Time to turn down the lights and turn up the terror.It’s Halloween, which means it’s time for all those Pumpkin Kings and Queens (and everyone in between) to tap into their scary side of All Hallows Eve. Sometimes you want something spooky, sometimes you want something silly, but if you’re looking for something scary, you’ve come to the right place.
We’ve combed through theNetflixhorror library and put together a list of the scariest movies and TV shows you can watch on the streaming service right now. From the classics likeThe Twilight Zoneto this year’s most spine-chilling original seriesMarianneandKingdom, Netflix’s spooky series offerings are definitely on point. And you’ve got plenty to look forward to in the realm of films too. If you’re looking for something brand new, check out Netflix’s latestStephen KingriffIn the Tall Grass, or take a look at some of thebest horror movies of the decadewithThe ConjuringandTrain to Busan.
Whether you’re looking for witches or zombies, ghosts or masked killers, we’ve got a little bit of something for everyone. We’ve even thrown in someslightlymore accessible scares likeAmerican Horror StoryandThe Babysitterfor folks who aren’t ready for full-on terror. But if you’re not sure what to watch on Netflix for Halloween, we’ve got you covered with the highlights below.
Movie: In the Tall Grass
Director:Vincenzo Natali
Writers:Vincenzo Natali, Stephen King & Joe Hill (novella)
Cast:Laysla De Oliveira, Avery Whitted, Patrick Wilson, Will Buie Jr., Harrison Gilbertson
Netflix has tapped into the well that isStephen Kingin a big way. But with the adaptation ofIn the Tall Grass, they’ve also got a handle on the next generation of horror authors withJoe Hill. The premise is simple: Passersby are called into a vast field of tall grass by people pleading for help, only to be unable to find their way back out again. But since this is a King & Son joint, abject horror obviously waits for them among the greenery…
In her reviewof the new Netflix adaptation, our ownHaleigh Foutchcalled the feature film “ambitious, imaginative, and artfully presented, taking King and Hill’s contained short and transforming it to a more expansive, sometimes confounding universe of horrors.In the Tall Grassdoesn’t always work, but when it does, it’s compelling and gorgeous, and yet another film on the Netflix roster I wish more people had an opportunity to see in theaters.” That’s more than enough reason to add it to your watch-list today.- Dave Trumbore
TV Show: The Haunting of Hill House
If you want to binge-watch some straight-up terror, you can’t go wrong withMike Flanagan’s 2018 sensation,The Haunting of Hill House– not to mention, it’ll get you prepped for Flanagan’s signature trauma-fueled horror inDoctor Sleep. TheHushandGerald’s Gamefilmmakerdelivers his most ambitious Netflix project yet (and that’s really saying something when you’re talking about someone who successfully adaptedGerald’s Game) with the gorgeous, grueling horror series.
Inspired byShirley Jackson’s seminal ghost story, the series carries over almost none of Jackson’s narrative (though occasionally too much of her prose), and focuses instead on the haunted lives of the withering Crain family. Bouncing back and forth between the summer the Crain’s spent in the titular haunted mansion and the years of grief and family trauma they endured in the aftermath. Flanagan has proven in previous works that he’s got a knack for upsetting visuals and well-composed scares, but his great success inThe Haunting of Hill Houseis the way he ties the scares into a rich, intertwining tale of family tinged with tragedy. Led by a spectacular ensemble, the series veers between emotional revelation and moments of horror that give you full-body chills. It’s the most moving and honest portrayal of mortality and grief this side ofSix Feet Under, but it’ll give you a whole lot more nightmares. –Haleigh Foutch
Movie: Scream
It’s said thatWes Cravenre-defined horror three times in his career; first with his 1972 exploitation horrorLast House on the Left, then with his 1984 slasher game-changerA Nightmare on Elm Street, and finally with 1996’s meta-slasher sensationScream. Working from a razor-sharp script by 90s teen scream kingKevin Williamson(who also pennedThe FacultyandI Know What You Did Last Summer, as well as punch-ups onHalloween: H20,) Craven perfected the self-aware horror he first employed in 1994’sNew Nightmare.
With a masked killer on the loose, the students of Westboro High School find themselves the targets, leaving Sidney Prescott (Neve Campbell) and her group of friends to defend themselves from the slasher terrorizing their quiet California town. From Craven’s brutal,Pyscho-inspired opening scene to the outrageously bloody and tense finale massacre,Screamis one of the all-time horror greats, written with a deep love and knowledge for the genre and directed by one of the legends. Many tried to imitate the alchemy of Craven’s hit in the wave of subsequent films it inspired, but few have ever come close. –Haleigh Foutch
TV Show: Stranger Things
If you’re looking for Big Halloween Energy, you’re able to’t go wrong with the second season, but no matter where you clock into Netflix’s monster-fueled coming-of-age throwback, you’re gonna get that dose of nostalgic spooky magic you’re looking for. Netflix’s out-of-nowhere hitStranger Thingsis the perfect antidote for anyone who is longing for the things that gave them chills and thrills as a kid.
Inspired heavily by the many works of the two Master Steves—Spielberg and King—with a pinch ofJohn Carpenter,Wes Craven, andRidley Scottthrown in for good measure, the Duffer Bros’ series takes place in the fictional small town of Hawkins, Indiana in the 1980’s. What starts as a typical nights of Dungeons & Dragons for bike-ridin’ misfit crew Mike (Finn Wolfhard), Dustin (Gaten Matarazzo), Lucas (Caleb McLaughlin), and Will (Noah Schnapp) turns into a saga of demons, alternate dimensions, and a telepathic little girl named Eleven (Millie Bobby Brown) thanks to the shady Hawkins National Laboratory on the outskirts of town.
What could have easily been a random hodge-podge of Easter Eggs and homages developed into a story with a real beating heart thanks, mostly, to a fantastic young cast that also includesNatalie Dyeras Nancy Wheeler and hair iconJoe Keeryas Steve Harrington. But Hawkins’ adults are no slouches;Winona Ryderis a chain-smoking revelation as Joyce Beyers andDavid Harbouris the GIF that keeps on giving as Sheriff Jim Hopper. –Vinnie Mancuso
Movie: Insidious
Blumhouse Productions may have launched their “micro-budget for maximum success” model of filmmaking with 2009’s franchise-starterParanormal Activity, but it was 2010’sInsidiousthat showed that the horror film’s success wasn’t a fluke. Now, almost 10 years later, that franchise-starter in its own right is available to watch on Netflix, of all places.
AsChris Cabinwrote in our rundown of thebest haunted house movies, “the crowning achievement ofJames Wan‘s fascinating filmmaking career thus far,Insidiouspacks on its roaming, fluid shots with endless amounts of tension and bursts of nightmarish nonsense. It’s one of those rare ghost tales that uses color with almost percussive attention, most notably in the bright red streaks of the man with the long, sharp nails…” It’s a welcome addition to the canon of horror films that deal with possession of children and spookified houses. –Dave Trumbore
TV Show: Chilling Adventures of Sabrina
The first season of this one, in particular, is absolutely brimming with spooky Halloween spirit. A dark new spin on the beloved comic/90s TV icon Sabrina the Teenage Witch,Chilling Adventures of Sabrinapulls from the recent comics run, re-imagining Sabrina as a righteous half-human born into a stifling, Satan-worshiping coven. While the teenage drama doesn’t always land (especially when it comes to the human half of the series,) but whenChilling Adventureshones in on The Academy of Unseen Arts and the institutions of its most powerful witches and warlocks, it treads into sumptuous, fascinating territory with surprisingly sharp insights on faith, church, and how they can be twisted into antiquated systems of control. Plus, there’s a badass magical cat. So, you know; sold. —Haleigh Foutch
TV Show: The Twilight Zone
Even if you’ve never seen an episode ofThe Twilight Zone, you probably know the theme—doo-doo doo-doo, you’re hearing it right now—and the intro,Rod Serling, cigarette in hand, welcoming us in his inimitable voice to “a dimension as vast as space and as timeless as infinity.” But those weren’t just words; what makesThe Twilight Zonesuch a timeless wonder is the sheer variety of its hour-long tall tales. The show could be philosophical (“The Eye of the Beholder”), funny (“Cavender Is Coming”), disturbingly relevant (“The Monsters Are Due on Maple Street”), or just straight-up terrifying (“The Masks”).
Flip on any random episode and you’ll probably land on an iconic moment—those broken glasses in the apocalypse, that alien book that isn’t what it seems,William Shatnerdoing battle with a gremlin 20,000 feet in the air—but you’re just as likely to find a hidden gem to rattle your bones as badly as it did for anyone who caught it in 1964.The Twilight Zonewas doing bonkers anthology horror and sci-fi beforeAmerican Horror Storywas even a twinkle inRyan Murphy’s eye, and it’s still the gold standard for a reason. –Vinnie Mancuso
Movie: Apostle
[This excerpt comes from Haleigh Foutch’sApostlereviewfrom Fantastic Fest 2018.]
You are not ready forApostle. You may think you’re ready forApostle, but this brutal piece of British folk horror boasts the kind of crazy butchery that will have you watching through squinted eyes and squirming in your seat. DirectorGareth Evans, best known for his action masterpiecesThe RaidandThe Raid 2, trades combat for carnage in his new Netflix film, building a sense of sickening tension for the first half before flaying flesh and mangling bodies with abandon when the cult craziness boils over.
Apostletackles the subjects of faith and fringe society with a lot of heart and some batshit crazy zeal. This film loves its outsiders, even as it inflicts all manner of torment upon them, and Evans clearly has a blast creating a rich mythology to drop them in. It’s a surprising, sometimes shocking cult horror movie that mixes the legacy ofThe Wicker Manwith carnal, fleshy frights and a hint of freaky folklore. It’ll make you groan and grimace through the torment, but it will get your heart racing in all the right ways, even when it occasionally stumbles over its own ambition.- Haleigh Foutch
TV Show: Black Summer
AZ Nationspinoff in concept alone, Netflix’sBlack Summerditches the camp in favor of the tried and true survivalist scares of the zombie genre, and while the series isn’t always consistent in quality, the series boasts a number of inspired scenes that boast some of the best zombie action in years.Jamie Kingstars as Rose, a woman desperate to find her daughter in the spreading zombie epidemic, but the series thrives on alternating perspectives, introducing an ensemble of characters that are rarely heroized or glamorized. To the contrary, they’re often baffling, infuriatingly stupid, and while that may be a deal-breaker for some, it can be a refreshingly honest depiction of how utterly unprepared the average person is for an apocalyptic nightmare. —Haleigh Foutch
Movie: The VVitch
Wouldst thou like to live deliciously? So bellowsThe Witch, one of the scariest (and prettiest) horror movies in recent memory. This wholly original story was billed as “A New England Folktale,” and indeed it takes place in 1630s New England and follows a family who has been banished from a Puritan plantation for beingtooreligious. Now secluded near the woods, strange happenings begin to occur—like the kidnapping of their baby—and the parents fall further and further into madness, all the while young Thomasin (Anya Taylor-Joy, who you know fromSplit) tries to hold everything together. It’s gorgeous, terrifying, and builds to an operatic finale that you won’t soon forget. This isn’t your typical jump-scare or masked menace horror flick. It’s something far more sinister. –Adam Chitwood
