Netflix is home to some of the best scary movies out of any streaming platform. With so many streaming services available to fans these days, it can be hard to decide where to go to watch their favorites. Platforms like Hulu, HBO Max, Paramount+, and even Shudder provide a wide range of options that try to appeal to the massive horror community.

What’s even harder is adding films that may gravitate toward viewers that are looking to try something new. Horror is always releasing something new because it’s such a popular genre. Keeping a fresh catalog when rotating titles is important for these streaming services because it allows them to appeal to horror fans.

When it comes to who may have the best in terms of quality though, Netflix often comes out on top. While Shudder features a huge selection of great horror titles, the limitations on Netflix’s end allow them to highlight their best scary films. After all, quality beats quantity any time, and Netflix has delivered in that market.

Whether they’re original releases exclusive to the platform or big-name properties, Netflix has always been a great home for horror fans. Every month sees the debut of another great streaming choice on the popular platform, and there’s always at least ten great films to watch, including now.

10

#Alive (2020)

Released in the midst of the pandemic, this zombie film flew under a ton of people’s radar because the story didn’t release at the best time. However, #Alive is still a great horror film in its own right. It follows Joon-woo, an online gamer who gets caught up in the zombie apocalypse as he’s shut off from the world.

What makes #Alive so appealing is its technological spin on zombie films. The scariest part of this movie isn’t the flesh-eating monsters outside, but the isolation the apocalypse causes. It was a total coincidence that this film was released during COVID, but the message it delivers is absolutely timely.

For many horror fans, technology was the one lifesaver during that time, since it allowed people to stay connected. #Alive completely eliminates that saving grace, showing just how scary isolation is, and it’s incredibly effective.

9

Ouija: Origin Of Evil (2016)

The 2014 movie, Ouija, has become one of the most infamous mainstream horror films to release in the 2010s. Many horror fans considered it a dull supernatural slasher overrun with clichés and poorly written characters.

When a prequel was announced, many audiences were understandably nihilistic about it. However, famed horror director Mike Flanagan managed to turn it into something special.

Ouija: Origin of Evil succeeds because it’s an effectively scary film. It’s not reliant on what people have seen before. Instead, it’s a fun little period piece that sees the slow decline of a young girl as she becomes possessed. It does everything right that its predecessor didn’t with interesting characters, atmospheric scares, and a great ending for Ouija.

8

Creep (2014)

Patrick Brice’s low-budget horror flick was a delight for fans when it originally premiered. It’s such a well-realized horror thriller that follows a documentarian as he begins to realize his awkward subject, Josef, may be more sinister than he appears.

The way the film plays with the audience is what makes this movie so scary. There are small details layered throughout that seem innocent at a glance, but become far creepier once you think about it. Plus, it all leads to a third act that beautifully pays off the suspense the first two acts built up.

The film was a success for a great reason, and has since spawned a sequel, which is also streaming on Netflix, as well as a Creep TV series on Shudder. However, the original film still stands tall as the absolute best of the franchise.

7

Saw (2004)

James Wan’s directorial debut is just one of the many Saw films currently available to stream on Netflix. However, his 2004 classic is still undeniably the best of the bunch.

What makes Saw so great is how it plays with the audience’s mind. There’s very little blood and gore in the film compared to the sequels that followed. However, the direction and cinematography give the movie a raw and gritty feeling that makes it seem more violent than it actually is.

Plus, the film also features one of the greatest twists in horror history that not even the sequels have been able to replicate. The acting may be a bit shaky, but the story, tone, and vision for the original Saw are all phenomenal, making it one of the best scary movies of the 21st century.

6

The Black Phone (2022)

Scott Derrickson’s adaptation of Joe Hill’s short story has become one of Blumhouse’s flagship films. However, it’s also arguably become one of Derrickson’s best works to date.

The story is simple yet works in its favor. A young boy is kidnapped and locked in the basement of a killer named The Grabber. He suddenly gets phone calls from his past victims that try to help him escape. It’s a phenomenal premise, and the overall movie succeeds in bringing it to life.

The way Derrickson visualizes speaking with the dead is unique. The way the ghosts appear beside Finney as he listens to them on the phone is clever and creepy. Plus, the disjointed and grimy film quality for certain scenes is a brilliant way to show what Finney’s sister sees when she has psychic visions.

It’s hard to imagine what this film would have been like without Scott Derrickson’s style. His filmmaking fits the tone of the story perfectly, making it the perfect spooky watch on a dark and stormy night.

5

Scream (2022)

The fifth installment in the popular Scream series has drawn divisive attention in recent years, particularly from those disliking the way the film moved away from Sidney Prescott. However, it’s still one of the best films in the franchise.

Radio Silence’s take on the Wes Craven classic does everything that made the original such a success. It has clever kills and a fun story, held together by interesting characters. However, above all else, it’s also a great satire.

The spotlight on the horror genre is shifted to requels for this film, and the execution works beautifully. From the title referencing other horror requels sharing the title of the original to bringing back legacy characters, this film finds a fine balance between mocking these types of sequels without following them too closely.

4

Fear Street: Part Two — 1978 (2021)

Every entry in Leigh Janiak’s Fear Street trilogy is a fantastic watch. However, the second film, 1978, is undeniably the best because of its loving homage to slashers from the 80s.

The flashback to Camp Nightwing is a welcome change of pace following the 90s aesthetic of the previous film. It feels like a classic Friday the 13th film led by Stranger Things‘ Sadie Sink, while also pushing the trilogy’s story forward.

What makes this film so great, though, is how ruthless it can be. There are no limits this film won’t surpass. There are brutal deaths, including younger campers, that make this an enjoyable slasher. While it’s necessary to watch the first Fear Street film before 1978, it’s still the best film in the trilogy, as well as a well-realized slasher film on its own.

3

Incantation (2022)

At a glance, this Taiwanese horror film seems like a standard supernatural movie. However, the way it plays with found footage makes it one of the most creative scary movies to use the format.

It follows a documentary team investigating a mysterious village. When they break their sacred rules, they begin to be haunted by a maleovolent spirit that hunts them and their families down.

This is a very simple premise, but it’s the use of found footage that elevates it to being a phenomenal horror film. It brings the audience into the story and delivers one of the most satisfying endings that makes the horror feel more real than any found footage movie that came before it.

2

28 Years Later: The Bone Temple (2026)

Nia DaCosta‘s follow-up to 2025’s 28 Years Later not only improved upon the first film, but is also arguably one of the best horror films in the 2020s.

What makes this film so great is its focus on Ralph Fienne’s Dr. Kelson and his relationship with Samson, an infected Alpha. The way the two interact and the friendship that forms is a much-needed step forward for the 28 Days Later franchise. It shows how underneath the Rage virus, people are still there, and they can still be brought back.

While the film did flop at the box office, The Bone Temple ultimately shows that the franchise is still as great as ever, while also setting up a perfect finale to this modern trilogy with its ending.

1

Night Of The Living Dead (1968)

Out of everything available on Netflix, no horror film can quite top George Romero’s classic Night of the Living Dead. It’s a masterpiece of zombie cinema while also showing just how important zombies can be to reflect on society’s misgivings.

Despite being black and white, Night is still as scary as it once was in the 1960s. The gritty nature of the undead is unsettling, including the infamous trowel killing by a young zombie girl.

It all comes together, though, with a phenomenal ending that has been discussed by not just horror fans, but sociologists and other human experience experts for its satirical message on race relations. This classic that kick-started the zombie craze is still one of the scariest films of all time, making it the best scary movie to stream on Netflix today.