critically acclaimed film, Creep is an intimate, close-quarters thriller. Duplass plays quite the predator with his eerie and disturbing performance. It’s a two-man show, with the writers starring as the only characters in this uncomfortable, unnerving picture. The film’s tendency toward intimate terror over large set pieces is what helps make it so distinct, much like fellow docu-style horror film The Blair Witch Project. A sequel, Creep 2, was released in 2017, and a third movie is currently in development.
‘Don’t Listen’ (2020)
Rotten Tomatoes: 63% | IMDb: 6.1/10
Don’t Listen
- Release Date
-
July 24, 2020
- Runtime
-
1 hr 37 min
Cast
Directed by Ángel Gómez Hernández in his feature debut, Don’t Listen is a spooky Spanish haunted house movie that starts with a boy (Rodolfo Sancho) confessing to a social worker that he’s hearing disembodied voices in his new home. The nightly whispers through his walkie-talkie compel and confuse him until his family can no longer ignore that something is wrong. Investigations into the property reveal a grim history that hints at what torments all those who dwell there.
Generally well-received by critics, Don’t Listen follows many of the same beats audiences familiar with the haunted house genre would expect. However, it’s the execution that elevates the film to a higher status; its consistent color application, symmetry in the opening and closing shots, and boldness in character expenditure all make the film an engaging and well-crafted watch.
‘Gerald’s Game’ (2017)
Rotten Tomatoes: 91% | IMDb: 6.5/10
- Release Date
-
September 29, 2017
- Runtime
-
104 minutes
- Producers
-
D. Scott Lumpkin, Matt Levin, Trevor Macy
Mike Flanagan’s first Stephen King adaptation, the captive thriller Gerald’s Game, stars Carla Gugino (The Haunting of Hill House) as Jessie, whose husband, Gerald (Bruce Greenwood), suffers a heart attack during some unexpectedly kinky sex games she neither planned for nor wanted, leaving her handcuffed to a bed with no way to get free. Events escalate as Jessie struggles to survive and signal for help while handcuffed to an immovable wooden bed frame. Tormented by imaginary confrontations and repressed memories as her time isolated ticks on, Jessie realizes that she is the only person who can save her. Flanagan directed and edited the film and also co-wrote the screenplay with Jeff Howard.
Critically acclaimed and popular with audiences, Gerald’s Game is one of the most well-rounded films on this list, with poignant performances, contrasting colors, and genuinely horrific hallucinations and special effects. The pain of the martial strain between Jessie and Gerald and the trauma of Jessie’s past evoke feelings that are hard to digest — especially combined with the anxiety of watching a helpless woman squirm for her life.
‘His House’ (2020)
Rotten Tomatoes: 100% | IMDb: 6.5/10
Written and directed by Remi Weeks in his feature debut, His House stars Wunmi Mosaku (Lovecraft Country) and Sope Dirisu (Gangs of London) as a married couple seeking asylum in England after fleeing South Sudan that is plagued by the curses of a “night witch.” The film also stars Matt Smith, Javier Botet, and Emily Taaffe.
His House premiered at the 2020 Sundance Film Festival to overwhelmingly positive reviews. The film’s depiction of a couple’s attempts to assimilate into the country, facing horrors both supernatural and bureaucratic, is as terrifying as it is moving. Slick editing and special effects create jaw-dropping, eye-popping, emotionally devastating moments that punctuate the themes and plot of the picture. It’s a bleak story that depicts the struggle to conform, relate, and grow in the wake of trauma.
‘The Ritual’ (2018)
Rotten Tomatoes: 74% | IMDb: 6.3/10
Based on Adam Nevill’s 2011 novel of the same name, The Ritual was directed by David Bruckner and written by Joe Barton. After losing someone in a senseless killing, four friends go on a hiking trip in the Swedish wilderness that slowly but surely turns dangerous as they become aware of an evil presence in the woods. The film stars Rafe Spall, Arsher Ali, Robert James-Collier, Paul Reid, and Sam Troughton.
The Ritual premiered at the 2017 Toronto International Film Festival and received largely positive reviews from critics. If there’s anything the film hammers home, it’s that helplessness can be as horrifying as isolation, and that’s a recurring theme in the movie. It establishes the threat of something in the woods early on but respects that the unknown is more horrifying than the observable — a fact that elevates this pseudo-creature feature to a higher level.
