Must-See Horror Titles Coming to Netflix in May

As April winds to a close and with May 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 May, like Amelie, The Bourne Ultimatum, and Only God Forgives. Sadly, films like GoodFellas, Field of Dreams, and The Hurt Locker will be removed from the service as May arrives. See the full list of movies arriving here, and the full list of what’s leaving here.

There are some choice selections for horror fans that will be both arriving on the service in May, and, sadly, 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!

‘Red Dragon’ – Arriving 5/1

With The Silence of the Lambs, Sir Anthony Hopkins delivered audiences one of the most compelling on-screen villains in cinema history with Hannibal Lecter, resulting in this second adaptation of Thomas Harris’ novel of the same name.

Similar to the plot of Silence of the Lambs, a series of grisly murder begin to unfold with a bizarre pattern, requiring the genius of Lecter to step in to shed insight into the mind of a brutal psychopath.

Harris’ novel was previously adapted into the film Manhunter with Brian Cox starring as Lecter, though after the Silence of the Lambs sequel Hannibal was a success in theaters, this new adaptation delivered fans Hopkins’ signature take on the character, which also brought in the talents of Ralph Fiennes, Edward Norton, and Philip Seymour Hoffman.

‘Casper’ – Leaving 5/1

The feature-film adaptation of Casper might not be the thing of nightmares, but any fan of things that go bump into the night is sure to find lighthearted enjoyment in this adaptation starring Christina Ricci and Bill Pullman.

After a woman inherits an old house from her father, she is disappointed to learn that the house is inhabited by a quartet of irritating spirits. A “paranormal therapist” is enlisted to coax the ghosts from the home, though he and his daughter develop a friendship with the ghost Casper, even if his uncle ghosts are incredibly obnoxious.

Along with Hocus Pocus, Casper has become a Halloween staple from the ’90s that is aimed at children but helps get kids of all ages in the mood for the season.

‘Scream 2’ – Arriving 5/1

After Scream became a huge success, the filmmakers wanted to strike while the iron was hot and get a sequel released as quickly as possible, with Scream 2 hitting theaters the very next year.

The two teens who had been terrorizing a small town might have met their demise in Scream, but that won’t stop a copycat killer (or killers?) from tormenting Sidney Prescott (Neve Campbell) as she attempted to move on with her life. Honoring the tradition of horror movie sequels, the film offers more elaborate kills, surprising deaths, and shocking reveals.

Another less exciting trend that Scream 2 follows with horror film sequels is a feeling of repetition, though if you’re a fan of the series, this installment is worth checking out.

‘Silent Hill’ – Leaving 5/1

One of the biggest challenges that adaptation of video games is that it’s difficult for a film to capture the same atmosphere presented in a medium that isn’t required to obey the laws of physics, though Silent Hill manages to come the closest to effectively mirroring the disturbing experience of playing the game.

In hopes of finding answers for her daughter’s bizarre sleepwalking incidents, a mother takes a trip to the town of Silent Hill, only to stumble into the thing of nightmares. When her daughter goes missing in this town, the mother realizes that she has uncovered an otherworldly dimension and much more than the life of her daughter is at stake.

‘The Reaping’ – Arriving 5/1

Some of the most effective horror films are those that can combine otherworldly horrors and attempts to find a real-world explanation for the events, a realm which The Reaping effectively explores.

Katherine Winter (Hilary Swank) is a researcher who investigates claims of “miracles” throughout the world, using science to explain what would appear to be divine intervention. In a small town in Louisiana, Katherine hopes to explain why a river would run red, frogs would rain from the sky, and food would immediately become infested with maggots, though with rational explanations escaping her, it might seem as though there’s much more going on than she could have ever anticipated.

‘The Exorcism of Emily Rose’ – Leaving 5/1

Much like The Reaping, The Exorcism of Emily Rose blends seemingly supernatural occurrences with a practical investigation in hopes of discovering the cause behind a girl’s possible possession.

The film starts with the death of the titular character, igniting a legendary court case about what truly happened to the victim and if anything could have been done to spare her life. While one side claims that a demonic spirit entered the young girl and forced her to take her own life, the other side tries to prove that the priest who performed an exorcism is truly the one to blame for the tragedy. 

More of a courtroom drama than a full-blown horror movie, many of the film’s visuals are enough to frighten audiences, which makes the true story behind the movie all the more terrifying.

‘Cargo’ – Arriving 5/18

Based on a short film of the same name, Cargo offers audiences a new look at the zombie genre, focusing more on human connections than the horrors one faces when their loved ones turn into the living undead.

Starring Martin Freeman and Susie Porter, the story follows a young couple in Australia trying to navigate the harsh terrain in hopes of connecting with other humans, which would offer them their only shot at survival.

The premise of the film is sure to satiate fans of Dawn of the Dead and The Walking Dead, depicting characters who are less fearful of a zombie around a dark corner and more invested in the future of humanity.