Five Hidden Horror Gems on Netflix!

April 17th 2017, 12:36pm

Last Updated on August 3, 2021

Often I will do posts about new horror movies that hit Netflix. I do this not only to keep you guys up to date on the cool shite that lands on the streaming service, but I also do it because, frankly, Netflix is notorious for slapping up great horror movies, and then not advertising them on the home page, or anywhere else of note. Most times I’m left searching through their entire horror catalog to make sure nothing new hit that I wasn’t aware of. I like to keep you guys from having to do the same. That said, today I want to recommend five horror gems on Netflix that, for some reason, you may have missed. Enjoy!

1. WE ARE STILL HERE

WE ARE STILL HERE might be the best horror flick on Netflix. Period. Well, other than THE SHINING. Past that, nothing can beat the film written and directed by Ted Geoghegan and starring Andrew Sensenig and Barbara Crampton as “grieving parents who find themselves the focus of an attack by vengeful spirits.” You think you know haunted house movies? Think again. WE ARE STILL HERE takes a classic approach for most of its run-time that evokes Fulci’s THE HOUSE BY THE CEMETARY and THE BEYOND. Without the ultra-gore. But no worries, out of nowhere the flick takes a turn and becomes something new. Something fierce. Something wild. And something bad-f*cking-ass. Watch WE ARE STILL HERE and I guarantee you’ll have a new top flick in your “Haunted House” movie countdowns. P.S. Larry Fessenden is in the film. That’s really all the recommendation you needed if you know your current horror shite! Enjoy the (Net)flicks, guys!

2. STARRY EYES

I really hope none of you have missed this flick. That said, I meet “horror fans” all the time that say they’ve never seen this film. Don’t be that guy. Nobody like that guy. STARRY EYES is directed and written by Kevin Kölsch and Dennis Widmyer and features Alex Essoe as “a hopeful young starlet that finds fame’s price is not always easily paid.” Pfft. That synopsis doesn’t remotely do the story justice. Trust me, this film will be your new favorite flick. A mixture of early Polanski, David Cronenberg, David Lynch, and Nicolas Winding Refn, STARRY EYES is a damn-near perfect mixture of all things that make horror great. Down to the kick-ass synth score that should make STRANGER THINGS bow its head in shame.

3. HONEYMOON

HONEYMOON is a 2014 sci-fi horror flick directed by Leigh Janiak and starring Rose Leslie (GAME OF THRONES) and Harry Treadaway (PENNY DREADFUL). The film follows – you guessed it – a newly married couple on their honeymoon which “ends up being ruined by a series of strange events.” Strange events. Yeah, that’s one way to put it. HONEYMOON is a slow-burn indie romance (stick with me here), that starts to turn darker and scarier as the running time ticks down. It will keep your mind working in over-drive and quite possibly make you feel a little something as well. A horror-mystery that possibly shows its hand a tad too early, HONEYMOON is still a tightly directed film that would fit right in with some of the best episodes of THE TWILIGHT ZONE. Watch it alone. It may cause a fight or two if watched with your significant other. Fair warning.

4. RAVENOUS

An older flick you may have missed. RAVENOUS comes to us from 1999 and stars Guy Pearce and Robert Carlyle (among others) and follows the tale of “a remote military outpost in the 19th Century, Captain John Boyd, and his regiment embarks on a rescue mission which takes a dark turn when they are ambushed by a sadistic cannibal.” The film is a mystery, turned horror flick, turned survival film, turned mind-f*ck, and eventually an all-out battle of blood. Gory, freaky, disturbing, funny, and weird, RAVENOUS is a true classic and one you should check out asap.

5. CHEAP THRILLS

Okay, this one isn’t strictly horror either, but that’s why I’m including it. You might skip past, or possibly never even see it listed as the film’s not in Netflix’s horror section. This is a shame as the film is one of the most diabolically twisted comedy-thrillers I have seen in years. The film is directed by E.L. Katz and stars Pat Healy (THE INNKEEPERS), Ethan Embry (THE DEVIL’S CANDY), David Koechner (Champ from ANCHORMAN), and one of my favorite scream queens Sara Paxton (again, THE INNKEEPERS). The story follows “a scheming couple who put a struggling family man and his old friend through a series of increasingly twisted dares over the course of one night” and let me tell you, shite gets crazy in the best ways possible. Watch this with someone you love and keep your eyes on their face. It’ll be a priceless experience.

HONORABLE MENTIONS

While not strictly “horror”, I want to make sure to point out that the animated GHOSTBUSTERS series, THE REAL GHOSTBUSTERS is now available. Five whole seasons. Nice! Also, and again this is not strictly horror but you need to check out the 2013 Israeli thriller BIG BAD WOLVES. Quentin Tarantino himself named the flick his top pick of 2013. Listen to the man. Trust me. Finally, I’d like to throw out two horror-comedies I enjoyed the hell out of. They are Lucky McKee’s ALL CHEERLEADERS DIE, and the found footage flick THEY’RE WATCHING. Horror is subjective. Comedy is subjective. That’s why I’m just going to leave those titles here. You’ll love them or hate them. This guy loved them.