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WeirdThe Best Movies On Netflix: Horror
By Jade Budowski
@jadebudowski
Published
Oct. 31, 2017, 9:00 p.m. ET
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Tense thrillers, gory slashers, and innovative creature features round out this list.
Photos: Everett Collection, NETFLIX ; Illustration: Dillen Phelps
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The Wailing
Rotten Tomatoes Score: 99%
This South Korean horror flick tells the tale of a series of bizarre murders caused by a mysterious disease. A police officer begins to investigate potential causes for the disease, and all fingers seem to point to an evil spirit. When the policeman's daughter becomes sick, this gets personal - and he must discover the truth to save her.
[Stream The Wailing]
Rotten Tomatoes Score: 99%
This South Korean horror flick tells the tale of a series of bizarre murders caused by a mysterious disease. A police officer begins to investigate potential causes for the disease, and all fingers seem to point to an evil spirit. When the policeman's daughter becomes sick, this gets personal - and he must discover the truth to save her.
[Stream The Wailing]
Everett Collection
3 of
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The Babadook
Rotten Tomatoes Score: 98%
This harrowing tale of Amelia, a single mother still trying to navigate the world after her husband's violent death and her son Samuel's fear of monsters in the house is intelligent, unsettling, and haunting. When Amelia reads a picture book about the eponymous 'Babadook' to Samuel, she too begins to feel the fear of monsters as he jumps off the page and into their lives. The spine-tingling, dread-inducing series of events that follow are inescapable and refreshing.
[Stream The Babadook]
Rotten Tomatoes Score: 98%
This harrowing tale of Amelia, a single mother still trying to navigate the world after her husband's violent death and her son Samuel's fear of monsters in the house is intelligent, unsettling, and haunting. When Amelia reads a picture book about the eponymous 'Babadook' to Samuel, she too begins to feel the fear of monsters as he jumps off the page and into their lives. The spine-tingling, dread-inducing series of events that follow are inescapable and refreshing.
[Stream The Babadook]
Everett Collection
4 of
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It Follows
Rotten Tomatoes Score: 97%
Sex = death once again in this innovative, horrific film following a teenage girl who is stalked by an inescapable force after a sexual encounter. The horror is always a few steps behind them, our protagonist is the only one who can see it, and it's not giving up anytime soon. The patient storytelling, suspenseful camera work, and mystery surrounding the central plot make this one of the most inventive, unique horror films in recent memory.
[Stream It Follows]
Rotten Tomatoes Score: 97%
Sex = death once again in this innovative, horrific film following a teenage girl who is stalked by an inescapable force after a sexual encounter. The horror is always a few steps behind them, our protagonist is the only one who can see it, and it's not giving up anytime soon. The patient storytelling, suspenseful camera work, and mystery surrounding the central plot make this one of the most inventive, unique horror films in recent memory.
[Stream It Follows]
Everett Collection
5 of
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Jaws
Rotten Tomatoes Score: 97%
Steven Spielberg's iconic 1975 thriller takes us to Amity Island, a quaint New England tourist town that sees its summer traditions turned upside down after a bloodthirsty shark goes on a killing spree. To prevent the loss of more lives and save Amity as they know it, a dysfunctional trio including Roy Scheider, Richard Dreyfuss, and Robert Shaw must team up to take down this beast from the deep.
[Stream Jaws]
Rotten Tomatoes Score: 97%
Steven Spielberg's iconic 1975 thriller takes us to Amity Island, a quaint New England tourist town that sees its summer traditions turned upside down after a bloodthirsty shark goes on a killing spree. To prevent the loss of more lives and save Amity as they know it, a dysfunctional trio including Roy Scheider, Richard Dreyfuss, and Robert Shaw must team up to take down this beast from the deep.
[Stream Jaws]
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Creep
Rotten Tomatoes Score: 96%
This wild found-footage film from Mark Duplass follows Aaron, a freelance videographer who responds to a vague Craigslist ad from Josef (Duplass) seeking someone to film something for him. As the two spend time together and Josef's true colors are revealed, Aaron realizes that he may have gotten a lot more than he bargained for.
[Stream Creep]
Rotten Tomatoes Score: 96%
This wild found-footage film from Mark Duplass follows Aaron, a freelance videographer who responds to a vague Craigslist ad from Josef (Duplass) seeking someone to film something for him. As the two spend time together and Josef's true colors are revealed, Aaron realizes that he may have gotten a lot more than he bargained for.
[Stream Creep]
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Train to Busan
Rotten Tomatoes Score: 95%
This South Korean zombie film revives an overtired genre by boarding its main characters on a high-speed train from Seoul to Busan in the midst of a zombie apocalypse. The train continues on its rapid journey while the passengers fight the zombies - and each other - for their lives. Tense, fast-paced, and absolutely exhilarating, Train to Busan is a near-perfect zombie flick.
[Stream Train to Busan]
Rotten Tomatoes Score: 95%
This South Korean zombie film revives an overtired genre by boarding its main characters on a high-speed train from Seoul to Busan in the midst of a zombie apocalypse. The train continues on its rapid journey while the passengers fight the zombies - and each other - for their lives. Tense, fast-paced, and absolutely exhilarating, Train to Busan is a near-perfect zombie flick.
[Stream Train to Busan]
Everett Collection
8 of
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Hush
Rotten Tomatoes Score: 94%
This silent thriller takes cues from flicks like Funny Games and The Strangers, but employs a special twist: the protagonist is deaf, so she can't hear the stalker outside her home while he circles his prey. This subtle, fresh take on the home invasion horror genre will leave you gasping for air and clenching your fists; it's incredibly restrained and well-executed, and the performances from the two leads are expertly delivered.
[Stream Hush]
Rotten Tomatoes Score: 94%
This silent thriller takes cues from flicks like Funny Games and The Strangers, but employs a special twist: the protagonist is deaf, so she can't hear the stalker outside her home while he circles his prey. This subtle, fresh take on the home invasion horror genre will leave you gasping for air and clenching your fists; it's incredibly restrained and well-executed, and the performances from the two leads are expertly delivered.
[Stream Hush]
Everett Collection
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The Host
Rotten Tomatoes Score: 93%
A snack bar owner whose daughter is suddenly snatched from him by a death-bringing monster that has emerged from the Han River is the focus of this masterful monster film from South Korea. While the family initially mourns and agonizes over the loss, when they discover she is still alive, they resolve to do whatever they can to take on the monster and save her. Armed with genuine jump-out-of-your-seat moments, this is an outstanding entry into the monster movie genre.
[Stream The Host]
Rotten Tomatoes Score: 93%
A snack bar owner whose daughter is suddenly snatched from him by a death-bringing monster that has emerged from the Han River is the focus of this masterful monster film from South Korea. While the family initially mourns and agonizes over the loss, when they discover she is still alive, they resolve to do whatever they can to take on the monster and save her. Armed with genuine jump-out-of-your-seat moments, this is an outstanding entry into the monster movie genre.
[Stream The Host]
Photo: Everett Collection
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Young Frankenstein
Rotten Tomatoes Score: 93%
Celebrate the late, great Gene Wilder by indulging in one of his most delightful works of comedy, Mel Brooks' Young Frankenstein. This hilarious black-and-white spoof of Mary Shelley's classic tale finds the grandson of Victor Frankenstein (that's fronkensteen, by the way) trying to escape the legend's shadow, but all this changes when he discovers his grandfather's diary and begins replicating his experiments - and creates his own monster.
[Stream Young Frankenstein]
Rotten Tomatoes Score: 93%
Celebrate the late, great Gene Wilder by indulging in one of his most delightful works of comedy, Mel Brooks' Young Frankenstein. This hilarious black-and-white spoof of Mary Shelley's classic tale finds the grandson of Victor Frankenstein (that's fronkensteen, by the way) trying to escape the legend's shadow, but all this changes when he discovers his grandfather's diary and begins replicating his experiments - and creates his own monster.
[Stream Young Frankenstein]
Photo: Everett Collection
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Gerald's Game
Rotten Tomatoes Score: 90%
Can you imagine anything worse than an evening of trying to spice things up in the bedroom becoming a life-or-death situation? Well, Stephen King can. This tense, thrilling adaptation of the horror master's work sees a woman fight for her life after she's handcuffed to a bed and her husband dies before they ever get busy.
[Stream Gerald's Game]
Rotten Tomatoes Score: 90%
Can you imagine anything worse than an evening of trying to spice things up in the bedroom becoming a life-or-death situation? Well, Stephen King can. This tense, thrilling adaptation of the horror master's work sees a woman fight for her life after she's handcuffed to a bed and her husband dies before they ever get busy.
[Stream Gerald's Game]
Photo: Netflix
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Raw
Rotten Tomatoes Score: 90%
The movie that pushed cinemas to provide barf bags to patrons is finally here! This cannibal coming-of-age movie sees a young vegetarian develop a taste for raw meat (and eventually human flesh) after being forced to eat meat during a veterinary school hazing ritual. In a way rarely ever done on screen, this jaw-dropping film manages to tackle fear, sexuality, and adolescence in the most gruesome of manners.
[Stream Raw on Netflix]
Rotten Tomatoes Score: 90%
The movie that pushed cinemas to provide barf bags to patrons is finally here! This cannibal coming-of-age movie sees a young vegetarian develop a taste for raw meat (and eventually human flesh) after being forced to eat meat during a veterinary school hazing ritual. In a way rarely ever done on screen, this jaw-dropping film manages to tackle fear, sexuality, and adolescence in the most gruesome of manners.
[Stream Raw on Netflix]
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The Invitation
Rotten Tomatoes Score: 88%
This engaging, disconcerting psychological horror film depicts a dinner party gone wrong; when Will's ex-wife Eden invites him to a dinner party with her new husband at their old home, Will progressively becomes more and more convinced that something sinister is at play, and that Eden and her friends have darker plans than appear on the surface. The potential unreliability of our narrator, however, throws things into a tailspin - are they really out to get him? Or is he projecting his own demons?
[Stream The Invitation]
Rotten Tomatoes Score: 88%
This engaging, disconcerting psychological horror film depicts a dinner party gone wrong; when Will's ex-wife Eden invites him to a dinner party with her new husband at their old home, Will progressively becomes more and more convinced that something sinister is at play, and that Eden and her friends have darker plans than appear on the surface. The potential unreliability of our narrator, however, throws things into a tailspin - are they really out to get him? Or is he projecting his own demons?
[Stream The Invitation]
Everett Collection
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Trollhunter
Rotten Tomatoes Score: 82%
Everything is not as it seems in this fast-paced, sci-fi/horror flick; a group of students initially sets out to investigate a series of strange bear killings, but soon encounter a mysterious hunter who tells them he spends his days tracking and hunting trolls. Full of fascinating folklore, comedy, thrills, and chills, this unique Norwegian film might just become your new fave.
[Stream Trollhunter]
Rotten Tomatoes Score: 82%
Everything is not as it seems in this fast-paced, sci-fi/horror flick; a group of students initially sets out to investigate a series of strange bear killings, but soon encounter a mysterious hunter who tells them he spends his days tracking and hunting trolls. Full of fascinating folklore, comedy, thrills, and chills, this unique Norwegian film might just become your new fave.
[Stream Trollhunter]
Photo: Everett Collection
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Gremlins
Rotten Tomatoes Score: 85%
Set against a Christmastime backdrop, this classic horror comedy kicks off when a man brings his teen son an unusual pet called a mogwai. Though he's been warned not to expose the mogwai to water and light and not to feet it after midnight, the rules are broken, and complete chaos ensues. Unexpectedly violent and bizarrely hilarious, there's a reason Gremlins remains a favorite after all these years.
[Stream Gremlins]
Rotten Tomatoes Score: 85%
Set against a Christmastime backdrop, this classic horror comedy kicks off when a man brings his teen son an unusual pet called a mogwai. Though he's been warned not to expose the mogwai to water and light and not to feet it after midnight, the rules are broken, and complete chaos ensues. Unexpectedly violent and bizarrely hilarious, there's a reason Gremlins remains a favorite after all these years.
[Stream Gremlins]
Photo: Everett Collection
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Tucker & Dale vs. Evil
Rotten Tomatoes Score: 83%
Two hillbillies, Tucker and Dale, head to their shabby vacation cabin for the simplest of pleasures; beer, fishing, and relaxation - but when a group of college prep kids stumble upon them and assume that they are chainsaw-wielding murderers, things take a gruesome turn. Hilarious, gory, and heartfelt, the film's utilization of harmonious physical and tonal harmony makes it a standout horror comedy.
[Stream Tucker & Dale vs. Evil]
Rotten Tomatoes Score: 83%
Two hillbillies, Tucker and Dale, head to their shabby vacation cabin for the simplest of pleasures; beer, fishing, and relaxation - but when a group of college prep kids stumble upon them and assume that they are chainsaw-wielding murderers, things take a gruesome turn. Hilarious, gory, and heartfelt, the film's utilization of harmonious physical and tonal harmony makes it a standout horror comedy.
[Stream Tucker & Dale vs. Evil]
Everett Collection
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Little Evil
Rotten Tomatoes Score: 83%
Adam Scott stars in this comedic spin on horror flicks like The Omen as a man who unwittingly becomes stepfather to a young boy who may be the Antichrist. Things all seem to be going swimmingly when he marries the woman of his dreams (Evangeline Lilly), but as he tries to bond with his young stepson, the possibility that this kid is probably the epitome of all evil starts to seem pretty realistic. Bitingly funny, gory, and tons of fun, Little Evil is another horror-comedy home run for Scott.
[Stream Little Evil]
Rotten Tomatoes Score: 83%
Adam Scott stars in this comedic spin on horror flicks like The Omen as a man who unwittingly becomes stepfather to a young boy who may be the Antichrist. Things all seem to be going swimmingly when he marries the woman of his dreams (Evangeline Lilly), but as he tries to bond with his young stepson, the possibility that this kid is probably the epitome of all evil starts to seem pretty realistic. Bitingly funny, gory, and tons of fun, Little Evil is another horror-comedy home run for Scott.
[Stream Little Evil]
Photo: Netflix
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The Fury
Rotten Tomatoes Score: 80%
Directed by Brian De Palma, this 1978 supernatural thriller follows a government agent who will stop at nothing to rescue his psychic son after he's kidnapped by a fearful figure looking to use him for his abilities.
[Stream The Fury]
Rotten Tomatoes Score: 80%
Directed by Brian De Palma, this 1978 supernatural thriller follows a government agent who will stop at nothing to rescue his psychic son after he's kidnapped by a fearful figure looking to use him for his abilities.
[Stream The Fury]
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Dig Two Graves
Rotten Tomatoes Score: 80%
After 14-year-old Jacqueline's older brother Sean goes missing in a rock quarry, she is propositioned by 3 moonshiners who offer to bring him back to life - as long as she agrees to take another life. While she grapples with the implications of what it could mean to bring her brother back, the darkness surrounding her family's history (and the moonshiners) is slowly revealed.
[Stream Dig Two Graves]
Rotten Tomatoes Score: 80%
After 14-year-old Jacqueline's older brother Sean goes missing in a rock quarry, she is propositioned by 3 moonshiners who offer to bring him back to life - as long as she agrees to take another life. While she grapples with the implications of what it could mean to bring her brother back, the darkness surrounding her family's history (and the moonshiners) is slowly revealed.
[Stream Dig Two Graves]
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Teeth
Rotten Tomatoes Score: 80%
Terrified of sexual self discovery? Well, this movie will not do you any favors. High schooler Dawn is just like any other - fairly clueless about her own body. When she begins to become sexually active, however, she discovers that she has quite the weapon down below for any who try to commit acts of violence against her - and it ain't pretty.
[Stream Teeth]
Rotten Tomatoes Score: 80%
Terrified of sexual self discovery? Well, this movie will not do you any favors. High schooler Dawn is just like any other - fairly clueless about her own body. When she begins to become sexually active, however, she discovers that she has quite the weapon down below for any who try to commit acts of violence against her - and it ain't pretty.
[Stream Teeth]
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Wes Craven's New Nightmare
Rotten Tomatoes Score: 78%
Freddy Krueger is back, baby, and he's not going anywhere. This meta-horror flick sees the haunter of your dreams enter reality and stalk the actress known for playing Nancy in A Nightmare on Elm Street, and the results do not disappoint.
[Stream Wes Craven's New Nightmare]
Rotten Tomatoes Score: 78%
Freddy Krueger is back, baby, and he's not going anywhere. This meta-horror flick sees the haunter of your dreams enter reality and stalk the actress known for playing Nancy in A Nightmare on Elm Street, and the results do not disappoint.
[Stream Wes Craven's New Nightmare]
