We here at Arrow in the Head try to keep up with the horror selections on the biggest streaming services around, and as part of that endeavor, we have gone through the horror options on Netflix US to put together a top 10 list of the Best Horror Movies On Netflix Right Now.
Take note of the “Right Now” part of the subject line, because some of these films are not Netflix Originals and therefore could be removed from the streaming service at any time. If you want to watch them, be sure to start streaming in a timely manner or they may be gone!
BLOOD RED SKY (2021)
The “vampire vs. airplane hijackers” horror action thriller Blood Red Sky is a project director Peter Thorwarth had been wanting to make for 16 years before it was finally released, and his dedication to the concept paid off: within a month of its Netflix debut, it had already been watched in more than 50 million households around the globe. That’s not surprising, as it’s a film that can appeal to both horror fans and action fans. If you haven’t seen it yet, it’s well worth checking out. It’s fun, exciting, and at times emotional as we watch a vampire mother battle a group of dangerous criminals to keep her son (who is not a bloodsucker) safe during an international flight.
I KNOW WHAT YOU DID LAST SUMMER (1997)
Between the releases of Scream and Scream 2, we got another “whodunit” slasher movie from screenwriter Kevin Williamson. Based on a novel by Lois Duncan (which was not a slasher story), I Know What You Did Last Summer may not be as clever as Williamson’s work on the Scream films was, but it’s still a highly entertaining teen horror movie. Jennifer Love Hewitt, Sarah Michelle Gellar, Freddie Prinze Jr., and Ryan Phillippe play a group of youths who try to cover up a hit and run one summer… and the next summer, someone wearing a slicker and wielding a hook shows up to make sure they pay for what they did. Mind games and bloodshed ensue.
FEAR STREET (2021)
Here’s a three-for-one special, as Netflix has released an entire trilogy of Fear Street films (inspired by the R.L. Stine book series) that director Leigh Janiak made back-to-back-to-back. Over the course of the trilogy, Janiak shows us horrific things that occurred in the cursed town of Shadyside in 1666, 1978, and 1994, allowing for the series to bring to mind films like The Witch, Friday the 13th, and Scream at different points along the way. The films tell the story of an evil entity that, every couple decades or so, possesses Shadysiders and drives them to kill. Janiak and her collaborators crafted an engaging story with some good twists and turns, and she brought it to the screen with cool style and an awesome soundtrack.
CRIMSON PEAK (2015)
Crimson Peak is a haunted house movie from director Guillermo del Toro, but don’t expect a lot of the chills and thrills to come from the supernatural forces in the film. As del Toro has said (and as a character says in the movie), “It’s not a ghost story, it’s a story with ghosts in it.” The story is about the strangeness that occurs when aspiring author Edith Cushing (Mia Wasikowska) moves into the titular, crumbling mansion with her new husband Sir Thomas Sharpe (Tom Hiddleston) and his sister Lucille (Jessica Chastain) – and it’s the performances delivered by Hiddleston and Chastain that really make Crimson Peak worth checking out. Sir Thomas and Lucille are much creepier and more dangerous than any ghosts that might be lurking around.
ZOMBIELAND (2009)
Directed by Ruben Fleischer (Venom) from a script by future Deadpool writers Rhett Reese and Paul Wernick, Zombieland is a blast to watch, a horror comedy that follows four characters as they attempt to survive the zombie apocalypse. And locate some Twinkies. Jesse Eisenberg is frequently insufferable in movies, but he gives one of his best and most tolerable performances here, and has great chemistry with co-stars Woody Harrelson, Emma Stone, and Abigail Breslin. As is almost certainly common knowledge by now, Zombieland also features a show-stealing cameo by the great Bill Murray… playing Bill Murray. With a great sense of humor and some cool zombie moments, this movie a fun way to spend 88 minutes.
PSYCHO (1960)
I probably don’t need to tell you how amazing Alfred Hitchcock’s Psycho is. It’s not only one of the best horror movies on Netflix right now, it’s one of the best movies ever made, period. Everyone knows the story: Bates Motel is run by Norman Bates (Anthony Perkins), who’s burdened with taking care of his homicidal old mother. That’s what he believes, anyway. Hitchcock’s direction, the performances of the actors, the screenplay by Joseph Stefano (based on a novel by Robert Bloch, inspired by real world killer Ed Gein), the fantastic dialogue, the shocking moments of violence… Psycho is a masterwork in every department. If you haven’t seen it yet, you should head over to Netflix right away.
HUSH (2016)
Mike Flanagan is one of the most interesting filmmakers we have working in the horror genre today, and thankfully he has a great set-up at Netflix. Their collaboration has given us the Stephen King adaptation Gerald’s Game, The Haunting of Hill House and Bly Manor, and the upcoming series Midnight Mass – and it all started with Netflix releasing Hush. Starring Kate Siegel (who also wrote the script with Flanagan), this is a very simple and straightforward home invasion slasher, but it stands out from the pack of other films like this due to the fact that Siegel’s character Maddie is a strong, interesting, easy-to-root-for heroine who also happens to be deaf, which her attacker (John Gallagher Jr.) uses to his advantage when sneaking around in her house. Flanagan has several great entries on his filmography, and this 82 minute story of Heroine vs. Slasher in one secluded location ranks as one of his best.
THE CONJURING (2013)
Not many great movies have come out of the “Conjuring Universe”, but the main Conjuring movies are leagues above most of the spin-offs that have been released over the years. Director James Wan delivered one of the best haunted house movies of this century, and the greatest thing about it is the chemistry between Patrick Wilson and Vera Farmiga as married paranormal investigators Ed and Lorraine Warren. Their interactions alone would make The Conjuring worth watching, but then Wan surrounds them with masterfully crafted scenes of suspense and jump scares as they try to rid a family’s home of an evil spirit and dig into a back story of Satanism and witchcraft.
#ALIVE (2020)
Some of my favorite films are zombie movies, but the sub-genre has gotten really played out in recent years. When zombies can be seen in TV shows every week, it’s tough to work up enthusiasm when a new zombie project shows up. The secret to success is to make sure the audience cares about the characters who have been dropped into the zombie apocalypse scenario, and that’s what Cho Il-hyung did with the South Korean film #Alive. #Alive centers on gamer Oh Joon-woo (Yoo Ah-In) who is home alone in his family’s apartment when the zombie outbreak hits. Low on food and water, worried about his family, Joon-woo is about to give up – until he realizes there’s a young woman (Park Shin-hye as Kim Yoo-bin) trapped in the building across from his. These are very likeable characters, and it’s fascinating to watch them struggle to survive with a horde of flesh-eating creatures waiting just outside their apartments.
THE CALL (2013)
Session 9 director Brad Anderson crafted a really entertaining thriller with The Call, which is about a teenage girl named Casey (Abigail Breslin), who has been abducted by a serial killer and stuck in the trunk of his car. Luckily, Casey manages to call 911 from the trunk, getting in contact with a dispatcher Jordan (Halle Berry), who stays on the phone with her throughout her ordeal, trying to coach her through the situation while the police desperately try to track her down and catch the killer. Packed with thrills and tense situations, The Call is a riveting film that became the #1 movie on Netflix for a while when it reached the streaming service earlier this year, nine years after it was first released.
Do you think these are the best horror movies on Netflix right now? What are some of your favorites?