7 Horror Films to Watch on Netflix This Weekend (April 17th)

In hopes of preventing the spread of the coronavirus, Netflix subscribers around the world are quarantining themselves in their homes and are attempting to stave off serious cases of cabin fever. While some of us might be able to continue working from home, others find themselves with an endless amount of hours they need to occupy in their homes and away from other people. Streaming services and social media are some of the only things that are keeping those isolating themselves sane, but with these services often suggesting you the same films on a regular basis, we’ve got some lesser-seen recent movies and some classics to recommend that you may have missed.

While things around the world might feel pretty scary, some subscribers might steer clear of anything remotely unsettling, while others of us prefer to dive deep into much more horrifying scenarios than threats we’re currently coping with.

Scroll down to see some of our picks for what to watch on Netflix this weekend and hit up Patrick Cavanaugh directly on Twitter to share your own recommendations and thoughts about the films!

Pan’s Labyrinth (2006)

In hopes of avoiding her villainous stepfather, a young girl explores his massive mansion and comes across a stone labyrinth, thrusting her into her own real-life fantasy. When transported to another realm, the young girl encounters a variety of majestic creatures that test the worth of this “princess” to see if she’s worthy of ruling over their kingdom.

Guillermo del Toro’s earlier films had leaned more heavily into the horror genre, with Pan’s Labyrinth finding the perfect balance between fantasy and reality, earning the film the Oscar for Best Art Direction, Best Cinematography, Best Makeup, and a nomination for Best Foreign Language Film. While he may have won an Oscar for his work on The Shape of Water, some still consider this to be the high point of his career.

The Gift (2015)

Joel Edgerton not only starred in this thriller, but he also wrote and directed it, giving audiences a new appreciation of his abilities.

When husband (Jason Bateman) and wife (Rebecca Hall) have an unexpected encounter with Gordo (Edgerton), a former schoolmate of the husband, a bizarre series of events begin to unfold that might hint that the pair didn’t have the healthiest of relationships back when they were in school together. However, it’s also possible that guilt about past behavior might be conjuring malicious interpretations of innocent events, all of which lead towards an unexpected finale.

Far from being a blood-soaked adventure, The Gift builds on waves of tension that get stronger with each passing moment, resulting in a climactic crescendo.

Under the Skin (2013)

As a young woman roams Scotland, she entices men to follow her home. While there, they succumb to a black void, seemingly emptying them our their essence. The woman, who clearly isn’t a woman at all, grows tired of the ordeal and heads to the rural countryside, hoping to finally become the creatures that she’s been emulating.

An aural and visual feast, the cinematography of Under the Skin is captivating while its score is haunting. The film might not be easy to describe, but it’s one you’ll never forget.

Enemy (2013)

Filmmaker Denis Villeneuve is set to deliver audiences an adaptation of Dune this winter, with Enemy being just one example of the filmmaker injecting disturbing surreality into a seemingly grounded narrative. 

When a professor (Jake Gyllenhaal) randomly rents a movie recommended to him, he notices that an actor looks identical to him. After identifying the man, the pair meet one another face to face and engage in a bizarre routine of taking one another’s places.

While the film’s narrative might not seem intrinsically bizarre, the way Villeneuve shoots the film and the various unexpected themes being explored in the narrative makes for an incredibly unique and ambitious experience, which includes one of the most shocking final shots in any movie in recent years.

Super Dark Times (2017)

Two high schoolers who have been best friends their whole lives have their friendship put to the test when a horrible accident occurs, with one becoming desensitized to trauma and the other feeling immense guilt over playing any part of such a tragedy.

While Super Dark Times might not necessarily be an enjoyable watch, it is immensely engaging, thanks in large part to the performances by leads Owen Campbell and Charlie Tahan, the latter of which Ozark fans might know as Wyatt from the Netflix series. Additionally, the film was written by Ben Collins and Luke Piotrowski, who were recently announced as the writers of a new Hellraiser, with this film giving audiences an idea of what to expect from the new installment in the famous franchise.

Blue Ruin (2014)

A man seeking revenge for the death of a loved one is a classic formula for action thrillers, with Blue Ruin sharing those themes in plot points only, instead offering a devastating reminder of the impact of violence.

The murder of his parents leaves a man (Macon Blair) so devastated that he embraces the life of a drifter, sleeping in cars and breaking into homes to bathe himself. When he learns that the person responsible for the deaths is leaving prison, he feels obligated to exact his revenge on the killer by any means necessary.

Far more tragic than it is fulfilling, Blair’s depiction of a man shattered by a mindless act is touching and heartbreaking, with the film helping establish director Jeremy Saulnier as an effortlessly compelling filmmaker.

The Killing of a Sacred Deer (2017)

A reimagining of the Greek myth of Iphigenia, Yorgos Lanthimos’s The Killing of a Sacred Deer is a twisted take on vengeance and sacrifice that will leave viewers putting themselves in the horrifying shoes of the main characters.

When a doctor’s children begin to demonstrate mysterious symptoms, from loss of appetite to paralysis, a figure from the doctor’s past claims he knows exactly what is making his children suffer. The doctor is given an ultimatum that will shatter his reality or force him to make a choice no father wants to make.

Thanks to the impressive performances by Colin Farrell, Nicole Kidman, and Barry Keoghan, Killing of a Sacred Deer is an unsettling “Would You Rather?” scenario that gets more riveting with each scene, leading to a devastating finale.