October has started, and everyone is in the mood to watch horror movies, but Netflix has a big problem for horror movie fans. Despite being long considered one of the premier streaming destinations, every time Halloween rolls around, their available stable of horror movies to watch is…lacking. Even with their stock of original movies, like the Fear Street trilogy, Bird Box, and The Babysitter films, and their outstanding horror TV shows like The Fall of the House of Usher, Netflix’s horror movie selection is routinely full of films that most people haven’t heard of, and which don’t offer many hints of quality from their trailers.
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With hundreds of titles available, it may seem like Netflix has a lot of horror movies to make your October season even spookier, but the truth of the matter is, there are only so many present Netflix horror movies actually worth watching. The good news for fans is that Netflix’s carousel of movies rotates frequently, meaning new movies just arrived this week, and some major titles debuted in September just in time for Halloween.
10) 28 Days Later
Danny Boyle’s 2003 horror film has previously been tough to find on streaming, but Netflix is currently its home. 28 Days Later felt like lightning in a bottle upon its release as it revitalized the zombie subgenre with its distinct camera work and unique portrayal of a big city made empty by the infection. What makes the film persevere, though, is the human story of survival that sits at its core with Oscar winner Cillian Murphy making his everyman character Jim one of horror’s best protagonists of the 2000s. The good news if you watch this one and enjoy it, you can jump right into 2025’s sequel, 28 Years Later, on Netflix as well.
9) Bram Stoker’s Dracula
Even though horror fans have no doubt seen a version of Dracula, this remains one of the most interesting from a purely visual perspective. Though its production design and camera tricks immediately set it apart, Francis Ford Coppola’s horror epic is defined by the chameleon-like performance from Gary Oldman. In this film, Oldman channels every descriptor of Dracula that can be levied at him, flirtatious and sexual, disgusting and scary, and everything in between. That extends not only from Oldman’s work but in the movie itself, which juggles romance with outright horror in ways that few movies are able to manage; not to mention every dollar spent on the film is visible on screen.
8) Creep 2
Found footage movies are a dime a dozen, but what sets Creep apart from the others is that Mark Duplass’ sly serial killer character is at the forefront of it. Duplass’s performance, along with some surprise scares, is what makes the Creep movies fun, but Creep 2 is better than the sequel in every way. Not only does it push the story into unique places for a sequel, but it doesn’t hold back on getting to the parts of the first movie that really worked.
Netflix does have both Creep movies, meaning you can watch both, but Creep 2 is such a jump up from the first movie that you should just start with the sequel (it even quickly tells you everything you need to know from that film).
7) Cobweb
A recent addition to the Netflix library, Cobweb is perfect for the Halloween season because it’s a horror movie that actually takes place around the holiday. Though the wild leads of the film, The Boys‘ Antony Starr and Party Down‘s Lizzy Caplan, naturally deliver eccentric performances that will keep you on edge, it really is the larger Halloween vibes that make Cobweb a compelling watch. The film also has a distinct advantage that it holds over others on this list, it’s a great gateway horror movie for a young fan who wants to get into the genre and start with something more modern.
6) Gerald’s Game
Mike Flanagan has made a career out of adapting “unadaptable” Stephen King books into compelling and distinct movies. Before Doctor Sleep and The Life of Chuck, however, Flanagan cut his teeth on the most difficult of these prospects, Gerald’s Game. The reason the film was considered impossible to make should be obvious: most of the movie is about one woman who is chained to a bed for days at a time. As a novel, it’s compelling; as a movie, it sounds like a chore. This is where the magic of Flanagan’s work as a director shines; he finds unique ways to keep the tension up and to evolve the story without removing any of the book’s primary conflict.
5) The Ritual
This Netflix original is one that rewards patience, as we follow a group of friends lost in the woods who slowly start to realize that they’re in trouble. David Bruckner’s film is not only firmly laced with horrifying imagery but it has a key component that makes it more interesting than other “lost in the woods” horror as it builds tension through every moment. Not only are the scares themselves interlocked with the personal journeys of the characters, but the film utilizes the space of the woods and the uncertainty of what might be in the dark as the major bases for how it will terrify you.
4) Smile
Parker Finn’s 2022 feature film is well documented online for its viral marketing, but the film itself is one that is even better than its gimmick suggests. As the disturbing visions begin to mount for its lead character, with those terrifying smiles around almost every corner, it reveals what makes Smile so effective. Finn weaponizes the terror to trick not only his characters, but the audience, lulling you into thinking that everything has sinister implications. It’s an eerie watch, and one that doens’t skimp on gore.
3) The Strangers
Though a handful of sequels have followed in its stead, Bryan Bertino’s 2008 home-invasion horror film remains the best in the series. The setup is simple, and also terrifying. A young couple goes to a house out in the country, only to be terrorized by three masked people, and no clear way to get help around them. What makes The Strangers a great film is that it’s able to maintain the tension for so long, even as the characters try new ways to get out of their deadly predicament; there’s always an answer from the titular killers to every twist.
2) The Texas Chain Saw Massacre
Tobe Hooper’s 1974 classic has a reputation with viewers who aren’t familiar as being a gore fest, a slasher movie where blood and bone fly with impunity. The truth of the matter, and what makes Chain Saw (two words) still worth watching over 50 years later, is that there really is nothing else like it. Five teens wander off to a place they shouldn’t and encounter a twisted slice of life that no one could have dreamed would exist. What makes The Texas Chain Saw Massacre so terrifying is the sound design and disturbing imagery, which uses graphic violence sparingly, instead deciding to frighten you with your own imagination.
1) Train to Busan
The zombie subgenre is saturated with hundreds of movies barely worth reading the title, but every once in a while, something comes along that is filled with style and heart that shows how this kind of horror movie can excel. Train to Busan, a 2016 South Korean horror film, not only has a unique premise within the scope of zombie movies, but its expert direction by Yeon Sang-ho makes it an intense experience that is not for the faint of heart and might make hardcore fans squimish as the blood flies and the zombies pile against the glass.
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