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.
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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!
47 Meters Down (2017)
While it’s hard to hold a candle to 1975’s Jaws, 47 Meters Down makes for an effective horror film in which our heroes are tasked with survival in the face of ferocious fish.
During a mishap while cage-diving, two sisters find themselves dropping 47 meters to the ocean floor, leaving them with a limited air supply and hungry sharks between them and the surface. Hope isn’t entirely lost, as they retain communications with the boat that brought them on the excursion, but as time runs out, the sisters are forced to take drastic measures if they hope to make it out of the situation alive.
Cloverfield (2008)
The “Cloverfield” title might now be synonymous with unconventional marketing campaigns, but the debut entry into the franchise remains just as effective today as it was when it landed in theaters.
A goodbye party in New York City is interrupted when a bizarre series of events begin to unfold, as a gigantic monster has touched down in the metropolis. What makes the film so different from all the monster movies that came before it is that it adopts a “found footage” style filming aesthetic, fully immersing the audience in the action.
On its own, Cloverfield makes for an effective monster movie, with the film’s mythology sending many viewers down a rabbit hole of interesting theories and connections to other corners of the Cloverfield franchise.
The Ritual (2017)
Adventures into the wilderness with friends are meant to be relieving respites from the everyday hustle and bustle, unless, of course, you discover a remote community in theย woods that seemingly worships a monstrousย deity.
A hike through wooded mountains brings with it a number of challenges, which a group of friends begins to experience on a traditionalย hike, as they get lost and begin to earn injuries. Thinking they’ve found salvation, they seek refuge in a small outpost, ultimately getting much more attention than they bargained for.
Just as each thrilling element of the narrative starts to lose steam, a new wrinkle is thrown into the mix, keeping the viewers on their toes. As if the natural horrors aren’t creepy enough, the unconventional creature design in the film helps birth one of the more unique movie monsters in recent years.
Burning (2018)
One of the best-reviewed films of 2018 was also one of the most unsettling, as the deliberately paced mystery brings us to a shocking destination.
When two former childhood friends reconnect with one another as adults, they strike up a romance, which is cut short when Shin Hae-mi (Jeon Jong-seo) leaves town, tasking Lee Jong-su (Yoo Ah-in) in charge of her cat. Upon her return, she introduces her childhood friend to the handsome and charming Ben (Steven Yeun), who has seemingly captured her heart. When Hae-mi goes missing, Jong-su suspects Ben, resulting in a bizarre game of lies and betrayal in the search of the young woman.
1922 (2017)
Based on the Stephen King novella of the same name, 1922 either chronicles a man’s descent into madness or his torment by spirits from the other side.
Wilfred James (Thomas Jane) has a lot to gain financially following the death of his wife, leading him to commit a heinous act, which even requires enlisting his son for the deed. As time goes by, Wilfred realizes that he’s found a drastic solution to a temporary problem, resulting in an infestation targeting his farm, though it’s unclear whether these events are unfolding in reality or his mind and guilty conscience are getting the better of him.
Horns (2013)
Based on Joe Hill’s novel of the same name, Horns tells the timeless story of boy meets girl, girl gets murdered, boy gets blamed for girl’s death, boy grows horns overnight, and mysteriously earns supernatural powers.
Far from being a straightforward horror story, Horns offers audiences a variety of genres, from romance to comedy to drama, all wrapped up in a thrilling murder mystery with supernatural elements. The Twilight series might be a more well-known exploration of romance in the horror world, yet with Horns‘ R rating, the love story leans far more heavily into the world of gruesome violence,ย making for a much more fulfilling experience for fans of the macabre.
The Endless (2017)
A decade after escaping what they believed to be a UFO death cult, two men are forced to confront their past as they seek answers about their upbringing. During their visit, they have a hard time ignoring a series of bizarre occurrences that are unfolding, leading them to question not only everything they know about their present, but also about their past, as it’s possible that their memories of the cult might not be as bizarre as they remembered.
Continuing their accomplishments of Resolution and Spring, directors Justin Benson and Aaron Moorhead once again excel with the ways in which they blend otherworldly concepts with grounded characters and situations, making even the most absurd of concepts feel possible.
