The 13 best scary movies on Netflix – The Daily Dot

What makes a scary movie? Is it the jumpscares? Or is it more about mood, setting, and the things you dont see? Finding the perfect movie can be hard when you have so many options and genres. Thankfully, Netflix has scary movies for pretty much every mood, whether youre looking for classics, newer titles, or sleeper hits.

We went deep into the woods to find the best scary movies on Netflix.

The found-footage horror genre has reached its peak (as has the exorcism genre) but this 2010 film manages to combine both into something engaging, humorous, and chilling. The protagonist is an evangelist grifter named Cotton Marcus (Better Call Sauls Patrick Fabian) who allows a documentary crew to follow him to one last exorcism. He reveals early on the various ways hes bilked believers, but when he arrives at the home of Louis Sweetzer (Westworlds Louis Herthum), who believes his teenage daughter Nell (Ashley Bell) is possessed, he realizes his usual tricks arent working. There are shaky-cam jumpscares but its the little moments and details that stick with you, as well as the performances from Bell and Fabian.

One of the best new scary movies on Netflix, J.D. Dillards 2019 creature feature is an exercise in minimalism and atmosphere. Jenn (Kiersey Clemons) washes up on what appears to be a deserted island after an unexplained disaster at sea. She slowly finds out shes not alone, but the lead-up is a near wordless exploration of survival, instinct, and intuition. Our introduction to the islands other inhabitant is an extraordinary shot involving a flare gun that youll want to rewatch a few times.

Vernica, from Spanish horror director Paco Plaza, made a splash on Netflix for being too scary, and because its based on a (reportedly) true story. Vernica (Sandra Escacena) holds a seance with her friends in the basement of their Catholic school while everyone else is outside watching a solar eclipse. If this confluence of events sounds like a bad idea, youre right, because instead of reaching her deceased father, she channels a demon. Its a stylized haunt with emotional weight and solid performances. It also speaks to a woman coming of age (in the most horrific way possible).

Hush is an hourlong cuticle-ripper. The 2016 film centers on Maddie (Kate Siegel, who co-wrote the screenplay), a deaf and mute author who lives in a secluded cabin in the woods. And theres a killer on the loose, wearing a creepy white mask. This premise might sound awfully well-tread, but Hush upends the typical home-invasion thriller by letting us see the threat (John Gallagher Jr.) unmasked, forcing the tension to build as Maddie finds different ways to thwart his murderous advances. By immersing us in Maddies silent world, the tension is even more palpable, and the fact that shes a writer of fiction allows the film to expand in some inventive directions, even as her fate remains unsure.

This 2012 film is often cited for its lawnmower scene, and its definitely an effective scare. But director Scott Derickson (Doctor Strange) tried to set this film apart from other franchise-spawning demon-lore films of the early aughts (Insidious, Paranormal Activity, The Conjuring). Ethan Hawke plays a true-crime writer whos unknowingly moved his family into a murder house, and discovers a trove of films (yes, found footage) in the attic that reveal a series of horrific murders dating back decades. Sinister goes deeper into who exactly is behind the found footage, but also takes aim at the male writer ego.

The premise of Gore Verbinskis 2002 remake of 1998s Ringuyou watch a cursed videotape and die seven days laterhas been regurgitated a few times in the last two decades. Still, The Ring remains a visceral rewatch if you havent seen it in a while (and a good scary movie if youve never seen it). It holds its J-horror influence close, making its monster Samara an inescapable presence, and while the ending is often held up as its scariest part, that closet scene sneaks on up you.

Roman Polanksis 1968 filman adaptation of Ira Levins book of the same namehas long been touted as a cursed production, which only adds to the mood. Mia Farrow plays mother-to-be Rosemary with the appropriate balance of elation and worry, and for a film about nosy occult members conspiring to birth the devil, it also speaks to issues of sexism, class, and religious fanaticism.

Robert Eggers explored isolation and paranoia with 2019s The Lighthouse, but his 2015 debut set the table. One early shot of Thomasin (Anna Taylor-Joy) and her family, exiled from their colony in 17th century New England, slowly trekking off into nothingness portends the evil to come. Padded with period-specific dialogue and religious oppressiveness, The Witch takes its time revealing its true natureand its path to liberation for Thomasin.

James Wans 2010 film features roughly 24 jumpscares, so keep that in mind if youre looking for a more chill viewing experience. Patrick Wilson and Rose Byrne star as parents looking for answers after their son mysteriously falls into a coma, which leads them to, well, demons. And ghosts. A lot of them. What Insidious lacks in plot or narrative, it makes up for with atmosphere and corner-of-your-eye scares.

Yeon Sang-hos 2016 film is a welcome riff on the zombie genre. It starts, as many zombie movies do, with an outbreak, which is quickly spreading. The setting is a train filled with passengers looking to get away from the outbreak, though all it takes is one infected person covertly boarding to make it an incredibly effective (and claustrophobic) action-thriller. But it doesnt stop at fast zombies on a train! It also gives us interesting characters, social commentary, and inventive cinematography.

Sam Raimis horror classic strikes the perfect balance between comedy and gore, a special effects buffet that also gave us a cult hero in Ash (Bruce Campbell). Raimi revisited some of the films themes (with even more gore) in 2009s Drag Me to Hell, but The Evil Dead set the bar for what you can do with just a cabin in the woods.

Weve all seen the Nicolas Cage Not the bees meme from 2006s remake, but the original Wicker Man would never resort to those tactics. Robin Hardys 1973 film about a police officer searching for a missing girl on Scottish island Summerisle is unsettling right from the start: Theres something not quite right about the residentsbeyond their highly sexualized pagan rituals. The great Christopher Lee stars as Lord Summerisle, who puts a face and voice on the islands beliefs, and its collective delusions. If you liked Midsommar, youll see its roots here.

Joel Edgerton directs and stars in this thriller about an awkward (but relatable) situation: running into that person from high school you dont quite remember. Edgerton plays Gordo, the guy Simon (Jason Bateman) doesnt quite remember. Simon and his wife Robyn (Rebecca Hall) have a nice house and are looking to start a family, but Gordos intrusion (leaving gifts at their home, showing up unexpectedly) starts pulling at the threads of their relationship, revealing Simons flaws and giving us Robyns point of view. Its a terrific slow burn right up until the controversial ending.

Audra Schroeder is the Daily Dots senior entertainment writer, and she focuses on streaming, comedy, and music. Her work has previously appeared in the Austin Chronicle, the Dallas Observer, NPR, ESPN, Bitch, and the Village Voice. She is based in Austin, Texas.

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The 13 best scary movies on Netflix - The Daily Dot

Reviewed and Recommended by Erik Baquero