Scare yourself silly with these frightening titles available to watch tonight.
Naturally, as soon as we felt the first bite of fall in the air, our attention turned immediately to the spooky. As crisp leaves and changing colors take us deeper into autumn and closer to Halloween, there’s nothing we love more than curling up on the couch (with all the lights turned off, obviously) and scaring ourselves out of our wits with a perfect horror movie. Ghosts, ghouls, zombies, serial killers — we’ll watch them all (as long as they’re on our TV screen and not hiding beneath our bed, of course).
If bingeing TV is your happy place, you’ll love these 15 shows like American Horror Story or these classic Halloween episodes, which bring nonstop thrills, chills, and laughs in every episode. But while the golden era of streaming has blurred the line between TV and film more than ever before, sometimes what you want is specifically a movie — one self-contained story, told from beginning to end over the span of two hours or so.
We also know you want to avoid the confusion of trying to track down titles on different streaming services, so we’re keeping things easy. Below you’ll find a whole host of spooky stories that are guaranteed to quicken your pulse, and they’re all available to stream on Netflix right now. So pop some popcorn, grab your most comforting security blanket, and settle in for a fantastic night of frights fueled by the best horror movies on Netflix for Halloween and beyond.
10 Best Horror Movies on Netflix Right Now
Resident Evil
In this classic, Milla Jovovich stars as Alice, who’s working to clean up a batch of zombies created by biotech chemicals. If sci-fi thriller with a bunch of action and special effects (albeit a little outdated) is your style, Resident Evil is right up your alley.
It’s What’s Inside (out Oct. 4)
If your idea of a great horror flick is something super trippy and psychedelic, mark your calendars for the release of this film festival darling. In It’s What’s Inside, a well-meaning gathering among friends descends into an existential nightmare when an estranged friend arrives with a mysterious game that awakens long-hidden secrets, desires, and grudges.
Deliverance
A film directed by Lee Daniels, starring Mo’Nique, Glenn Close, and Omar Epps? Yes, please. In Deliverance, a family living in a home in Indiana discovers strange, demonic occurrences that convince them and the community that the house is a portal to hell.
Fear Street
Based on the books of the same name by horror master R. L. Stine, Fear Street is actually a trilogy of movies, each one named for the year in which it takes place: 1994, 1978, and 1666. As indicated by the long gaps between those points in time, the movies follow teenagers who seek to break a troubling curse that’s been plaguing their town for hundreds of years. Taking place in settings ripe for visually arresting frights (a mall, a summer camp, an early American settlement), these movies are just as much fun as you remember Fear Street being when you read it in your childhood bedroom late at night.
Cam
Madeleine Brewer (who you know from The Handmaid’s Tale) stars in this film about a cam girl who makes money with provocative online performances. One day, she wakes up to find a doppelganger has taken over her account, and the lookalike is willing to go further than she ever was. As she struggles to understand what’s happening to her, the film tells a spellbinding story about the unsettling experience of watching yourself do things you can’t control — and how the digital identities we create online can spin out of our grasp.
Before I Wake
After their son dies in a tragic accident, two parents take in a boy from foster care. They imagine caring for him will help them heal and channel the love they can’t give their son, but things take a dark turn when it becomes clear he brings with him dangerous supernatural abilities. As the boy’s frightening dreams begin to haunt the entire house, sleeping becomes the most frightening thing of all, and the entire family is trapped in a nightmare that brings their most painful memories and fears to the surface.
Run Rabbit Run
Sarah Snook — of the acclaimed HBO series Succession — stars in this tense thriller as a fertility doctor with a precocious young daughter. Things go awry, however, when the young girl begins recalling details from a past life. Tune in if you have a soft spot for creepily all-knowing children.
Things Heard & Seen
In this classic haunted house story, a young Manhattan couple moves to an idyllic home in the Hudson Valley. As they set up house and become integrated into their new college town, they realize that their marriage isn’t as perfect that it seems. And the house (as any good haunted house should) responds to the discord in their marriage with some troubling antics of its own.
We Have a Ghost
While horror movies are rightfully known for chilling our spines, we’re also excited for the ones that make us laugh. In this side-splitting horror comedy, Kevin and his family move into an old house in a new town. When Kevin and his family quickly realize that their home is occupied by a ghost named Ernest, Kevin’s household becomes a social media sensation. But when Ernest and Kevin try to uncover the mystery of Ernest’s past, the CIA (seriously, that CIA) quickly interferes.
The Silence
Did you love the seminal horror film A Quiet Place? If you couldn’t get enough of the concept, this one’s for you. Ally Andrews (Kiernan Shipka) lost her hearing at a young age; when the earth comes under attack from a race of aliens who hunt humans by sound, Ally and her family escape to a remote hamlet. But in the small town, they encounter a strange cult who are intent on using Ally’s heightened senses to their own advantage. Stanley Tucci stars as Ally’s stoic father.
Little Evil
If you’re skimming this list for more comedy finds, we’ve got you. Gary (Adam Scott) has just gotten married to his dream wife, Samantha (Evangeline Lilly). The only problem? Gary’s new stepson, Lucas, is a little…evil. As Gary tries to bond with Lucas, one or two telling context clues lead Gary to deduce that Lucas is, in fact, the son of Satan. Laughs ensue.
Texas Chainsaw Massacre (2022)
If you’re a fan of the original Texas Chainsaw Massacre, you owe it to yourself to catch this reboot before spooky season ends. A group of idealistic young friends relocate to a small Texas town, intent on remaking it in their image. Unbeknownst to them, however, they soon earn the ire of Leatherface, who doesn’t appreciate their presence.
Woman of the Hour (out 10/18/24)
An aspiring movie star crosses paths with a prolific serial killer in 1970s LA when they’re both cast on an episode of The Dating Game. Think this is spooky-season fiction? The film is actually based on a true story. Talk about creepy.
