Must-See Horror Titles Coming to Netflix in January

As December winds to a close and with January right around the corner, Netflix has officially released all of the titles that will be added to and removed from its streaming service for the upcoming month.

The service has announced many successful and well-known titles joining its library in January, like Black Hawk Down, Hell or High Water, and the Indiana Jones series. Sadly, films like Face/Off, Into the Wild, and the Godfather trilogy will depart the service when January arrives. See the full list of films arriving here and list of films leaving here.

There are some choice selections for horror fans that will be both arriving on the service in January, and, unfortunately, some great titles that will no longer be available.

Scroll down to see our picks for the best horror coming to Netflix and remind you what to watch right now before they expire!

‘I Know What You Did Last Summer’ – Arriving 1/1

After the success of Scream, filmmakers were quick to find the next generation of slasher films that focused on teen stars to spill blood on the big screen.

When a group of friends drunkenly hits and kills someone, they make a pact to get rid of the body and never tell anyone. The next year, the friends are all stalked by a mysterious figure, delivering them the cryptic message “I know what you did last summer.”

While the film might not have been as effective as Scream, I Know What You Did Last Summer delivered an impressive roster of young talent with Jennifer Love Hewitt, Sarah Michelle Gellar, Ryan Phillippe, and Freddie Prinze Jr. Despite its shortcomings, the film marks as an effective time capsule of the state of horror in the late ’90s.

‘Blade’ and ‘Blade II’ – Leaving 1/1

The Marvel Cinematic Universe has opened the doors for a lot of other superheroes to earn their own adaptations, though the Wesley Snipes-starring Blade films serve as strong examples of how a lesser-known Marvel character can come to life in an R-rated adventure.

In the films, Snipes stars as a half human, half vampire hybrid who doesn’t feel like he belongs in either world. Instead, Blade devotes his time to eradicating a number of threats, from vampires aiming to kill humanity for good to mysterious creatures that have evolved to begin hunting vampires themselves.

20 years after the series debuted, the Blade films are still as entertaining as ever, with a revisit reminding you how disappointing it is that the character hasn’t returned to the big screen in our current superhero renaissance.

‘The Addams Family’ – Arriving 1/1

Blending humor with horror is a tricky endeavor, though this adaptation of The Addams Family not only accomplished that feat, but also made a macabre movie that was family friendly.

There’s something odd about the Addams, as they live in an old Victorian mansion adorned with all things spooky, with each member of the family seemingly obsessed with death and violence. When a lawyer from the community realizes their son looks like a long-lost relative of the Addams’ they seize the chance to cash in on an inheritance by infiltrating the household.

Thanks to the eccentric and endearing performances by Raul Julia, Anjelica Huston, and Christopher Lloyd, the success of this film makes you wonder why the exciting franchise only earned one sequel before stagnating.

‘The Shining’ – Leaving 1/1

Stanley Kubrick’s adaptation of Stephen King’s classic novel landing on Netflix gives fans an opportunity to fit in multiple repeat viewings or offer those unfamiliar an opportunity to experience the terror from the comfort of their own home.

Desperate for a job, Jack Torrance (Jack Nicholson) takes a job as a caretaker at a remote Colorado hotel in the offseason, bringing his wife and son along for the journey. The hotel is hiding many secrets, both in the real world and in a supernatural sense, sending Jack into a spiral of madness.

King famously disliked this adaptation of the source material for precisely the reasons why it works so well, which is Kubrick’s calculated and disorienting depiction of the family unraveling. The film also features one of Nicholson’s all-time great performances, which is just as impressive nearly 40 years later as when the film was released.

‘The Strangers’ – Arriving 1/1

In the wake of films that emphasized gore over tension in the ’00s, The Strangers delivered an unsettling slasher that virtually every home invasion horror film has tried to recreate ever since.

A couple going through a rough patch arrives at what they believe to be a remote vacation house, only to be interrupted by a late-night visitor on their doorstep. Unfortunately, troubles in their relationship are the least of this couple’s concern, as they realize they have multiple guests with sinister agendas.

In addition to the multiple visually effective moments of terror, the ambiguous and random nature of the attacks will make any viewer lock their doors after watching.

‘Interview With the Vampire’ – Leaving 1/1

One of the films that helped lead to Brad Pitt and Kirsten Dunst being massive successes, Interview With the Vampire remains the most successful adaptation of author Anne Rice’s books chronicling the vampire Lestat.

As the title implies, the story unfolds in present-day as Louis (Pitt) details his centuries-long friendship with Lestat (Tom Cruise) and their journeys together as the living undead to a reporter. Their story also includes turning a 10-year-old (Dunst) into a vampire and how that impacted their relationship.

While it’s not quite a horror story, Interview with the Vampire embraces the romantic nature of the supernatural beings and the variety of stories that can be told with characters who can effectively escape death.

Rice is currently developing a TV series based on the character, with this film allowing fans to get re-acquainted with Lestat.

‘It Follows’ – Leaving 1/13

After a teenage girl thinks she’s found the perfect guy, he reveals that the only reason he slept with her was to give a new target to a supernatural being that has been pursuing him. A tale as old as time, right? Understandably, the girl wants answers about the being and learns that, while she can temporarily get far enough away from it that it will take days or weeks to catch up with her, it will always find her, until she sleeps with someone new.

One of the more stylish horror films of the last decade, It Follows plays on fears of promiscuous sex and the loss of innocence as teenagers transition into adulthood, all while displaying some truly startling imagery.